UNANI KNOWLEDGE
Understand the principles, people and history of Unani.
Unani medicine is a traditional system of care that considers each person’s temperament, lifestyle, and health needs. Rooted in ancient Greek knowledge, it brings together dietary guidance, medicines, and regimenal therapies, with an emphasis on balanced living and preventive care.
What you will find here
01
Eminent physicians
Asqalibus, Hippocrates, Galen, al-Razi and Ibn Sina.
02
The history of Unani
Greek foundations, Greco-Roman development, Islamic scholarship and India.
03
Six essential prerequisites
All six factors, with their original detailed explanations.
Eminent Greek (Unani) Physicians — complete source text
Complete clinic-supplied reference text, presented in its original order. Terminology and descriptions are retained from the document.
Eminent Greek (Unani) Physicians
Asqalibus (Ascalipious, 800 BCE)
According to Greek Mythology Apollo was considered the original divine source of medicine and healing. Asclepius was the son of Apollo and hero-god of medicine and healing, According to myth, he was born to Apollo and the mortal princess Coronis. The father of Asclepius, passing down his divine knowledge of medicine, herbs, and surgical arts to his son.
1. Buqrat (Hippocrates, c. 460 – c. 370 BCE)
Known universally as the “Father of Medicine,” Hippocrates revolutionized medical thought by attributing diseases to natural causes rather than divine punishment. He emphasized clinical observation, ethics (the Hippocratic Oath), and lifestyle/dietary balance as the primary means of restoring health.
2. Jalinoos (Galen, 129 – c. 216 CE)
Galen was a prominent Greco-Roman physician and philosopher whose works dominated medical practice for over a millennium. He conducted detailed anatomical dissections (mostly on animals), expanded upon pulse diagnosis, and developed extensive herbal formulations (Galenicals).
3. Zakariya al-Razi (Rhazes, 865 – 925 CE)
Al-Razi was an outstanding Persian clinician, chemist, and philosopher. He was the first physician to clearly distinguish smallpox from measles in his treatise Kitab al-Judari wa al-Hasrah. He authored Kitab al-Hawi fi al-Tibb (The Comprehensive Book on Medicine), an encyclopedic compilation of classical medical knowledge combined with his own clinical cases.
4. Ibn Sina (Avicenna, 980 – 1037 CE)
Revered as Al-Shaykh al-Ra’is (The Chief Master), Ibn Sina was one of history’s most influential polymaths. His landmark work, Al-Qanun fi al-Tibb (The Canon of Medicine), organized all existing medical knowledge into a structured, logical textbook that served as the standard medical curriculum in both Europe and the Middle East for over five centuries.
Unani medicine (also known as Unani-Tibb) is a traditional system of healing and health maintenance that originated in ancient Greece and evolved into a comprehensive medical science through significant contributions from scholars across the Islamic world.
Brief History of Unani Medicine
Greek Foundations (5th–4th Century BCE):
The roots of Unani medicine lie in ancient Greece (the word “Unani” itself is derived from “Ionian”, referring to Greece). Hippocrates freed medicine from superstition and magic, establishing it on empirical observation and formulating the core Humoral Theory (Nazriya-e-Akhlat). According to this concept, health depends on the balance of four humors: Dam (Blood), Balgham (Phlegm), Safra (Yellow Bile), and Sauda (Black Bile).
Greco-Roman Systematization (2nd Century CE):
Galen expanded Hippocratic medical theory into a comprehensive system of anatomy, physiology, and pathology. He codified clinical practices and anatomical studies that formed the backbone of Western and Near Eastern medicine for centuries.
Golden Age of Islamic Medicine (8th–14th Century CE):
During the Abbasid Caliphate (notably centered in Baghdad’s Bayt al-Hikmah or House of Wisdom), Greek texts were translated into Arabic and Syriac. Scholars like Abu Bakr al-Razi (Rhazes) and Ibn Sina (Avicenna)systematically organized, refined, and greatly expanded medical knowledge through extensive clinical observations, pharmacology, and clinical trials.
