Islam “is not opposed to reason, science and modern technological developments,” Ali Salem Al Kaabi, the head of Abu Dhabi’s Family Development Foundation said at a conference last week, which drew doctors and religious clerics from across the Muslim world.

The conference “aims to expose erroneous ideas, correct misunderstandings and raise awareness about the (dangers) of sorcery and charlatanism,” Kaabi said, warning that “charlatans seek to defraud the naive and superstitious.”

The conference followed several reports in the Belgian media about faith healing practices of some European Muslim communities which turned into tragedy, including the story of a Moroccan girl who died after drinking several litres (quarts) of water mixed with black cumin oil, which an exorcist had said would purge evil spirits.

The herbal remedy predates Islam and has been administered in the Middle East since the time of the Egyptian pharaohs.

Faith healing, particularly in the area of mental health, is widespread in the Muslim world, even among people in wealthy Gulf states who can afford world-class medical treatment.

In a bid to prevent future incidents, the conference proposed establishing institutes across the Muslim world that would train and certify doctors in both modern medicine and faith healing.

Delegates agreed that the Holy Quran has healing powers, with some going so far as to claim that the holy book can cure AIDS and some forms of cancer.

Quranic treatment

Sheikh Jallul Hajimi, an official in the Algerian ministry of religious affairs, told AFP he had cured “Europeans suffering from mental and sexual illnesses that psychologists and neurologists had failed to treat.”

“More than 400 people have converted to Islam after receiving Holy Quranic medical treatments,” added his colleague, Sheikh Abu Muslim Balhamr.

Many Muslims believe the Holy Quran can cure illness. The most common treatment consists of drinking water with pieces of paper bearing Holy Quranic verses dissolved in it.

In what he described as a blending of the longstanding practice with modern technology, Sharif Shukran, an Algerian biomedical engineer attending the conference, proposed transforming the sound of Holy Quranic verses into electromagnetic waves and passing them through the water instead.

The conference, the first of its kind, comes as part of a larger movement across the Muslim world aimed at harmonising Islam and modern medicine.

In December 2006, a top Malaysian university published a report claiming that the postures used during Muslim prayers benefit the heart and spine, while increasing the capacity for memory and attention.

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said the study affirmed the power of prayer in a person’s life, the New Straits Times reported in December.

“The study investigates the physiological interactions and effects of the salat (prayer) postures on the human body,” Abdullah said.

“Since the majority of our population are Muslims, it is both of interest and importance that we not only understand the spiritual benefits of salat, but also ... its biological and medical effects.”

Abdullah, who champions a moderate form of Islam called Islam Hadhari, has been encouraging Muslims worldwide to give equal importance to education, science, technology and development alongside the spiritual aspects of the religion.