More handpicked essays just for you.
Essay on medical practices of the medieval period
Essay on medical practices of the medieval period
Essay on medical practices of the medieval period
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
The Book of Contemplation written by Usama Ibn Munqidh is an interesting look at the relationship between the Latin Christian and Muslim cultures. Ibn Munqidh wrote this book to record the events taking place in the twelfth century; most of his anecdotes in sections throughout the book refer to the Latin Christians – or Franks – and the interactions between them and Muslims. Ibn Munqidh told of his curiosity into the matter of Franks on their first encounters with Muslim customs. He acknowledged the preconceived notions people had of the Franks during this time and wrote down these interactions Muslims had with them; this included conversations over medicine and intelligence. When Franks have lived in the Muslim community for a while, however, there is far more respect given to them by the Muslims. Muslims did not have much respect for the …show more content…
He begins the story by saying that "recently arrived Franks [are rougher in character] than those who have become acclimated." (Munqidh, pg. 147) Ibn Munqidh recounts of a time he went to pray in the al-Aqsa Mosque which was positioned next to a Frankish church. During his prayers, a Frank ran up to him twice, turned him to the East, and exclaimed: "Pray like this!" (Munqidh, pg. 147) The Muslim custom of prayer is to point your head to the West towards Mecca, which is the holiest city for the Muslim people. Through this outburst from the Frank, Ibn Munqidh did not gain any respect for them and instead was curious about the encounter. His curiosity came out through his "[marveling] at that devil" and he noted the "change of [the man's] expression, the way he trembled and what he must have made of seeing someone praying towards Mecca." Ibn Munqidh did not have much respect for this Frank, and he believed that acclimatized Franks was much more harmonious than newly arrived
“It is your reaction to adversity, not the adversity itself, that determines how you life’s story will develop” (Dieter F. Uchtdorf). Most people can deal with difficulties, but their reactions to the hardships are different. Only some people can manage their problems. We should try to manage our behaviors in tough situations. If we can deal with our situations, we can overcome difficulties easily. In the story of Farewell to Manzanar written by Jeanne Wakatsuki, the story shows how war can change humans, their life, and their ranks. Although all of the characters of her book face the same problems due to the war and the camps they had to live in, they responded to those situations differently. All of them presented
A Vanished World: Muslims, Christians, and Jews in Medieval Spain is survey medieval Spain, where Christians, Jews, and Muslims once lived side by side and the Muslims were in charge. The book tries to lead the reader to the conclusion that there is indeed a historical precedent for the three major religions establishing a beneficially symbiotic relationship which may be an enduring lesson for coexistence. The author, Chris Lowney, is an ex-Jesuit and holds degrees in medieval history and philosophy.
From the first to the sixteenth centuries, merchants and trade played a prominent and influential role in society. Christianity and Islam in their origins had divergent attitudes toward increasingly important trade, but their viewpoints developed over time until 1500. Christianity first had a negative opinion of merchants, while Muslims saw them in a more positive light. Although they were different in this way, they shared some resemblance in that they both agreed that merchants should be virtuous and equitable in their transactions. In order to better comprehend how the outlook of Christians and Muslims transformed over time, one must first examine how they perceived merchants at their origins.
Cobb, Paul. "Introduction." Ibn Munqidh, Usama. Book of Contemplation Islam and the Crusades. New York: Penguin Books, 2008. xv-xlii.
In conclusion, early Muslims had multitudinous connections with several religions as beneficial partners for trade, travel, and conquest. By analyzing each primary source, the benefits of having a relationship with different religions comes to light. Whether Muslims were interacting with Vikings, Jews, or Christians, establishing a friendly relationship allowed early Muslims to continue building stronger military forces, acquiring material goods, and avoid being raided by enemies. Each source provides different insight to how early Muslims thought and treated the religious groups they encountered.
Kite Runner depicts the story of Amir, a boy living in Afghanistan, and his journey throughout life. He experiences periods of happiness, sorrow, and confusion as he matures. Amir is shocked by atrocities and blessed by beneficial relationships both in his homeland and the United States. Reviewers have chosen sides and waged a war of words against one another over the notoriety of the book. Many critics of Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini, argue that the novel would not have reached a lofty level of success if the U.S. had not had recent dealings with the Middle East, yet other critics accurately relate the novel’s success to its internal aspects.
