Introduction
Contemporary society is witnessing a conflict between religion and science in an increasingly secular world. In an environment where secularism has begun to penetrate every aspect of society’s infrastructure, we find a civilization that is questioning the role that religion plays, or has ever played in the world. The answer to the question is paramount in a world where the influence of religion is either a source of strength for a community, or a source of utter frustration. Whilst some may view religion as liberating, the opposing argument that it is an oppressive force accountable for much of the world’s disharmony, is reigning ever supreme with an increase in anti-religious propaganda. As a result, such a climate creates a need to defend religion itself, and to remind ourselves of the contributions that religion has and continues to make in society in order to establish a sense of respect between diverse beliefs.
The religion that is at the forefront of many worldwide debates at the moment is undeniably that of Islam. The evidence for this is blatant. The terms “Muslim” and “Islam” appear almost every day, in news reports. The social, political, religious and economic affairs within Muslim communities, and in relation to non-Muslim communities, are being increasingly documented. In light of this, we become aware that whether it is political, social, economic or religious, the Qur’an and religion of Islam seems to affect every aspect of a Muslim’s life. Also, with the increased numbers of Muslims residing in non-Muslim areas, there has emerged the need to find a common ground between these very different societies. I identified this so-called “common ground” to reside in their shared pursuit of knowledge. With the impact of Islam in the area of medicine arguably more overwhelming than in any other field, I chose this as my main focus. Unlike its influence in other aspects of learning, perhaps the most underappreciated is the contribution made by the religion of Islam and the Muslim nation in the art of medicine. What drives this dissertation is the recognition to defend the relationship between religion and arguably the most sacred of sciences: that of the art of preventing, diagnosing and treating diseases: Medicine.[1]
In this dissertation I shall discuss the legacy of Islamic medicine throughout the world. I shall begin in Chapter One by analysing the state of pre-Islamic medicine in
The third and final chapter will consider the contributions made during the periods ranging from the emergence of the Islamic empire until the present day. In particular I will focus on the Abbasid period, which witnessed a flourishing of knowledge and a passion for learning. The legacy of Muslim figures such as Ibn Sina (d. 1037CE) and Al-Razi (d. between 903-926CE) will also briefly be analysed. Finally, I shall question the factors that may have contributed to the inevitable stagnation within Muslim communities towards medical advancements.
The most important element of this dissertation will be to understand that the contribution of Islam to medicine was not in isolation of any other community, for medicine in itself is independent from discrimination. Muslims were admittedly influenced greatly by Greek thought preceding the emergence of Islam, and during the Islamic empires worked alongside people from different faiths. For anyone, whether Muslim, Christian, Jew, atheist and so forth, to have advanced in the field of medicine is contributing to an ever developing universal system which affects the whole of human civilization regardless of their age, sex, religion or nationality. The contribution made by the religion of Islam and the Muslim nation (Ummah) to medicine is admittedly comprised of many contributors, yet nonetheless deserves to be appreciated in its own right.
[1] Elizabeth A. Martin,
