A brief overview of the history of psychiatry in Muslim countries

A brief overview of the history of psychiatry in Muslim countries Dar Al-Hadarah, Tariq Ali Al-Habib A brief overview of the history of psychiatry in Muslim countries Authored by: Dr. Tariq bin Ali Al-Habib First edition in the year 1419 AH - 1999 AD The study of human mental health is an important branch of psychology and psychiatry, requiring breadth, comprehensiveness, objectivity, inclusiveness, and depth. This study has opened a wide and expansive path for humans to understand aspects of their compatibility with their environment, society, and their era. Through this historical psychological perspective of the esteemed Dr. Tariq bin Ali Al-Habib — may God preserve him and keep him safe — and his steadfast steps in the field of psychiatry, which is considered a sincere and solid attempt to understand the essence of psychiatry as a science aiming to achieve maximum efforts for human adaptation to his environment, and his satisfaction with this adaptation, his interaction with environmental demands and situations he faces, and the extent of his effectiveness in his society, thereby achieving happiness for himself and others. Psychiatry and the science of mental health are among the sciences most closely related to and touching on the daily life of individuals. Every human’s ultimate hope is to be physically healthy and mentally sound. Human health has been of interest to mankind since its earliest days, but it failed to distinguish between the physical and psychological aspects. Human beings historically had little understanding of the biological composition of the body, its anatomy, and physiological aspects, and even less understanding of the psychological components of the body. While Europe was immersed in the darkness of the Middle Ages, Islam emerged and its civilization began to flourish, especially from the mid-eighth century to the early thirteenth century AD, when sciences of medicine prospered among Arabs through figures like Al-Tabari, Al-Razi, and Ibn Sina. Mentally ill patients were treated kindly in light of Islamic teachings and the Sharia’s emphasis on good treatment of the weak and the sick. Arab care for patients was evident in the establishment of Bimaristans, such as the one founded by Al-Walid bin Abdul Malik in 707 AD. Among the most famous are also the Bimaristan of Harun Al-Rashid, Bimaristan Al-Baramika, Bimaristan Salah Al-Din Al-Ayyubi (1182 AD), and the Bimaristan Al-Mansuri established by Muhammad bin Qaladun. Galen is another milestone on this path, recognizing the importance of the brain, like Hippocrates, considering it a center or base for the mind. He attempted to prove this experimentally by presenting a live pig’s brain and heart, showing that pressing the heart only affected blood vessels, while pressing the brain could lead to unconsciousness and paralysis. Galen confirmed that behavior and emotional life depend on the body, supporting Hippocrates’ idea that imbalances in the humors lead to most human ailments and diseases. This natural trend can be considered a short-lived spark (480–100 BC) in the shadow of a broader perspective extending over more than four thousand years regarding the origins and treatment of mental illnesses. Dr. Tariq Al-Habib, in his aforementioned book, indicates that the concept of mental illness has passed through three stages in history: 1. The ancient eras, relying solely on personal experience, in ancient Egypt, Assyrian, Babylonian, Chinese, and Indian civilizations, addressing general issues of existence, metaphysics, spirit, morality, politics, and matters of public life, but achieving little. 2. The Greek and Arab eras, relying on clinical skill and experimental experience initiated by Hippocrates and Galen, then translated, developed, and renewed by Arabs, especially Al-Razi and Ibn Sina. 3. The modern era, where the concept of mental illness is primarily based on scientific and biological (vital) methods. Under the title "The History of Psychiatry in Muslim Countries," the author — may God preserve him — pointed out the contributions of earlier Muslim scholars in mental studies, though these contributions have not received much attention from researchers and historians of psychological studies. Western historians usually start with mental studies among Greek thinkers, especially Plato and Aristotle, then move directly to European thinkers in the Middle Ages and the European Renaissance, completely neglecting the contributions of Muslim scholars, despite many of their works being translated into Latin and significantly influencing European thinkers during the Middle Ages and early Renaissance. This neglect is not only among Western historians but also among contemporary Arab scholars studying the history of mental studies in university curricula, who tend to follow the Western historians’ neglect. The only sources credited with our current knowledge of Muslim scholars’ contributions are the historians of Islamic philosophy, Arab and non-Arab, who provided useful summaries of Muslim theories about the human soul. Despite the importance of these summaries, they are insufficient to satisfy the curiosity of contemporary scholars about the views of earlier Muslim scholars on various psychological topics, so they can appreciate the scientific value of these contributions in the development of the history of this science. Regarding the topic of "Mental Hospitals," our esteemed author hinted at a form of progress among Muslims in the care for mental and brain patients — the establishment of hospitals that care for and serve their interests. These hospitals are a living historical phenomenon reflecting intellectual progress and cultural prosperity among Muslims, dating back to the early Umayyad state. The author notes that this phenomenon flourished throughout the era of the Umayyad Caliphate and its successor states, citing: "Qayrawan in the Maghreb in the late 9th and early 10th centuries AD was the capital of knowledge and cultural radiance under the Aghlabids, who built Bimaristans there and similar ones in Sousse, Sfax, and Tunis. Charitable donations were spent on patients, offering them the best foods and sweets during seasons." In the 14th century AD (8th Hijri century), Qalawun Hospital in Cairo was a remarkable example of mental health care, containing four separate sections for surgery, ophthalmology, internal medicine, and mental illnesses. The generous donations from Cairo’s wealthy allowed the hospital to provide high-level medical care and follow-up until the patient returned to normal life. The author, a literary man, notes that these hospitals are noteworthy for two observations: First: The treatment of mental patients in general hospitals, which preceded modern approaches by nearly six centuries. Second: The involvement of society in caring for patients. In conclusion, I can say that the author of this book — may God reward him — succeeded in presenting this concise overview of the history of psychiatry in Muslim countries. It is a commendable, interesting, and accessible glimpse, with profound depth and an element of rarity. The author’s objectivity, neutrality, fairness, and sincerity are evident, as he studied this phenomenon to highlight the prominent features of the establishment of this medical science, the influence of Western contributions, and the foundational elements laid by them. Finally, I would like to mention a spiritual psychological scholar who preceded his time by several centuries: Abu Zaid Al-Balkhi, in his pioneering and famous book "The Interests of Bodies and Souls," which is considered an Islamic and mature Arab step in establishing the fundamentals of this science and its building blocks for its students, connoisseurs, seekers, and lovers.