Traditional Healing in Malay Culture: The Case of A Malay Manuscript of the 19th Century*

by Roziah Sidik @ Mat Sidek Department of Arabic Studies and Islamic Civilization Faculty of Islamic Studies National University of Malaysia Email: roziah@ukm.my and Prof. Datin Dr. Azizan Baharuddin Director Centre for Civilizational Dialogue University of Malaya Email: azizanb@um.edu.my Abstract Every society has its own traditional practice of coping with diseases. Based on the old Manuscript MSS1292 Kitab Tib (Book of Healing) i.e. a Malay manuscript of the 19th century, we believe that Malay people have a strong tradition of healing practices worthy of attention today especially in the context of complementary & integrative medicine1. We have decided to write this paper to share some of the traditional practices of the Malays. In doing so, we would use an analytical approach in studying the contents of the text of the manuscript in order to obtain a clearer picture of the traditional Malay health practices. The findings of the research on the manuscript indicate that there are three types of practices in the art of healing diseases. They are, first, healing technique using natural resources; second, healing technique using wafak (written symbols); and healing technique using Quranic verses, supplication and offering blessing to the Prophet (pbuh). In doing this we want to emphasise the point that traditional healing was holistic and ecological in its approach; a fact very much emphasised for sustainable health today. For the purposes of this paper however, and because of the limitations of time, we will only dwell on two of these approaches.

____________________________ * Based on a PhD research entitled Pemeribumian Sains di Malaysia: Satu Kajian Mengenai Penggalian Khazanah Lama Sains Dalam MSS1292 Kitab Tib. 1

Introduction Every living society in the world has its own traditional healing practice. Likewise, the Malay society has its own tradition in this matter. This paper examines this traditional practice with specific reference to a 19th Century manuscript, that is, MSS1292 Kitab Tib. This manuscript is obtained from the Malay Manuscript Centre, National Library of Malaysia. As the title of the manuscript suggests, it is indeed a treasure hove of information on Malay medicinal treatment. On analysing the manuscript, it is found that the traditional healing practice of the Malay society utilises natural resources, wafak (letters, numerals and diagrams) and Quranic verses and doa (prayers and supplications).

What is traditional healing? For the purposes of this paper, traditional healing is defined as including a diversity of pratices, approaches, knowledge, and beliefs incorporating plant, animal, and mineral-based medicines. It is also includes spiritual therapies, techniques, and exercises, applied individually or in combination to maintain health, to treat illness, or to prevent it2.

Treatment of diseases by utilising natural resources The Malay society utilises natural resources in its healing practice. The natural resources here means flora. The underlying philosophy for utilising flora as remedies, according to Azizan Baharuddin (1993 3: 120), is the belief in Allah as the Creator of nature, including vegetation and animals, all of which is for the benefit of mankind. Thus, the act of utilising vegetation and animals is seen to be in line with the reason for their creation.

Detailed analysis of MSS1292 Kitab Tib shows that 258 types of flora are being used to heal various types of diseases. More interestingly, the flora used are local in origin. The writer submits 13 examples of flora which form the sources of remedies as recorded in MSS1292 Kitab Tib . The said herbs are bonglai (cratoxylon indicum), cekur (kaempferia galanga), halia (zingiber officinale), urang-aring (eclipta prostrata), keramak ( alternanthera triandra), pegaga (hydrosotyle asiatica), rembega (calotropis gigantea ), lenggundi (vitex negundo), celagi (tamarindus indica), sirih (piper betel), ruku-ruku (hyptis suaveolens) and jintan (cuminum cyminum). It is necessary to point out that all of them are locally grown based on the notes of
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Muhamad bin Zakaria and Mustafa Ali Mohd (1994) in their book Traditional Malay Medicinal Plants.

Cratoxylon indicum has been used as one of the ingredients for remedies in the treatment of migraine, headache, head pains, cough and stomach disorders. Kaempferia galanga is one of the ingredients used to treat cough and bloating or tightness of stomach. While zingiber officinale is one of the ingredients to treat headache, suppurating ear, deafness, cough, dyspepsia and skin inflammation. Besides that, eclipta prostrata is used as one of the ingredients to treat cough and backache. Alternanthera triandra is used as an ingredient to treat low consciousness. Whereas hydrosotyle asiatica is used as one of the ingredients to treat head pains. As for calotropis gigantea , it is one of the ingredients to treat psoriasis. Other local herbs such as vitex negundo is used as one of the ingredients to treat low consciousness, cough, backache and psoriasis. Whereas tamarindus indica is also used as one of the ingredients to treat psoriasis. Piper betel is used as one of the ingredients to treat cough, tightness of stomach or bloating and colic. Other than that, piper betel is also one of the ingredients used to treat backache, skin inflammation, ringworm and psoriasis. Besides that, other local herbs such as hyptis suaveolens is one of the ingredients used to treat psoriasis. Whereas cuminum cyminum is used to treat head pains, dyspepsia, bloating or stomach tightness, backache and psoriasis.

