DR. ALI - School of Advanced Unani Medicine

My vision is to bring Unani to the forefront of modern medicine. But how? The answer may lie not merely in validating Unani drugs, but in rediscovering the scientific potential of its classical theories of health, disease and individualised treatment. Unani possesses a distinctive intellectual framework: 🔹 Mizaj (Temperament): Can individual differences in temperament generate reproducible clinical phenotypes, predict disease susceptibility or help explain variations in treatment response? 🔹 Tabiʿat Mudabbira-e-Badan: Can this concept inspire research into the body's coordinated regulatory and recovery processes—without simplistically equating Tabiʿat with immunity or homeostasis? 🔹 Akhlat (Humours): Rather than forcing one-to-one equivalence with blood components or biochemical substances, can humoral theory generate testable models of clinical patterns and disease progression? 🔹 Umoor-e-Tabiya: Its interconnected understanding of bodily structure, functions, facul...

OR, What happens to the metabolic quality of the body as adipose tissue expands? Modern research increasingly views obesity as a chronic, relapsing, multifactorial disease, involving adipose-tissue dysfunction, insulin resistance, inflammation, altered appetite regulation, ectopic fat and changes in metabolic adaptation. BMI remains useful, but waist circumference and cardiometabolic assessment add important clinical information. The discussion also raises several clinical clues: • BMI is not the whole phenotype. Central adiposity may matter more than weight alone. • Muscle is metabolic currency. Losing weight without preserving lean mass is not necessarily a successful outcome. • Sedentary behaviour matters, even in people who exercise periodically. • Metabolically unhealthy normal-weight individuals exist. • The gut–liver–adipose–brain axis deserves attention rather than treating obesity as an isolated fat-storage problem. • Modern pharmacotherapy, including GLP-1–based t...

A Unani physician should hesitate before making this equation: Joint pain = Waja-ul-Mafasil = Habbe Gul-e-Aak. The more important question is: Is this Su-e-Mizaj Sada—or Su-e-Mizaj Maddi? And if Maddi, what is the Madda, where is it being generated, and where is it being diverted? Classical Unani descriptions recognise Waja al-Mafasil as arising through both non-humoral and humoral mechanisms. In Su-e-Mizaj Maddi, morbid matter may accumulate in the joint or be diverted from deranged organs and the body as a whole. THIS CHANGES HOW WE READ THE PATIENT Consider the patient with: • generalized/post-febrile arthralgia rather than a single structurally affected joint • heaviness of Meda and impaired Hazm • epigastric discomfort without dominant acidity • bloating and sluggish digestion • Balghami sputum/respiratory symptoms • generalized bodily heaviness and pain The Unani clinician should not immediately isolate the joint. Meda → Hazm → production/quality of Akhlat...

Women’s health is often reduced to “hormones.” Unani medicine offers a broader clinical framework: Mizaj → Akhlat → Quwwat → A‘za → Af‘al → Asbab-e-Sitta Zarooriya. WHO’s benchmark on Unani medicine identifies these as the seven Umur-e-Tabi‘iyya—the foundational natural factors governing health and disease.  🔹The Critical Point: Do Not Turn Mizaj into a Hormone Chart A woman is not simply “hot,” “cold,” “estrogen-deficient,” or “hormonally imbalanced.” Mizaj is a constitutional framework, while disease develops through interactions among temperament, humoral state, organ function, lifestyle, environment and regulatory faculties. A 2025 review specifically examining Mizaj and women’s health argues that temperament may contribute to individualized approaches to prevention and treatment—but this remains a conceptual/clinical framework requiring stronger validation, not a substitute for modern diagnostic assessment.  The Applied Unani Female-Health Model Mizaj ↓ Akhla...

