Malay Medicinal Practices And Prophetic Foods For Treating The Four Types Of Illnesses Most Commonly Found In The Bottom Billion Population Of The World: A Systematic Review Of Malay Manuscripts Found In Malaysia

Malay traditional medicine has been said to be cross-pollinated with Islamic traditional wisdom originating from the Middle East, including using ingredients mentioned by the Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h) referred to as prophetic foods. A systematic review of Malay manuscripts was conducted to delineate traditional medicinal practices for four common illnesses found in the ‘bottom billion’ of the world’s population namely worm infestation, gastroenteritis, fatigue and anaemia. Methods: A search strategy was developed to scan established catalogues of Malay manuscripts. The physical manuscripts were then systematically handsearched for relevant treatments for the above illnesses. The relevant prescriptions were captured, transliterated and translated for analysis. Results: Traditional medicinal prescriptions were obtained from 80 Malay manuscripts and commonly used ingredients were nutmeg, black seed, garlic and others. Few treatments used prophetic food ingredients such as date palm and goat’s milk. Conclusion: Malay traditional medicines draw mainly on local wisdom and ingredients, with enrichment from Islamic medicinal practices.