Traditional Arabic & Islamic medicine: validation and empirical assessment of a conceptual model in Qatar.

BACKGROUND: Evidence indicates traditional medicine is no longer only used for the healthcare of the poor, its prevalence is also increasing in countries where allopathic medicine is predominant in the healthcare system. While these healing practices have been utilized for thousands of years in the Arabian Gulf, only recently has a theoretical model been developed illustrating the linkages and components of such practices articulated as Traditional Arabic & Islamic Medicine (TAIM). Despite previous theoretical work presenting development of the TAIM model, empirical support has been lacking. The objective of this research is to provide empirical support for the TAIM model and illustrate real world applicability. METHODS: Using an ethnographic approach, we recruited 84 individuals (43 women and 41 men) who were speakers of one of four common languages in Qatar; Arabic, English, Hindi, and Urdu, Through in-depth interviews, we sought confirming and disconfirming evidence of the model components, namely, health practices, beliefs and philosophy to treat, diagnose, and prevent illnesses and/or maintain well-being, as well as patterns of communication about their TAIM practices with their allopathic providers. RESULTS: Based on our analysis, we find empirical support for all elements of the TAIM model. Participants in this research, visitors to major healthcare centers, mentioned using all elements of the TAIM model: herbal medicines, spiritual therapies, dietary practices, mind-body methods, and manual techniques, applied singularly or in combination. Participants had varying levels of comfort sharing information about TAIM practices with allopathic practitioners. CONCLUSIONS: These findings confirm an empirical basis for the elements of the TAIM model. Three elements, namely, spiritual healing, herbal medicine, and dietary practices, were most commonly found. Future research should examine the prevalence of TAIM element use, how it differs among various populations, and its impact on health.

Prophetic Medicine in the Context of Middle Eastern Culture: A Concept Analysis.

Background: Prophetic Medicine, integral to healthcare in Muslim-majority regions, particularly the Middle East and North Africa, is often underexplored in existing literature. Purpose: This concept analysis sought to explore the concept of Prophetic Medicine by delineating its attributes, antecedents, and consequences in order to augment healthcare providers' comprehension of Prophetic Medicine. It also seeks to enhance interdisciplinary dialogue, thereby enriching the integration of traditional healing modalities in modern medical practices. Methods: Walker and Avant's method was used to conduct the concept analysis by reviewing published literature on the concept. Results: The analysis identified the core attributes of Prophetic Medicine, such as Black Seeds, Dates, Miswak, Wet cupping, and Zamzam water, and explored cultural, spiritual, and practical underpinnings of these practices. Antecedents such as cultural background, spiritual beliefs, basic knowledge, lower cost, perceived safety, efficacy, simple techniques, and dissatisfaction with allopathic therapy were identified. The consequences of these practices include the multifaceted impact of Prophetic Medicine, highlighting the relationship between these traditional practices and health outcomes. Implications for Practice: This concept analysis underscores the significance of recognizing these aspects of Prophetic Medicine for healthcare providers to effectively integrate Prophetic Medicine into practice, aiming for favorable patient outcomes and fostering a more inclusive, culturally sensitive healthcare environment.

Therapeutic benefits of prophetic medicine remedies in treating hematological diseases (A review article).

Hematological disorders are common medical ailments constituting an important cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, which may be managed efficiently using different prophetic medicine remedies as adjuvants to current therapeutics. Prophetic medicine includes the body of knowledge about medicine that has been derived from the deeds, customs (sunnah), ahadith (sayings), actions, and agreements of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. This review article aims at exploring the magnitude of therapeutic benefits of prophetic medicine remedies as adjuvant treatments to many different types of hematological disorders. Herein, we reviewed many published research studies throughout the literature to delineate the potential therapeutic benefits of prophetic remedies on hematological disorders. Several types of hematological disorders may benefit from prophetic medicine remedies that are rich in natural antioxidants that combat oxidative stress-induced harm e.g. nigella sativa, oral honey, camel milk and urine, Ajwa date fruits, olive oil, Zamzam water and figs. Many prophetic medicine remedies were reported to decrease the hematological cytotoxicity effects induced by different chemicals and are beneficial in treating anemias e.g. iron deficiency anemia, sickle cell anemia, thalassemia, coagulopathies and hematological malignancies as leukemia and myeloma. These remedies treat or alleviate the different hematological disorders using different mechanisms e.g. modulating the immune function, treating deficiencies of different substances, protecting against toxins-induced cytotoxicity, decreasing platelets aggregation, suppressing clotting factors activation, exerting antineoplastic effects (enhancing cancer cells cytotoxicity) and inhibiting angiogenesis. Prophetic medicine remedies exert clinically significant therapeutic benefits for treating COVID-19 pandemic, anemia, thrombosis, thalassemia and blood cancers without inducing toxicity or side effects.

