Traditional Home Design According to Classical Physicians

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate.

All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the Worlds, and may peace and blessings be upon our Master Muhammad, his family, and his companions.

Many traditional homes in the Arab world were built with spacious layouts, surrounded by gardens filled with green trees, colorful flowers with pleasant fragrances, singing birds, and pools of water with fountains or water features that allowed the soothing sound of flowing water to be heard.

In reality, it was the classical physicians—specifically the physicians of Humoral Medicine—who advised people on how homes should be designed and built. They did so because of the medical importance of such environments in the treatment of many physical and psychological ailments. The objective was to encourage the innate hotness to move outward, thereby revitalizing the body's faculties. According to the physicians, the innate hotness serves as the instrument through which the faculties operate when needed. Gradually drawing this hotness toward the exterior refreshes and strengthens these faculties.

This process is aided by things that bring joy to the heart and soul, such as pleasant fragrances and beautiful sounds. These were believed to strengthen both the psychological and vital faculties, thereby enhancing the body's ability to resist and overcome illness.

Conclusion

I say that adhering to the medicine of the classical physicians brings comfort to both body and soul. It is unfortunate that this medical tradition is often criticized, challenged, and dismissed as false by some in the modern West. In truth, according to the author, such claims are unfounded. Humoral Medicine is believed to have origins in revelation given to our master Adam, peace be upon him, and was practiced by prophets such as Idris and Sulayman, peace be upon them.

The classical physicians studied every aspect of human life and carefully considered what best supports both physical and psychological well-being, even down to the design and construction of homes. When one fairly examines the strengths of traditional medicine, it becomes apparent that many modern homes fail to meet these principles. They are often excessively hot in summer and excessively cold in winter, with narrow spaces and thin walls. Traditional homes, by contrast, commonly featured thick walls that helped keep heat out during the summer and preserve warmth during the winter.

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For this reason, abandoning a medical system founded upon established principles and carefully described diseases, with such precision and sophistication, is regrettable. A fair-minded observer may conclude that Humoral Medicine deserves revival in light of its importance, its attention to human health, and its classification in Islamic law as a communal obligation (fard kifayah).

Notes

[1] In classical medical terminology, water features or fountains are structures from which water flows with sound. Physicians held that water itself cools the air, while its sound promotes relaxation and sleep.

[2] In classical medical terminology, the innate hotness is a subtle hot, airy essence that possesses neither harshness, burning, corruption, putrefaction, nor harmful effects.

[3] In classical medical terminology, a faculty is a quality within the living body that enables it to perform its natural functions. The primary faculties are the vital, psychological, and natural faculties. Secondary faculties include hearing, smell, and sight. Unlike the primary faculties, the secondary faculties are not essential for the survival of the individual or the species.

[4] In classical medical terminology, joy is the expansion of the vital spirit in response to a psychological state while seeking what one loves.

[5] In classical medical terminology, the psychological faculty resides in the brain and consists of three categories: governing faculties (imagination, thought, and memory), faculties responsible for movement through the vital power, and sensory faculties through which perception occurs by means of the five senses.

[6] In classical medical terminology, the vital faculties reside in the heart and include the powers responsible for the expansion and contraction of the heart and arteries, as well as the faculties associated with emotions such as anger, dignity, and competitive drive.