I regularly share my Applied Unani research, clinical observations, and practical perspectives here on Blogger. But I keep asking myself: Are we only reading—or are we discussing? Because a post should not end when we finish reading it. It should start a conversation. I want my fellow Unanians to do something simple: ❤️ Like if the topic adds value. 💬 Comment with your experience—even if you disagree. 📚 Add references, evidence, or classical insights. 💡 Tell me what I should research and write about next. Let’s discuss the questions that actually matter: ❗What should Applied Unani Medicine look like today? Which classical concepts deserve scientific exploration? Which clinical problems need practical Unani protocols? Where is our evidence strong—and where do we need better research? Which Mufradat, Murakkabat, diagnostic concepts, or lifestyle interventions deserve deeper investigation? I don't want to create a page where one person speaks and everyone else simply re...

A Methodological Rethinking of Classical Text, Translation and Modern Correlation The future of Applied Unani Medicine depends not only on making Unani clinically relevant, but also on preserving the semantic integrity of its classical corpus. This distinction is becoming increasingly important. Unani medicine possesses a vast Arabic–Persian intellectual heritage. The CCRUM itself has undertaken translation, digitisation and terminology-standardisation projects, including a compendium of approximately 4,028 Unani terms—an indication of both the richness of the terminology and the need for precision in its transmission. The central problem When a classical concept is translated into modern biomedical language, three different things can happen: Translation → Interpretation → Modern correlation The danger begins when these three are presented as though they were identical. A translator may simplify a difficult term for accessibility. An interpreter may explain its physiologic...

پہلا اصول: ذیابیطس کو صرف لبلبہ + انسولین کی بیماری سمجھنا جدید physiology کو محدود کرنا ہے؛ ساتھ ہی اسے صرف قوتِ غاذیہ کی کمزوری قرار دینا بھی کلاسیکی متون کی درست ترجمانی نہیں ہےـ کلاسیکی Unani میں “ذیابیطس” کا اصل clinical محور: کلیہ + سوء مزاج + قوتِ ماسکہ + جاذبہ/دافعہ + رطوبات کا غیر معمولی اخراج۔ ابنِ سینا نے ذیابیطس کو الدولاب/زلق الکلیہ کے تصورات سے بیان کیا اور کلیوی کمزوری، کلیوی مزاج کی خرابی اور رطوبت کے تیز اخراج کو اس کے بنیادی pathological تصور سے جوڑا۔ بعد کے اطباء نے ذیابیطس حار و بارد اور ذیابیطس شکری و سادہ کی مختلف تقسیمات بیان کیں۔ (ابنِ سینا، القانون فی الطب؛ رازی، الحاوی؛ مجوسی، کامل الصناعۃ). 🔗 اصل کلاسیکی mechanism سوءِ مزاج/ضعفِ کلیہ ↓ قوتِ ماسکہ میں اختلال ↓ کلیہ رطوبت کو مناسب طور پر روک نہیں پاتا ↓ قوتِ دافعہ کا غلبہ ↓ کثرتِ بول ↓ عطش → مزید پانی → مزید اخراج ↓ دولاب / Water-wheel phenomenon یعنی کلاسیکی تصور میں ذیابیطس کا مرکزی سوال یہ تھا: جسم میں آنے والی رطوبت کلیہ کیوں نہیں روک پا رہا؟ یہ جدید “glucose-centred” definition سے مختلف concep...

This is one of the most familiar complaints in Unani OPD. A patient presents with: Morning sneezing + nasal itching + watery discharge + post-nasal drip + throat clearing Then you discover something else: Bloating. Dyspepsia. Reflux. Food-related aggravation. Sometimes itching or urticaria. Is this only a nose problem? Or are we looking at a recurrent pathological pattern? 🌱 THIS IS WHERE BALGHAM-E-SHOR BECOMES INTERESTING Unani medicine does not regard every Balghami state as identical. Normal Balgham → cold + moist Whereas Balgham-e-Shor (Balgham Malih) is classically described as an abnormal phlegmatic state with a saline/alkaline character and inclination toward heat and dryness. So the clinical question changes: Is there simply MORE Balgham—or has its QUALITY changed? 🔬 NOW LOOK THROUGH THE LENS OF MODERN ALLERGY Allergen exposure can initiate: IgE sensitisation → mast-cell activation → histamine/other mediators → itching + sneezing + rhinorrhoea + mucus secretion Pe...