Al-Hijamah (Prophetic Wet Cupping Therapy) is a Novel Adjuvant Treatment for Viral Hepatitis That Excretes Viral Particles and Excess Ferritin Percutaneously, Synergizes Pharmacotherapy, Enhances Antiviral Immunity and Helps Better HCC Prevention and Treatment: A Novel Evidence-Based Combination with Prophetic Medicine Remedies.

Viral hepatitis progresses to liver cirrhosis and HCC. Several challenges are facing Sovaldi treatment to viral C hepatitis, eg, viral resistance, difficulty to treat all genotypes, and inability to access treatments in low-income countries. Also, current treatments to Hepatitis B are still challenging. Ideal treatments to viral hepatitis should decrease the viral load, enhance antiviral immunity and repair the viruses-induced tissue damage. That is still beyond reach. High serum ferritin in viral hepatitis correlates with chronicity, increased necro-inflammation, hepatotoxicity, progression to cirrhosis, progression to HCC, unresponsiveness to treatments and viremia. Previously, Al-hijamah (wet cupping therapy of prophetic medicine) significantly cleared thalassemic children of causative pathological substances (CPS), eg, excess ferritin, free radicals and serum lipids. Moreover, Al-hijamah significantly increased the antioxidant power and potentiated the natural antiviral immunity, eg, increasing CD4 count, CD8 count and CD4/CD8 ratio. Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him said: "If there is a benenvolence (benefit) in any of your medicines, benefit will be in shrtat mihjam (Al-hijamah), honey drink, and a stinge of fire compatible with disease and I do not like to cauterize". Likewise, the author suggests Al-hijamah as a novel promising adjuvant treatment for viral hepatitis (B and C) for percutaneous excretion of CPS as hepatitis viral particles, excess ferritin, inflammatory mediators, free radicals, and antigen-antibody complexes. Published reports proved that Al-hijamah exerted tissue-protective effects, and cleared blood through the fenestrated skin capillaries in a pressure-dependent and size-dependent manner (a kidney-like manner). That collectively may decrease the viral load for better HCC prevention and supports the evidence-based Taibah theory (Taibah mechanism). Same therapeutic benefits apply to other viral illnesses as AIDS. Even after HCC development, Al-hijamah is quite mandatory for excretion and clearance of CPS that favor malignancy, eg, lactate (Warburg effect), growth factors, metalloproteinases, and others. Al-hijamah-induced immune potentiation benefits HCC patients. Combining Al-hijamah with other natural antioxidant remedies of prophetic medicine, eg, nigella sativa, costus, natural honey, Zamzam water and others will maximize the therapeutic benefits. In conclusion, Al-hijamah and other prophetic medicine remedies are recommended adjuvants to current pharmacological treatments to viral hepatitis and HCC.

Prophylactic potential of honey and Nigella sativa L. against hospital and community-based SARS-CoV-2 spread: a structured summary of a study protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

