Prophetic Foundations. Muslim medicine has an important theological basis. Both the Qur'an and the hadiths make many references to taking care of the body, which is a religious obligation for Muslims. An instrumental aspect of Islamic theology is the divinely ordained balance of life. Muslims are expected to protect that delicate balance, including care of their bodies, so they are able to perform religious duties and be valuable citizens. This concept was clearly put forth by the fifteenth-century Muslim physician Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti in his Tibb ul-Nabbi (Medicine of the Prophet):

It is obligatory upon every Muslim that he draw as close to the Almighty God as he can and that he put forth all his powers in attention to His commands and obedience to Him, and that he make the best use of his means and that he . . . [refrains] from...