Aslam

Once Rabi-bin Khasim had an attack of small pox. We asked him : Take medicine. He said : I am anxious, I am remembering the stories of A'd . Thamud, inhabitants of the valley and other nations. How many physicians were there among them, but the physicians as welt as the patients all perished and no chants and enchantments came to any use. Ahmed-bin Hambal used to say :
For one who believes in God-reliance and walks in this path, I think it is better to give up medicine and in case of his disease not to call any physician. Sanal Tastari was once asked : When does God-reliance of a man become purified? He said : His God-reliance becomes purified when injury enters into his body and loss in his property and yet he does not look to it.

THERE ARE SEVERAL CAUSES FOR GIVING UP MEDICINE

(1) The first cause is impending death. Such a person gives up medicine in fear of impending death, as he thinks that no medicine will be useful at that time. This fear of death sometimes comes to one in the form of dream, sometimes in the form of strong imagination and sometimes in the form of Khashf or spiritual insight, Hazrat Abu Bakr gave up medicine for this reason, as his spiritual eye was then opened. He told Ayesha that what was then in her mother's womb was a female child.
Thereafter she gave birth to a female child.

(2) The second cause is one's engagement in the thoughts of the next world and for that reason he forgets the pangs of his disease. Hazrat Abu Zarr said : I am engaged in other thoughts.
Abu Darda said also in similar strain. He said : I am complaining of my sins. He was more anxious for his sins than for the pangs of his body. Some person asked him about what he would eat. He said : It is the remembrance of the Ever-living and Ever-lasling.
He was asked : We asked you about maintenance of your human body, He said : That is knowledge. He was asked. We ask you of food. He said : Remembrance of God is food. They said : We ask you of such food is nourishes the body He said : What connection has it got with the body? Body is insignificant, withhold your

238 TAUHID AND TAWAKKAL Vol-IV

hand from protecting my body. When there is every disease in the body, leave it to its Creator whether you have power over it or not. Have you not seen that when there is any defect in any machinery, it is left to its maker or manufacturer for its repair?

(3) The third cause is constant and continuing disease. He who has got continuing disease and is not cured by any medicine, he does not take further medicines or charms and enchantments.
A God reliant man gives up medicine in that case. To this effect, Rabi- bin Khashem said : I remember the A'd and Thamud tribes, there were physicians among them but they also perished with their patients.