The Ethnic Medicine in Africa and Islam: A Legacy of Coherence and Give & Take

Abstract:
   The ethnic medicine has an old multi-facets existence in the African culture as well as in other cultures. In this regards, the present paper is an attempt to explore the ethnic medicine in Africa in the lights of its Islamic influences. This is achieved through a socio historical  approach of the Ethnic medicine, some of its principles in the lights of the Islamic vision towards Medicine and its practices. Also, this paper attempted to explore the ethnic medicine practices among three of the Muslim ethnic groups in Africa; namely: the Zaramo, the Hausa and the Tuareg. Doing so, the paper discovered the presence of a deep and versified Islamic influences on the medical thought and practices among these ethnic groups. These influences are the result of the principle of harmony and acceptance adopted by Islam towards other civilizations, not the principle of negation and clash which is the attitude of the Western Imperialist powers towards the African civilization and its ethnic medicine.