Zaki Mubarak Awarded PhD

7^th of Thul Hejja Year 1349 AH/ April 25^th , 1931 AD: Egyptian man of letters Zaki Mubarak is awarded the PhD from the French University of Sorbone under the title " Prose in the fourth Hegira century". The dissertation caused hue and cry due to Zaki 's position toward his supervisor Massignon who was also a notable Orientalist . Mubarak said in this dissertation that he came to rectify the mistakes of the Orientalists concerning prose and related issues. Baki Mubarak was awarded three PhDs.

Abdul-Hamid Declares Constitution

Inspired by Allah’s guidance since coming to Earth, Man has arrived at various treatments, according to his intellectual and mental means, throughout the different civilizations.  This was known as ‘Primitive Medicine’.

Ibn-Khaldoun (808 A.H.)[1] once stated that primitive medicine was mostly dependent on defective experiments inherited from the leading figures in communities.  Yet, such medicine was not based on any physical law.

Prophetic Medicine and Medical Development

Such had been the condition of medicine before Islam arrived.  The Messenger of Allah (SAWS) urged Muslims to seek remedy, as Allah has created no disease without its treatment, except for one disease, namely senility.

The Messenger of Allah (SAWS) used honey, dates, natural herbs and various other things for medical treatment, which is known as the ‘Prophetic Medicine’.  However, Muslims, although they were acquainted with the prophetic medicine, did not stop there.  They realized in an early stage that secular sciences, including medicine, needed continuous studying and researching into other cultures.  Muslim physicians knew all about Greek Medicine through the conquered countries.  The Caliphs used to bring the Roman physicians whose medical works were translated into Arabic by Muslims.

During the era of the Umayyad Caliphate, Muslim physicians were the first to organize specialities; they were ophthalmologists, surgeons,       , gynecologists, etc.  This era was characterized by the construction of hospitals and by its effective, well-known Islamic physicians such as, Abul-Hakam ad-Damashkiy, a family dominating the medical profession, Tyazuoq who was close to al-Hajaj Ibn-Youssuf al-Thaqafiyy and Ahmad Ibn-Ibrahim who was Yazeed Ibn-Abdul- Malek, the Umayyad caliph’s special physician.

Ar-Razi (Rhazes): A pioneer in medicine in the Abbasids’ era

During the Abbasid period, Muslim physicians went beyond copying and translating from other cultures as they excelled in all medical branches and corrected some of their antecedent’s theories. 

As an example, Abu- Bakr ar-Razi (313 A.H.) was the first to invent surgical suturing, to make mercury ointment and to introduce a fully detailed explanation of pediatrics, gynecology, obstetrics, ophthalmology and eye diseases.  He pioneered in conducting experimental research in medical sciences.  He also tried proposed remedies on animals in order to evaluate their effects and side effects.  He conducted some experiments on animals like monkeys.  He used to give them a dose of medicine and record its effect.  If it produced the desired result, he would start applying it on human beings.

Ar-Razi was the first to state that some diseases are hereditary.  He was also the first to differentiate between arterial and venous bleeding.  He was the first to describe cataract removal.  He recommended building hospitals away from areas where organic substances could rapidly grow rotten.  In addition, he was the first to make the diagnosis of measles and smallpox in his book entitled, ‘Measles and Smallpox’, in which he introduced the symptoms and the fever accompanying both diseases.  He also drew a very precise clinical discrimination between them, considering fever a medical symptom that accompanies several diseases, rather than an illness.  Fever immediately ceases once the illness, causing it, is treated.  Furthermore, he differentiated between the pulmonary diseases causing respiratory distress and pleurisy.

Ali Ibn-Isa, the Ophthalmologist:

Early Muslims progressed and reached such great heights in ophthalmology that no one has ever reached before for many centuries.  Ophthalmology flourished in an unprecedented way .  Neither the Romans nor the Greeks could compete with the Muslims’ achievements.  It is no wonder that many writers considered ophthalmology an Arab specialty.  Historians considered Ali Ibn-Isa the greatest ophthalmologist of the Middle Ages ever, and believed that at-Tathkirah (The Reminder) was his best book.

