Al-Rāzī, Abū Bakr Muhammad ibn Zakariyā (854?-925?), was one of the most important physicians of the Abbasid caliphate , an empire established by early Muslims . Born in Rayy, in what is now Iran , al-Rāzī made his career in Baghdad , the capital of the caliphate. Baghdad is in modern-day Iraq.
Al-Rāzī contributed several advances in both the theory and practice of medicine . He was the first person to describe the differences between the diseases smallpox and measles . He also wrote a treatise (detailed essay) on how mind and body are connected in healing. Al-Rāzī emphasized basing knowledge and decisions on evidence and experience, rather than theory and belief. For example, when al-Rāzī was entrusted with the task of selecting the site of Baghdad’s hospital, he hung hunks of meat at several locations throughout the city. He then selected the spot where the meat rotted most slowly, reasoning that location would be the most healthful. Al-Rāzī criticized Galen , a physician from ancient Rome whose medical writings were widely considered authoritative, for relying too heavily on theory at the expense of direct observation.
Al-Rāzī wrote extensive case histories that record his experiences with patients. From these texts, modern scholars have learned much about the daily practice of medicine at the time. Al-Rāzī also compiled extensive excerpts (passages of writing) from earlier physicians. In addition to providing clues about his own medical education, these texts preserve many of the ideas of ancient medical authors, which often have not survived in other forms. Al-Rāzī’s works, translated into Latin, influenced European physicians.
Despite al-Rāzī’s fame as a physician, many Muslims did not take his nonmedical writings seriously. Works written by rival scholars indicate that al-Rāzī may have doubted religious doctrine and denied that prophets received revelations from God.
