Principles of Verification for Medicinal Traditions

A section of the traditions of the Infallibles (peace be upon them) are dedicated to medical matters. One of the issues pertaining to this type of traditions is related to the principles of verification applicable to them. In this paper, by examining the views of both Shi’i and Sunni hadith scholars, we study the various principles related to the chains of transmission and the content of medicinal traditions, and examine the inconsistency of some traditions with recent scientific findings. In appraising the chains of transmission of medicinal traditions, Muslim scholars are in agreement about the validity of traditions are successively narrated (mutawātir) or supported by external corroborative evidence, but they differ regarding the solitary reports that are narrated by reliable individuals.
Due to the practical nature of the subject, and the advancements in the field of medicine, consonance and lack of contradiction with what has been established by scientific means is one of the more important yardsticks for scrutiny of these traditions. In cases of incongruity, certified reports hold sway over unsubstantiated scientific theories while established scientific findings trump uncertified reports. In cases where both sides are conjectural, it is not possible to verify any position and attribute it to religious teachings. As for confirmed traditions contradicting established scientific findings, this is a priori impossible and if one ever comes across this, he should embark upon a meticulous scrutiny of the traditions and scientific findings [to see which of the two is flawed].