WILAYAH NEWS VOICE OF THE GLOBAL AWAKENING
Related Articles
Medical Ethics in Islam
Indeed, all of its achievements without Islam are not worth mentioning when compared to its achievements during this limited period, even though those nations—before Islam—possessed strong states, vast material resources, high morale, and far-reaching ambitions, as they claim, or as they wish to suggest to the simple-minded and naïve among the people.
Thus, what the Muslims achieved, despite their diverse ethnic backgrounds, must be attributed to Islam itself and regarded as the primary factor in unleashing energies and realizing ambitions. We even find that others who did not embrace Islam—despite having been the first teachers of Muslims in the science of medicine, such as the people of Jundishapur and followers of various other religions—began to see their influence diminish and their star fade as the sun of medical knowledge shone ever more brightly in the Islamic world, and at an astonishing pace.
Yes, their influence waned and their prominence faded, even though the Muslim caliphs and rulers showed them great care and unparalleled attention to their affairs.
What we have mentioned here is sufficient, and now we move on to the era of scientific renaissance among the Muslims, which requires discussion of several points, including:
The translation movement in medical sciences and others.
The movement of authorship and the flourishing of medicine among Muslims.
Some of the scientific achievements of Muslims and their impact on the modern medical renaissance.
The influence of Muslims on pharmacy.
An indication of some medical services, such as the construction of hospitals and the like.
Along with other matters required by the research, which perhaps cannot be ignored. This leads us to the following topics:
The Translation Movement
Translation, in reality, began in the first Hijri century, but on a very limited scale. It became active at the beginning of the Abbasid state (founded in 132 AH), flourished further during the time of Harun al-Rashid, who died in 193 AH, and reached its peak during the reign of al-Ma’mun, who died in 218 AH.
With the rise of authorship and creative activity among Muslims, the translation movement began to decline. By the middle of the third century AH and thereafter, it no longer had the distinction that set it apart from other activities—if not to say that it lost its distinction altogether.
Some scholars believe that most translations took place between the middle of the first half of the second century AH and the first half of the third century AH.
In any case, non-Muslims were generally the ones who undertook translation work, whether Christians, Jews, or others. They were the pioneers of this movement, and reliance was placed upon them. However, we should not forget here the role of the Nawbakhtī family in translation. They were Persian, Shiʿi Muslims, and they rendered outstanding services in this field.
Gustave Le Bon states that the first medical book translated into Arabic was translated during the time of Harun in the year 685 CE. We believe this to be incorrect, for the following reasons:
First: The book was a Kunnāsh (that is, a compendium containing medical rules and benefits) by Ahrun. It was translated by Masarjawayh, either during the time of ʿUmar ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAziz or during the reign of Marwan ibn al-Hakam, and it remained in library collections until Ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAziz made it available to the public.
Second: It is also stated that Ibn Athal, the physician of Muʿawiya—who was killed during his reign—had already translated a book on simple drugs from Greek into Arabic. This likewise refutes the claim of those who alleged that Khalid ibn Yazid was the first to translate books on astronomy and medicine, and so on.
Wajdi states that Ibn Wahshiyya translated a book on poisons from the Chaldeans in the year 170 CE. This is also incorrect, as Ibn Wahshiyya lived in the late third and early fourth Hijri centuries. From what we have mentioned, it becomes clear that the claim that Jurjis was the first to initiate the translation of medical books into Arabic when al-Mansur summoned him is also inaccurate.
In any case, it is said that the Abbasid caliph Harun sent envoys to Rome to bring him medical manuscripts. He himself also brought manuscripts from Ankara, Amorium, and other Byzantine lands, and he asked Yuhanna ibn Masawayh to translate them from Greek into Arabic.
During the time of al-Ma’mun, this activity reached its peak. It is even mentioned that he used to pay the weight of what was translated for him in gold. Wajdi also reports that al-Ma’mun made it one of the conditions of peace with the Greeks that they hand over a copy of a rare book. He also sent groups to Byzantine lands to bring him manuscripts and founded the famous House of Wisdom (Bayt al-Hikma), which included a department for translation. Some attribute the House of Wisdom to al-Rashid, but it is certain that it reached the height of its greatness during the reign of al-Ma’mun.
Interest in collecting manuscripts was not limited to the caliphs alone; others among the notable figures were also keen on this matter.
They translated into Arabic the works of Galen, Hippocrates, and others. Among the well-known translators were Hunayn ibn Ishaq, Hubaysh al-Aʿsam, Istifan ibn Basil, Thabit ibn Qurra, Ishaq ibn Sulayman, Ibn al-Batriq, Mankah al-Hindi, Qusta ibn Luqa al-Baʿlabakki, Ibn Dahn, and many others. For more names, one may consult Chapter Nine of ʿUyun al-Anbaʾ.