Not by translating every Unani concept into a modern biomedical term. Not by replacing Mizaj, Tabi‘at, Akhlat or Quwwat-e-Hazima with fashionable terminology. And certainly not by conducting research that ignores how Unani is actually practised. The starting point should be the Unani clinic itself. 🌿 A PRACTICAL APPLIED UNANI MODEL 1. DEFINE THE PATIENT PHENOTYPE Instead of recording only “gastritis” or “urticaria”, document: Mizaj → symptoms → triggers → dietary pattern → digestion → sleep → bowel habit → lifestyle → examination → investigations. This converts a traditional clinical assessment into a structured dataset. 2. DOCUMENT THE UNANI DIAGNOSIS Record the physician's reasoning: Su-e-Mizaj? Fasad-e-Meda? Fasad-e-Dam? Weak Quwwat-e-Hazima? Imbalance in Daf‘? The objective is to make the clinical reasoning visible and reproducible. 3. PRESERVE INDIVIDUALIZATION If two patients have the same biomedical diagnosis but different Mizaj, digestive capacity and symptom p...

One of Unani medicine’s most sophisticated—but underdeveloped—therapeutic concepts is Mufarrehat. Traditionally, they are associated with Farah, strengthening of the heart and improvement of the mental state. ❗But can we clinically reinterpret them for the modern patient with multimorbidity? I believe we should. Today’s patient may present with: Chronic stress + dyspepsia + poor sleep + fatigue + palpitations + anxiety-like symptoms + metabolic dysfunction + reduced motivation. Modern science increasingly describes these not as isolated compartments but as interacting systems. WHO now explicitly promotes integrated approaches linking mental, neurological and physical health. And contemporary research on the gut–brain axis shows bidirectional communication involving neural, endocrine, immune and microbial pathways; chronic stress can influence gut function, permeability, inflammation and mental health. THIS OPENS A NEW DOOR FOR UNANI. Rather than defining Mufarrehat merely a...

A common question in Unani Medicine is: Are Sweet Almond and Bitter Almond two different botanical species? ❗No. According to the current Kew Plants of the World Online (POWO), the accepted botanical species is: 🌱 Prunus amygdalus Batsch Family: Rosaceae Both Sweet and Bitter Almond are placed under this same species. 🔬 BOTANICAL IDENTITY ≠ VARIETAL IDENTITY Species-level identity: Prunus amygdalus Batsch Traditional Unani varietal/form distinction: 🔹 Badam Shirin (Sweet Almond) → P. amygdalus var. dulcis 🔹 Badam Talkh (Bitter Almond) → P. amygdalus var. amara Kew currently treats both varietal names as synonyms under Prunus amygdalus. ❗THEN WHAT IS PRUNUS DULCIS? This is the major source of confusion. Prunus dulcis (Mill.) D.A.Webb is a widely used name for almond in scientific literature. However, Kew currently treats Prunus dulcis as a synonym of Prunus amygdalus Batsch—not as a separate almond species. Therefore, the simplest way to remember it is: ONE ACCEPTED SPEC...

