Maarifat e Tib Course-1 / Umoor e tabiya / Kulliyat / Principles of Eastern Medicine

AL-QUWA (Faculties)

In Tibb (traditional medicine), the concept of quwa (faculties or powers) is fundamental. Quwa refers to the properties of the body that manifest the phenomenon of life and form the basis for various bodily functions. Each organ possesses a specific power, or quwat (faculty), enabling it to perform its unique physiological functions. These faculties are specific to particular tissues or organs and are essential for their specific functions.

Kinds of Quwa:

There are three kinds of quwa (faculties) in the body:

1. Al-quwa al-tabiyah (natural faculties)

2. Al-quwa al-nafsaniyah (psychic or mental faculties)

3. Al-quwa al-haywaniah (vital faculties)

AL-QUWA AL-TABIYAH

Al-quwa al-tabiyah is responsible for the ingestion of food (ghiza), excretion of waste products, and preservation of the species. Organs related to this faculty are called al-al-tabiyah (natural organs), with the liver being the chief organ or center of this faculty.

Kinds of Quwa al-Tabiyah:

This faculty is divided into three kinds:

1. Al-Quwat al-Ghizayiah (Nutritive faculty)

2. Al-Quwat al-Murabbiyah (also known as al-Quwat al-Namiyah or the faculty of growth)

3. Al-Quwat al-Muwallidah (also known as al-Quwat al-Tanasuliyah or reproductive faculty)

Kinds of Quwat Ghizayiah:

This faculty is further divided into four types:

1. Quwat Jazibah (Power of attraction or ingestion)

2. Quwat Masikah (Retentive power)

3. Quwat Hadhima or Quwat Mughayirah (Power of digestion and transformation)

4. Quwat Dafiah (Power of propulsion or excretion)

According to Abu Sahl Misihi, each of these four quwa (faculties) has a two-fold function. One aspect involves attracting external food and sending it to the stomach, retaining it, transforming it into materials capable of becoming blood (Akhlat), and then transferring it to the liver.

All these changes donot take place in the lumen of the latter (this hadham- transformation is called 

Hadham maidi i.e. simple digestion in the gastro-intestinal tract).

The other one is that which is found in the substances (cells) of the midah (gastro-intestinal tract) 

and attracts the ghiza (food) into the cells, then retains it there and transforms it into the likness of 

substance of the midah (gastrointestinal tract) and expel the waste products. The same thing is also 

takes place in the liver. This is hadham udhwi.

Al- quwat al- Tanasuliyah 

Quwat tanasuliyah (reproductive faculties) are other kinds of Quwa-e-tabi’yah which act on the 

ghiza for the preservation of species. These faculties ensure propagation and preservation of the 

species to replace what is lost through the death of its members. These faculties are responsible 

for the generation of Mani (Semen) i.e. sperm and ovum; for all sexual functions and formation of 

the foetus in the mother womb.

These faculties are of two kinds.

i. Al quwa al- Muwallidah (Generative faculty)

ii. Al quwa al- Musawirah (formative faculty)

Al quwa al- Muwallidah

Al- quwa al- Muwallidah is that Quwah which separates the essence of Mani (semen) i.e. sperm 

or ovum, from Imshaj (compounds) of the body inside the testes and makes each of its part to 

become a particular organ. 

Al quwa al- Musawirah

According to Ibn Nafees the other quwa gives shapes to each part of Mani (Sperm and ovum) 

which is required by that particular species to which this Mani (sperm and ovum) belongs, or any 

other shape close to that particular individual. Giving of shapes mean it produces lines in the 

organs, forms cavities and depressions and other functions. This quwa is known as al- quwah alMusawirah (formative faculty).

This quwa control the following functions

1. Male and female sexual powers and functions copulation.

2. Fertilization of ovum

3. Transplantation of ovum

4. Cleavage and differention of ovum

5. Formation of membranes and foetal parts

6. Development of ovum

7. Parturition

AL-QUWA-AL NAFSANIYAH

Al-quwa-al nafsaniyah are those faculties which perform intellectual, sensory and motor functions 

in the body. In other words they perform all the functions of the nervous system. The organ 

pertaining to these are brain, spinal cord and nerves etc. 

This major faculty is composed of three faculties.

i. Al quwa al- mudarikah

ii. Alquwa al- muharrikah

3. Al quwa al- tadbir

Al quwa al- mudarikah

This quwat receive all kinds of sensory stimuli from different sensory receptors (mudarikat) and 

send it to the brain in their respective internal centres. These are of two kinds.

Quwa-e-mudrika zahira/ external perceptive faculties

Quwa-e – mudrikah batina/ internal perceptive faculties

These sensory faculties are composed of five faculties related to five external sense organs.

Quwa-e-mudrika zahira/ external perceptive faculties

1. Quwat al- basar/power of vision

2. Quwat al- sam/ power of hearing

3. Quwat al-sham/power of smell

4. Quwat al- zauq/ power of taste

5. Quwat al- lams/ power of tactile sensations

Al- Quwa al- Mudrikah al- Batinah

These are internal perceptive faculties which recongnize and perceive the particular forms and 

meanings of those particular things that have been perceived by the external senses. The following 

are these faculties with their centres in the brain.

1. Quwat al- basar/Internal visual faculty

2. Quwat al- sam Internal hearing faculty

3. Quwat al-sham/ Internal faculty of smell

4. Quwat al- zauq/Internal faculty of taste

5. Quwat al- lams/Internal faculty of general sensation

Al- Quwa Al- Muharrikah (Motor Faculties)

Almost all sensory and even the abstract experiences of the mind are eventually expressed in some 

type of motor activity, such as acactual muscular movements of direct nature, contraction or 

relaxation of the muscles, attainment of posture, crying and laughing etc. Thus quwat-emuharrikah is that power which becomes cause for all the bodily movements.

Al- Quwa Al- Tadbir (Intellectual Faculties)

Thought, memory, learning and consciousness are all the function of the intellectual faculty of the 

brain. These faculties are called as Al- Quwa Al- Tadbir and classified as

1. Al- Takhayul or Quwat-e- Mutkhayala

2. Al fiqar or Quwat e Mufakkirah

3. Al Zikr or Quwat-e- Mutazakkira

AL QUWA AL HAYWANIYAH (Vital Faculties)

Quwat-e- Haywaniyah are those faculties which furnish vitality to the organs enable them to 

receive Quwat Nafsaniyah to accomplish various activities of life. The organs concerned with this 

faculty are known as vital organs (Aza Haywaniyah).

Quwat-e- Haywaniyah have been defined as those faculties due to which the life is maintained, 

and whose seat is the heart. These begin from the heart, enter the artries and reach all over the 

body and furnish life to them. Among these quwa one quwat is quwat failah which causes 

contractions and relaxation in the heart and arteries. 

In fact Quwat Haywaniyah is the faculty which is the source of life for the organ.