Az-Zahrawy

Another great physician who followed al-Razi and Ibn-Isa was Az-Zahrawy.  He was one of the greatest surgeons of his time, if not the greatest of them all throughout the history of man.  He invented surgical instruments such as the scalpel and sutures for stitching wounds.  He also established surgical methods and procedures, such as stopping a hemorrhage by coagulation as well as ligature to stop the flow of a bleeding artery.  He was also the first to set the basics of the science of surgical endoscopy and used syringes and surgical punctures. He managed to do a lithotripsy for a bladder stone with the use of what resembled a modern endoscope. He was also the first to invent and use the vaginal speculum.

Az-Zahrawy’s book, ‘At-tasrif l-Man ‘ajaza ‘an at-Ta’lee’f, which was translated into Latin as (AlTasrif)  by the Italian scientist, Jerardo, was considered a complete medical encyclopedia of thirty-volumes, each divided into three different parts: medicine, chemistry, and surgery and surgical instruments.  It was considered a reference for the European founders of surgery.

Medical historians claimed that Az-Zahrawy was the first to devote special attention to surgery and separate surgery from medicine.  Also, Abul-Qassim az-Zahrawy’s surgical research replaced all former inquiries and remained the main reference in surgery for more than five centuries, until the thirteenth century.  His research included labeled drawing and pictures of more than two hundred surgical tools.  These had an immense influence on Western surgeons later, especially those who reformed and improved surgery in Europe in the thirteenth century.  Haller, the great physiologist, said, “All the European surgeons who emerged after the fourteenth century turned to that research to quench their thirst for knowledge.” This book was the chief reference for surgery.

Muslims remained the pioneers in surgery up until the 15th  hijri[2] century   European students came to the Arab countries to learn and return to their countries to apply what they had learned.  This indicated how essential surgical science was and how important it was to separate it from internal medicine.

Ibn-Sina

The brilliant Islamic figure Ibn-Sina (died 428 A.H.) enriched the history of mankind with his sublime medical discoveries aided by the Help of Allah.  He discovered many of the ailments which are still widespread, such as Ankylostoma parasite and he called it ‘the round worm’, preceding the Italian scientist Dobby Bingo by nearly 900 years.

Ibn-Sina was the first to describe meningitis and differentiate between of cerebral origin and that resulting from external (or peripheral) cause..  He also described stroke that results from excessive blood flow, opposing what had been believed by the ancient Greek physicians.  He differentiated between the renal colic and intestinal colic.

Another breakthrough by Ibn-Sina is his discovery of the modes of infection of some diseases like measles and smallpox and that their contagious nature is due to tiny living organisms in water and air.  He once said, “Water contains tiny living organisms, unseen by the naked eye, causing some diseases.” This was confirmed later in the eighteenth century by Van Leuthook and other scientists after the microscope has been invented.  Hence, Ibn-Sina was the first to establish parasitology, which is a very important branch in modern sciences.  He was the first to differentiate between primary and secondary meningitis and other, similar diseases.  He also described tonsillectomy, and added his own opinion about some kinds of cancers, like liver and breast cancers and lymph node tumors as well as other tumors.

Ibn-Sina excelled in surgery. He mentioned several methods to stop hemorrhages; whether by ligation, pack insertion, cauterization, chemical cauterization or pressing veins against flesh.  He also dealt with arrows and how to get them out of wounds, warning surgeons against hurting a vein or a nerve while pointing out that understanding human anatomy is crucial for surgeons.

Ibn-Sina was the first to describe the eye’s inner muscles.  He also said that the optic nerve is the organ that is responsible for vision, not the lens, as it had been believed before.

Ibn-Sina was a skillful surgeon who performed many fine surgical operations such as early-stage-malignant tumor excision.  Moreover, he performed tracheostomy and laryngotomy and excised pleural abscesses.  He also treated hemorrhoids by ligature, described urinary fistulas with precision and introduced a treatment for anal fistulas that is still in use.  He also dealt with kidney stones and explained how to extract them, along with the precautions that must be taken.  Additionally, he explained the indications and countraindications of using the catheter.