OBJECTIVES: Considering the therapeutic potential of honey and Nigella sativa (HNS) in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients, the objective of the study is defined to evaluate the prophylactic role of HNS. TRIAL DESIGN: The study is a randomized, placebo-controlled, adaptive clinical trial with parallel group design, superiority framework with an allocation ratio of 1:1 among experimental (HNS) and placebo group. An interim analysis will be done when half of the patients have been recruited to evaluate the need to adapt sample size, efficacy, and futility of the trial. PARTICIPANTS: All asymptomatic patients with hospital or community based COVID-19 exposure will be screened if they have had 4 days exposure to a confirmed case. Non-pregnant adults with significant exposure level will be enrolled in the study High-risk exposure (<6 feet distance for >10min without face protection) Moderate exposure (<6 feet distance for >10min with face protection) Subjects with acute or chronic infection, COVID-19 vaccinated, and allergy to HNS will be excluded from the study. Recruitment will be done at Shaikh Zayed Post-Graduate Medical Institute, Ali Clinic and Doctors Lounge in Lahore (Pakistan). INTERVENTION AND COMPARATOR: In this clinical study, patients will receive either raw natural honey (0.5 g) and encapsulated organic Nigella sativa seeds (40 mg) per kg body weight per day or empty capsule with and 30 ml of 5% dextrose water as a placebo for 14 days. Both the natural products will be certified for standardization by Government College University (Botany department). Furthermore, each patient will be given standard care therapy according to version 3.0 of the COVID-19 clinical management guidelines by the Ministry of National Health Services of Pakistan. MAIN OUTCOMES: Primary outcome will be Incidence of COVID-19 cases within 14 days of randomisation. Secondary endpoints include incidence of COVID-19-related symptoms, hospitalizations, and deaths along with the severity of COVID-19-related symptoms till 14th day of randomization. RANDOMISATION: Participants will be randomized into experimental and control groups (1:1 allocation ratio) via the lottery method. There will be stratification based on high risk and moderate risk exposure. BLINDING (MASKING): Quadruple blinding will be ensured for the participants, care providers and outcome accessors. Data analysts will also be blinded to avoid conflict of interest. Site principal investigator will be responsible for ensuring masking. NUMBERS TO BE RANDOMISED (SAMPLE SIZE): 1000 participants will be enrolled in the study with 1:1 allocation. TRIAL STATUS: The final protocol version 1.4 was approved by institutional review board of Shaikh Zayed Post-Graduate Medical Complex on February 15, 2021. The trial recruitment was started on March 05, 2021, with a trial completion date of February 15, 2022. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinical trial was registered on February 23, 2021, www.clinicaltrials.gov with registration ID NCT04767087 . FULL PROTOCOL: The full protocol is attached as an additional file, accessible from the Trials website (Additional file 1). With the intention of expediting dissemination of this trial, the conventional formatting has been eliminated; this Letter serves as a summary of the key elements of the full protocol. The study protocol has been reported in accordance with the Standard Protocol Items: Recommendations for Clinical Interventional Trials (SPIRIT) guidelines.

Evaluation of pioneering introduction of integrative and prophetic medicine education in an Arabic medical school (Taibah University, Saudi Arabia): 10 years' experience.

OBJECTIVE: To assess physicians' attitudes toward integrative medicine (IM), including prophetic medicine (PM), combining the best of modern medicine with the best of alternative and complementary medicine. Most physicians are unfamiliar with IM and PM and may thus be against them and it may communicate that to the public. METHODS: Taibah University (Saudi Arabia) is the sole university in the Arab world with an educational medical course in IM and PM. We assessed IM scientific knowledge and students' feedback regarding course contents, course design, and teaching methods. A questionnaire was administered to medical students who attended the course. RESULTS: A total 650 students (264 men, 386 women) participated in the study; 83% considered the IM (including PM) education beneficial. Among them, 49.6% (range, 60% to 100%) reported that they gained medical benefit from studying IM, and 74% expressed strong positive attitudes toward studying IM. Among participants, 65.8% agreed with the current course topics, without the need to add or delete any topics; 95% of students were satisfied with IM and PM education. Students' interest in the branches of IM included all IM subspecialties. CONCLUSION: IM and PM education should be globally generalized to all medical students, physicians, and health practitioners, particularly in Arabic universities.

Prophetic medicine as potential functional food elements in the intervention of cancer: A review.

Amounting scientific evidences have revealed the antitumor, antimetastatic, antiangiogenic, antiproliferative, chemopreventive and neo-adjuvant efficacy of Prophetic Medicine in various in vitro, in vivo and clinical cancer models. Prophetic Medicine includes plants, dietary materials or spices that were used as remedy recipes and nutrition by the great Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) to treat various ailments. Prophetic medicine is the total authentic Hadith narrated by the Prophet (PBUH) in relation to medicine, whether Qur'anic verses or honourable Prophetic Hadith. The ability of functional foods from Prophetic Medicine to modulate various signalling pathways and multidrug resistance conferring proteins with low side-effects exemplify their great potential as neo-adjuvants and/or chemotherapeutics. The present review aims to provide the collective in vitro, in vivo, clinical and epidemiology information of Prophetic Medicines, and their bioactive constituents and molecular mechanisms as potential functional foods for the management of cancer.

