ISLAM’S GIFTS TO THE WORLD BY BABA ALI MUSTAPHA

      Most Westerner’s are ignorant of the debt their civilization owes to Islam, even for modern industrial transformation, scientific advance and philosophical enterprise.

      Islam came into the world in the heart of one of the most backward civilizations. In a very short time it had raised those tribe to pre-eminence in every field.

       It’s greatest miracle was it’s appearance as a full grown adult of the spirit in so degraded and poverty-stricken environment.

      It’s second miracle was the raising of that environment by sheer force of inspiration, without any extraneous aids, to an unmatched destiny.

       It’s third was to create a cultural focus from which strong waves radiated, stimulating renaissance in other people of every background throughout the world.

      The change it’s brought compose history’s greatest revolution so far, a revolution in sense and sensibility, in thought and intellect, in relations of individuals and communities and indeed in every department of human life.

      One of the great contribution of Muslims to civilization was it’s innovations in the field of Medical Science. Dr. Meyerhof write in the legacy of Islam: “Muslim doctors laughed at the crusaders’ medical attendants for their clumsy and elementary efforts. The Europeans had not the advantage of the books of Avicenna, Jaber, Hassan bin Haythan, Rhazes, however they finally had them translated into Latin. Those translations exist still, without the translators names. In the 16th century, the book of Averroes (Ibn Rushd) and Avicenna (Ibn Sina) were put out in a Latin translation in Italy and used as the basis of instruction in the Italian and French Universities.”

      In the same work, he wrote that after Rhazes death, the work of Avicenna (A.D 980-1037) were taken up. His influence on thought and philosophy and general science was profound and his medical works (based on the works of Galen which he had found in the Samarqand library in an Arabic translation) had a sensational outreach. Other scientists followed Abu’l Qais of Andalusia; Ibn Zahr of Abdalusia; Abbas the Irani, Ali Ibn-Rezvan of Egypt; Ibn Butlan of Baghdad; Abu Mansur Muwaffaq of Herat; Ibn Waffed of Spain; Masooya of Baghdad; Ali Ibn-Esan of Baghdad, Ammar of Mosul, Ibn Rushd (Averroes) of Andulusia; whose works translated into Latin were used in European Universities. Europe knew nothing of the Cholera Bacterium when Islam entered Spain and the people there regarded the disease as a punishment sent from heaven to exact the penalty of sins; but Muslim Physicians had already proved that even the bubonic plaque was a contagious disease and nothing else.

      Dr. Meyerhof wrote of Avicenna’s book ‘The Cannon’ that it is a Master Piece of Medical Science which proved its worth by being printed in a series of 16 editions in the closing years of the 15th century A.D, 15 Latin and one Arabic. In the 16th century more than a score of further editions were published, because of its value as a scientific work. Its use contributed throughout the 17th and 18th century so that it became the most widely known of all medical treatises. It is still consulted in Medical Schools.

      Will Durant wrote that Mohammed Ibn Zachariah Razi (Rhaze) was one of Islam’s most progressive physician’s author of 200 treatises and books well worth of studying today; in particular his smallpox and Measles (published in Latin and other European languages in 40 editions between 1497 and 1806) and the Great Encyclopedia 20 volumes (mostly are available today); five volumes were devoted to optics; translated into Latin in A.D 1279, printed in five editions in 1542 alone; known as the most authoritative work on the eye and its ailments and treatments for centuries; one of the nine basic works on which Paris University composed its Medical course in 1394 A.D.

      Surgery made similar progress in the hands of Islamic practioners, who even used anesthetic, though these are mistakenly assumed to be of a Modern origin. They employed a henbane base.

      Among Rhaze’s innovation was the use of cold water to treat persistent fever, of dry-cupping for apoplexy, of mercury ointment and animal gut for wound sutures and many others.

      Further Muslim contributions were the diagnosis of tuberculosis from the fingernails, the cure of Jaundice, the use of cold water to prevent hemorrhage rushing of stones in the bladder and kidney to facilitate their removal, and surgery for hernia. The greatest of Islamic surgeons was Abu’l Qasem of Andalusia, (11th century A.D), the inventor of very many surgical instruments and the author of books to describe them and their uses.

       Gustave Le Bon write; “Besides the use of cold water to treat typhoid cases-a treatment later abandoned, (though Europe is taking this Muslim invention up again in Modern time after a lapse of centuries). Muslims invented the art of mixing chemical medicaments in pills and solutions, many of which are used to this day, though some of them are claimed as wholly new invention of our present century by chemists unaware of their distinguished history. Islam had dispensaries which filled prescriptions for patients gratis, and in parts of countries where no hospitals were reachable, physicians paid regular visits with all their tools of their trade.”

      George Zeidan writes “Modern European Pharmacologists who have studied the history of their profession find that Muslim doctors launched many of the modern beneficial specific centuries ago, made a science of pharmacology and compound cures, and set up the first pharmacies on the modern model. Thus, Baghdad alone had 60 chemist shop dispensing prescriptions regularly. Evidence of these facts can be seen in names given in Europe to quite a number of medicines and herbs which betray their Arabic, Indian or Persian origin.” Among these; alcohol, alkali, alkaner, apricot, arsenic, may be quoted.”

      George Zeidan continued: “Within two centuries of the death of the Prophet (S.A.W), Mecca, Medina and the other great Muslim cities all had hospitals, while the Abbasid governors and their ministers competed each for his own region to have the best institution for the care of the sick. Baghdad alone had four important hospitals. By three centuries after the Hijra, Dawled Deylamyu had founded the Adhudi Hospital with 24 specialist, each Master of his own particular field, a hospital which soon earned the reputation of excelling all hospitals throughout Islam, though in the course of time it too was surpassed. “The order and arrangement of Islamic hospitals was such that no distinctions of race, religion or occupation were recognized, but the cure was administered with meticulous care to any patient. Separate wards were allocated for patients for specific diseases. These were teaching hospitals where the students learned theory and observed practice. In addition there were travelling hospitals which carried doctors and their gear by camel or mule to every district. Sultan Mohmoud the Seljuk travelled with a hospital which required 40 camels for its transport.”

      Dr. Gustave Le Bon writes, “ Muslim Hospitals went in for preventive medicine and preservation of health as much as if not more than for the care of the already diseased. They were well-aired and had plenty of running water. Muhammad Bin Zachariah Razi (Rhazes) was ordered to seek out the healthiest place in the Baghdad neighborhood for the construction of a new hospital. He visited every section of the town and its environs, and hung up a piece of meat which he left while looking into infection diseases in the neighborhood and studies climate condition, particularly the state of the water. He balanced all these various experimental test and finally found them all to indicate that the place where the portion of meat was the last to purify and develop infectious bacteria was the spot on which to build. These hospitals had large common wards and also private wards for individuals. Pupils were trained in diagnosis and brought observation and experience to the perfection of their studies. There were also special medical hospitals and pharmacies which dispensed prescription gratis.”

     Marc Kapp writes: “Cairo had a huge hospital with playing fountains and flower-decked gardens and 40 large courtyards. Every unfortunate patient was kindly received, and after his cure sent home with five gold chains. While Cordova, besides it 600 mosques and 900 public hammas (bath houses) had 50 hospitals.”

      Baba Ali Mustapha is of Ngrannam Ward near 7up depot, Bolori II, Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria. 

      Reference: Much of my research is based on the work of Sayid Mujtaba Musawi Lari , which appears in MAJUBAH magazine published in Islamic Republic of Iran.