The use of herbs as ingredients in remedies shows that the Malay society has its own tradition in healing practice. This tradition becomes the heritage through the times. Even in the present time, the Malay society is steeped in the practice of using herbs as ingredients in remedies. Treatment of diseases using Quranic verses and doa (prayers) Examination of MSS 1292 Kitab Tib shows that Malay traditional healing did not marginalise the use of Quranic verses and doa / supplication. For example, treatment for colic, that is abdominal pain with vomiting and diarrhoea (Kamus Dewan 1994: 222) involves the use of verse al-Fatihah (MSS1292: 84). For head pains (MSS1292: 17) and headaches (MSS1292: 19), treatment involves the use of verse al-Ikhlas. Headache can also be treated by using verse 130 of Surah al-Shuara and verse 45 of Surah al-Baqarah (MSS1292: 19). Treatment for head pains
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involve the use of verse 37 of Surah al-Hajj, Verses 1-4 of Surah Maryam and Verse 70 of Surah Yasin (MSS1292: 20-21) as well as verse 196 of Surah al-Baqarah . Verse 196 of Surah al-Baqarah is also used for the treatment of one-sided head pain (MSS1292: 20). In the treatment of eye problems, it was found that the Malay society used verse 66 of Surah Yasin and verse 111 of Surah Taha (MSS1292: 34). Whereas in the treatment of difficulty in breathing or cough, verse 25 of Surah al- Naziat (MSS1292: 59) is used. In the treatment of liver problems verse 66 of Surah al-Nahl, verse 8 of Surah Ali Imran or verse 35 of Surah Sad (MSS1292: 65) were used. Whereas roundworm needs to be treated with verse 91 of Surah al-Anbiya or verse 12 of Surah al-Tahrim (MSS1292: 84). Chilliness is treated with verse 17 of Surah al-Anam (MSS1292: 117).

MSS1292 Kitab Tib also reveals that Malay society treats diseases with doa / supplication. Among the diseases which need doa as a requirement for healing is migraine (MSS1292: 17), head pains (MSS1292: 20-21), inversion of eyes (MSS1292: 36), liver disorder (MSS1292: 66), bloating (MSS1292: 74), vomiting or eye problem or cancer or boils or

excessive perspiration or cuts or haemorrhage (MSS1292: 86), rectal cancer (MSS1292: 105), sprain (MSS1292: 106), strengthening or increasing the size or length of the male sexual organ (MSS1292: 125), prevention of male weakness (4 doa are given) (MSS1292: 126) and weakness of male sexual organ (MSS1292: 128).

Some of the doa uses the whole Quranic verse. For example, the doa to treat bloating uses verse 82 of Surah al-Isra (MSS 1292: 74) and the doa for rectal cancer uses verses 1-2 of Surah al-Qalam, verse 27 of Surah al-Takwir or verse 87 of Surah Sad or verse 104 of Surah Yusuf , as well as verse 29 of Surah al Takwir (MSS1292: 105). All these verses are combined in a single doa. Besides that, the doa for sprain uses verses 1-2 of Surah al-Qadr (MSS1292: 106).

There are also doa in which Quranic verse is only part of the doa. For example, doa to treat vomiting or eye problems or cancer or boils or excessive perspiration or cuts or haemorrhage uses verse 137 of Surah al-Baqarah as only part of the contents (MSS1292: 86). The verse is read at the end of the doa. Doa to strengthen the male sexual organ also includes a

verse at the commencement of the doa. The verse referred to is verse 1-2 of Surah al-Rahman (MSS1292: 125).

A doa which combines Quranic verse with other recitations gives rise to probable confusion as to the status of the verse. In resolving this confusion, the writer is in agreement with the suggestion put forward by Harun Mat Piah7. Harun explains that the use of the Quranic verse in the doa is not usually taken as a whole or as it is actually written in the holy book (mushaf). Some are quoted randomly, unarranged or combined with other expressions. He concedes with the view of the traditional physician, healer or medicine man that it is an arrangement of words denoting to treat, heal or prevent disease and its associated elements. This implies that the Quranic verse used no longer bears the full status of a Quranic verse. Its status in the doa is not equivalent to its Quranic status. This resolution submitted by Harun explains the jusitification of the Malay society, as portrayed in MSS1292 Kitab Tib , for combining several Quranic verses with other non-Quranic expressions to formulate a prayer for treating a disease.