Antiproliferative and apoptosis inducing effects of citral via p53 and ROS-induced mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis in human colorectal HCT116 and HT29 cell lines.

Despite various anticancer reports, antiproliferative and apoptosis inducing activity of citral in HCT116 and HT29 cells have never been reported. This study aimed to evaluate the cytotoxic and apoptosis inducing effects of citral in colorectal cancer cell lines. The citral-treated cells were subjected to MTT assay followed by flow cytometric Annexin V-FITC/PI, mitochondrial membrane potential and intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) determination. The apoptotic proteins expression was investigated by Western blot analysis. Citral inhibited the growth of HCT116 and HT29 cells by dose- and time-dependent manner without inducing cytotoxicity in CCD841-CoN normal colon cells. Flow cytometric analysis showed that citral (50-200µM; 24-48h) induced the externalization of phoshpotidylserine and reduced the mitochondrial membrane potential in HCT116 and HT29 cells. Citral elevated intracellular ROS level while attenuating GSH levels in HCT116 and HT29 cells which were reversed with N-acetycysteine (2mM) pre-treatment indicating that citral induced mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis via augmentation of intracellular ROS. Citral induced the phosphorylation of p53 protein and the expression of Bax while decreasing Bc-2 and Bcl-xL expression which promoted the cleavage of caspase-3. Collectively, our data suggest that citral induced p53 and ROS-mediated mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis in human colorectal cancer HCT116 and HT29 cells.

The Islamification of antiretroviral therapy: Reconciling HIV treatment and religion in northern Nigeria.

Access and adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) are essential to HIV treatment success and epidemic control. This article is about how HIV-positive Muslims and providers balance ART with religious tenets and obligations. I conducted 17 months of multi-site ethnographic research between 2007 and 2010, including participant-observation in an urban HIV clinic in Kano, Nigeria and a support group for people living with HIV, as well as in-depth interviews with 30 HIV-positive men and 30 key informants with caregiving, clinical, or policy roles related to HIV/AIDS. Patients migrated from Islamic prophetic medicine to ART when it became more widely available in the mid-2000s through the U.S. PEPFAR program. At the same time, a conceptual shift occurred away from considering HIV immediately curable through spiritual and herbal-based Islamic prophetic medicine toward considering HIV as a chronic infection that requires adherence to daily pill regimens. Hope for a complete cure and encouragement from some Islamic prophetic healers resulted in some patients forgoing ART. Patients and providers adapted biomedical treatment guidelines to minimize disruption to religious practices also considered essential to Muslims' wellbeing, irrespective of HIV status. Providers discouraged patients on second-line ART from fasting because such patients had fewer treatment options and, often, poorer health. However, patients' medication adherence was affected by the desire to fulfill fasting obligations and to avoid questions from family and friends unaware of their HIV-positive status. This study is one of few ethnographic accounts of HIV treatment in a Muslim-majority society and contributes to understanding the significance of religion for HIV treatment in northern Nigeria. It has implications for public health programming and clinical approaches to HIV treatment in medically pluralistic Muslim societies.

Ameliorating Role Exerted by Al-Hijamah in Autoimmune Diseases: Effect on Serum Autoantibodies and Inflammatory Mediators.

Autoimmune diseases have common properties characterized by abnormal blood chemistry with high serum autoimmune antibodies, and inflammatory mediators. Those causative pathological substances (CPS) cannot be excreted by physiological mechanisms. Current treatments for autoimmune diseases involve steroids, cytotoxic drugs, plasmapheresis and monoclonal antibodies. Wet cupping therapy (WCT) of prophetic medicine is called Al-hijamah that treats numerous diseases having different etiology and pathogenesis via a pressure-dependent and size-dependent non-specific filtration then excretion of CPS causing clearance of blood and interstitial fluids. Al-hijamah clears blood passing through the fenestrated skin capillaries. Medical bases of Al-hijamah were reported in the evidence-based Taibah mechanism (Taibah theory). Al-hijamah was reported to be an excellent treatment for rheumatoid arthritis that improved patients' blood chemistry and induced significant clinical improvement and pharmacological potentiation. Al-hijamah improved the natural immunity and suppressed the pathological immunity through decreasing the serum level of autoantibodies, inflammatory mediators, and serum ferritin (a key player in autoimmunity). Al-hijamah reduced significantly pain severity, number of swollen joints and disease activity with no significant side effects. Main steps of Al-hijamah are skin suction (cupping), scarification (sharatmihjam in Arabic) and second suction (triple S technique) that is better therapeutically than the traditional WCT (double S technique). Whenever an excess noxious substance is to be removed from patients' blood and interstitial fluids, Al-hijamah is indicated. Shartatmihjam is a curative treatment in prophetic teachings according to the prophetic hadeeth: "Cure is in three: in shartatmihjam, oral honey and cauterization. I do not recommend my nation to cauterize". Al-hijamah may have better therapeutic benefits than plasmapheresis. Al-hijamah may be promising in treating autoimmune diseases as a sole treatment or adjuvant treatment.

Al-hijamah and oral honey for treating thalassemia, conditions of iron overload, and hyperferremia: toward improving the therapeutic outcomes.

Iron overload causes iron deposition and accumulation in the liver, heart, skin, and other tissues resulting in serious tissue damages. Significant blood clearance from iron and ferritin using wet cupping therapy (WCT) has been reported. WCT is an excretory form of treatment that needs more research efforts. WCT is an available, safe, simple, economic, and time-saving outpatient modality of treatment that has no serious side effects. There are no serious limitations or precautions to discontinue WCT. Interestingly, WCT has solid scientific and medical bases (Taibah mechanism) that explain its effectiveness in treating many disease conditions differing in etiology and pathogenesis. WCT utilizes an excretory physiological principle (pressure-dependent excretion) that resembles excretion through renal glomerular filtration and abscess evacuation. WCT exhibits a percutaneous excretory function that clears blood (through fenestrated skin capillaries) and interstitial fluids from pathological substances without adding a metabolic or detoxification burden on the liver and the kidneys. Interestingly, WCT was reported to decrease serum ferritin (circulating iron stores) significantly by about 22.25% in healthy subjects (in one session) and to decrease serum iron significantly to the level of causing iron deficiency (in multiple sessions). WCT was reported to clear blood significantly of triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, total cholesterol, uric acid, inflammatory mediators, and immunoglobulin antibodies (rheumatoid factor). Moreover, WCT was reported to enhance the natural immunity, potentiate pharmacological treatments, and to treat many different disease conditions. There are two distinct methods of WCT: traditional WCT and Al-hijamah (WCT of prophetic medicine). Both start and end with skin sterilization. In traditional WCT, there are two steps, skin scarification followed by suction using plastic cups (double S technique); Al-hijamah is a three-step procedure that includes skin suction using cups, scarification (shartat mihjam in Arabic), and second skin suction (triple S technique). Al-hijamah is a more comprehensive technique and does better than traditional WCT, as Al-hijamah includes two pressure-dependent filtration steps versus one step in traditional WCT. Whenever blood plasma is to be cleared of an excess pathological substance, Al-hijamah is indicated. We will discuss here some reported hematological and therapeutic benefits of Al-hijamah, its medical bases, methodologies, precautions, side effects, contraindications, quantitative evaluation, malpractice, combination with oral honey treatment, and to what extent it may be helpful when treating thalassemia and other conditions of iron overload and hyperferremia.

Knowledge and attitude of health professionals in the Riyadh region, Saudi Arabia, toward complementary and alternative medicine.

BACKGROUND: Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is a popular treatment option for many populations. The present work is aimed at studying the knowledge and attitude of health professionals in the Riyadh region, Saudi Arabia, toward CAM. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In this cross-sectional survey, a multistage random sample was taken from health professionals working in hospitals in Riyadh city and surrounding governorates. Data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire, from 306 health professionals working in 19 hospitals, on socio-demographic data, knowledge about CAM and their sources, and attitudes toward CAM practices. RESULTS: Of the participants, 88.9% had some knowledge about CAM. Respondents with a doctorate degree (94.74%) and 92.53% of those with a bachelor's degree had significantly higher knowledge of CAM than subjects with a diploma, a fellowship, or a master's degree (68.75%, 76.67%, and 85.41%, respectively, P = 0.004). Mass media represented 60.1% of sources of the knowledge of CAM followed by family, relatives, and friends (29.08%) and health educational organizations (14.71%). Participants estimated that prophetic medicine including prayer, honey and bee products, medical herbs, Hijama, nutrition and nutritional supplements, cauterization, and camel milk and urine were the most commonly used CAM practices (90.5%, 85%, 76.9%, 70.6%, 61.4%, 55.9%, and 52.5%, respectively) in addition to medical massage (61.8%) and acupuncture (55%). One hundred and fifteen (80%) physicians were ready to talk with their patients on CAM. CONCLUSION: The willingness to improve knowledge and create a positive attitude in health professionals toward CAM has increased. Religious practices, especially those related to prophetic medicine, are more common in the region. Health educational organizations have to play a greater role by being the source of evidence-based knowledge of CAM. Talking on CAM with patients should be improved by rooting them on evidence-based practices.

