Ishāq bin Ali al-Rohawi () was a 9th-century author of the first

medical ethics Medical ethics is an applied branch of ethics which analyzes the practice of clinical medicine and related scientific research. Medical ethics is based on a set of values that professionals can refer to in the case of any confusion or conflict. T ...

book A book is a structured presentation of recorded information, primarily verbal and graphical, through a medium. Originally physical, electronic books and audiobooks are now existent. Physical books are objects that contain printed material, ...

in Arabic medicine. His ''Ethics of the Physician'' contains the first documented description for

peer review Peer review is the evaluation of work by one or more people with similar competencies as the producers of the work (:wiktionary:peer#Etymology 2, peers). It functions as a form of self-regulation by qualified members of a profession within the ...

processes. The processes gave the fundamentals of peer review processes where practising Arab physicians were reviewed by peers on the medical treatment they provide to their patients. If the treatment of a patient was incorrectly done with negative peer reviews, then the physician is at a lawsuit liability. Al-Ruhawi was probably from Al-Ruha, modern-day

Şanlıurfa Urfa, officially called Şanlıurfa (), is a city in southeastern Turkey and the capital of Şanlıurfa Province. The city was known as Edessa from Hellenistic times and into Christian times. Urfa is situated on a plain about east of the Eup ...

. It is often known as ''Urfa''. Not much is known about Al-Rahawi, including his beliefs. The author Levey stated in his book that Al-Rahawi was a Christian while the author Burgel wrote that Al-Rahawi was Jewish. However, both authors did not give evidence to support their argument, rather having it based on their interpretations. Although there are conflictions in these two beliefs, there is evidence to prove that Al-Rahawi had Islamic beliefs. Al-Rahawi began his book with the words "In the name of Allah," which is a traditional opening for Muslims. Additionally, Al-Rahawi uses the word "Allah" hundreds of times in his work, which is associated with Islam. There is also more proof for the Islamic beliefs of Al-Ruhawi in another area of his writing where he hints towards the five pillars of Islam. In his introduction of the first chapter for one of his books, Al-Ruhawi writes the following: "The first thing in which a physician must believe is that all in this world has only one able creator who performs all deeds wilfully. The second article of faith in which a physician must believe is that he have credence in the great Allah with a firm affection, and is devoted to Him with all his reason, soul, and free will. The third faith which a physician must possess is that Allah sent His messengers to mankind to teach them what is good since the mind alone is not sufficient. Thus, without His apostles, it is not enough for man...... In all these matters, the physician must truly believe since all the holy books and ancients affirm them. No believer can deny them."

Works

Al-Ruhawi's most celebrated work is ''

Adab al-Tabib ''Adab al-Tabib'' ( ''Adab aț-Ṭabīb'', '' Morals of the Physician'' or ''Conduct of a Physician'') is the common title of a historical Arabic book on medical ethics, written by Al-Ruhawi, a 9th-century physician. The title can be roughly tra ...

'' ("Practical Ethics of the Physician" or "Practical Medical

Deontology In moral philosophy, deontological ethics or deontology (from Greek language, Greek: and ) is the normative ethics, normative ethical theory that the morality of an action should be based on whether that action itself is right or wrong under a ...

"), the earliest surviving Arabic work on medical ethics. In his works, Al-Ruhawi's regarded physicians as "guardians of souls and bodies". The work was based on

Hippocrates Hippocrates of Kos (; ; ), also known as Hippocrates II, was a Greek physician and philosopher of the Classical Greece, classical period who is considered one of the most outstanding figures in the history of medicine. He is traditionally referr ...

and

Galen Aelius Galenus or Claudius Galenus (; September 129 – AD), often Anglicization, anglicized as Galen () or Galen of Pergamon, was a Ancient Rome, Roman and Greeks, Greek physician, surgeon, and Philosophy, philosopher. Considered to be one o ...

and consisted of twenty chapters on various topics related to medical ethics. Al- Ruhawi also wrote the following books: * ''A compilation of first four books of Alexandrian Canons'' * ''Introduction to

Dialectics Dialectic (; ), also known as the dialectical method, refers originally to dialogue between people holding different points of view about a subject but wishing to arrive at the truth through reasoned argument. Dialectic resembles debate, but the ...

for Beginners'' * ''On Examination of Physicians'' He compiled two works based on

References

External links

lib.eshia.ir
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ruhawi Medieval Syrian physicians Science writers of the medieval Islamic world 9th-century physicians 9th-century Arabic-language writers People from Şanlıurfa Peer review 9th-century Arab people