Q1: Why Muslim scientists give much attention to medicine and public health

care?

ANS:

In Islam, the human body is a source of appreciation, as it is created by
Almighty Allah (God). How it functions, how to keep it clean and safe, how to
prevent diseases from attacking it or cure those diseases, have been
important issues for Muslims.
Ibn Sina (d. 1037), better known to the West as Avicenna, was perhaps the
greatest physician until the modern era. His famous book, Al-Qanun fi al-
Tibb, remained a standard textbook even in Europe, for over 700 years. Ibn
Sina's work is still studied and built upon in the East.
Prophet Muhammad himself urged people to "take medicines for your
diseases", as people at that time were reluctant to do so. He also said,
"God created no illness, except that He has established for it a cure,
except for old age. When the antidote is applied, the patient will
recover with the permission of God. "

This was strong motivation to encourage Muslim scientists to explore,
develop, and apply empirical laws. Much attention was given to medicine
and public health care. The first hospital was built in Baghdad in 706 AC.
The Muslims also used camel caravans as mobile hospitals, which moved
from place to place.
Since the religion did not forbid it, Muslim scholars used human cadavers
to study anatomy and physiology and to help their students understand
how the body functions. This empirical study enabled surgery to develop
very quickly.
Al-Razi, known in the West as Rhazes, the famous physician and scientist,
(d. 932) was one of the greatest physicians in the world in the Middle
Ages. He stressed empirical observation and clinical medicine and was
unrivalled as a diagnostician. He also wrote a treatise on hygiene in
hospitals. Kahaf Abul-Qasim Al-Sahabi was a very famous surgeon in the
eleventh century, known in Europe for his work, Concessio (Kitab al-
Tasrif).
Other significant contributions were made in pharmacology, such as Ibn


Sina's Kitab al-Shifa' (Book of Healing), and in public health. Every major
city in the Islamic world had a number of excellent hospitals, some of
them teaching hospitals, and many of them were specialized for
particular diseases, including mental and emotional. The Ottomans were
particularly noted for their building of hospitals and for the high level of
hygiene practiced in them


Q2: How did the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) treat Abu Sufyan at
the victory of
Makkah?

ANS:


Abu Sufyaan Bin Harab had been acting as the ring leader of prophets
enemies. In the holy battle of Uhad it was who led the enemy forces as
their Chief. He had prepared all kinds of plots to root out Islam and its
followers. In the holy battle of Khandaq (Trenches), he had organized the
enemy coalition front against the prophet.
He brought four thousand strong fighting forces from Mecca. From the
other end of Medinah he invited the coalition of Arab tribes under the
leadership of Oainah Bin Hafs Fuzari to launch attack with a force of
another four thousand soldiers. From the third side six thousand armed
fighters laid the siege. The joint operation was conceived and supervised
by Abu Sufyaan himself. In addition, he instigated shrewdly Banu
Quraizah who despite their smaller numbers as compared to Muslims
were strategically located at the far end of Medinah, to attack the Muslim
forces from their back contravening their earlier peace treaty with
Medinites. Then Allah Almighty sent thunder storm causing the enemy to
get scattered and retreat in defeat. On the occasion of Victory of Mecca
the same ring leader of the enemy, one day prior to fall of Mecca, came in


disguise to the Muslim camp in the place called Mur-Al-Zahran to spy and
assess the Muslim military might. The spy was caught red handed and
brought in front of the prophet. Many of the companions of the prophet
submitted to him the plea to allow them to execute the prisoner who was
no less important a person than the chief of enemy Army himself. But lo!
The next day Abu Sufyaan came to prophet and embraced Islam
voluntarily. The respect shown to him and the honorable deal he got was
indeed amazing and beyond comprehension of an ordinary mortal. A
declaration was publicly announced, Whoever enters the grand mosque
of Mecca (Masjid-e-Haram) shall be spared, whoever enters the house
of Abu Sufyaan shall be spared and whoever shuts his door too shall be
spared. The declaration decreeing the house of Abu Sufyann to be
treated at par with grand mosque of Mecca in respect of refuge bestowed
upon him such an honor that surpassed any other award that a man
could aspire to achieve at that time.