India is experiencing a seasonal rise in influenza during the monsoon/post-monsoon period. Recent surveillance reports describe Influenza A(H1N1) pdm09 as the predominant detected Influenza A strain. Most cases are mild/self-limiting, but high-risk and complicated cases require modern clinical management. ❗So, how can we apply Unani Medicine intelligently? I would approach Nazla-e-Waba’i / influenza-like illness through clinical phenotype + Mizaj, rather than giving one “anti-flu” prescription to everybody. 1️⃣ Balghami / Cold-Wet phenotype Features: nasal congestion, watery discharge, phlegmatic cough, heaviness, chills. Mufradat: Unnab + Sapistan + Behidana; Zufa + Asl-us-soos where appropriate. Nuskha: Joshanda: Behidana 3 g + Unnab 5 + Sapistan 7–9 + Zufa 3 g → decoction, warm, divided doses. 2️⃣ Safrawi / Hot-Dry phenotype Features: high fever, thirst, dry irritating cough, burning throat, scanty sputum. Mufradat: Behidana, Sapistan, Unnab, Banafsha. Nuskha: Behidana 3...

Here is an uncomfortable question for the Unani community: If our predecessors questioned the knowledge they inherited, why are we sometimes afraid to question what we inherited from them? Greek medicine was not simply preserved by the Arab and Persian physicians. It was translated, debated, criticised, expanded and clinically reworked. Al-Razi challenged established views. Ibn Sina systematised and synthesised knowledge. Al-Zahrawi advanced surgery. Ibn al-Nafis challenged Galenic anatomy. They were not intellectual photocopiers. When the tradition reached India, it evolved again—through Indian clinical experience, local materia medica, pharmacological innovation and generations of physicians. That is the real history of Unani: evolution through inquiry. ❗So why should intellectual evolution stop with the classical masters? A classical statement deserves respect. But does it automatically deserve permanent immunity from questioning? A centuries-old therapeutic claim may be...

There was a time when a young Hakim did not merely read Hikmat—he learned to see like a Hakim. The Ustad–Shagird tradition was the original clinical training system. Students learned Mizaj, Nabz, subtle clinical clues, Mufrad Advia, Murakkabat, pharmacy practices and even Kushtajat through observation, demonstration, questioning, repetition and supervised practice. Then came institutionalisation. It brought structure, universities, examinations, departments, research and wider access—undoubtedly major achievements. But somewhere along the journey, we must ask: ❗Did we preserve the curriculum while losing part of the clinical culture that made Hikmat clinically alive? Today, a student may know the definition of Mizaj—but can he recognise it confidently at the bedside? He may memorise hundreds of Advia—but can he select the right Mufrad or Murakkab based on the patient's clinical picture? He may study classical texts—but can he convert their principles into a rational cli...

Unani physicians have prescribed different Itrifal formulations—not merely by naming individual drugs, but by combining them in specific proportions, sequences and dosage forms. The question is: Was this formulation design accidental—or does it contain therapeutic intelligence that modern science has yet to decode? This changes the way we should study Itrifal. Instead of asking only: “What does each ingredient do?” we should ask: ❗“What happens when these ingredients interact as a SYSTEM?” Does changing the ratio alter the pharmacological fingerprint? Does adding one drug redirect the therapeutic action? Can processing, particle size, extraction and dosage-form characteristics influence bioavailability? Can one constituent modify the absorption, metabolism, toxicity or biological activity of another? This is precisely where modern polyherbal pharmacology, phytochemical fingerprinting, network pharmacology and systems biology become relevant. A classical Itrifal can therefor...

What if the next frontier in understanding Akhlat is not another translation—but a biological investigation of what happens between food, digestion, metabolism and systemic physiology? Unani medicine places Meda, Hazm and the transformation of nutrition into Akhlat at the heart of physiological balance. Classical Akhlat should not, however, be casually equated with modern blood components, hormones or microbiota. They belong to different conceptual frameworks. Yet modern science has uncovered a remarkable intermediary system: the gut microbiome. Microbial metabolism generates short-chain fatty acids and transforms bile acids and other dietary substrates. These metabolites can influence intestinal barrier integrity, immunity, hepatic metabolism, glucose/lipid homeostasis and even extra-intestinal organs. This creates an intriguing Applied Unani research hypothesis: Meda → Hazm → Microbial Metabolism → Metabolites → Host Metabolism → Systemic Phenotype Could this pathway help...

