Muslim Pharmacology

When I need a prescription filled, I have my choice of pharmacies to fill it at--Meijer, CVS, Walgreens, Rite-Aid, or the local one around the corner. I know that wherever I go, the same dose will contain exactly the same amount of medicine, and 100mg at Walker Street Pharmacy will be the same weight as 100mg at Walgreens. Safeguards protect me from contaminated medicines.

All these aspects of modern pharmacies appear in Muslim cities such as Baghdad near the ninth century. During this time period, Saydalah, Islamic pharmacy, developed as a separate field from general medical studies, and cities began to have multiple privately-owned pharmacies. In addition to those open to the general public, hospitals had pharmacies attached to formulate the large amounts of medicine needed for their patients. Public health was protected by a Al-Mutasib, who inspected pharmacies to make sure they used standard weights and measures and to inspect the purity of their prescriptions, similar to the manner in which the Food and Drug Administration regulates the pharmaceutical industry in the modern United States. Would-be pharmacists had access to manuals on medical materials, instructions for remedies, and pharmacy management, while today aspiring pharmacists spend several years in college obtaining a degree.

The medical and chemical knowledge possessed today were not all available to the Muslim pharmacists; they built the foundation on which our knowledge is now built. Two important pharmacy scholars were Abu Hasan 'Ali Af-Taban and Hunayn bin Is'haaq. Af-Taban wrote several books and set examples for future pharmacists on using only the best samples, describing procedures precisely, and applying particular remedies to particular ailments rather than broadly. bin Is'haaq translated the works of Greek philosophers and scientists into Arabic and Syriac, making them available to pharmacists of the Islamic world. He also published ten books on the treatment of eyes and eye medication.

Although they didn't have all the advancements and innovations in pharmacy science that are available now, Muslim pharmacies in Baghdad and other cities had a wide base of knowledge and vigorous standards. We have learned much from them, and still imitate many of their inventions and discoveries.

Source: Muslims: Pioneers of Pharmacology

The History of the Qu'ran

Islamic belief is strongly centered in its scriptural writings of the Holy Qu'ran. The Qu'ran is a text of religious guidance and direction for mankind. This important collection of writings is as important to Islamic faith, as the Bible is to Christians. But how did such an important book become what it is today? How did it come together centuries ago and survive throughout centuries of war and religious struggle?

The Qu'ran began with the prophet Muhammad who received it from an angel during a revelation. His followers were the ones who copied down his visions, although during this time, writing was not one of the main sources at their disposal. Much of the Qu'ran was passed down orally until the correct means for writing were available. However, even when writings were completed, they were not bound together into one cohesive book, but separated and individual. It was because of the lack of binding, that forced many followers to memorize the ancient text and continue to pass down the teachings orally.

Under the order of Uthman, the Qu'ran was collected together and competed to create a single formal text. As the years passed and the spread of Islam grew, so did other cultures and languages. With the invention of paper and the growing intellectual society, translations of the Qu'ran were made for several other regions and countries. Since then, millions of copies of the Qu'ran have been made and have become the guiding symbol of the Islamic faith. Memorizing the Qu'ran is still a wide spread custom among them, continuing the tradition of how the Qu'ran was originally passed down.

http://www.arabicbible.com/islam/hit.htm

Video notes

Muhammad Ibd Abdullah

Perhaps the best-known figure in Islamic history is Muhammad Ibd Abdullah. He was a powerful inspirational leader, who many consider to be the founder of Islamic religion.

Muhammad was born in 570 C.E. in the Arab city of Mecca. Mecca was an extremely important city, both during the time leading up to and following Muhammad’s lifetime. It was the place where the largest Arabic religious shrine, Kaaba, was located, and was home to a variety of different people, numerous fugitives, exiles, refugees, and merchants.

A tremendously influential religious experience caused Muhammad to believe that he was a messenger sent by Allah to speak to and guide the Arabs. Muhammad’s religious encounters with Allah over the next 22 years were documented in a book known as the Quran, which is observed to be the religious scripture of Islam, even to this day. Through the Quran, Muhammad demanded his followers to take on a monotheistic view, with Allah being the one and only god. He stressed social justice and moral values such as solidarity, equality, and generosity.

Muhammad’s revelations and teachings attracted a few important Meccan leaders, as well as free slaves and several from lower and poorer classes. However he also drew the attention of some of Mecca’s elite families, who were opposed to his strong testaments. Eventually, these oppositions drove Muhammad and his followers out of Mecca and to the town of Yathrib, later known as Medina. This migration marked the beginning of the new Islamic calendar.

Unlike the religious figures from the other Universal Faiths (Jesus and the Buddha), Muhammad was a political and military leader as well as a religious one. Muslims drew no line to separate the church from the state in regards to laws or leadership. Muhammad led them in religious practices and into battle until his death in 632 C.E.

Reference:
Robert Strayer, Ways of the World, a Brief Global History - Volume I: to 1500. pgs 303-308.

What is Islam?

Islam is the youngest of the Universal religions. Islam is an Arabic word which means "Submission" and derives from a word meaning peace. Muslim is the title of the people who believe in the Islamic religion. There are many aspects of the Islamic religion.

