Medicine and the Sacred in Islam
A working command of the vocabulary of Islamic metaphysics — wujūd, māhiyya, the gradation of being — used precisely, not loosely.
The capacity to read primary texts of Ibn Sīnā and Mullā Ṣadrā with comprehension rather than reverence alone.
An understanding of why the tradition treats metaphysics as the science of realities — and what that claim asks of the knower.
Direct exchange with Professor Nasr in open Q&A after every session — the part no book can replace.
A syllabus, not a playlist.
Description
This course explores the rich interplay between healing, spirituality, and religious thought in the Islamic tradition by examining how conceptions of health, illness, and treatment are rooted in Islamic cosmology, theology, Sufism, and ethics. We will delve into the historical and philosophical foundations of Prophetic Medicine (al-ṭibb al-nabawī), Greco-Islamic humoral theory, and Sufi approaches to spiritual healing, investigating how Islamic conceptions of the sacred inform medical practice and the pursuit of human well-being.
Texts
Ali, “Reading the Soul”
Chishti, , The Book of Sufi Healing
Nasr, Islamic Science: An Illustrated Study
Nasr, An Introduction to Islamic Cosmological Doctrines
Pormann and Savage-Smith, Medieval Islamic Medicine
Schedule of Meetings & Readings
November 4
Topic: A Brief History of Islamic Medicine
Readings: Pormann and Savage-Smith, Medieval Islamic Medicine, 6–40
November 11
Topic: Sacred Foundations of Medicine
Readings: Nasr, Islamic Science, 153–192
November 18
Topic: Islamic Cosmology and Human Flourishing
Readings: Nasr, An Introduction to Islamic Cosmological Doctrines, 44–66
November 25
Topic: Spiritual Perspectives on Health
Readings: G.M. Chishti, The Book of Sufi Healing, 141-161
December 2
Topic: Diagnosis and the Spiritual Physician
Readings: Ali, “Reading the Soul”
December 9
Topic: Greco-Islamic Medicine: Theory and Practice
Readings: Pormann and Savage-Smith, Medieval Islamic Medicine, chapter 2
Associate Professor of Islamic studies, specializing in Sufism, philosophy, and ethics
