Camel Urine and Islam: Difference between revisions

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{{QualityScore|Lead=1|Structure=2|Content=3|Language=2|References=3}}
{{QualityScore|Lead=1|Structure=2|Content=3|Language=2|References=3}}
This article is about the use of camel [[urine]] as medicine in the [[Hadith]]s and how such usage is viewed in the Muslim world.
This article is about the use of camel urine as medicine in the [[Hadith]]s and how such usage is viewed in the Muslim world.


==Camel Urine in the Hadiths==
==Camel Urine in the Hadiths==
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It appears [[Muhammed]] believed camel urine had medicinal value and prescribed it to cure the men’s illness.
It appears [[Muhammed]] believed camel urine had medicinal value and prescribed it to cure the men’s illness.


There is also the possibility the use of camel urine was a cultural thing  among the bedouin Arabs as camels had many valuable uses among the people of ancient Arabia. How use of the camel was viewed in ancient Arabia.
There is also the possibility the use of camel urine was a cultural norm among the Bedouin Arabs as camels had many valuable uses among the people of ancient Arabia. How use of the camel was viewed in ancient Arabia.


{{Quote|[http://www.nabataea.net/camel.html The Camel:Ancient ship of the Desert and the Nabataeans]|For centuries the Nabataean moved goods in the desert by camel caravan. The camel was the backbone of their merchant enterprise, and it is only through understanding the camel, that we can better understand the Nabataean. While the Nabataeans are mostly remembered in the west for the ancient city of Petra, the Nabataeans themselves etched graffiti on many of the rocks and wadi walls of the Middle East. Many of these inscriptions bear reference to or pictures of camels and are the items that the common people left behind in their own memory.  
{{Quote|[http://www.nabataea.net/camel.html The Camel:Ancient ship of the Desert and the Nabataeans]|For centuries the Nabataean moved goods in the desert by camel caravan. The camel was the backbone of their merchant enterprise, and it is only through understanding the camel, that we can better understand the Nabataean. While the Nabataeans are mostly remembered in the west for the ancient city of Petra, the Nabataeans themselves etched graffiti on many of the rocks and wadi walls of the Middle East. Many of these inscriptions bear reference to or pictures of camels and are the items that the common people left behind in their own memory.  
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{{Quote|[http://www.nabataea.net/camel.html Dhu lRumma, Diwan, edited by Charlile Henry Hayes Macartney, Cambridge, 1919, page 638]|Arab poets have often called the camel the 'ship of the desert." Long ago, Saydah Dhu alRumma said that his she-camel was a safiinat al-barr or land ship. His poem stated "a land-ship whose reins beneath my cheek are passed."}}
{{Quote|[http://www.nabataea.net/camel.html Dhu lRumma, Diwan, edited by Charlile Henry Hayes Macartney, Cambridge, 1919, page 638]|Arab poets have often called the camel the 'ship of the desert." Long ago, Saydah Dhu alRumma said that his she-camel was a safiinat al-barr or land ship. His poem stated "a land-ship whose reins beneath my cheek are passed."}}


According to Plinio Prioreschi, author of A History of Medicine: Byzantine and Islamic Medicine, the use of camel urine as medicine might have been a common remedy in Muhammed's time. According to Prioreschi there is some evidence the Arabs might have used the usual mixture of musical folk formulas and crude medicine including Drekapotheke ( excrement ).
According to Plinio Prioreschi, author of A History of Medicine: Byzantine and Islamic Medicine, the use of camel urine as medicine might have been a common remedy in Muhammed's time. According to Prioreschi there is some evidence the Arabs might have used the usual mixture of musical folk formulas and crude medicine including Drekapotheke (excrement ).


Obviously the camel played an important role to the bedouin Arabs and it is obvious where Muhammed got the idea of camel urine having medicinal properties.
Evidently the camel played an important role to the Bedouin Arabs and this much suggests Muhammed got the idea of camel urine having medicinal properties from those around him.


==The use of camel urine in the Muslim world==
==The use of camel urine in the Muslim world==
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The most beneficial of urine is the urine of Bedouin camels which are called najeeb.}}  
The most beneficial of urine is the urine of Bedouin camels which are called najeeb.}}  


Islam Q and A states that the benefits of camel urine have been well known to earlier generations of medical science and have been proven by modern scientific research. The problem with their assertion is most of the scientists who are promoting camel urine as a medical cure are Muslim. However the drinking of camel urine is part of an alternative medicine movement called urine therapy and the American Cancer Society’s position is that scientific evidence does not support individual claims that urine or urea given in any form is helpful for cancer patients and that the safety of urine therapy has not been confirmed by scientific studies.
Islam Q and A states that the benefits of camel urine have been well known to earlier generations of medical science and have been proven by modern scientific research. It is interesting and perhaps problematic that all the scientists who are promoting camel urine as a medical cure are Muslim. The drinking of camel urine is part of an alternative medicine movement called urine therapy and the American Cancer Society’s position is that scientific evidence does not support individual claims that urine or urea given in any form is helpful for cancer patients and that the safety of urine therapy has not been confirmed by scientific studies.


