Reviving Humoral Medicine
with Dr. Hani El Batal
.png)
%20(1080%20x%201920%20px.png)
A benefit concerning the pulse
Recently, a statement has spread among some people claiming that the pulse is “a messenger that lies.” This statement is false and rejected. It contradicts what the early physicians affirmed, namely that the pulse is “a messenger that does not lie.” If it were to lie and errors in it were frequent, it would be of no benefit to either the physician or the patient, nor could it be used to infer the different conditions of the human body, nor to distinguish correctness from error in identifying the four qualities: hotness, coldness, wetness, and dryness.
In this article, we will clarify the correct position on this matter, relying on the statements of the early physicians and the words of the recognized scholars in the foundations of this science.
Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds, and may prayers and peace be upon the Messenger of Allah, Muhammad.
Some of our brothers asked us: Is it correct to say that “the pulse is a messenger that lies,” since this expression has recently been spreading among some people? What is the correct view?
Answer:
The correct statement is that “the pulse is a messenger that does not lie,” as was stated by the early physicians. If it were to lie and errors in it were frequent, it would have no benefit for either the physician or the patient. Nor would it be used as evidence to understand the differing states of the human body, nor could it distinguish between correct and incorrect judgments regarding the four qualities of the human body: hotness, coldness, wetness, and dryness. Therefore, this statement is false and rejected.
As for someone who is ignorant of the principles of the science of the pulse and lacks the discernment to understand its subtleties, he may fall into error and matters may become confused for him. However, his ignorance does not invalidate the science of the pulse.
The foundations of the science of the pulse were revealed to our master Adam, peace be upon him, and there is no doubt that this science is a messenger that does not lie.
We asked Imam al-Harari about the science of the pulse, and he replied, may Allah have mercy on him:
“The science of the pulse began with the prophets, and afterward people expanded upon it. Adam, peace be upon him, taught his children some of the principles of the pulse.”
In the book “Al-Kāmil fī al-Ṣināʿa” by ʿAlī ibn al-ʿAbbās, it states:
“The pulse is a messenger that does not lie and a silent caller that informs about hidden things through its visible movements.”
In the book “Shajarat al-Ṭibb” by Ibn Muḥammad al-Qurashī, it states:
“Know that the pulse has been described as a silent warner and a truthful informant that reveals to us matters hidden from our senses and guides us to what exists within our bodies.”
In the book “Al-Masāʾil fī al-Ṭibb” by Ḥunayn ibn Isḥāq, it states:
“The pulse is a messenger that does not lie and a silent caller that informs about hidden matters through its apparent movements.”
In the book “Al-Tadhkira” by Dāwūd al-Anṭākī, when mentioning fever, it states:
“The strong and decisive evidences are the pulse and the urine flask.”
And in the book “Al-Ḥāwī fī al-Ṭibb” by al-Rāzī, it states:
“The evidence that does not lie regarding the strength of the force is the strong, even pulse, and likewise the great pulse.”