MedicineLove the taste of cough syrup? Hate it? Well, either way you have Islamic pharmacists to thank. They were the first to mix sweet tasting syrups with medicine, ensuring that the medicine would be taken.

During the rule of the Umayyad Caliphate, the general belief was that Allah provided a treatment for every illness. But during the rule of the Abbasid Caliphate, Islam began to develop and utilize a system of medicine based on scientific analysis. The importance of the health sciences to society was emphasized, and the early Muslim medical community strived to find ways to care for, with God's permission, the health of the human body.

Medieval Islam fostered some of the greatest medical thinkers in history, expanded the practice of surgery, and the inclusion of women in medicine. Physicians and pharmacists were required to pass exams before treating patients.  They setup hospitals that had separate areas for trauma cases which is the basis for today's emergency rooms.  Physicians developed treatments for cataracts, used a variety of herbal remedies, and were adept at treating a variety of injuries.

Islamic knowledge on medicine was recorded in books that were influential in medical schools throughout Muslim history and were enormously influential on the physicians of later medieval Europe.

Islamic pharmacist preparing medicine

Questions

What major accomplishments were made during the rule of the Abbasid Caliphate in the field of medicine?

How do these accomplishments affect you today?

What did you find most interesting about the reading?

Mathematics & ScienceFind the value of x in the equation below.

2x + 3 = 13Congratulations! If you were able to solve the equation then you have al-Khwarizimi to thank. He was an Islamic mathematician who pioneered the study of algebra. Islamic scholars studied both Greek and Indian mathematics before making important contributions of their own. al-Khwarizimi wrote a textbook on algebra that became a standard in European universities for centuries.

Islamic scholars also made important contributions to the field of science. About 1000 years before the work of Charles Darwin, the first biologist to develop a theory on evolution was al-Jahiz (781-869). He wrote on the effects of the environment on the likelihood of an animal to survive, and he first described the struggle for existence. Al-Jahiz was also the first to discuss food chains, and was also an early adherent of environmental determinism, arguing that the environment can determine the physical characteristics of the inhabitants of a certain community and that the origins of different human skin colors is the result of the environment.

Questions

What major accomplishments were made during the rule of the Abbasid Caliphate in the field of math?

What major accomplishments were made during the rule of the Abbasid Caliphate in the field of science?

What did you find most interesting about the reading?

A page from al-Khwarizimi’s algebra textbook

arts & literatureAccording to the teachings of the Koran, Islamic artists were forbidden from using human figures in religious art. Therefore, they developed a style of geometric shapes and patterns that were used to decorate religious buildings called Mosques.  These geometric patterns usually contained verses from the Koran written in a stylized form of decorative handwriting called calligraphy. 

Non-religious artists were allowed to use human figures.  This type of work most often appears in scholarly works of science or literature, which were lavishly illustrated.

Islamic architects borrowed heavily from the Byzantine Empire which used domes and arches extensively throughout their cities. An example of this use can be seen in the Dome of the Rock, a famous mosque in Jerusalem.

There were many different styles of Islamic literature.  Most works were based on the Koran, but some Islamic artists wrote poetry about the joys and sorrows of love. Also, stories from other cultures were adapted and rewritten for Islamic civilization.  The most famous collection is called The Thousand and One Nights, which is a collection of tales that includes well known stories such as Aladdin and His Magic Lamp.

Questions

Why did Islamic art use geometric shapes and patterns rather than people?

What features are commonly used in Islamic architechture?

Why do think that most literature during the rule of the Abbasid Caliphate was based on the Koran?

What did you find most interesting about the reading?

Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem

Islamic Architecture

Calligraphy

Aladdin & His Magic Lamp

Travel & CommerceApart from the Nile, Tigris and Euphrates, navigable rivers were uncommon, so transport by sea was very important. Navigational sciences were highly developed, making use of a rudimentary sextant. The sextant is a tool that is used to measure the position of the stars. When combined with detailed maps of the period, sailors were able to sail across oceans rather than skirt along the coast. Muslim sailors were also responsible for reintroducing large three masted merchant ships to the Mediterranean.

Under the Abbasids, a vast trading network was created which helped to spread religion, culture, and technology among the different peoples of the empire.  New business practices such as, partnerships, the use of credit, and banks to exchange currency, were developed to handle the increase in trade.  The establishment of such vast trading networks made the many nations within the Islamic Empire very wealthy, and helped to stimulate many of their cultural and intellectual achievements

During the rule of the Abbasid Caliphate, travel to distant lands took place. The use of paper spread from China into the Muslim world in the eighth century, arriving in Spain (and then the rest of Europe) in the 10th century. It was easier to manufacture than parchment, less likely to crack than papyrus, and could absorb ink, making it ideal for making records and making copies of the Koran. Islamic paper makers devised assembly-line methods of hand-copying manuscripts to turn out editions far larger than any available in Europe for centuries. It was from Islam that the rest of the world learned to make paper from linen.

Questions

What major accomplishments were made during the rule of the Abbasid Caliphate in the field of commerce?

How did the use of paper help contribute to the spread of Islam?

What did you find most interesting about the reading?

Use of a sextant

Three Masted Merchant Ship

Sharia LawDuring the rule of the Abassid Caliphate, Islamic scholars developed a legal code know as Sharia based on the teachings of the Koran and the Sunnah, which is the example demonstrated by the sayings and acts of the prophet Muhammad.

The power to interpret and refine law in Islamic societies was in the hands of the scholars not the caliphs. This separation of powers served to limit the power available to the ruler, who could not easily change the law independently and expect the continued support of the community.

Sharia, is the legal and moral code of Islam. Muslims believe that the Sharia is divinely inspired. Sharia is an Arabic word that originally meant a path to a source of water, which suggests purity and nourishment. It has come to be understood as the way that leads to god.

The Sharia is a system of morals, religious observance, ethics, and politics. It covers both religious and nonreligious aspects of life. For example, the Sharia includes guidelines on how Muslims wash, eat, pray, maintain friendships, conduct business, and govern.

Questions

What sources is Sharia law based on?

What does the term Sharia mean in Arabic?

What aspects of life are governed by Sharia law?

What did you find most interesting about the reading?

Divorce proceedings before a Sharia judge