Holistic approach in Malay traditional healing As a guide to how Malay traditional healing practices could be situated today, we can perhaps quote what the World Health Organization (WHO) has stated in 2001 when reviewing traditional and complementary / alternative medicine worldwide8:

Traditional and complementary / alternative medicine is widely used in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of an extensive range of ailments. There are numerous factors that have led to the widespread and increasing appeal of traditional and complementary / alternative medicine throughout the world, particularly in the past 20 years. In some regions, traditional and complementary / alternative medicine is more accessible. In fact, one-third of the worlds population and over half of the populations of the poorest part of Asia and Africa do not have regular access to essential drugs. However, the most commonly reported reasons for using traditional and complementary / alternative medicine are that it is more affordable, more closely corresponds to the patients ideology, and is less paternalistic than the allopathic (modern) medicine. Regardless of why individuals use it, traditional and complementary / alternative
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medicine provides an important health care service to persons both with and without geographic or financial access to allopathic medicine. Traditional and complementary / alternative medicine has demonstrated efficacy in areas such as mental health, disease prevention, treatment of non-communicable diseases, and improvement of the quality of life for persons living with chronic diseases as well as for the ageing population. Although further research, clinical trials, and evaluatuons are needed, traditional and complementary / alternative medicine has shown great potential to meet a broad spectrum of health care needs. Recognizing the widespread use of traditional and complementary / alternative medicine and the tremendous expansion of international markets for herbal products, it is all the more important to ensure that the health care provided by traditional and complementary / alternative medicine is safe and realiable; that standards for the safety, efficafy, and quality control of herbal products and traditional and complementary / alternative therapies are established and upheld; that pratitioners have the qualifications they profess; and that the claims made for products and practices are valid. These issues have become more important concerns for both health authorities and the public. National policies are a key part of addressing these concerns.

The study of the Kitab Tib shared in a brief manner through this paper, provides a rich source of material for further research to be carried out as to how much of the information given is still available and are of use in todays Malay society, which is well-known for its dependence on non-allopathic medicine.

Conclusion The Malay Manuscript of the 19th Century, specifically MSS1292 Kitab Tib reveals various ways to treat disease in traditional Malay practices. In addition to utilising natural resources as ingredients for remedies, Malay society also uses wafak, Quranic verses and doa in their traditional healing. These forms of traditional healing reveals two matters regarding Malay traditional healing practice. First, the society has a great deal of knowledge of nature in the procurement of natural materials and their properties for healing. Second, the belief or faith of the Malay society is seen as having an influence on their nature-dependent healing practices. It

also shows that the traditional healing practice of the Malay society bears a holistic and ecological approach.

References 1 Roziah Sidik. PhD Thesis (2010). Pemeribumian Sains di Malaysia: Satu Kajian Mengenai Penggalian Khazanah Lama Sains Dalam MSS1292 Kitab Tib.
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World Health Organization. 2001. Legal Status of Traditional Medicine and Complementart / Alternative Medicine: A Worldwide Review. http://apps.who.int/medicinedocs/pdf/h2943e/h2943e.pdf, pp 1 Azizan Baharuddin. 1993. Unsur rasional dan spiritual di dalam perubatan Melayu (The Rational and Spiritual Elements of Malay Healing). In Azizan Baharuddin (pnyt.). Cendekia (Monograf Akademi Pengajian Melayu): Perubatan dan Kesihatan di Kalangan Orang Melayu (Medication and Health among Malays). Bil. 3. Kuala Lumpur: Akademi Pengajian Melayu, UM. Hlm. 112 -128. MSS1292 Kitab Tib. Muhamad bin Zakaria dan Mustafa Ali Mohd. 1994. Traditional Malay Medicinal Plants. Kuala Lumpur: Penerbit Fajar Bakti. MSS1292 Kitab Tib. Harun Mat Piah. 2006. Kitab Tib: Ilmu Perubatan Melayu (Malay Medical Knowledge). Kuala Lumpur: Perpustakaan Negara Malaysia, pp 55 World Health Organization. 2001. Legal Status of Traditional Medicine and Complementart / Alternative Medicine: A Worldwide Review. http://apps.who.int/medicinedocs/pdf/h2943e/h2943e.pdf, pp 3-4

http://malaysiafx.org/component/option.com_fireboard/Itemid.41/func.view/catid.17/id... Ilmu Tabib (The Physicians Knowedge). Kamus Dewan.1994. Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka.