The timeline’s era of focus is the Islamic Golden Age. This era started around the 8th century and came to an end around the 14th century. The Arabs studied previous civilizations in order to help improve the ones they were creating. During this time period, there were many advancements made in the Islamic world, and this timeline focuses specifically on the medical advancements. During this time scholars, traders, poets, artists, philosophers, and majority of the Islamic world were maintaining and adding to earlier ideologies. Paper was created during this era which helped scholars to translate previous works into various languages in order to help spread information.The Islamic world, during this era, played extremely important role in preserving medical texts and knowledge that was passed on throughout the centuries. The Golden Age was a time of societal growth because of the contributions made by Muslim intellects.
I choose this era because it was a time that the field of medicine is grateful for. The early translators were able to preserve works from early physicians who had different ideas and techniques for solving illnesses or injuries. A lot can be learned from these early physicians. For example, they stressed the importance of keeping patient records, learning from others who have more experience in a certain field, and they also showed an importance of adding your own experience and knowledge to help build the library of knowledge. I am going into the medical field and wanted to gain more of an appreciation for the physicians who helped to found the field.
The topic of the timeline is Islamic medicine and those who contributed to it during the Islamic Golden Age. Muslims are taught in the Quran and the Hadith to help those in need and that includes those who are ill. Scholars began to translate texts from Greek, Syriac, Sanskrit and Pahlavi to Arabic and various other languages. In the middle East Muslims began to establish hospitals and public academic centers, like the House of Wisdom. There were many physicians who began to create standards for medicine. These intelligent physicians translated previous works and added their own experiences in order to develop in-depth encyclopedias. These works would then be used to help educate students going into the field of medicine. Different physicians had different focuses for example, some specialized in surgery whereas others did in diseases. Al-Razi, a physician, is often called the “Father of Islamic Medicine” and he wrote many medical and scientific books. Next came Ibn Al-Jazzar, a physician who is famous for his writings about medicine. He incorporated the Islamic belief, that it is a Muslim’s duty to help those in need, into his daily practice. Ibn Al-Jazzar wrote medical texts that contained inexpensive treatments that could be completed without the aide of a physician. He also would give free medical consultations in his home to those in need. Abulcasis was a surgeon who wrote a medical encyclopedia that was then used at various universities to educate students for over five hundred years. He also wrote at least 30 treaties on the different instruments and techniques used in operations. The next physician in the timeline is Avicenna, a polymath with a focus in philosophy and medicine. He is famous for building on the works of Galen, an earlier physician. He wrote the “Canon of Medicine” in 1025, which is made up of a collection of books that cover different regions of the human body. Avenzoar is a surgeon and poet who is born a few years after Avicenna but he opposed his ideas. Avenzoar wrote a few books but the one that stands out is the “Practical Manual of Treatments and Diet.” This book is based on how to perform different medical procedures, like a tracheotomy or kidney stone removal. During his lifetime, he uses his experiences and knowledge to teach Ibn Rushd, a fellow Muslim. Ibn Rushd or Averroës was the Caliph’s personal physician and philosopher who wrote commentaries of the physicians’ work before him. In 1162, he wrote the “Kitab al-Kulyat fi al-Tibb” which covered anatomy, physiology, pathology, symptomatology, pharmacology, therapeutics, and hygiene. Ibn Al-Nafis’, in the 13th century, wrote the “Al-Shamil fi al-Tibb.” He was the author of the earliest medieval Arabic treatise and his famous book was specifically about surgeons impact. Cerrahiyetu ‘l-Haniyye is a treatise that was written by Serafeddin Sabuncuoglu. This was the first illustrated surgical atlas to its date. This book was also the last major medical encyclopedia recorded from the Islamic world during the Golden Age era.
The Golden Age is important for our better understanding of Islam today. The Golden Age is a period of cultural growth for the Muslim world, which then is spread to other regions and integrated into other cultures. The early Islamic physicians contributed the idea of hospitals and patient record keeping. Both of these are still used in our society today. These Islamic physicians and contributors had the same basic Islamic belief, to help those in need. The medical texts build off of each other with new ideas and findings that helped to shape how medicine is viewed. It is important to understand a cultures background because it allows us to understand why certain things are done, even today. Al-Razi and Ibn Sina both set up a standard for teaching students about medicine through medical texts and learning from other physicians’ experiences. During this period in Islamic history, there was growth in more than just science, the arts were improving, all fields of science were expanding, and the economy was beginning to develop. Islam today was molded from the Golden Age era. If we can understand what happened in this era and what helped in molding Islamic societies, we will be able to apply this understanding to why Muslims today do things. For example, Muslim physicians in the Golden Age cared for those who could not afford to see a physician or physically could not go see them. In Islam today, there are still physicians that will make house calls so that everyone has adequate treatment for their illnesses. Understanding the Islamic Golden Age may help to reduce Islamophobia. If people realize that Islamic society is molded from this era, which gave their scientific information to the west, maybe they will be more accepting of their ideas because their ideas helped to shape the world we live in today. For example, hospitals and the importance of hygiene was stemmed from the Islamic physicians in the Golden Age. The more accepting and understanding people are of the Golden Age and how it has shaped the world today, the more Islam today will be received in a positive manner.