Public knowledge, attitude and practice of complementary and alternative medicine in riyadh region, saudi arabia.

OBJECTIVES: Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is well established worldwide. The present work is aimed at studying the knowledge, attitude and practice of CAM by the people of Riyadh region, Saudi Arabia. METHODS: A cross-sectional descriptive household survey study of the people living in Riyadh city, as well as the surrounding governorates. A multistage random sample was taken from 1(st) January to the end of March 2010, with a total number of 518 participants. Data were collected using a pre-designed questionnaire through direct interview. The data was collected based on socio-demography, as well as knowledge, attitude and practice of CAM. RESULTS: Participants were nearly sex-matched, consisting of approximately 70% Saudi and 30% non-Saudis. About 89% of the participants had some knowledge of CAM. Mass media e.g. (T.V., newspapers and radio) and family, relatives and friends represented the main sources of CAM knowledge, (46.5% and 46.3% respectively). Nearly 85% of participants or one of their family members has used some form of CAM before, and the most common users of CAM practices were females, housewives, and illiterate subjects (or those who could just read and write), as well as participants aged 60 years and above. Medical herbs (58.89%), prayer (54%), honey and bee products (54%), hijama (35.71%) and cauterization or medical massage therapy (22%) were the commonly used CAM practices. Most participants agreed that there are needs for; CAM practices (93.8%), regulations for CAM (94.9%), health education (96.6%), specialized centers (94.8%) and CAM clinics (92.7%). While only 8.3% of participants usually discussed CAM with their physicians. CONCLUSION: There is a high prevalence and increased public interest in CAM use in the Riyadh region. There is a positive attitude towards CAM, yet most participants are reluctant to share and discuss CAM information with their physicians.

'Every disease has its cure': faith and HIV therapies in Islamic northern Nigeria.

Northern Nigeria has one of the highest levels of HIV prevalence among societies that are predominantly Muslim. In the last decade the region has experienced marked expansion of religiously-oriented healing practices following the formal adoption of Islamic sharia law. Since 2005, international funding has also made antiretroviral therapy (ART) more widely available throughout Nigeria. This study uses ethnographic data collected in Kano, northern Nigeria's largest city, to examine Muslims' perspectives on HIV treatment in the context of popular health beliefs and expanding therapeutic options. The research found that passages from classical Islamic texts are regularly cited by both HIV/AIDS practitioners and patients, especially when talking about the supposition that Allah sends a cure to humankind for every disease. Some religious scholar-practitioners (malamai) working in the Islamic traditions of prophetic medicine insist that HIV can be completely cured given sufficient faith in the supernatural power of the Quran; others claim that the natural ingredients prescribed in Islamic texts can cure HIV. Such assertions contradict the mainstream biomedical position that, with the proper therapeutic regimen, infection with HIV can be managed as a chronic illness, although not cured. Thus, these assertions constitute a challenge to the increasing therapeutic hegemony of antiretroviralbased care in Nigeria. Without falsifying the proposition that a divine cure for HIV exists, many Muslim patients on ART, and the predominantly Muslim biomedical staff who treat them, express scepticism about whether the cure has yet to be revealed to humans. These findings suggest that despite recent efforts in Nigeria to assert a unified Islamic perspective on HIV and AIDS, substantive disagreements persist over the causes, treatments and curability of the disease. The healing systems in which practitioners and patients operate influence how they interpret Islamic texts concerning the divinely ordained relationships between Allah, humans, diseases and cures.