Ibn-Sina had immense experience in treating venerial diseases.  He described some of the gynecological diseases very precisely, like vaginal obstruction, fibroids and miscarriages.  He also spoke about diseases that mothers would catch in their postpartum period such as hemorrhage and blood retention which may cause tumors and fevers.  He also pointed out that puerperal sepsis results from difficult labor or intruterine fetal death; a fact that had not been known before his research. He also dealt with the gender of the fetus and attributed it to the father rather than to the mother; this is a fact which was confirmed later by modern medicine.

In addition to all this, Ibn-Sina had vast knowledge of dentistry.  He said that the main purpose of treating tooth decay was to clear out the decayed part and analyze the substance which caused it.  Note that the basic principle in treating the teeth is maintain them through technically preparing the cavity removing the decayed parts from the tooth then refill it with the proper filling to compensate for the lost part of tooth.  Thus, the tooth would regain its function anew.  

Ibnun-Nafees

These intelligent Islamic figures are not exceptions.  On the contrary, the Islamic culture had hundreds of such pioneers, who apprenticed many people for many centuries.  Their great unprecedented contributions and breakthroughs were acknowledged by enemies as well as friends.  One of these great examples is Ibnun-Nafees (died 687 A.H) who contradicted Galen’s theory of the presense of a foramen between the left and the right ventricles. Ibnun-Nafees corrected this error and as a consequence he discovered the minor circulatory system   

While studying the blood movement in the human body, he noticed that the blood reaching the left ventricle is mixed with air (oxygenated) and that the blood which has been cooled and has reached the right ventricle has no passage inside the heart and has no way out except to the lungs.  Thus, he concluded that the blood in the right ventricle after it has been warmed must be carried to the left through the lungs. He rejected and disproved any other passage for the blood and that it moves in one direction not subject to any tide or reflux.

Ibnun- Nafees proved that the blood movement is as follows: It flows from the right ventricle to the lungs where it is oxygenated.  Then, it flows from the lungs to the left ventricle through the pulmonary artery.  He further described the pulmonary artery, asserting that it has two impenetrable and very delicate layers.  He also called it an artery for its pulsing nature. Thus, he presented a very precise description of the minor

(pulmonary) circulatory system.

Louise VIII Throned

7^th of Thul Hejja Year 623 AH/ November 29^th , 1226 AD: King Louise VIII assumes the throne in France. It is he who led the seventh crusade expedition on Egypt. His forces were crushed by the Memlukes in al Mansoura Battle and the king was taken prisoner in Dar Ibn Lokman.

Death of Al-Khatib Al-Baghdady

 7^th of Thul Hejja Year 463 AH/ September 5^th, 1071 AD: Death of notable Hafez Abu Bakr Ahmed Ibn Ali Ibn Thabet, alias Al Khateeb Al Baghdady, one of the authoritative scholars of hadith and history in the fifth Hegira century. He wrote many books foremost among which is his masterpiece Tarikh Baghdad.

War of Attrition Launched

8^th of Thul Hejja Year 1387 AH/ March 8^th, 1968 AD: The Egyptian army starts what was named War of Attrition against the Israeli forces in Sinai after the defeat the Egyptians sustained in the 1967 war which ended with the Israeli forces occupying Sinai. The war of attrition continued until the year 1970 in which about 594 were killed. In spite of the Egyptian losses, it was the first war which Israel didn’t win.

UN Frees New Guinea

8^th of Thul Hejja Year 1382 AH/ May 1^st , 1963 AD: The UN ends its trusteeship on New Guinea which was formerly known as West Papua which is located in Indonesia and named by Irian Jaya. The enclave suffers ethnic problems as it seeks to secede and form an independent state. Now there is a movement named Free Papua which has been fighting since the sixtieth to gain independence.

Postal Museum Opened

8^th of Thul Hejja Year 1358 AH/ January 18^th, 1940 AD: Inauguration of "Postal Service Museum" in Cairo which tracks the birth and evolution of postal services starting with the ancient Egyptians' papyruses and right up till now. The museum hosts 12 sections; one of them shows the first post stamp in Egypt which was in 1866.

