Science And Religion In Mamluk Egypt Ibn Alnafis Pulmonary Transit And Bodily Resurrection
Book Description
This scholarly exploration reveals how spiritual beliefs and scientific inquiry intertwined in thirteenth-century Islamic civilization through the remarkable work of Ibn al-Nafis, a physician-jurist whose anatomical discoveries would later influence William Harvey's groundbreaking theory of blood circulation.
Nahyan Fancy presents the first comprehensive examination of Ibn al-Nafis' discovery of pulmonary blood transit within its proper historical and intellectual context. Rather than viewing this medical breakthrough as an isolated finding, the author demonstrates how it emerged from deep theological and philosophical considerations about the nature of bodily resurrection and the relationship between reason and divine revelation.
The book illuminates how Ibn al-Nafis challenged established medical authorities like Galen and Avicenna not through mere speculation, but through careful re-evaluation of existing theories guided by his engagement with post-Avicennian debates on rationality and traditional Islamic beliefs. His anatomical insights arose from wrestling with fundamental questions about how physical bodies could be resurrected, leading him to reconsider the very structure and function of the human heart.
For readers interested in the intersection of spirituality and knowledge, this work offers valuable insights into how religious contemplation can inspire scientific discovery. It reveals how medieval Islamic scholars approached the human body as both a physical reality and a spiritual vessel, demonstrating that the pursuit of medical understanding and theological reflection were not opposing forces but complementary paths toward truth.
This study opens new ground in understanding how medicine, philosophy, and theology formed an integrated worldview in pre-modern Islamic societies.
Who Is This For?
📖 Reading Level: Short (< 200 pages) (~5 hours)
📄 Length: 186 pages
What You'll Discover
- ✓ Explore SOCIAL SCIENCE
- ✓ Explore General
- ✓ Explore Médecins
- ✓ Explore SOCIAL SCIENCE / Regional Studies
- ✓ Explore Medicine, arab
- ✓ Explore RELIGION
- ✓ Explore Medieval
- ✓ Explore Islam
