Knowledge of the infinitesimally small organisms in the microscopic world was divinely revealed to the Holy Prophet Muhammad, on whom be peace, as far back as the inception of Islam. This article discusses this knowledge in detail.
These disclosures about these microscopic organisms are found in the Islamic Traditions called the Hadith, which is the second source of Islam besides the Quran and its practical interpretations called the Sunnat. The first Hadith for our consideration concerning these micro-organisms is that reported by Hadrat Jabir, may Allah be pleased with him; The Prophet said, ”For every Disease (Daai) there is a Cure (Dawaa, Shifa). When the cure attacks and consumes the disease, the patient is cured of the disease by the permission of his Lord’’ (Muslim). The key words used by the Prophet in the translation “If the cure consumes the disease” is Uswiiba, which derives from Asaaba, meaning to hit the mark in say the throw of an arrow. Meaning that when the chemical entity presents in the cure succeeds in attacking the disease, thereby destroying it and the patient is relieved of the ailment. So has modern science discovered. As to what the Prophet of Islam means by his use of the word “Daai” (Disease), the following Hadith makes matters clearer. According to Jabir, the Prophet said: “Cover your utensils and the mouth of your water skins. For there is a night in course of the year when epidemic diseases spread. It does not pass by an utensil without a cover nor a skin bag that has not been tied, except that the disease (Daaii) falls into them” (Muslim). The expression means, “It does not pass by an utensil…” shows that the disease moves about through the air medium, likewise the word spreads. Similarly, the expression “except that it falls into them” shows that the disease can fall under gravity; hence must have a mass. In effect the two properties of mass and motion makes it a living organism far below the detection level of the eye, hence a micro-organism. But was divinely revealed to the eyes of the Prophet of Islam. In effect by the word Daai, the Prophet meant any of the three micro-organisms currently known to us (Funga, Bacteria and Virus). The Hadith is similarly clear to the effect that an uncovered utensil containing food and a skin bag containing water whose mouth is not tied, both risk the danger of getting infected with any of these micro-organisms. In other words, the source of decay of food and drinks is from external microbes falling into them and not spontaneously from within.
Historically, it took the world, 1053 years from the time of the Prophet for mankind to begin discoveries of these microbes. In 1675 Leeuwenhoek began observations of microorganisms using microscopes.
Similarly, it took the world about 1235 years to discover the fact that putrefaction, hence disease was not spontaneous but externally caused. That was when Louis Pasteur, chemist and biologist (1822-1895) devised his famous experiment that exploded the myth of spontaneous generation of micro-organisms. He prepared and heated broth and then poured part of it into one flask and put the remaining into a second flask. He then covered the first flask and left the second flask uncovered. After some lapse of time broth in the uncovered flask putrefied, while broth in the covered flask was left fresh and unaffected. The result is astounding and self-explanatory, namely that the microbes responsible for the decay had failed to enter into the covered broth and succeeded in entering into the uncovered broth, thereby putrefying it. Compare the result with the Prophet’s instruction in which he stressed on the need to cover utensils to avoid microbes falling into them- they are the same. The next equally insightful Hadith on micro-organisms is that reported by Hadrat Abu Hurairah as follows: The Prophet said “One of the two wings of the fly contains Disease (Daai), while the other wing contains a cure (Dawaa, Shifa). If it falls into food then submerge it into the food. This should be so for the fact that it first delivers the disease into the food followed by the cure” (Bukhari). It is now scientifically known that the bodies of house flies carry micro-organisms that cause us diseases and often fatal illnesses. These micro-organisms are fungi, bacteria and vira. For example the typhoid fever bacteria can be carried on the foot of a fly. In the same veins it is also known that flies can be carriers of a fungus that belongs to the species of ascomycetes. When they mature inside the bodies of these flies they burst forth and kill the flies. Possibly these ascomycetes may also manufacture some antibiotic that kills flies or that may consume the typhoid fever bacteria. Whatever be the case with the death of the fly by the ascomycetes, the chance of the spread of the disease is curtailed. Pertinent to note here that the world renowned antibiotic, penicillin, is manufactured by a fungus that belongs to the same ascomycetes species. This strengthens the possibility of some antibiotic being manufactured by the ascomycetes found on the bodies of flies. In short by disease in one of the wings of the fly is meant typhoid-causing bacteria and by cure in the other wing is understood to mean the ascomycetes species of fungi, specifically called saprolegnia, which are brownish in colour. To make them visible scientists submerge these dead flies in specially prepared aquarium (water plus some chemicals). The fungus then grows out from the body of the fly as some fine needles. In the Hadith of the Holy Prophet, he advised Muslims to similarly submerge the body of flies into the food thereby releasing the cure. Look at how similar are the two, namely the Prophets method of releasing the antidote and scientific method.
According to Hadhrat Ayesha, the Messenger of Allah, she said: “In the name of Allah, the soil of our land mixed with the saliva of some of us cure (Yashfi) with the permission of our Lord (“Bukhari). Saliva is known to contain lysozyme that kills micro-organisms. In the same vein, soil micro-organisms (Funga and Bacteria) manufacture antibiotics such as streptomycin, gentamycin, tobramycin, tetracycline etc. Thus a combination of saliva and soil serves as a combination of potential source of antibiotics to fight diseases. Yet in another Hadith the Prophet is reported to have said: “The truffle (Kama) is one of the provisions included by Allah in the Manna given to the Israelites. Its water is a cure for eye-ailments” (Bukhari, Muslim). Truffles and morels are very expensive mushrooms eaten as delicacies all over the world. Truffles belong to the same species of ascomycetes fungus to which penicillium chrysogenum responsible for the manufacture of penicillin belongs. The chances are, therefore, high that truffles also manufacture an antibiotic for curing eye-ailments. By the “water of truffles” is meant its aqueous extracts.
Last but not the least Sunan Nisai has reported that according to the Prophet: If a dog puts its mouth into an utensil the latter should be scrubbed with dust seven times before using it again for eating. Science has discovered that the saliva of dogs contain the rabies virus that can be introduced into man orally or intravenously to cause hydrophobia in which the patient barks like a dog when he sees water. At this stage he will surely die. The Prophet, as far back as the 6th century A.D, therefore, instructed that all stray dogs should be killed except those used for hunting, for protecting homes and for protecting livestock. The Arabic word for hydrophobia is “Daai Al-Kalb” meaning the disease caused by dogs. The “Daai” (Disease), in the light of the above explanations, actually means the virus responsible for causing the disease.
In all the above Hadith, the Prophet uses the word Daai (Disease) to mean micro-organisms. Similarly, he uses the words Dawaa and Shifa to mean chemicals that serve as antidotes to diseases. Notwithstanding, the fact that both the micro-organisms and their chemical antidotes are invisible to the naked eyes, he never used the word Jinn, which is used exclusively for intelligent beings who are also not visible to our eyes
CONCLUSION
The Prophet of Islam, as far back as the 6th century AD, was divinely taught by God concerning the existence of vanishingly small microbes that cause us diseases. He was also taught the antidotes to such diseases..
BY KHALID KOFI AHMAD
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