A patient is called Safrawi + Balghami. Another Damwi + Saudawi. But does this really mean that one person has two opposite constitutional Mizajs? Perhaps not. The problem may be that we are confusing CONSTITUTION with PATHOLOGY. 🔥THE CLINICAL SHIFT BASELINE: Lean • active • heat-intolerant • thirsty • strong appetite → Safrawi constitutional tendency ↓ YEARS OF LIFESTYLE CHANGE ↓ - Irregular meals - Sedentary life - Poor sleep - Chronic stress ↓ NEW PHENOTYPE: Bloating • heaviness • mucus  • sluggish digestion ❌ “Safrawi + Balghami Mizaj” Perhaps a more precise Applied Unani formulation is: Safrawi constitutional Mizaj ➕ acquired Barid-Ratb Su’-e-Mizaj ➕ Meda-specific expression ➕ Maddi/Humoral involvement—only if established 🧠 THE KEY PRINCIPLE MIXED PHENOTYPE ≠ MIXED CONSTITUTION Unani terminology already recognizes Su’-e-Mizaj Sada, Murakkab and Maddi. The patient may therefore have one constitutional Mizaj with multiple acquired and organ-specific disturbances. T...

Perhaps we are asking the wrong question. Whenever we discuss Mizaj, we immediately try to explain it through metabolism, hormones, genetics, inflammation, autonomic function or biomarkers. But why must Classical Mizaj first become “modern” before it can become scientific? Perhaps Applied Unani needs a different pathway: Classical Mizaj → Classical clinical indicators → Structured assessment → Clinical pattern recognition → Individualized intervention → Measurable outcome In Unani, Mizaj is not simply a theoretical label. It is a fundamental clinical concept. The classical physician assessed the individual through observable domains—including complexion, body build, skin texture, hair, physical activity, diet, sleep, seasonal response, pulse and psychic/emotional characteristics. WHO’s international Unani terminology formally records these as the ten identifying features of temperament (Ajnas ‘Ashara / Adilla’-e-Mizaj). This gives us something remarkable: A classical clinic...

  What if we stop asking: “What disease does Amaltas treat?” and instead ask: “Which patient, which axis, which dose—and what exactly are we trying to correct?” 🌿 Amaltas (Cassia fistula L.) is classically recognised as a Mulayyin–Mus’hil. Its fruit pulp contains anthraquinone derivatives associated with laxative activity. But Applied Unani Medicine can take this classical knowledge one step further: THE APPLIED MEDA–AMA CONCEPT Qabz + Meda heaviness + sluggish bowel → Amaltas may become a therapeutic bowel-regulating tool. 👶 A particularly interesting pediatric application In contemporary practice, children consuming excessive junk/ultra-processed foods, with low fibre and poor dietary patterns, may develop persistent functional constipation. Here Amaltas becomes clinically interesting—not as a “junk-food antidote,” but as a selected Mulayyin/Mus’hil within a broader constipation-management strategy, alongside dietary correction, hydration, ph...

This may be the next great research frontier for Applied Unani Medicine. For centuries, the Akhlat—Dam, Balgham, Safra and Sauda—have provided a framework for understanding health, disease and therapeutic direction. But today we can ask a new question: What measurable physiology does each Akhlat phenotype represent? Not: “Which modern molecule is Safra?” Not: “Which blood component is Dam?” And certainly not: “Can we replace the Akhlat with biomarkers?” The better question is: ❗Can classical clinical phenotypes predict reproducible patterns of physiology? This is a fundamentally different research strategy. Classical Observation → Clinical Phenotype → Biological Signature For example, a rigorously defined 📍Could Safrawi phenotype integrate Mizaj: Hararat + Yabusat  Clinical phenotype: thirst, burning, appetite, digestion, bowel pattern and relevant inflammatory manifestations Biological domains: hepatic function, metabolic profile, bile-acid composition, intestinal phy...