6^th International Congress of WIAMH

Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina, August 13 - 15, 1999.

CONTRIBUTION OF ISLAM TO DEVELOPMENT OF MEDICINE IN THE WORLD AND IN BOSNIA

Faruk KONJHODŽIĆ

The occurrence of the Last God’s Announcement has strongly inspired the medical sciences all over the Islamic World and wider. Bosnia, as the later participant in the inheritance of the Islamic Culture, is also the heir of all those innovations that were revolutionary for that time. It is not by an accident because the Islam – the philosophy that issues a whole lines of rules – has also given a whole lines of elements that have given a great contribution to the medical science, even according to the today’s standards. The author emphasises the cult of water that had lead to the development of water supply systems as such, construction of water plants, public drinking fountains, water fountains and similar. By the religious stand, the issued ways of approaching an ill person has lead to development of hospital firstly under the influence of Islam. The issues related to sanitary inspections services and which have been inaugurated in the Islamic Word with the occurrence with the New Religion, have started being implemented in Europe only 200 years ago. This makes the contribution of Islamic religion unavoidable in the development of medicine, but it is regrettably often being tacit. The religion – which issues permanent values such as ritual washing, Gussul, gymnastic through Offering of Prayers, Zekat for general well being, fasting and moderation in food and drinks, forbiddance of alcohol and all intoxicating items, Sunnet, and travelling – had to contribute to the development of general hygienic regulations and laws for which was later determined to had been founded on the knowledge of modern medical science and which were – for that time – accepted as religious postulates.

Reference:

1. Arnold T (1972) History of Islam, 2^nd Ed. Sarajevo: Mešihat Islamske Zajednice u BiH
2. Elazar S (1972) Influence of Islam on the Health Culture of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Pro Medico - LEK 2(4): 43-54.
3. Konjhodžić F (1991) Hospital of Vakuf (Muslims’ Charitable Hospital) and the First Brain Surgeries in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Chirurgia Neurologica 2: 4-6.
4. Konjhodžić F (1998) Influence of Islam on Development of Health Circumstances in the World and in Bosnia. U: Mašić I.(ur): Contribution of Islamic Tradition to Development of Medical Sciences, Sarajevo: Avicena.