The Transmission Of Medical Knowledge In The Islamic Culture (Essay Sample)

Transmission of Medical Knowledge; Islamic Culture By Name of Author Institution of Affiliation Date of Submission Transmission of Medical Knowledge Faith and science tend to differ, not only in Islam but also in other religions. Initially, traditional specialists had an important role in the community, from treating people to providing advice on healthy living. The advancement in technology and the spread of writing skills enabled people to acquire new ideas on how to fight the spread of various infections and treatment procedures. Some of The ancient traditional practices of the Muslim, like the use of honey and olive oil, were abolished after the translation and use of Greek knowledge to produce medicine. In the Islamic world, their culture was based on prophetic medicine. Muhammad was a trusted and respected prophet who focused on the hygiene of the people, sickness, and treatment, by putting all into writing. Non-physician scholars wrote on the Islamic traditions, by combining their beliefs on matters of health, with the outcomes and the needs of the society. Through faith, people trust the words of the prophet and follow them to the latter. Cultural beliefs made people in the Islamic community adapt to new methods of preventing themselves against various infections through diet and hygiene and given the source of Prophet Muhammad and his status in the community, they could not question his words (Selin & Shapiro, 2003). Therefore, Islamic culture played an important role in the development and spread of medicine as people were obedient to their spiritual leaders. The golden age of Islam, which ended around the 15th or 16th century, was marked with numerous changes, both religious and traditional ones. Muhammad ibn Zakariya al-Razi existed in the period and was known to produce several books on matters of zoology and physics. His fame developed as a result of hard work and determination in the medical field, thus providing scientific assistance to the people. Despite being an alchemist and a philosopher, he also expressed the love his love for the people by writing books of mathematics, physics, and others for them to gain useful knowledge through education. The civilization of Islam spread to other parts of the world. They translated materials from other languages into Arabic and preserved the information. According to researchers, the existence of Muslim scholars in Baghdad and other parts of the world acted as a starting point for the advancement in medical knowledge in the western nations. As the Islam spread, their culture and writing skills were taught in the new place they settled (Roetz, 2006). Greek, which is one of the earliest languages in writing, was used as scholars translated information to Arabic. Baghdad became the center of the translation activities, and House of Wisdom became the venue for conducting the exercise. Traditionally, the Islam medicine existed as a result of compassionate and love of Prophet Muhammad to his people. As a respected leader, it is painful to watch people suffer under your watch. Mecca established Hareth Ibn Kelda, which gave the prophet a say and knowledge that helped him succeed the work of helping people. After attending the sick and giving them appropriate consultations, the people trusted his words. In trying to put into practice the little knowledge gathered, he used the wives, and that is how the prophet came into conclusion on the importance of hygiene in living a healthy life. Therefore, culture enabled him to exercise the knowledge and verifying the information by use of more than one person for testing because Prophet Muhammad had several wives. He used faith to pass the knowledge to the people, by saying that God is the one who provided the solution for the illnesses (Szirmai, 2005). His followers adhered to his teachings, both on matters of religion and health, and according to them, the remedy to various diseases by maintaining a high level of hygiene and eating a balanced diet. Other prophets followed his example and provided health assistance to the people. As Islamic culture spread across the world, their techniques in fighting diseases were never left behind. Art is part of the Islamic tradition that made it possible for the development and spread of medical theory in the Islamic community. Learned Arab professors used art to illustrate writings on medicine (Pormann Savage & University of Edinburgh, 2007). In the process, the professionals managed to develop ways in which people who are to offer help in the medical institutions ought to have specific qualifications to ensure they provide quality services. The change in medical theory affected the culture of the Islamic community in different ways. At first, people used to believe that diseases were a form of suffering, imposed on them by God. The prophet enables them to see the light behind the beliefs by telling the infected people that God also provided an alternative to every hard situation. As a result, their culture changed and mode of feeding incorporated balanced diet meal. The hygiene status improved and people managed to live a healthy life. The use of art progressed to the next level. Books were written to provide knowledge in mathematics, physics, and medical matters. The use of written material led to changes in culture as traditional education was abolished and new ways adopted. Formal education enabled people in the Islamic community to qualify as service providers in the health institutions (Lyons, 2009). The beliefs that a disease was sent from God changed. The people now believed that their actions, and how they ate, the level of hygiene, and many other factors were the reason beh...