The Role of Non-Muslim Physicians in the Formation and Development of Medicine in Islamic Civilization: A Statistical Study

The growth and development of medical science in Islamic civilization is not only due to Muslim physicians, as non-Muslim physicians have also contributed to the formation and flourishing of this science. Investigating the contribution of non-Muslim physicians in Islamic medicine is possible through a quantitative and qualitative study of their work in the three areas of translation, Compilation, and innovation.

The data of this study were collected through library method and analyzed by descriptive and statistical methods. Based on biographical books and other authentic historical sources, the works of non-Muslim physicians are categorized, analyzed in three areas of translation, Compilation and innovation, and then Using the table and chart their numbers are obtained.

According to the findings of this study, out of a total of 200 medical books surviving on the ancient heritage of medicine, nearly 180 of its titles have been translated into Arabic by non-Muslim physicians in the first Islamic centuries. Accordingly, about 300 works of total 850 outstanding medical compilations in the Islamic civilization of the period mentioned had been related to non-Muslim physicians. In the field of innovation, 7 titles of total 35 titles of outstanding medical invention have been registered as non-Muslim physicians.

Non-Muslim physicians, with more translations of Greek and others' medical texts, played a significant role in acquainting Muslims with medical science in the first Islamic centuries. They also contributed to the growth and prosperity of medical science in Islamic civilization by writing one-third of medical works.In the field of innovation, only 7 inventions of 35 outstanding and important medical inventions were the result of the efforts of non-Muslim physicians. In general, it can be said that the main role of non-Muslim physicians in translating medical works has been more than any other field.