11 Unani Medicine Principles and Concepts Explained

7. Principle #7: Al‑Af'al (Functions)

Al‑Af'al covers the actions or functions carried out by organs and faculties—things you can observe like digestion, movement, secretion and cognition. In Unani reasoning, functions are the visible results of elements, temperaments, humours, organs and faculties working together. When functions falter, symptoms appear and these become the practical focus of treatment. A hakim documents symptoms, traces them to disturbed functions, and uses diet, regimen, or medicines to restore normal activity. This is a pragmatic principle: it links high‑level concepts to day‑to‑day signs like appetite, bowel habits, sleep quality, and energy. Clinically, focusing on functions allows Unani to overlap with modern symptom‑based medicine, making it possible for practitioners to communicate with patients and other clinicians using shared, observable criteria. Takeaway: Al‑Af'al turns theory into observable signs to guide care and measure improvement.