The contributions of islam and muslim scholars to infection control: Dealing with contagious diseases and pandemics

Islam's teachings emphasize maintaining personal hygiene and isolating sick people, both of which are crucial in the present COVID-19 pandemic. Between the 7th and 15th centuries, Islamic and Arab civilizations produced significant advancements in science and medicine. These discoveries laid th...

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Main Author: Ahmed S BaHammam
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2022-01-01
Series:Journal of Nature and Science of Medicine
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.jnsmonline.org/article.asp?issn=2589-627X;year=2022;volume=5;issue=4;spage=372;epage=378;aulast=BaHammam
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description Islam's teachings emphasize maintaining personal hygiene and isolating sick people, both of which are crucial in the present COVID-19 pandemic. Between the 7th and 15th centuries, Islamic and Arab civilizations produced significant advancements in science and medicine. These discoveries laid the groundwork for the development of the European Renaissance. In Islam, maintaining one's personal cleanliness and hygiene is a duty that Muslims have to do to worship Allah (God). In universal outbreaks such as plague pandemics, Islam recognized the risks and mandated precautions, prevention, and hygienic isolation. Islam took the lead in pioneering several health protection practices, such as the quarantine rule. If a contagious sickness manifests in a certain area or town, Prophet Muhammad instructed to forbid entry or exit to the affected town, now known as quarantine. The first documented application of quarantine, as we currently know, it was implemented by the Muslim scholar Avicenna (ibn Sina). According to Islam, protecting living creatures' lives equals protecting the faith. Therefore, all needed measures to reduce the risk of infection, including vaccines, should be rigorously applied in Islam. In this viewpoint, we discuss Islamic beliefs, the Prophet's practices and teachings, and Muslim scholars' contributions to lowering infections and putting specific regulations in place during pandemics that supplemented the development of infection control rules as we know them in modern medical practices through using the best available evidence.
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spelling doaj.art-642f58c397964f5a870b5068fd5335bc2022-12-22T04:14:07ZengWolters Kluwer Medknow PublicationsJournal of Nature and Science of Medicine2589-627X2589-62882022-01-015437237810.4103/jnsm.jnsm_109_22The contributions of islam and muslim scholars to infection control: Dealing with contagious diseases and pandemicsAhmed S BaHammamIslam's teachings emphasize maintaining personal hygiene and isolating sick people, both of which are crucial in the present COVID-19 pandemic. Between the 7th and 15th centuries, Islamic and Arab civilizations produced significant advancements in science and medicine. These discoveries laid the groundwork for the development of the European Renaissance. In Islam, maintaining one's personal cleanliness and hygiene is a duty that Muslims have to do to worship Allah (God). In universal outbreaks such as plague pandemics, Islam recognized the risks and mandated precautions, prevention, and hygienic isolation. Islam took the lead in pioneering several health protection practices, such as the quarantine rule. If a contagious sickness manifests in a certain area or town, Prophet Muhammad instructed to forbid entry or exit to the affected town, now known as quarantine. The first documented application of quarantine, as we currently know, it was implemented by the Muslim scholar Avicenna (ibn Sina). According to Islam, protecting living creatures' lives equals protecting the faith. Therefore, all needed measures to reduce the risk of infection, including vaccines, should be rigorously applied in Islam. In this viewpoint, we discuss Islamic beliefs, the Prophet's practices and teachings, and Muslim scholars' contributions to lowering infections and putting specific regulations in place during pandemics that supplemented the development of infection control rules as we know them in modern medical practices through using the best available evidence.http://www.jnsmonline.org/article.asp?issn=2589-627X;year=2022;volume=5;issue=4;spage=372;epage=378;aulast=BaHammamarabcovid-19medievalpandemicquarantinesocial distancing
spellingShingle Ahmed S BaHammam
The contributions of islam and muslim scholars to infection control: Dealing with contagious diseases and pandemics
Journal of Nature and Science of Medicine
arab
covid-19
medieval
pandemic
quarantine
social distancing
title The contributions of islam and muslim scholars to infection control: Dealing with contagious diseases and pandemics
title_full The contributions of islam and muslim scholars to infection control: Dealing with contagious diseases and pandemics
title_fullStr The contributions of islam and muslim scholars to infection control: Dealing with contagious diseases and pandemics
title_full_unstemmed The contributions of islam and muslim scholars to infection control: Dealing with contagious diseases and pandemics
title_short The contributions of islam and muslim scholars to infection control: Dealing with contagious diseases and pandemics
title_sort contributions of islam and muslim scholars to infection control dealing with contagious diseases and pandemics
topic arab
covid-19
medieval
pandemic
quarantine
social distancing
url http://www.jnsmonline.org/article.asp?issn=2589-627X;year=2022;volume=5;issue=4;spage=372;epage=378;aulast=BaHammam
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