religious tradition of Ishaq Ibn Ali Al-Ruhawi: the author of the first medical ethics book in islamic medicine

ABSTRACT

After 5th century A.D. cities of Urfa [Edessa or Ruha as is known in the history] and Harran had become to be a distinguished centres for science. In those centuries the books written in the Ancient Greece was translated into Arabic at the 'School of Harran', but later many original books were written by the scholars at this school. Among these scholars Ishaq ibn 'Ali Al-Riihawi and his key text Adab al-Tabib have a special relevance to the History of Medicine. This work aims to examine the unique and only hand-written Arabic copy of Adab al-Tabib and its English translation made by Martin Levy. The study not only demonstrates the revolutionariness and farseeningness of er-Ruhawi's deontological treaties but also critically analyses the English translation of the book as well as the western literature on it. The paper demonstrates how important it is to have some basic knowledge about the tradition and the belief of the writer whom you translate his book. Otherwise it is inevitable to misinterpret not only the concepts but also the words