SHARIAH COMPLIANCE PRACTICES IN MALAY TRADITIONAL MEDICINE: AN ANALYSIS OF HERBAL REMEDIES, MANTRAS AND THERAPEUTIC BELIEFS

AMALAN PERUBATAN TRADISIONAL MELAYU PATUH SYARIAH: ANALISIS TERHADAP HERBA, MANTERA DAN KEPERCAYAAN RAWATAN

Abstract

Traditional Malay Medicine represents a valuable form of local wisdom that has developed through a combination of empirical experience, the use of natural substances, inherited healing practices and the influence of religious values within the Malay-Muslim community. However, the development of traditional healing practices has also raised Shariah-related concerns, particularly when they involve herbs with unclear status, mantras containing questionable elements and healing beliefs that may potentially deviate from the principles of Islamic creed. This article aims to analyse the Shariah compliance practices in Traditional Malay Medicine by focusing on three main elements, namely herbs, mantras and healing beliefs. This study employs a qualitative approach through conceptual analysis and document review of Shariah principles, Islamic medical ethics and the Malay medical tradition. The discussion finds that traditional healing practices should not be rejected in their entirety. Instead, they should be evaluated based on the principles of halal and tayyib, clarity of treatment methods, freedom from elements of shirk, superstition, deception and exploitation, as well as the absence of harm to patients. This article emphasises that Shariah boundaries function as a filtering mechanism to distinguish between traditional healing practices that are permissible forms of effort, those that are doubtful and those that contradict Islamic teachings. The implication of this article suggests the need to develop a more systematic Shariah-compliant guideline to assist practitioners, patients and relevant stakeholders in assessing the validity of Traditional Malay Medicine practices in a more authoritative and balanced manner.

Abstrak

Perubatan Tradisional Melayu merupakan khazanah kearifan tempatan yang berkembang melalui gabungan pengalaman empirikal, penggunaan bahan alam, petua warisan dan pengaruh nilai keagamaan masyarakat Melayu-Islam. Walau bagaimanapun, perkembangan amalan rawatan tradisional turut menimbulkan persoalan syariah khususnya apabila melibatkan penggunaan herba yang tidak jelas statusnya, lafaz mantera yang bercampur unsur meragukan, serta kepercayaan rawatan yang berpotensi menyimpang daripada prinsip akidah Islam. Artikel ini bertujuan menganalisis amalan Perubatan Tradisional Melayu patuh syariah dengan memberi tumpuan kepada tiga unsur utama iaitu herba, mantera dan kepercayaan rawatan. Kajian ini menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif melalui analisis konseptual dan sorotan dokumen terhadap prinsip syariah, etika rawatan Islam dan tradisi ilmu tib Melayu. Perbincangan mendapati bahawa amalan rawatan tradisional tidak boleh ditolak secara menyeluruh, sebaliknya perlu dinilai berdasarkan asas halal dan tayyib, kejelasan kaedah rawatan, bebas daripada unsur syirik, khurafat, penipuan, eksploitasi serta tidak mendatangkan mudarat kepada pesakit. Artikel ini menegaskan bahawa amalan patuh syariah berperanan sebagai mekanisme penapisan bagi membezakan antara rawatan tradisional yang bersifat ikhtiar, rawatan yang meragukan dan rawatan yang bercanggah dengan ajaran Islam. Implikasi artikel ini mencadangkan keperluan pembinaan panduan patuh syariah yang lebih sistematik bagi membantu pengamal, pesakit dan pihak berkepentingan menilai kesahihan amalan Perubatan Tradisional Melayu secara lebih berautoriti dan seimbang.