There are two declarations of faith in Islam: That there is only one God and that Muhammad is the Messenger of God. In Memories of Muhammad, Omid Safi explores the ways in which Muhammad – both the historical and spiritual Muhammad – is remembered, commemorated, and contested by Muslims throughout the centuries. Safi focuses on the movements and moments in Muhammad’s life and after his death that for many Muslims best exemplify the teachings of Islam. He succeeds in opening up the dialogue to correct the negative portrayals of Muhammad and the religion of Islam, calling it a “Muhammad problem” in his introduction. Furthermore, he provides a book that is accessible and intelligible to both Muslims and non-Muslims, drawing from historical and spiritual sources, and addresses relevant issues contested between Muslims in relation to other religions, presenting Muhammad as a historical figure and one who is beloved by the Umma.
It is difficult to face anything in the world when you cannot even face your own reality. In his book The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini uses kites to bring out the major themes of the novel in order to create a truly captivating story of a young boy’s quest to redeem his past mistakes. Amir is the narrator and protagonist of the story and throughout the entire novel, he faces enormous guilt following the horrible incident that happened to his closest friend, Hassan. This incident grows on Amir and fuels his quest for redemption, struggling to do whatever it takes to make up for his mistakes. In Hosseini’s novel, kites highlight aspects of Afghanistan’s ethnic caste system and emphasizes the story’s major themes of guilt, redemption and freedom.
Renard, John. Islam and Christianity: theological themes in comparative perspective. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2011. Print.
The book Muhammad, by Michael Cook, describes the impact Muhammad has had on the world as we know it. It explains why Muhammad chose the paths he did, and how certain laws came about. Cook offers a very objective view of the laws and policies Muhammad outlined in the Koran, and the traditions that are carried on that supplement his written law.
Throughout The Book of Contemplation Islam and the Crusades the author states his opinion on the Franks and talks about them throughout the entire book. The views Usama has on the Franks is very clear and very well stated throughout the book, in many cases not just on occasion. The Franks are the first known Germanic Tribes to roam the land around third century AD. They became today’s modern day French people who settled in modern day France. Usama born on July 4, 1095 was part of the Banu Munqidh clan, which was an established Muslim Arab Family with much political prominence. Usama and his clan did not think very highly of the Franks in fact they considered them cursed by God, or Allah. The Franks were not well liked, not thought highly
This documentary touches on every aspect of what life was like in Islamic Spain and the significance of the events that occurred there. In the fifth century, Barbarians collapsed the Roman Empire and Europe entered the Dark Ages. Around this time the Visigoths expanded their empire by heading for Spain. Upon arriving in Spain, the Visigoths encountered Jews whom they treated somewhat gently until the Visigoths converted to Catholicism; the Visigoths then overran Jews. Soon after, Muslims from North Africa known as Berbers decided to invade the Iberian Peninsula in hopes to take control of Spain and expand the Muslim reign, which they did.
G. Esposito, John L (2002) Islam; What Everyone Should Know. New York. Oxford University Press Inc.
When people think about Mecca one of the first things that might come to their heads is the pilgrimage or the black stone. Muhammad is one of the reasons that Mecca is what it is today. Muhhamad was a prophet born 570 in Mecca. He was orphaned as a child and sent to ended up living with his uncle. Muhhamad would get away from everything by going to the desert to meditate. One night while alone at Mt. Hira he was visited by an angel named Gabriel. After this Muhhamad began to accept Allah and started to believe. Some of the things Muhhamad believed was Jihad, holy struggle. He also began to believe you live for Allah. He believed all those who did would be rewarded and the rest punished. Not everyone believed the way Muhammad did. People at first thought that his teachings were a threat to the religious and material order. He was accused of making up what the Angel Gabriel had told him. He got followers from the poor and people who thought they were being unequally treated. Muhhamad took these people and then left and went to Medina to find more followers. He then returned to Mecca later and took over the city and converted everyone to Islam.
Tariq Ali uniquely puts into perspective the horrific tragedies behind the Spanish reconquest in his work, Shadows of the Pomegranate Tree, by capturing the history in the perspective of a Muslim family who lived in a village just outside of recently conquered Granada. He does this in order to expose the cruelty and intolerance of the Archbishop Xemenes de Cineros. Ali also uncovers the faults in not only Christianity, but also in Islamic ideology by having many character’s from the family Banu Hudayl debating and questioning Islamic beliefs which may parallel with the author’s own beliefs, or lack thereof. (Tariq) One of Ali’s strongest focuses however, was to expose the lack of urgency many Muslims felt after the fall of Granada. Many Muslim’s