A Comparison of Ethical Components in the Works of Tabari, Rahawi, and Razi in the Field of Medical Ethics

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Ph.D., student in Islamic history, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran

2 Ph.D., Associate Professor of history, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran

3 Ph.D., Assistant Professor of history, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran

Abstract

Medicine, as one of the most important branches of science, developed significantly in the Abbasid era (656-132 AH). In addition to writing medical texts and treating patients, Muslim physicians also paid close attention to medical ethics, presenting the physician’s responsibilities, along with the treatment of the patient according to the teachings of the Holy Qur’an and the Prophet traditions. The medical ethics of this era, extracted from the works of physicians of the Abbasid era, comprised various components and principles. In this research, ethical components from the perspective of Tabari, Rahawi, and Razi are studied, compared, and analyzed.
This study has been conducted by referring to the texts of the Abbasid era, with a special emphasis on medical texts. Having the objective of the present research in mind, the researchers employed the content analysis method in analyzing the collected data.
The most important ethical components of physicians of this period comprise confidentiality, responsibility, and good morals. Components, such as confidentiality and responsibility, are almost on the same level of importance, the elements representing doctors’ commitment to the lives of the patients. That of good morals, however, although crucial in the first stages of treatment, has been less paid attention to by the physicians of this age.
While writing the first independent medical work, Tabari heeded the ethical aspects of this profession. Razi also paid a lot of attention to ethics in the clinic and considered it necessary to regard the patients’ condition during the course of treatment. However, the first independent work in the field of medical ethics, taking a comprehensive view of the field, was written by Rahawi. Comparing the ethical components found in the works of the mentioned physicians shows that the frequency of the component confidentiality in Razi, Rahawi, and Tabari’s works is about 51%, 40%, and 9%, respectively. Regarding the component of responsibility, Razi and Tabari have paid more attention (59% and 32%) than Rahawi, with an average of 9%. However, regarding good morals, Rahawi with an average of 59% stands in the first place, Razi with 28%, and Tabari, with 13%, in the second and third place, respectively.

Keywords


Ameli, J.M., 2014. Medical etiquette and ethics in Islam. Translated by M. R. Saleh. Tehran: International center for translation and publication of al-Mustaf (PBUH).
Aghayani Chavoshi, A., 2018. Reading the principles of medical ethics with the thought of mohammad bin Zakaria Razi, Journal of ethics, 10(35), pp. 65-77.
Ebrahimi, S., 2018. Medical Ethics. Shiraz: Shiraz University of Medical Sciences.
Elgood, S., 1974. Medical History of Iran. Translated by M. Javedan. Tehran: Eghbal.
Faraji, S. and Seyedi, M., 2020. Behavior of physicians from Rahawi perpective in Adab al-Tabib. Journal of Medical Ethics and History, 12, pp. 571-582.
Ghaffari, F., 2011. Perspectives on medical ethics and patient rights in some texts of traditional Iranian and Islamic medicine. Journal of medical history, 2(4), pp. 11-45.
Ibn al-Adim, K., 1988. Baghyat al-Teb in the History of Aleppo. Corrector by S. Zakar. Dameshgh: Dar- alfekr.
Ibn Manzor, M., 1993. Lesan al-Arab. Vol. 13. Beirut: Darsader.
Larijani, B., 2009. Physician and ethical considerations. Tehran: Baraye Farda.
Lubon, G., 1940. Civilisation des Arabes, the World of Islamic Civilization. Translated by M.T. Fakhre Daei Gelani. Tehran: Elmi Publishing.
Merhaf, M., 2016. Ferdows al-Hekme, one of the first concise medical encyclopedia, Translated by GH. M. Sadri Afshar. Journal of Scientific heritage of Islam and Iran, 4(1), pp. 133-142.
Mousavi Bojnordi, H., 1999. Al-qavaed al-feghheye. Vol. 3. Qom: Al-Hadi publication.
Najmabadi, M., 1997. History of medicine in Iran. Tehran: Tehran University.
Rahawi, A., 2011. Adab al-Tabib. Translated by M. Pouti and M. Ali merzaei. Tehran: Teb Sonati Publications.
Razi, M., 1993. Al-jodri va al-Hasbe. Translated by M. Najmadadi. Tehran: Tehran University.
Razi, M., 2002. Teb Rohani. Tehran: Qalam
Razi, M., 2009. Al-Mansori fi al-Teb. Translated by M.E. Zaker. Tehran: Tehran University of Medical Sciences.
Razi, M., (2015a) Al-Havi fi al-Teb. Vols. 1-8, 12, 13, 15, 16, 21 and 23. Translated by M.E. Zaker. Tehran: Traditional medicine and medical content research center of Tehran University of medical sciences.
Razi, M., (2015b) Ghesas va al-Hekayat almarazi. Translated by M. Najmabadi. Tehran: Ghogan.
Razi. M., 1977. Akhlagh al-Tabib. Researcher Abdollatif Mohamad Ibne al-Abd. Cairo: Maktab Dar al-Toras.
Tabari, A., 2014. Ferdowse al-Hekme. Translated by A.N. Monzavi and M.E. Zaker. Tehran: Chogan.
Tavakoli, GH. M., and Sornizadeh, M., 2014. Historical study of Razi medical ethics. Journal of medical history, 5(16), pp. 53-74.
Yousefiyan, N., 2012. Medical Ethics. Qom: Zamzam Hedayat.