Islam between Science and History
The pages of the Islamic Arabic history include many leaders and knights, but while having a look at the pages of history, there was one I particularly liked and I wanted to share it with you.
Many orientalists tried to hide this page, but how can they do so while the Islamic civilization is the place where Europe derived its medical science. From the middle ages the Arab scientists were excelling in medicine, chemistry, biology, physics and many other sciences. In the following texts I would like to show you the scientific fields in which the Arabs far exceeded their counterparts.
Before labs for physics, chemistry, and biology were available, Man tried to learn the secrets of the globe. At first Muslims focused on herbs; also hey had medical heritage. Islam cared about both physical and psychological health to give a way to complete peace and tranquility. Europe itself got over its stumble only when it followed the Islamic viewpoint towards science. They remained until the nineteenth century without any manuscripts for medicine except those of Ibn Sina (Avicenna), Al-Razi (Rhazes), Al-Zahrawi (Abulcasis) and Ibn-Annafis.
The Islamic civilization spread far and wide and reached Spain in the middle ages. Here, we find one of the mathematicians Mohammed Al-Khwarizmi, who brought about the use of the Arabic numerals amongst the Europeans including the zero. He was also the founder of Algebra and algorithms were being named after his name. These concepts are still applied in many fields today as well as on the computer.
In astronomy we find that Arabs observed the splendor of the stars, marked their positions on their astronomical maps and named them with Arabic names which are in use today, such as the stars of Aldebaran.
In chemistry the Arabs invented ways to produce metals and tested their strength and purity. They were the first ones to fire terminologies such as ‘chemistry’ and ‘alkaline’.
They developed physics. Ibn Al-haytham is considered to be one of the most famous physicians. He published a book about telescopes used in optics, lenses, mirrors, and other devices used in optics. He rejected the possibility of the eye to emit light as he assured that the eye identifies light when it falls upon it from the outer medium; and this is what we know today.
After translating the Islamic heritage into European languages, specifically since the printing invention of Gutenberg which allowed mass printing of copies of the Islamic heritage and as a result, the Arabian scientific knowledge spread and could be found easily.
This is apparent today with many chemicals having names originating from Arabic such as, TARTAR, BORIC, ALCOHOL, and SIRUP. Many orientalists tried to hide the Arabian history as they said: "Arabs were just transporters and translators of Gallienus and Abokrat, and that the Arabian medicine isn't a creative work but it's imparted from Greece, India, Persia, and Egypt." This is not correct and the manuscripts of Al-Razi assure that. Now let's discover the Arabian - Islamic civilization.
In one of the pages of the Arabian history, we'll find that Ibn-Anafis was the first one to discover the pulmonary circulation. Ibn-Anafis also proved that Gallienus was mistaken when he said that there is a hole between the right and left ventricle and that they are connected together, but Ibn-Anafis said that they aren't except in the case of disease.
Al-Razi also proved that Abokrat was mistaken when he said that the water of dropsy reaches lungs and causes coughing. He also held correct views on the treatment of burns by using cold water to cool the affected area. This is what is done now, in modern times to treat burns, running cold water for a few minutes to reduce pain and loss of plasma.
He also gave importance to the psychological health of the patients as he said, "the doctor should make his patient believe that he's healthy even if he wasn't sure about this, as the physical status of the body depends on the psychological one".
It's wonderful to find in the manuscript of the Sufi Galal Eldin Alromi one thousand years ago, a sentence in which he says: "If I split the atom, I'll find a solar system inside".
In the past, the Muslim philosophers of Mu'tazilah said that the materials are split into a part that can't be split again, and the Greek philosophers agreed on that; however, the Muslim philosophers disagreed on this doctrine as Ibrahim Alnzam said: "every part has a part, and every half has a half and the part can be split into another". Also, Al-farabi, Ibn-Alhaytham, Ibn-Sina, and Alkendi denied that doctrine saying that the atom can be split into smaller parts as well.
Everyone who thinks that Islam underestimates women's role in education and work, he should know that the Arabian women worked in medicine and nursing since the time of prophet Muhammed (PBUH) as Rofaida Al-Aslamia used to treat the injured of war in a tent in a Masjed (mosque). Also in the Umayyad dynasty, Zainab, the doctor of Bani Awd, was one of the knowledgeable people who treat eyes.
This was only a page of history that includes a glimpse of the Arabian scientific achievements. This page was just a reminder of our Arabian heritage, and also to enrich your information about the Arabian and Islamic civilization.
By Aya AboAlmagd
References:
. The book Al Quran Ka'in Hai (Quran: An Alive Creature) by Dr. Mustafa Mahmoud
. Wikipedia Science History:
http://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%AE_%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%88%D9%85