Islam, Medicine, and Practitioners in Northern Nigeria (Studies in African Health and Medicine)

The author of this text argues that, although the Islamic and the pre-Islamic Hausa medical systems have much in common, their theoretical and conceptual frameworks are different. They operate from different understandings of the causes of disease and misfortune, and of the appropriate methods to be employed to restore health or alleviate suffering. The book also discusses another significant difference between the Islamic and non-Islamic Hausa medical systems: the mode of preserving and communicating medical knowledge. The early history of Islamic medicine is also described, and its theories, concepts and historical developments are explored.