The Status of Medicine in Early Islam
Keywords:
Medicine, Umayyads, Traditional Medicine, ArabsAbstract
The priests of Babylon were the first people to study the treatment of diseases and to lay the foundations of medical practice. The treatment of patients through supplications and incantations was common among ancient peoples. Among both Iranians and Arabs, medicine had a religious origin. Among the Arabs, medical knowledge was transmitted orally and was also influenced by the divinations of soothsayers. Islamic medicine gained attention and significance among Muslims through the recommendations of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) regarding the science of medicine. Although the Arabs generally considered engagement with scholarly pursuits to be the occupation of slaves, medicine was an exception due to its practical necessity. The Iranians endeavored to centralize scientific knowledge in the Academy of Gundishapur, where the science of medicine held significant importance. However, the physicians at this institution were not Iranians; Syriac and Nestorian Christian practitioners were also active in this medical center. Arab medicine flourished under the influence of these physicians as well as Indian and Greek medical scholars.
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