Islamic Medieval Medicine (AQA GCSE History)
Revision Note
Written by: Zoe Wade
Reviewed by: Natasha Smith
How advanced was Islamic medical knowledge to English medical knowledge in Medieval times? - Timeline & Summary
Timeline
Islamic medical knowledge in Medieval times was far more advanced than English medical knowledge.
Islamic physicians like Ibn Sina (Avicenna), Al-Razi (Rhazes), and Ibn al-Nafis made significant discoveries that shaped medicine for centuries. Ibn Sina wrote a famous book called The Canon of Medicine, which was used in European medical schools for hundreds of years. Al-Razi was another great physician who wrote about diseases like smallpox and measles, explaining how to tell them apart for the first time. Ibn al-Nafis, meanwhile, was the first to correctly describe how blood moves from the heart to the lungs. All these discoveries made Baghdad a centre of medical knowledge in Medieval times.
In contrast, English medical knowledge in the Medieval period was limited. English physicians mainly followed outdated ideas, like the Theory of the Four Humours from Hippocrates and Galen, without questioning them. While the Islamic world encouraged learning and experimentation, English medicine was focused on supernatural explanations, like disease being a punishment from God. Islamic hospitals, called bimaristans, were advanced for their time, offering treatments and even surgeries. In England, care was more about prayer and basic comfort. Whilst some Islamic medical knowledge spread to England, the Church heavily controlled what could and could not be taught.
Islamic ideas about illness
Similarities with Medieval England
The Islamic world listened to the theories about disease written by Ancient philosophers
In Baghdad, scholars translated thousands of Ancient Greek manuscripts
Islamic medical practice valued the work of Hippocrates and Galen
Muslims also believed in the healing power of their God, Allah
Many Muslims prayed to Allah for healing if they were ill
Both Muslims in the Islamic world and Christians in England made charitable donations to create hospitals
Differences with Medieval England
Muslims teach that the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said:
"Allah has sent down a cure for every disease"
This encouraged Muslims in the Medieval period to find cures for disease, rather than simply accepting old theories
Islam encouraged scientists to discover the healing properties of certain substances, such as senna
The Qur’an teaches Muslims to care for the sick. Islamic hospitals (bimaristans):
Did not turn away 'undesirable' patients like those with mental illnesses
Attempted to cure the patient's disease
Key Islamic physicians
In Medieval times, there were three key thinkers who progressed Islamic medicine:
Al-Razi (Rhazes)
Ibn Sina (Avicenna)
Ibn al-Nafis
Examiner Tips and Tricks
We have provided you with both the Arabic and the Latin names of these key Islamic physicians. Writing either the Arabic or the Latin version is acceptable in your AQA Health and the People exam.
Al-Razi (Rhazes)
Al-Razi was a senior physician in a hospital in Baghdad
His key contributions to medicine were:
noticing that smallpox and measles were two separate diseases
his book, Doubts about Galen, criticised some of Galen's findings
In the Renaissance, Vesalius read this book which shaped his research into anatomy
writing over 150 books which were translated into various languages
Ibn Sina (Avicenna)
Ibn Sina became a physician at 16 years old
He cured the Sultan of Bukhara when no other court physician could
His key contribution to medicine was:
Writing The Canon of Medicine (1025)
This was an encyclopaedia of medical knowledge from the Ancient and Islamic worlds
It explored ideas about anatomy
It listed 760 substances and their medical benefits
It became a medical textbook for European physicians until the 17th century
Ibn al-Nafis
Al-Nafis was an Arab physician in the thirteenth century
His key contribution to medicine was:
discovering that blood circulated the body via the lungs
This disproved Galen's theory that the liver created all the blood in the body
Al-Nafis' theory was ignored, especially in England, because:
Islam and Christianity disapproved of human dissection
Galen's theory was so widely believed in England
Al-Nafis' discovery about the circulatory system was not taught and was unknown to all physicians in England
Examiner Tips and Tricks
A question could ask you to explain the significance of Islamic medicine on the understanding of disease.
Your answers could be written in PEE paragraphs:
P- make a point about the question
E- include knowledge to support the point you have made
Focused on Islamic medicine, which is the focus of the question
Show knowledge to demonstrate significance
E- explain the question
Focus on how Islamic medicine impacted the understanding of disease
Include a complex explanation showing your understanding of significance
To achieve full marks, you need to repeat this twice
Our exam skills pages provide more help and guidance on the significance question
Influence of Islamic Medicine on England
Islamic medical theories began to spread in Europe by the 11th century
IMAGE
A map showing the spread of Islamic knowledge throughout Europe
Why did Islamic medicine have a limited impact on England?
Christianity and Islam were at war with each other during the Crusades
Some people were sceptical of Islamic ideas
The Church actively blocked some Islamic theories
Physicians like al-Nafis actively challenged the Church's teachings
Examiner Tips and Tricks
An exam question could ask you to discuss the similarities between English medicine and Islamic medicine in the Medieval period. Students often find comparing these quite challenging.
Similarities you could identify are:
using the Canon of Medicine
treating illnesses with herbal remedies
a belief in supernatural treatments such as prayer
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