Royal Healer. The Legacy of Nik Abdul Rahman Bin Hj. Nik Dir of Kelantan / Medicines in Malay villages. 2 vols. Malay Culture of Healing Sub-Series. Volume 1 and 2.

Ein gutes und sauberes Exemplar. - This books deals with history in the sense that it has to do with a variety of beliefs, thoughts and concepts in the field of holistic healing passed from generation to generation over a period of many centuries. Thus aspects of Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam as well as remnants of the paganistic world are examined within their context of the relationship to healing as a whole under the local influences of different cultures. Although Islam is at present the one and only religion of the Malays within the Malay-speaking region, a look at history reveals a mixture of beliefs, thoughts and spiritually curative concepts operating at different times. This becomes quite evident in the example of the procedures and the four incantations (jampi) employed by the healer. According to the principles of healing, there is a dominance of good in the North and East. Good deities are invoked so that their help can be sought for healing. There is a dominance of evil in the South and West. Evil / bad spirits are invoked to prevent them from causing havoc or disturbance. Illness/disease can be caused by any of the spirits. The good forces may also cause illness or disease as a form of punishment for an offender. The healer is the medium who pleads with the spiritual/supernatural powers. Whichever spirit (good or bad) is responsible for the illness or disease is called upon to heal or cure it. The healer thus negotiates with both good and bad powers.