Maarifat e Tib Course / Umoor e tabiya / Kulliyat / Principles of Eastern Medicine
Organs / Aza:
In Unani medicine, aza (organs) rank fourth in the umoor tabiyah (natural matters). According to Ali Ibn Al-Abbas, the humors (akhlat) are the proximate principles for the human body. However, more proximate are the simple organs (aza basitah), composed of cells and tissues derived from humors, and the primary organs (aza asliyah), which are composed of simple organs.
Classification of Aza:
In Tibb, aza are classified into two categories:
Aza Basitah (Simple Organs):
These are homogeneous structures, where each part resembles the whole. Examples include:
– Izam (bones) or bony tissue
– Ghazarif (cartilages) or cartilaginous tissues
– Rabat (ligaments) or white fibrous tissue
– Watr (tendons)
– Ghisha (membranes and epithelial tissues)
– Shahm (fat) or adipose tissue
– Lahm (muscles) or muscular tissue
– Asab (nerve) or nervous tissue
Aza Murakkabah (Compound Organs):
These are heterogeneous and composed of multiple simple organs (tissues). Also known as mechanical organs (aza aliyah), examples include the hands, feet, stomach, intestines, brain, etc.
Temperament of Organs in Light of Four Qualities:
Ancient physicians used the four qualities—heat, cold, moistness, and dryness—to describe the temperament of organs. Based on these qualities, they classified organs into four categories:
Hot Organs:
Highly active with a high rate of metabolic activity, such as the heart, liver, muscles, spleen, kidneys, testes and ovaries, mammary glands, other glands, fat, brain, spinal cord, and stomach.
intestines, uterus, gall bladder, urinary bladder, lungs, arteries, serous &mucous membranes and
skin etc. are the examples of hot organs.
Cold Organs:
Which comparatively lesser active, the oxygen consumption is poor and blood supply is also very
low. Hence, the production of heat is also very low. These are hairs, cartilages bones, ligaments,
tendons, fibrous membranes, nerves, nails and teeth etc.
Moist organs:
Are those which contain more water in comparison to other organs. These are fats, brain, spinal
cord, testes and ovaries, liver, spleen, kidneys, glands, mucous membrane, stomach, intestine,
uterus, lungs, heart, muscles, arteries, veins & skin etc.
Dry organs:
Which contain comparatively less quantity of water these are hairs, teeth, bones cartilages,
tendons, Ligaments and nerves etc.
Each part of the body has been evaluated and assigned its own characteristic temperament, ranging
through degrees of heat, cold, wetness, and dryness. Tables summarizes these temperaments.
Degrees Of Inherent Temperament:
Heat (1 :Hottest)
1. Breath
2. Spleen
3. Blood
4. Kidneys
5. Liver
6. Walls of arteries
7. Flesh
8. Walls of veins
9. Muscles
10. Skin of palms and soles
Coldness (1 = Coldest)
1. Phlegm humor
2. Membranes
3. Hair
4. Nerves
5. Bones
6. Spinal cord
7. Cartilage
8. Brain
9. Ligaments
10. Fat
6. Tendons
12. Oil of the body
13. Skin
Moisture (1 =Moistest)
1. Phlegm humor
2. Breasts and testicles
3. Blood
4. Lungs
5. Oil
6. Liver
7. Fat
8. Spleen
9. Brain
10. Kidneys
11. Spinal cord
12. Muscles
13. Skin
Dryness (1 =Driest)
1. Hair
2. Arteries
3. Bone
4. Veins
5. Cartilage
6. Motor nerves
7. Ligaments
8. Heart
9. Tendons
10. Sensory nerves
11. Serous membranes
12. Skin
The Four Vital Organs/ AZA E RAISA
There are four organs of primary importance in Unani: the brain, the heart, the liver, and the
testicles or ovaries. Other organs are servants to these main organs. By this is meant that the brain
is served by the nerves, the heart by the arteries, the liver by veins, the testicles by spermatic
vessels, and the ovaries by the fallopian tubes.
The heart is the source or starting point of the vital power or innate heat of the body.
The brain is the seat of the mental faculties, sensation, and movement.
The liver is the seat of the nutritive or vegetative faculties.
The generative organs (testes, ovaries) give the masculine and feminine form and temperament,
and form the generative elements for propagation of the race.