Adab al-Ṭabīb by Isḥāq b. 'Alī al-Ruhāwī: The Continued Relevance of Classical Medical Ethics

This chapter explores al-Ruhāwī’s seminal work Adab al-Ṭabīb (“Ethics of the Physician”). Being a physician immersed in the Greek medico-philosophical tradition during the third-fourth/ninth-tenth centuries, al-Ruhāwī brings medicine together with philosophy and religion in his text, reflecting a holistic view of human nature. The chapter analyses al-Ruhāwī’s approach to medical excellence, which integrates moral dimensions rooted in religious and virtue ethics with professional expertise in health preservation and medical practice reform. It discusses how moral excellence incorporates moderating the psyche’s powers and managing patient and caregiver interactions, while professional excellence focuses on enhancing medical knowledge and reforming healthcare practices. The concluding remarks emphasise al-Ruhāwī’s ongoing impact on contemporary Islamic bioethics and the historical evolution of medical ethics, highlighting his work’s significance in the broader discourse of ethical healthcare practices.