Superstition Among Muslims in Kerala: Fake Certificates, Fake Treatments, And Religiously Ignorant Islamic Scholars

By New Age Islam Staff Writer 22 April 2025 A recent incident involving the tragic death of a young Muslim woman during a home delivery in a remote village Kerala has reignited debates around maternal health, access to institutional delivery, and the subtle resurgence of risky birthing practices even in states with otherwise robust public health systems. In this context, this report analyzes the increasing superstitious medical treatment widespread in Kerala using bogus Islamic appeal. This report was originally published in Keraleeyam Malayalam Magazine. This is the translated version of the report. The original report could be read here. അക്യുപങ്ചർ: വ്യാജസർട്ടിഫിക്കറ്റുംകപടചികിത്സയുംമതമറിയാത്തപണ്ഡിതരും “Are you tired of treatment? Then try acupuncture treatment without drugs and without side effects… Any disease will be cured…” This is the claim of some acupuncture practitioners in Kerala. Such exaggerated claims are the danger of this treatment method. With the death of a young woman named Asma following a home delivery in Malappuram, the treatment method called acupuncture is once again being discussed. Some are also using religion as a propaganda tool to spread this treatment method. This is also the reason why acupuncture treatment is spreading in Kerala. Although the AYUSH Ministry says that acupuncture is only an approved treatment method and not an independent medical system, acupuncture is widely practiced in various parts of Kerala under the name of alternative medicine. Moreover, anyone who has the money can become an acupuncturist through a one-year diploma course offered by scam institutions. What Is Acupuncture? “The idea that there are various energy flows in the body (meridians), that is, paths through which energy flows (this is an old idea and has nothing to do with modern science), is to needle in such paths and regulate that energy flow. The idea of acupuncture is that the imbalance in that energy flow is the disease and if it is regulated, the disease will be cured and for that, the needle will be used to correct the energy flow and cure the disease,” Sanoop Narendran, a researcher in Hygiene and Sustainable Living, told Kerala. “In the study of modern science, acupuncture is used as a support system. It is used in China as well. When the body is massaged, the changes in inflammation occur, the changes that occur when blood circulation is enhanced, and when some painful areas are needled, the pain can be reduced to a small extent. This is how acupuncture is used in the scientific system in the world. This is not a treatment for the disease, but only as a small relief for the pain. But this is not the right method, and now more effective methods have emerged in modern medicine.” Sanoop Narendran added. "Current advocates of acupuncture claim that it is a cure for all diseases. Even if nothing is done to the human body, most diseases will be cured by the self-healing system. A few days of rest are enough. They are alleging that the treatment we do during that time has cured the disease. They are spreading the word that it can cure everything from colds to cancer," said Sanoop. Acupuncture That Cures Any Disease! An article published by 'Luca', the online science portal of the Kerala Sastra Sahitya Parishad, says the following about acupuncture: There is no doubt that acupuncture can relieve pain. There is still a lot to be learned about the extent of this effect and for which diseases this treatment is effective. It is also unclear how acupuncture works. Some scientists suggest that when the needles are inserted, the body produces more endorphins, which are painkillers. This does not necessarily mean that the needles are inserted into the acupuncture points themselves. Some studies show that placebo acupuncture, in which needles are inserted into other areas, can also relieve pain. Other scientists argue that acupuncture's effectiveness is due to changes in the electrical potentials in the nerves. However, in general, the quality of these studies is assessed as unsatisfactory. Acupuncture treatment is at fault in the death of a woman who suffered severe bleeding after giving birth at home. This has led to widespread complaints that acupuncturists are supporting home births. However, Sanoop Narendran says that the theory and practice of traditional acupuncture does not mention anything like home birth anywhere. “The acupuncture currently seen in Kerala is not traditional Chinese acupuncture. It is single needle acupuncture, started by an individual in Tamil Nadu. Traditional Chinese acupuncture uses many needles. Single needle acupuncture is done with a single needle. This is what is being widely promoted in Kerala today. They say that modern medicine is a problem, that no one should go to hospitals, that a person can do it naturally, and that all you have to do is follow the lifestyle recommended by acupuncture (drink water properly, eat only when you are hungry, and sleep properly). These people are spreading the message that if you do single needle acupuncture along with that, everything will be fine,” said Sanoop. The Dangers of Pseudo-Medicine Even as acupuncture claims to cure any disease, widespread complaints are being raised against it. Many people perform such treatments without considering the seriousness of the