The Prophet's guidance regarding cauterization and puncturing of the veins
"Jabir bin 'Abdullah narrated that the Prophet b once sent a doctor to Ubay bin Kab and that the doctor used puncturing on one of Ubay's veins and then cauterized the wound." (Al-Bokhary)
Further, when Sa'd bin Moa'az was injured in his medial arm vein, the Prophet b, had it cauterized and then cauterized again when the wound became swollen. In another narration of this Hadith, the Prophet cauterized
Sa'd bin Mu'adh in his medial arm vein using the tip of an arrow. Afterwards, Sa'd bin Mu'adh, or someone else, cauterized the wound again. Another narration states that one of the Ansar was injured in his medial arm vein and the Prophet ordered that he be cauterized. [These Ahadeeth are narrated by Muslim, Abu Dawood, and others].
Abu 'Ubayd In addition narrated that a man, who was prescribed cauterization, was brought to the Prophet b and the Prophet a ordered that he be cauterized. Then hot stones were applied on the wound to close it. In addition, Jabir narrated that the Prophet sis, once cauterized him in his medial arm vein.
AI-Bokhary narrated that Anas said that he was once cauterized because he was complaining from pleurisy while the Prophet b was still alive. At-Termezey In addition narrated that Anas said, "The Prophet b cauterized As'ad bin Zurarah when he came down with a septic finger,"
We have mentioned that the Prophet * said in the Hadith narrated by AI-Bokhary and Moslem :
"I do not like to be cauterized."
Moreover, in another narration:
| forbid caurerizing for my Nation."
Further, [At-Termezey, Abu Dawood and Ahmad] narrated that one of the Companions said that the Prophet b has disallowed cauterizing, "But we were tested (i.e., with various ailments) and we did have cauterization, so we neither were successful nor did we acquire an advantage."
Al-Khattabi commented, "The Prophet b only cauterized Sa'd to stop the bleeding, because he feared that bleeding would not stop until Sa'd died. Cauterization is usually used in drastic cases, such as when a hand or a leg is amputated. As for prohibiting cauterizing, it might be specifically directed at whoever was seeking a cure with it (not to close an open wound). In early times, the people used to superstitiously believe that whoever did not have cauteriz:tion would certainly die and this is why the Prophet b disallowed it. It was In addition said that the Prophet b disallowed "Imran bin Husayn in particular from using cauterization because he was suffering from a sore in a delicate place. That is why the prohibition could be specific to cases where cauterizing is dangerous. Allah knows best.
Further Ibn Qutaybah said that cauterizing is of two types. The first type entails a healthy person using cauterization to fend off illness and it is this type that is referred to by the statement, "Whoever reverts to
cauterizing would not have practiced Tawakkul (depending on Allah).' as such people seek to fend oft whatever is destined for them in the future. The second type entails cauterizing infected wounds and amputated limbs, and cauterization is eftective in these cases. As for the type of cauterization that might or might not work, it is apparently disliked.
There is a Hadith narrated in the Shahihan [Al Bokhary and Moslem] about the seventy thousand Muslims who will enter Paradise without reckoning, describing them as:
"They are those who do not seek prayer formulas (Ruqyah literally incantations), nor cauterization, nor are they superstitious, and they depend on their Lord (for each and everything)." [In addition narrated by At- Termezey and Ahmad].
In short. the Ahadeeth that discussed the subject of cauterization fall under four categories: practicing it, disliking it, praising those who do not revert to it and disallowing it. There is no contradiction between these categories. When the Prophet s. had someone cauterized, he indicated that practicing it is allowed. Further, the Prophet's disliking cauterization for his Ummah (Muslim Nation) does not indicate that 1t is prohibited. In addition, the Prophet's pi.ising those who avoid cauterization indicates that avoiding it is better. Finally, disallowing
cauterization can be explained that in general, cither cauterization is disliked, or that it is directed at those who revert to cauterizing to fend oft a future illness. Allah knows best. *
There is another point that needs to be clarified and that concerns the word prayer. What we call prayer in English has two different words to describe it in Arabic. Sallat, the formal praver with specific movements and D"O"AA, the informal prayer in which one asks the Creator for what they want in their own words or according to formulas set by the Prophet 8 or the Qura'an. One of the pillars of Islam is the five daily prayers. This is a formalized system of praying that has specific movements and times. In Arabic this is called Salat. The other form of prayer, when we ask Allah for anything, in our own words or in prayer formulas set by the Pronhet b
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or by the Qura'an, is called D'ouaa. This form of praver is sometimes referred to as supplication in knglish, which is a very good word to describe this form of prayer. The only problem with translating D"O"AA as “supplication” is that the word "supplication" is very formal and rarely used in verbal communication. Suppiication is used constantly throughout the day. Any English speaking person who is continuously calling an God, will describe what they are doing as praying, which is the simple common way to describe this act. When we call Rugyah (literally incantations) Islamic prayer formulas, we are
using the word prayer in its informal meaning (Doaa) and not the formal meaning (Salatt).