First Examples of Bımarıstan And Women's Healthcare in Asr-ı Saadet

Abstract

The Age of Bliss, the period in which the Prophet and his friends lived, also showed itself with the developments and events in medicine. Before the prophethood known as Jahiliyya, while medical services continued with traditional methods and treatments applied by soothsayers, it increased to a different dimension with the spread of Islam. A doctor from Taif named Haris, who graduated from the Cundishapur medical academy, also contributed greatly to the developments in medicine. Muhammad valued the aforementioned physician and had Sa'd, one of his friends, examined by him despite his polytheistic identity. With the notification of Islam, new actors with Muslim identity were included in this process, and women also gained an important place among them. The support of women to the process, which will be discussed in this article, has shown itself in many areas. Women like Esma, who were among those who migrated to Abyssinia due to the pressure of the Meccans, offered the medical experience they had here to the service of Muslims when they came to Medina, and they also produced medicines from leaves and olive oil for certain diseases. Especially the events such as the Battle of Uhud, in which many Muslims, especially Prophet Muhammad, were injured, highlighted the health care identities of these women. These female Companions, including Fatima, the daughter of the Messenger of Allah, and his wife Aisha, came to the fore with their nurse identities in the difficult times of the post-war period, from treating the wounded to distributing water. In this period, health services were provided at homes and on the battlefields, and the simple procedures followed in the treatment of the wounded contributed to the understanding of the medical treatment process. In addition, a tent hospital established in the mosque in Medina was an inspiration for the formation of the Islamic hospital tradition and also played an active role in the treatment of the wounded in the Battle of the Handak. Among the midwives who were active during the delivery of the women, female health workers took an active role in the surgical operations specific to the region known as female circumcision. This has been an important factor in the development of Islamic medicine and its adherence to certain principles.