disease or seeking urgent specialist care. A woman who was undergoing acupuncture treatment is currently seeking treatment at the MVR Cancer Center in Mukkam, Kozhikode. The complainant says that she was able to understand from the doctors that the disease is currently in the fourth stage and that it is difficult to recover. The complainant says: “Five months ago, Hajarra was under the treatment of acupuncturist Femina at the acupuncture clinic in front of Kuttyadi KMC Hospital. She sought treatment for a lump in her breast. Hajarra sought treatment from Femina for six months. After she did not get better from there, Femina recommended two doctors. One was naturopath Jacob Vadakkanchery and the second was Shuhaib Rialu, who runs the ‘Akuush’ acupuncture home on Passport Office Road, East Nadakkavu, Kozhikode. Then Hajarra sought treatment from Shuhaib Rialu. His reply was that everything would be ready when the body was sore and cracked. The food he prescribed for Hajarra, who was exhausted and could not even eat food, was two figs and 300 ml of water in the morning. He advised her to eat this in the afternoon if she wanted and not to eat anything at night. The disease worsened day by day. Even when she fainted, he did not allow the patient to be sent elsewhere or to seek proper treatment. He assured her that when the wound oozed, the pus would come out and everything would be fine. Due to the illness, Hajar could not lift one of her arms. She needed help from others even for essential tasks. Finally, in March, when Hajar sought treatment at Fathima Hospital in Kozhikode on her own accord, her relatives realized the severity of the disease. She was then admitted to the MVR Cancer Center for specialist treatment. Hajar's life was almost completely in danger. The complainant is N.P. Zakir, a native of Kuttiadi. Although a complaint was filed with the police, no action was taken. The police replied that there is no provision in the law to file a case against such people. Currently, a complaint has been filed with the Health Minister. Fake Medical Degrees in A Scam Institution Without a proper PG or degree, and with just Rs. 45,000 and a year, you too can be a person who treats patients in acupuncture. There are only about 48 classes in total, and you can study that online. Through such institutions, which are increasing in Kerala, many people are getting diplomas and degrees in acupuncture without even basic qualifications. The information received when I called one such institution in Malappuram is as follows: Reporter: I called to inquire about admission. Acupuncture Academy: To learn? Reporter: Yes. Acupuncture Academy: Ah… Admissions are open. Reporter: What is your qualification? I have a BA in English. Is that okay? Acupuncture Academy: No Reporter: Where is the institution? Acupuncture Academy: Malappuram Venniyur, near Kozhikode. Reporter: I'm a little far away, the place is Kuttiadi. Acupuncture Academy: People come there. Classes are held one day a week. Reporter: How many years is the course? Acupuncture Academy: The diploma is one year. If you want to do a degree, you can do it after that. Reporter: I have already completed a degree. So will a diploma suffice? Acupuncture Academy: You can practice as soon as you complete your diploma. Reporter: How does this fee come about? Acupuncture Academy: 45,000 for one year. Reporter: How is this exam? Acupuncture Academy: The last exam is a single exam. It will be a written test. Reporter: Which is better for practicing, a degree or a diploma? Acupuncture Academy: There's nothing like that... It's not like you need it right now. Reporter: Anyway, it's okay, I saw it said online on the poster, how is that? Acupuncture Academy: It can also be done online, for people who are abroad and cannot come. We will give theory classes online and then give practical classes directly when we come home. Reporter: Is it like taking a degree by distance learning? Acupuncture Academy: No, you have to come and write the exam in person. You have to come and do the practical. Reporter: If it's in the country, is that possible? (Can it be done online?) There's a distance, isn't there only one class a week? Acupuncture Academy: If it's in your country, you can do it. Reporter: Is it okay to be online? Acupuncture Academy: No. The Minister of State for AYUSH with Independent Charge, Shripad Yesso Naik, in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha in December 2017 regarding acupressure and acupuncture courses in AYUSH educational institutions, provided the following information: “Naturopathy colleges teach Acupuncture and Acupuncture as part of the Bachelor in Naturopathy & Yogic Sciences (BNYS) degree syllabus. All these colleges are affiliated/approved by their respective health universities. The five-year, six-month full-time regular course syllabus includes the study of Acupuncture & Acupuncture therapies as part of the Bachelor in Naturopathy & Yogic Sciences (BNYS) course. Both these therapies are practiced in Nature & Yoga hospitals and naturopathic treatment centers. In addition, there is a 3-year MD course in Acupuncture & Energy Medicine under Dr. MGR Medical University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu. Acupuncture is a recognized therapeutic modality but not an independent medical system.” “Acupuncture can be practiced in naturopathy. Naturopathy is a five-and-a-half-year degree course