A camel in Yemen

Camel urine has been used in the Arabian Peninsula for medicinal and religious purposes for centuries, being a part of Islamic prophetic medicine.[1] The World Health Organisation has urged people to refrain from drinking camel urine.[2] It has been linked with Middle East respiratory syndrome.[3]

History in Islamic prophetic medicine

In the tradition of prophetic medicine in Islam, Muhammad is said to have encouraged its use among the sick "till their bodies became healthy."[1] The hadith also states "Some people of ‘Ukl or ‘Uraina tribe came to Medina and its climate did not suit them ... So the Prophet ordered them to go to the herd of (Milch) camels and to drink their milk and urine (as a medicine). ... So they went as directed and after they became healthy".[2]

Bachtiar Nasir, an Islamic cleric, advocated for and defended the consumption of camel urine, quoting the hadith.[4] According to Abu Yusuf, the urine of camel may be used for medical treatment, but according to Abū Ḥanīfah, the drinking of camel urine is discouraged.[5]

Claimed benefits and usage

In Yemen, it is being used for treating ailments to this day.[1] Salons in the Arabian Peninsula use it as a treatment for hair loss.[1] In that country, camel urine from a virgin camel is priced at twenty dollars per liter, with herders claiming that it has curative powers.[1]

In 2009, researchers from King Abdulaziz University argued that camel urine could be used to treat eczema and psoriasis.[1] In February 2013, the same researchers "claimed they had extracted a substance called PMF701 from camel urine that could be used to treat cancer."[1]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g JB (9 August 2013). "Drinking Camel Urine in Yemen". VICE News.
  2. ^ a b Boyer, Lauren (10 June 2015). "Stop Drinking Camel Urine, World Health Organization Says". U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved 28 September 2019.
  3. ^ Tom, Brooks-Pollock (9 June 2015). "Drinking camel urine could give you potentially deadly virus, warns WHO". The Independent. Retrieved 28 September 2019.
  4. ^ Persio, Sofia Lotto (9 January 2018). "An Islamist leader encouraged his Instagram followers to drink camel urine, sparking debate in Indonesia". Newsweek. Retrieved 28 September 2019.
  5. ^ Williams, John Alden (1994). The Word of Islam. University of Texas Press. p. 98. ISBN 978-0-292-79076-6. Archived from the original on 8 April 2017. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
Categories