Ottomans Occupy Baku

8^th of Thul Hejja Year 1336 AH/ September 14^th , 1918 AD: The ninth Ottoman army led by Nouri Pasha occupies the City of Baku the capital of Azerbaijan during the WWI and manages to outreach the borders of al Kharaz(now the Caspian) Sea.

Ottomans Attack Russia

8^th of Thul Hejja Year 1332 AH/ October 28^th, 1914 AD: The Ottoman State under the government of Committee of Union and Progress launches an attack on Russia's ports on the Black Sea, which prompted both Russia and France and Britain to declare war on the Ottoman state.

Shura Council Established

8^th of Thul Hejja Year 1284 AH/ April 1^st, 1868 AD: The Ottoman state establishes "State Shura Council" as part of the Ottoman plan of introducing administrative reform to the state and modernizing it. This council was assigned with the follow up of the state's administrative affairs.

Ottomans Invade Fez

8^th of Thul Hejja Year 983 AH/ March 9^th, 1576 AD: The Ottomans invaded the Moroccan city of Fez and declare Mawlai Abdul Malik as a sultan of Fez under the authority of the Ottoman state. Abdul Malik capitalized on the affiliation of his throne to the Ottoman state to start a move to modernize Fez. He also reformed the army in line with the Ottoman way and supplied it with armistice and the modern outfits at the time.

Fakh Battle Breaks out

8^th of Thul Hejja Year 169 AH/ June 11^th , 786 AD: Outbreak of Fakh Battle near Mecca between the Alawites and the Abbasid state, which ended with the Abbasid emerging victorious. One of the Alawite family members, named Idris Ibn Abdullah, survived the battle and fled to the Far Morocco where he was able to establish a state there which was known by name of Dawlat Al Adaresa or Adaresa dynasty.

Further Hajj Rites Enacted

US Forces Raid a Mosque

9^th of Thul Hejja Year 1424 AH/ January 1^st, 2004 AD: The American occupation forces raid the Sunni mosque of Ibn Taimeya in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad and detain over 20 prayers. They then raided Saad Ibn Abu Wakkas Mosque in Felluja and turned back to Ibn Taimeya Mosque in an array of crackdowns which targeted the Sunni mosques.

Death of 343 Pilgrims

9^th of Thul Hejja Year 1417 AH/ April 6^th, 1997 AD: Death of 343 pilgrims in an inferno which erupted in the c city of Mena near Mecca. The fire led to the destruction of thousands of the pilgrims' tents.

Sidi Mohamed III Exiled

9^th of Thul Hejja Year 1371 AH/ August 20^th, 1953 AD: The French exile the deposed Moroccan sultan Sidi Mohamed III to the city of Corsica when the Barber tribes advanced toward Rabat. Another figure, Sidi Mohammed Ibn Arafa, was established a sultan instead.

UNESCO Formed

9^th of Thul Hejja Year 1365 AH/ November 4^th, 1946 AD: The UN Organization for Education, Science and Culture, UNESCO, was formed with the aim of bolstering cooperation between nations through education and culture and for further respect of justice and rule of law as well as human rights. The organization is based in Paris.

USSR Formed

9^th of Thul Hejja Year 1341 AH/ July 23^rd 1923 AD: Birth of the socialist Soviet Republics Union which was formed of republic Russia, Byelorussia, Ukraine, and Federation of Caucus republics. This Union collapsed with the collapse of the USSR which broke up late in the eighties of the twentieth century.

Ottomans Crush Safavids

9^th of Thul Hejja Year 995 AH/ October 30^th, 1587 AD: The Ottomans crush the Safavids in a fierce battle near River Gama Sap where the Safavids lost about 9000 between dead and injured.

Battle of Toulouse Erupts

9^th of Thul Hejja Year 103 AH/ June 9^th, 721 AD: Eruption of the battle of Toulouse between the Muslims led by Assamh Ibn Malik and Duke Odo of Aquitaine south of France The battle ended with the victory of the European army and Assamh Ibn Malik fell martyr in the battle, which led to the Muslims retreating to Andalusia.