Spread to the Indian Subcontinent:
Unani medicine was introduced to India around the 11th–12th centuries during the Delhi Sultanate and flourished under Mughal rule. Scholars and physicians (Hakims) incorporated local medicinal herbs and further refined therapeutic practices, making South Asia one of the key global hubs for Unani medicine today.
Six Essential Prerequisites of Healthy Life —
Complete clinic-supplied reference text, presented in its original order. Terminology and descriptions are retained from the document.
Six Essential Prerequisites (Asbab-e-Sitta Zaruriya)
Form the cornerstone of preventive healthcare, health maintenance (Hifzan-e-Sehat), and disease management in Unani Tibb.Greeck (Unani) scholars state that life and health cannot exist without these six factors. When these factors remain in a state of balance (Ta’adil) suitable to an individual’s unique temperament (Mizaj), health is maintained. Any imbalance (Inhiraf) leads to disease (Marz).
1. Atmospheric Air (Hawa-e-Muheet)
Air is considered the most critical factor because life cannot endure without continuous respiration.
Physiological Function: The naturally right composition of pure and fresh air refreshes the Pneuma/Vital Spirit (Ruh) and maintains temperamental equilibrium of the vital force (Tadeel-e-Ruh) while expelling metabolic waste gases (Dukhan).
Impact of Seasons (Fusool):
Spring (Rabi): Temperament is Hot & Moist (Har Ratab). Most balanced season; enhances blood formation (Khilt-e-Dam).
Summer (Saif): Temperament is Hot & Dry (Har Yabis). Increases Safra (Yellow Bile).
Autumn (Kharif): Temperament is Cold & Dry (Barid Yabis). Tends to produce Sauda (Black Bile) and trigger chronic skin or joint issues.
Winter (Shita): Temperament is Cold & Moist (Barid Ratab). Increases Balgham (Phlegm) and predisposes to respiratory disorders.
2. Food and Drinks (Makool wa Mashroob)
Dietary intake provides the raw materials Metabolisum (Istehala) for replacing consumed body tissues (Badal-e-Ma Yatallaf) and sustaining growth.
Classification of Foods:
Medicinal Nutrients (Dawa-e-Ghazai): Substances with higher medicinal/temperamental qualities than nutritional values. (Alcohol).
Nutritional Medicine (Ghaza-e-Dawai): Nutrients with distinct medicinal qualities.(e.g.,Honey)
Pure Food (Ghaza-e-Mughtazi): Converted primarily into humors (Akhlaat) to nourish tissue (e.g., wheat, mutton, pure milk).
Role in Health: Digestion undergoes three main stages Gastrointestinal (Hazm-e-Madi), Hepatic (Hazm-e-Kabidi), and Vascular/Cellular (Hazm-e-Urooqi/Uswa)—yielding balanced humors (Dam, Balgham, Safra, Sauda).
3. Physical Activity and Rest (Harkat wa Sukoon-e-Badani)
Physical activity generates i (Hararat-e-Ghariziya), aids digestion, improves circulation, and promotes the expulsion of waste products through sweat and respiration.
Excessive Exercise (Harkat-e-Mufrit): Produces excess heat and dryness, consumes vital spirit, and leads to tissue wasting.
Excessive Rest (Sukoon-e-Mufrit): Increases coldness and moisture, reduces metabolism, suppresses Tabiyat, and causes accumulation of waste matter (Fuzlaat).
4. Mental/Psychic Activity and Rest (Harkat wa Sukoon-e-Nafsaniya)
Mental states directly affect the distribution of vital spirit (Ruh) and innate heat (Hararat-e-Ghariziya) throughout the body.
Anger (Ghazab) & Joy (Surur): Cause outward expansion of Ruh and heat (Harkat-e-Kharij). Anger moves the spirit rapidly, while joy moves it gradually.
Fear (Khauf) & Sorrow (Gham): Cause inward contraction of Ruh and heat (Harkat-e-Dakhil). Excessive fear can draw the spirit inwards so abruptly that it leads to collapse.
5. Sleep and Wakefulness (Naum wa Yaqzah)
Sleep (Naum): A Sound, deep and for good quality of time taken sleep draws the natural heat (Hararat-e-Ghariziya) and Ruh inward toward the core organs. It reinforces digestion, aids assimilation, relaxes the senses, and rejuvenates the body’s self-preservation power (Tabiyat).
