An epoch, expanding from the 5th century CE to the 16th century CE, where literacy in the European world was yet scanty, an eon labelled by historians as the ‘Dark Ages’ however astoundingly, this time was nowhere near dark in the Muslim world, on the contrary the Muslim civilisations were blooming and flourishing as a rainforest of fragrant flowers.

In Christian Europe, for many centuries, the only people who had mastered education were the monks and scholars presiding in monasteries. The reawakening and rediscovery of their classical Greek and Roman heritage first began when some of these Christian monks ventured south to the civilised Muslim lands of Al-Andalus and Sicily.

With the rapid spread of Islam to the East and West and resultant expansion of the Islamic Empire, Muslims benefitted the people as they were successful in large arenas of knowledge. Caliphs and Sultans warmly welcomed physicians and others to their courts and they were given assistance in their research.

Care and proper treatment of the sick and diseased, were also one of the concerns of the many Muslim physicians. Therefore, it’s not surprising, that the first true hospitals resembling the ones today were established in Baghdad during the time of the caliph Harun AR-Rashid (786-809 CE). One of the most famous hospitals (bimaristan, a Persian word) in the city was founded by the Persian physician Al-Razi (865-925 CE).

Cleanliness being one of the important issues for Muslims, Al-Razi came up with a phenomenal idea to find out the best location for the construction of a hospital. He took the efforts of hanging pieces of freshly slaughtered meat in the various parts of the city so as to see the longest time it survived before spoiling and then constructed his hospital in that area. Bimaristans were often built on hills or near rivers to take advantage of the fresh air and water. At this time, the first real pharmacies or drug stores (saydaliyyah) were also opened in Baghdad.

Islamic history impresses itself upon us and we can’t help but admire it. Looking back we realise there is yet much to learn from our ancestors. May Allah forgive us and make it easy for us, Ameen.

Bint Hasan