Q3: One Muslim has right over his Muslim brother. Describe five rights of
one Muslim over another in the light of Hadith. 5 Marks
The bond that connects believing hearts in the strongest and deepest way is
the bond of brotherhood originating from the principle of belief and taqwa.
This is one of the best bounties granted to believers by Allah. This state is
expressed as follows in a verse:
" And hold fast, all together by the rope which Allah (stretches out for
you), and be not divided among yourselves; and remember with gratitude
Allah's favor on you; for ye were enemies and He joined your hearts in
love so that by His Grace, ye became brethren; and ye were on the brink
of the pit of fire, and He saved you from it. Thus doth Allah make his
signs clear to you: that ye may be guided." (Aal-i Imran, 3/103)

In Islam, brotherhood is based on the basis of faith; therefore, all kinds of
artificial discrimination and boasting that will destroy friendship among
believers are regarded as haram. The criterion of taqwa replaced all kinds
of values based on Jahiliyya like race, lineage and pedigree; thus, social
brotherhood and harmony were ensured. The verse regarding the issue has
the property to end all kinds of discussion:
" ... Verily the most honored of you in the sight of Allah is (he who is) the


most righteous of you..." (al-Hujurat, 49/13).

The solidarity of believing men and women based on faith and taqwa is
mentioned as a necessity of brotherhood. This solidarity is deemed
necessary in order to make the principle of belief and taqwa dominant in
individual and social life. As a matter of fact, it is stated that Allah will
help the people who come together with this aim:
" The Believers, men and women, are protectors one of another: they
enjoin what is just, and forbid what is evil: they observe regul ar prayers,
practice regular charity, and obey Allah and His Messenger..." (at-
Tawba, 9/71).

The Prophet (pbuh) states the following in a hadith:
" None of you will have belief till he wishes for his (Muslim) brother what
he likes for himself." (Bukhari, Iman, 7)
Hz. Ali (r.a) states the following: " Your real brother is the one that is
together with you, that agrees to harm his own self just to avail you and
that tries to help you when you are in trouble even if it is harmful for
him."

Believers are like a perfect and sound building whose parts are interlocked
in terms of friendship or like a single body whose elements and atoms are
interconnected. When one organ of the body becomes ill, the whole body
feels the same pain; similarly, when a believer, even if he is in a very
remote part of the world, suffers, his other believing brothers feel it. The
Prophet (pbuh) expresses this commitment of believers to one another as
follows:" The commitment of a believer to another believer is like a
building whose parts complement one another." It is stated that when Abu
Musa al-Ash' ari narrated the hadith above, he clasped his hands with the
fingers interlaced to describe it: " You see the believers as regards their
being merciful among themselves and showing love among themselves
and being kind, resembling one body, so that, if any part of the body is
not well then the whole body shares the sleeplessness and fever with
it." (see Bukhari, Salat, 88)
It is necessary for a believer to help his believing brother in any situation.
The Prophet stated the following in a hadith:" Help your brother, whether
he is an oppressor or he is an oppressed one." When he was asked how to
help whenhe is an oppressor, the Prophet said," By preventing him from
oppressing others. This is how to hel p him then." (Bukhari, Mazalim, 4;
Muslim, Birr, 62)



According to what is reported from Hz. Ali (r.a.), the Messenger of Allah
(pbuh) stated the following:
" A Muslim has six rights over another Muslim. When he meets a Muslim,
he greets him; when a Muslim invites him, he accepts his invitation; when
a Muslim sneezes and says, 'alhamdulillah (praise be to Allah)', he says,
'yarhamukallah (may Allah have mercy on you)'; when a Muslim becomes
ill, he visits him; when a Muslim dies, he takes part in his funeral ; he
loves for his Muslim brother what he loves for himself." (Darimi,
Istidhan: 5; Ibn Majah, Janaiz: 43)