called BNYS. It is under the Ministry of AYUSH like Ayurveda, Unani and Homeopathy. It is a way to prevent and cure people’s diseases through diet and yoga. But most of its syllabus is outdated and not scientific. Acupuncture is being studied as part of BNYS. People who have completed naturopathy also practice it. People who are legally registered in naturopathy are allowed to do this,” said Sanoop. “People who have passed naturopathy can take up Acupuncture PG as a specialization in acupuncture. This is the only way acupuncture is officially conducted as a course. All the rest are non-government recognized institutions and scams. There are various institutions in India to promote and propagate alternative medicine. These are not recognized by the government. Various societies and trusts are started in a misleading way and conduct courses, give certificates and let people treat. This is wrong,” he added. Home Birth; Acupuncture and Some Clerics There are some religious fundamentalists in Kerala who are using religion as a tool to promote acupuncture. They portray modern medicine as unacceptable in Islam and thus divert people towards acupuncture. However, religious scholars of various faiths themselves are of the opinion that this is against Islamic teachings. “There is a program going on in Kerala to promote this alternative treatment by opposing modern medicine. They are using Islam to spread this,” Sanoop said. “There is propaganda that modern medicine is a Western agenda against Islam. There are people who even spread it in the form of saying that treating the body is shirk (which Islam considers as the biggest sin). People who are spreading this using religion, saying that the body, which Allah has made in a good way, will survive on its own and that outside interference is wrong, are getting single needle acupuncture done for things like home birth. That is where these deaths have taken place,” Sanoop explains. Dr. Khadija Mumtaz, a writer and former professor of gynecology at Kozhikode Medical College, says that Sirajuddin, who was arrested in the case of the death of a young woman named Asma during a home delivery in Malappuram, was not a real Maulvi and that he had not received proper religious education. “This person is known as C.M. Madavoor Anuyy. Sirajuddin studied till class 6 and later worked as a shrimp weaver and auto driver. A few days before Asma’s death, a video was circulated on social media. A program like a graduation ceremony was held with several women called Acu Masters. This is in a way that gives inspiration to women. The video shows women who could not even go on stage being recognized as Acu Masters. I am not against the idea of giving birth at home. Rather, I am against taking a woman to delivery without knowing anything, without undergoing any prenatal care, doctors’ observation, or other tests. Childbirth is a journey of a lifetime. Accidents can happen at any time. Anyone who is normal is likely to have problems suddenly. In that situation, the problems of a woman who does not know anything, or an Acu Master delivering a baby are big.” says Dr. Khadija Mumtaz. Is Childbirth A Normal Thing? “From the fourth birth onwards, it is called a high-risk pregnancy. That is, there may be various problems in the fourth and fifth births. One, the uterus may contract and the bleeding control system may fail. The muscles of the uterus may be very loose. Sometimes the child may increase in size. If there are no other problems, the child’s size may increase with each birth. Especially when there are four or five births. They say that if the second and third births were normal, the next ones will be the same. But that is not necessarily the case. Because the problems occur depending on the relationship between the child’s size and the mother’s hip size.” Dr. Khadija Mumtaz said. “When it comes to Asma’s case, they say that the child is 4.5. The reason for this may be that they have sugar, pregnancy-associated diabetes. None of this is checked. They say that the child is not breathing at all when he is born. How does the child grow? We cannot say anything about whether he will be intelligent. Moreover, the father is in jail and the mother is dead. What will be the future of the child in such a situation? When you look at it this way, it has become a social issue rather than an issue of individual freedom. The health department and the public conscience need to wake up. A woman has a choice when it comes to childbirth. She can use any type of treatment and give birth anywhere. All these are women’s rights, which are internationally recognized. No one can force her to go to the hospital and give birth, that is why the government also has a limitation. It is difficult to bring a law that everyone must go to the hospital and give birth.” Dr. Khadija Mumtaz said. Dr. Khadija Mumtaz also criticizes the argument that home birth is a woman's choice. Dr. Khadija Mumtaz also says that in a patriarchal society, men try to make women believe that this is all a woman's choice. "Coming to Asma's case, Asma's mother has never told her that she is pregnant. Her mother asks when she has doubts. If she finds out that she is pregnant, her mother will force her to go to the doctor. This method of delivery is presented as her choice. This is the problem here. Misogyny is being perpetrated by using women." Islam and Modern Medicine Religious scholars say that the reason for the propaganda that modern medicine and the teachings of Islam do not go together is due to some isolated people. “People associated with religion are increasingly attracted to things like naturopathy and acupuncture and they are promoting them using the commandments of religion,” Dr. Abdullah Basil, vice president of Wisdom Students, an organization of Islamic religious students, told Keraleeyam. “If we examine the teachings of Islam, it is certain that there is no teaching that modern medicine should not be practiced. What we can see in the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad is that ‘there are medicines for all diseases, you should search for those medicines, find them and use them.’ Moreover, when we examine the Islamic civilization, we can see many surgical instruments that are used today during the time of the caliphs, and many medical science texts such as the Canon of Medicine – القانونفيالطب ) by Ibn Sina. There are many names who were Islamic scholars and medical scientists at that time. Here, some people started using religion to propagate their ideas, which caused this subject to be read in relation to religion.” Dr. Abdullah Basil added. “If we look at the issue of vaccines, Islam teaches that if you get sick, you should treat it and not get sick. You can find precise prophetic sayings in the hadiths about precautions, including not entering places where there are infectious diseases, and if you have an infectious disease, you should not go to people who do not have it. So there is no basis in the arguments that vaccines cannot be used as a teaching of the Prophet. Moreover, it is contrary to the teachings of religion. In the issue of vaccines, the agendas behind the vaccine and some WhatsApp knowledge are not highlighted.” Dr. Abdullah Basil says. “When it comes to religion, there are many teachings. Each of them has its own priority. It was Muslim organizations that said that prayers should not be offered in mosques during Covid. Offering prayers in mosques is a priority. But the priority is more important than that. There can be many complications in matters like home delivery, where anyone who has studied religion will give priority to protecting the lives of the woman and the child. The law of religion is called the five pillars. Protecting five things is the sum of all the laws of religion, and the most important of them is the protection of life. There are no customs in Islam that put the lives of the child and the woman on the same scale, and scholars who have studied religion will not say that.” Dr. Abdullah Basil adds that if such things are said in the name of religion, it should be opposed. “In Islam, there is no difference between modern and non-modern methods of treatment. Islam says that any method that is effective and does not cause harm to the body; Unani, Allopathy, Homeopathy, Ayurveda, etc. can be accepted. In a hadith of the Prophet, it is said: ياعبادَاللهِتَدَاوَوا،فِنَّاللهَلميضَعْدااًيلّاوضَلَهُدوااً, غيرَدااٍواحدٍ: الهرمُ (Allah has appointed a cure for every disease except death. So seek treatment and use medicine).” Anas Al-Fadani, a representative of the Sunni faction, told Keralayyam. “Lying is haram (forbidden) in Islam. However, giving someone to drink tonic (or other intoxicants) to induce sleep (now anaesthesia) is permitted for medical purposes. This is the ruling of fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence). In this way, Islam does not oppose medical treatment and encourages things like disease prevention. In a hadith, it is said: “There is no servant who is struck by a plague and remains patient in his country, and nothing will befall him except what Allah has written for him, except that he will have the reward of a martyr.” The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “If an epidemic breaks out in a country, then none of you should go out. If you go out and remain patient and do not spread the disease to others, then you will have the reward of a hundred martyrs.” He added. “Pregnancy is not an illness, and there is no need to seek treatment for it. What needs to be done is to create a happy environment during pregnancy. This is very important for the unborn child. People with knowledge and experience should be present during childbirth. Whether it is at home or in the hospital. Prominent figures in this field often indicate that this sector is becoming a field for financial exploitation. The sharp rise in the percentage of caesarean sections should also be seen in this way. There may be those who oppose this and those who support it in the Islamic field,” said Anas Al-Fadani. It cannot be argued that all treatments outside modern medicine are pseudo-medicine. Many traditional medical systems have been around for centuries and many people have been cured of their diseases because of them. However, the promotion of acupuncture, a treatment method that helps relieve pain, as an independent medical system and the misuse of religion in this pseudo-propaganda should be stopped. Action should also be taken against acupuncture institutes in various parts of Kerala that offer degrees in one year for paying money without even checking basic qualifications. The government should be able to conduct a detailed investigation into these matters and take necessary legal action before the next life is taken. 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