First, in the religion, they believe in one God, Allah, which is the Arabic word for God. Tawhid is the most important Islamic beleif. It is the belief in Allah with all his power. Tawhid indicates that Allah is the sustainer of the universe and the soul source of guidance. The first step to becoming adopting the Islamic faith is the belief that there is no god but Allah and Mohammed is his prophet.

http://www.ethikana.com/islam/allah_swt.htm

Also, Muslims believe in prophets, and Muhammad was the most well known and important. When Muhammad was forty years old, he was meditation and received his first revelation from God through the angel Gabriel. Muhammad began preaching what he heard from the angel and was persecuted for doing so. Because of the harsh treatment, he emigrated from Makkah for Madinah. This migration was known as the Hijra. After many years, Muhammad and his followers forgave their enemies and returned to Makkah. When Muhammad passed away, most of Arabia became Muslim, and it continued to spread.

http://www.zajel.org/article_view.asp?newsID=3218&cat=9

The Muslim Holy book is the Qur'an. It is the primary doctrinal source of Islam. It is the product of Allah's revelations to Muhammad over a period of twenty three years. It is divided into thirty sections with 114 chapters, 7 stops, 16 prostrations, and 6,666 verses. Many verses are very poetic, while others are just written normally.

http://www.ethikana.com/islam/about_quran.htm

Another aspect of Islam is the five pillars. They are the foundations of Muslim life. The first pillar is faith; the belief in Allah and that Muhammad is his prophet. The second pillar is prayer; Muslims are to pray daily. The third pillar is helping the needy. The fourth pillar is fasting; during the month of Ramadan each year, Muslims fast from first light to sun down. The last and fifth pillar is the pilgrimage to Makkah or "Mecca." It is known as the Hajj in Arabic.

http://www.zajel.org/article_view.asp?newsID=3216&cat=9

Islam, like all religions, has many parts to it. It is not just the faith in Allah, but the dedication to the Qur'an and practicing the five pillars. Although Islam is the youngest of the universal religions, it spread just as far and is practiced by just as many as the other religions. Today, Islam is the second largest religion in the world behind Christianity. 1.2 billion people practice this religion and they represent 22% of the entire world's population.

http://www.religioustolerance.org/isl_numb.htm

Vocabulary Lesson!! Yay!!

As a person who is likes to keep up with happenings around the world, it is important to be familiar with the terminology that is used regarding certain topics. Since our topic this week is Islam, I thought it would be useful to explain frequently used vocabulary when addressing Islam.

I have heard many people use the words “Islam” and “Muslim” interchangeably. Simply, Islam is the religion and a Muslim is a follower of that religion. In 2005, PBS aired a special called “In the Name of Islam” and on its website invited viewers to submit their questions. Albert Frank of Kingston, Pa. asks:

“Please explain again the difference between Islam and Muslim. Is Islam a religion and are Muslims people who believe in and practice Islam?”

Professor Salim Mansur offered a more in depth answer to Frank’s question. He wrote,

“Islam is the faith-tradition and the word "Islam" means "peace" and "submission," hence "peace through submission to God (Allah in Arabic), the Lord of the Universe, the Master of the Day of Recompense." "Muslim" means a person who has made such a submission, at least in its outward form.”

Islam is built on five “pillars” which are the foundation of Islam. They are:

1. Faith or belief in the Oneness of God and the finality of the prophethood of Muhammad;
2. Establishment of the daily prayers;
3. Concern for and almsgiving to the needy;
4. Self-purification through fasting; and
5. The pilgrimage to Makkah for those who are able.
   

The first pillar, “faith or belief in the Oneness of God,” means that Muslims accept Allah (God) as the only god. Additionally, they believe in “the finality of the prophethood of Muhammad” which means that Muhammad is the only person who has interacted with Allah and is his prophet.

The second pillar, “establishment of the daily prayers,” requires Muslims to pray daily on five occasions: pre-dawn, noon, afternoon, sunset, and evening.

The third pillar, “concern for and almsgiving to the needy,” is also known as Zakat. Islam asks that Muslims donate a portion of their monies to help other, less fortunate Muslims. A quick Google search for “Zakat calculator” yields nearly 50,000 websites to help calculate a donation.

The fourth pillar of Islam, “self-purification through fasting,” takes place during the month of Ramadan. Ramadan falls on the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. Muslims are required to fast from sun up to sun down each day. At the end of the month, a celebratory feast is held; it is known as "Eid" or "Eid ul-Fitr.”

Finally, the fifth pillar, “pilgrimage to Makkah” [Mecca] is required of all Muslims who are physically and financially able to make the trip. As written on Religious Facts website:

The most sacred place in Islam is the Ka'ba in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. The Ka'ba is a mosque (built by Abraham according to Muslim tradition) built around a black stone. The Prophet Muhammad designated Mecca as the holy city of Islam and the direction (qibla) in which all Muslims should offer their prayers.

The last aspect of Islam that I want to touch on briefly is the two major sects, Shiite and Sunni. Again, to make is simple, the difference between the two is that Shiite Muslims believe that the appropriate caliphs to serve after Muhammad are those with direct, blood relation to the prophet. Sunni Muslims, however, believe that any legitimate religious leader is qualified to succeed Muhammad. This distinction has been the cause for conflicts between governments in the Middle East.