Wakefulness (Yaqzah): A constant and continuous wakefulness causes disperses natural heat outward to the periphery, enabling mental processes and physical activities. Excessive wakefulness causes dryness, weakness, and impaired digestion.
6. Evacuation and Retention (Istifragh wa Ihtibas)
The balance between eliminating toxic or surplus waste and retaining essential physiological substances.
Evacuation (Istifragh): The removal of metabolic byproducts (via defecation, micturition, sweating, vomiting, menstruation). Inadequate evacuation leads to plethora/congestion (Imtila) and auto-intoxication.
Retention (Ihtibas): Retaining nutrients, fluids, and vital elements required for body functions. Excessive evacuation leads to dehydration, loss of vital energy, and weakness of organs (Zauf-e-Aaza).
Clinical Relevance
In Unani clinical practice (Iliya-bi’t-Tadbeer), modifying these six essential factors according to a patient’s Mizaj(Temperament) is the first line of intervention before administering pharmacotherapy (Ilaj-bi’d-Dawa) or surgical procedures (Ilaj-bi’l-Yad).
Unani ideas in everyday language
Unani is a traditional medical system with a long intellectual history. Its classical vocabulary helps describe constitution, environment and habits. These concepts are presented here as the traditional framework used in care; a website description does not establish a diagnosis or the effectiveness of a particular treatment.
Mizaj — temperament
A traditional way of considering an individual’s constitution and qualities. Assessment is personal and should be discussed with the practitioner.
Asbab-e-Sitta Zaruriya
Six essential factors in everyday living: air, food and drink, movement and rest, emotions, sleep and wakefulness, and retention and evacuation.
Ilaj — approaches to care
A plan may draw on dietotherapy, regimenal methods and pharmacotherapy. Availability and suitability are confirmed during consultation.
How to read the traditional source material
The following pages preserve the clinic’s supplied educational material. Historical figures and terminology appear as written in the source. Where a practice is invasive or has a possible adverse effect, its inclusion is for understanding the clinic’s service list, not for self-treatment.
Ask about professional qualifications, the proposed procedure, hygiene, expected aftercare and whether a method is appropriate with your current health conditions or medicines. The safest path is a direct conversation with the clinic and your other treating clinicians when relevant.
A closer look at the six essentials
1. Hawa — air and surroundings
Classical Unani writing treats air and the surrounding environment as fundamental to life. In a present-day conversation, this can prompt questions about ventilation, heat, cold, season, workplace exposures and comfort at home. The traditional framework is descriptive; it does not replace assessment of respiratory or environmental health problems.
2. Makool-o-Mashroob — food and drinks
Food, drink, quantity, timing and individual tolerance are recurring themes in Unani writing. A realistic dietary plan should account for nutritional needs, existing conditions, medicines and preferences. It should be reviewed with a qualified professional when managing a diagnosed condition.
3. Harkat-o-Sukoon-e-Badani — Physical movement and rest
Activity and rest are discussed together because both are necessary. The suitable amount of movement depends on capacity, health status and goals. The tradition encourages attention to rhythm and recovery rather than applying the same exercise prescription to everyone.
4. Harkat-o-Sukoon-e-Nafsani — Mental Activity & Relaxation
The traditional framework recognizes that emotions and mental calm are part of everyday wellbeing. Discuss persistent distress with an appropriate professional. Lifestyle advice can support conversation but should not be used in place of mental health care when that care is needed.
5. Naum-o-Yaqza — sleep and wakefulness
Sleep quality, duration and timing are considered in the six essentials. You can use this topic to describe your routine and ask whether changes in habits might help. New or severe sleep problems should be assessed rather than attributed automatically to temperament.
6. Ihtibas-o-Istifragh — retention and evacuation
This classical category concerns the body’s processes of retaining what is useful and eliminating waste. It is part of the traditional vocabulary. Unusual changes in bowel or urinary habits, bleeding, pain or dehydration require appropriate clinical attention.
These six factors are a guide to a conversation about habits and surroundings. They are not a checklist for diagnosing yourself or choosing an invasive treatment.
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