Also camel urine was found to cause a significant cytotoxic effect in the bone marrow cells of mice:
Also camel urine was found to cause a significant cytotoxic effect in the bone marrow cells of mice:
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In regard to the natural immunity of camels, anyone who has basic knowledge of microbiology understands that antibodies are specialized cells that attack and destroy invading microorganisms and other foreign objects. At present, we are not aware that some antibodies come in smaller packages than others or these smaller antibodies  can penetrate deep into human tissue and cells. Moreover, camel urine does not contain any antibodies unless the animal is fighting an infection. In that case, the camel urine could not only sicken a person but allow a pathogen to cross the species barrier and cause a major epidemic. In fact, the drinking of camel urine by Muslims is the likely origin of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS) and [[w:World Health Organization|WHO]] has advised against drinking it.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.who.int/csr/don/8-december-2016-mers-oman/en/ |title=Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) – Oman |publisher=World Health Organization |author= |date=8 december 2016 |archiveurl=https://web-beta.archive.org/web/20161209163420/http://www.who.int/csr/don/8-december-2016-mers-oman/en |deadurl=no}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2015/06/10/stop-drinking-camel-urine-world-health-organization-says |title=Stop Drinking Camel Urine, World Health Organization Says
In regard to the natural immunity of camels, anyone who has basic knowledge of microbiology understands that antibodies are specialized cells that attack and destroy invading microorganisms and other foreign objects. At present, we are not aware that some antibodies come in smaller packages than others or these smaller antibodies  can penetrate deep into human tissue and cells. Moreover, camel urine does not contain any antibodies unless the animal is fighting an infection. In that case, the camel urine could not only sicken a person but allow a pathogen to cross the species barrier and cause a major epidemic. In fact, the drinking of camel urine by Muslims is the likely origin of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS) and [[w:World Health Organization|WHO]] has advised against drinking it.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.who.int/csr/don/8-december-2016-mers-oman/en/ |title=Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) – Oman |publisher=World Health Organization |author= |date=8 december 2016 |archiveurl=https://web-beta.archive.org/web/20161209163420/http://www.who.int/csr/don/8-december-2016-mers-oman/en |deadurl=no}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2015/06/10/stop-drinking-camel-urine-world-health-organization-says |title=Stop Drinking Camel Urine, World Health Organization Says
  |publisher= |author= |date= |archiveurl= |deadurl=no}}</ref>
  |publisher= |author= |date= |archiveurl= |deadurl=no}}</ref>
==Conclusion==
Muhammad prescribed camel urine as medicine to his followers from the tribe of Uraynah. Because Muslims believed Muhammad to be a prophet who received a divine revelation, they continue to prescribe camel urine as medicine despite the lack of evidence proving there is any medicinal value in camel urine and indications that drinking camel urine is actually harmful.
{{Core Science}}


==See Also==
==See Also==


{{Hub4|Urine|Urine}}
*[[Qur'an, Hadith and Scholars:Urine|Urine]]
{{Hub4|Animals|Animals}}
*[[:Category:Animals|Animals]]


{{Translation-links-english|[[Velbloudí moč a islám|Czech]]}}
{{Translation-links-english|[[Velbloudí moč a islám|Czech]]}}
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==External Links==
==External Links==


*[http://english.alshahid.net/archives/7418 Where camel products are used to treat HIV virus]  
*[http://english.alshahid.net/archives/7418 Where camel products are used to treat HIV virus]
*[http://infidelsarecool.com/2008/07/11/yemen-camel-urine-trade-flourishing/ Yemen: Camel urine trade flourishing]
*[http://infidelsarecool.com/2008/07/11/yemen-camel-urine-trade-flourishing/ Yemen: Camel urine trade flourishing]
*[http://www.faqs.org/patents/app/20090297622#ixzz0d16hj3A3 Patent application title: Separation and Formulation of Bioactive Fraction and Subfraction from Camel Urine work as Anticancer Agent]
*[http://www.faqs.org/patents/app/20090297622#ixzz0d16hj3A3 Patent application title: Separation and Formulation of Bioactive Fraction and Subfraction from Camel Urine work as Anticancer Agent]
*{{wp|Hippuric acid}} ''- Wikipedia''
*{{wp|Hippuric acid}} ''- Wikipedia''
*[[w:Cytotoxicity|Cytotoxicity]]'' - Wikipedia''
*[[w:Cytotoxicity|Cytotoxicity]]'' - Wikipedia''
* [[w:Toluene (toxicology)|Toluene]] ''- Wikipedia''
*[[w:Toluene (toxicology)|Toluene]] ''- Wikipedia''
* [http://www.answering-islam.org/Silas/shepherds.htm Muhammad and The Muslims from Uraynah by Silas] ''- Answering Islam''
*[http://www.answering-islam.org/Silas/shepherds.htm Muhammad and The Muslims from Uraynah by Silas] ''- Answering Islam''
* [http://islam-qa.com/en/ref/83423 The Benefits of Drinking Camel Urine] ''- Islam Q&A''
*[http://islam-qa.com/en/ref/83423 The Benefits of Drinking Camel Urine] ''- Islam Q&A''
* [http://books.google.com/books?id=q0IIpnov0BsC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Islamic+medicine&ei=gD5XS7f0G5KCNv6L8IQN&cd=2#v=onepage&q=&f=false A History of Medicine: Byzantine and Islamic Medicine by Plinio Prioreschi] ''- Google books''
*[http://books.google.com/books?id=q0IIpnov0BsC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Islamic+medicine&ei=gD5XS7f0G5KCNv6L8IQN&cd=2#v=onepage&q=&f=false A History of Medicine: Byzantine and Islamic Medicine by Plinio Prioreschi] ''- Google books''
* [http://main.faithfreedom.org/content/benefits-drinking-camel-urine The benefits of drinking camel Urine] ''- FFI''
*[http://main.faithfreedom.org/content/benefits-drinking-camel-urine The benefits of drinking camel Urine] ''- FFI''


[[Category:Animals]]
[[Category:Islam and Science]]
[[Category:Islam and Science]]
[[Category:Health]]
[[Category:Hygiene]]
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