Six essential factors and health

Introduction and Background: Unani medicine is a “holistic medicine” which means “as a whole thing rather than a collection of parts” or treating the whole person rather than just the symptoms of disease.” Holistic concept of health implies a sound mind, in a sound body, in a sound family, in a sound environment 1. The modern medicine views the body as a collection of parts rather than a whole working unit. The modern medical profession views the human body as a machine, disease as a consequence of the breakdown of the machine and one of the doctor’s tasks as repair of the machine. Thus health, in this narrow view, became the ultimate goal of medicine 1. According to Unani Medicine Tabi’at is the supreme power of body, which is solely responsible for the performance of all physiological functions and nutritional requirement of the body. When the body is exposed to causation of disease, Tabi’at takes on the causation of disease until it overcomes the disease or becomes perplexed itself. The concept of Tabi’at is wider and comprehensive according which a doctor does not cure the disease but he only helps the Tabi’at, as Hippocrates says, “The physician treats but the Tabi’at heals.” According to Unani philosophy human body is made up of seven components which are: 1- Arkān (Elements) 2- Mizaj (Temperament) 3- Akhlat (Humors) 4- Aāzā (Organs) 5- Arwah (Pneuma) 6- Quwā (Faculties) 7- Afāl (Functions). In these seven components, Arkan (Earth, Water, Air and Fire) provides shape of the body while Akhlat (Blood, Phlegm, Yellow bile and Black bile) provides nourishment to the body and organs. The etiology and pathology of the disease is alteration in normal proportion of humors which leads to altered temperament (Su’a mizaj) and then disease develops. To maintain the equilibrium of these humors and other components, Unani physicians adopted and forwarded some basic principles which are known as Asbab-e-Sitta Zaruriya (Six Essential Factors).Methodology: The present literary work is conducted through “input-processing-output” approach. The literature collected from classical Unani literatures and online search engines, then compiled, analyzed and evaluated. Objective: To propagate and popularize the Unani System of Medicine in community as well as to make awareness about the role of Asbab-e-Sitta Zaruriyya in maintenance of health as a whole personality including physical, mental, social and spiritual health and well-being.