Long before Florence
Nightingale, there was Saidatuna Rufaida Al-Aslamia RA (born 620 AD).
"Like Nightingale,
Saidatuna Rufaida Al-Aslamy RA set up a training school for nurses, developed
the first code of conduct and ethics, and was a promoter of community health.
She cared for patients in a tent erected outside the Rasulullah ﷺ’s
mosque and led nurses in caring for the wounded during the time of the Holy
Wars. The history of Saidatuna Rufaida Al-Aslamy RA and other nurses at this
time is recorded in the Sunnah, the record of the traditions, sayings and
actions of Rasulullah ﷺ.
 |
| Illustration Only : Saidatuna Rufaida Al Aslamy RA |
Rufaida Al-Aslamia RA and
also known as Rufaydah bint Sa`ad) (Arabic: رفيدة الأسلمية) was an Islamic
medical and social worker recognized as the first female Muslim nurse and the first
female surgeon in Islam.
Rufaida Al-Aslamia RA was among the first
people in Madinah to accept Islam. Rufaida Al-Aslamia RA was born into the Banu
Aslam tribe of the Khazraj tribal confederation in Madinah, and initially
gained fame for her contribution with other Ansar women who welcomed Rasulullah
ﷺ on arrival in Madinah.
Rufaida Al-Aslamia RA is depicted as a kind,
empathetic nurse and a good organizer. With her clinical skills, she trained
other women. Including the famous female companions of Rasulullah ﷺ - Saidatuna Khadijah RA, Saidatuna Aisyah RA, to be nurses and
to work in the area of health care. Rufaida Al-Aslamia RA also worked as a
social worker, helping to solve social problems associated with the disease. In
addition, she helped children in need and took care of orphans, handicapped and
the poor.
Rufaida Al-Aslamia RA were born into a family
with strong ties to the medical community, Rufaida Al-Aslamia RA's father,
Sa`ad Al Aslamy RA, was a physician and mentor under whom Rufaida Aslamia RA initially
obtained clinical experience. Devoting herself to nursing and taking care of
sick people, Rufaida Al-Aslamia RA became an expert healer. Although not given
responsibilities held solely by men such as surgeries and amputations, Rufaida
Al-Aslamia RA practiced her skills in field hospitals in her tent during many
battles as Rasulullah ﷺ used to order all casualties to be carried to
her tent so that she might treat them with medical expertise. It has also been
documented that Rufaida Al-Aslamia RA provided care to injured soldiers during
the jihad (holy wars), as well as providing shelter from the wind and heat of
the harsh desert for the dying.
Pre-Islamic and
Islamic Era (570–632 AD)
Typically presented within the context of Rasulullah
ﷺ, the historical development of female nursing
and surgery in Arabia from the Islamic Period to the modern times boats a
tumultuous history laden with cultural barriers and public pressure. Though
very sparse documentation exists pertaining to the history of nursing in the Pre-Islamic
period, a proper understanding of societal and religious paradigms during the
reign of Rasulullah ﷺ lends significant insight into the roles and
expectation of nurses in antiquity. In marked contrast to the pervading
Christian interpretation of disease as a divine punishment for man, Muslims
place an extremely high value on the ritual cleansing of the body, daily prayer
schedules, and strict dietary regiments. An era in history defined by a
number of holy wars, medicinal treatment during the times of Rasulullah ﷺ was largely performed solely by doctors, who would
personally visit the patient to diagnose abnormalities and provide medications
to those who were in need. Placing the bulk of the biological and physiological
responsibilities of a patient on the doctor alone, nurses were limited in their
duties to providing physical comfort and emotional support.
Front door of ancient
hospital of Salé in Morocco designed by Islamic architects and managed by
ancient Islamic physicians.
Post-Prophetic to
Middle Ages Era (632–1500 AD)
With the diminishing intensity of holy wars
and mass civil unrest that defined the climate of Islamic culture during the
reign of Rasulullah ﷺ, advancements in technology and architecture
resulted in the construction of many new hospitals and methods for treating the
sick. Though nurses in this period of time were still relegated to rudimentary
and noninvasive duties like serving food to patients and administering
medicinal liquids, religious and social norms of the times necessitated the segregation
of hospital wards based on gender, with males treating males and females
treating females.While there has been some relaxation of segregation in
contemporary times, the values of many traditional Islamic people are for
hospitals and their policies to reflect these past segregation practice.
Revolutions In Nursing Development.
Rufaida Al-Aslamia's - Emergence as Nursing Leader.
Though still highly limited in the
invasiveness of their work, a shift in widely accepted cultural expectoration's
regarding a woman's role in the hospital provided many the opportunity to
emerge as leaders in a field previously dominated solely by men. A charismatic
and capable leader, published records testify that Rufaida Al-Aslamia RA, who
practiced at the time Muhammad, was the first Muslim nurse.]While there is slight controversy in who is
"technically" the first surgeon and nurse in history, Middle Eastern
countries attribute the status of the first ever nurse to Rufaida, a Muslim
surgeon and nurse.
Origin of Intensive Care Unit or Acute Care.
Rufaida Al-Aslamia RA implemented her clinical
skills and medical experience into developing the first ever documented mobile
care units that were able to meet the medical needs of the community. The
scope of the majority of her work in her organized medical command units
consisted primarily in hygiene and stabilizing patients prior to further and
more invasive medical procedures. During military expeditions, Rufaida
Al-Aslamia RA led groups of volunteer nurses who went to the battlefield and
treated the casualties. She participated in the battles of Badr, Uhud, Khandaq,
Khaibar, and others.
The Mosque at Salman,
location of the Battle of The Trench where Saidatuna Rufaida Al-Aslamy RA treated
injured.
During times of peace, Saidatuna Rufaida
Al-Aslamia RA continued her involvement with humanitarian efforts by providing
assistance to Muslims who were in need.
The Legacy of Saidatuna Rufaida Al-Aslamy RA
Saidatuna Rufaida Al-Aslamy RA had trained a
group of women companions as nurses. When Rasulullah ﷺ's army was getting ready to go to the battle of Khaibar (battle
of the trench), Saidatuna Rufaida Al-Aslamy RA and the group of volunteer
nurses went to Rasulullah ﷺ. They asked him for
permission "O Rasul of Allah, we want to go out with you to the battle and
treat the injured and help Muslims as much as we can". Rasulullah ﷺ gave them permission to go. The nurse volunteers did such a
good job that Rasulullah ﷺ assigned a share of the booty to Saidatuna
Rufaida Al-Aslamy RA. Her share was equivalent to that of soldiers who had
actually fought. This was in recognition of her medical and nursing work.
 |
| The 1st Hospital well organised administration in the world - Sale' Hospital in Morocco. The remain of the door panel and entrance of the hospital design by Islamic Architect and manage by the doctors and surgeon. |
Saidatuna Rufaida Al-Aslamy RA - Award in Nursing.
Each year the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland at the University of Bahrain awards one student the coveted and prestigious Saidatuna
Rufaida Al-Aslamy RA Prize in Nursing. The award winner determined by a panel
of senior clinical medical staff members, the Saidatuna Rufaida Al-Aslamy RA Prize
in Nursing is given to the student who consistently excels in delivering superb
nursing care to patients.
Saidatuna Rufaida Al-Aslamy
RA developed the first ever documented mobile units’ health care. That was able
to meet the medical needs of the community. The founder of first School of
Nursing in Islamic world.
Saidatuna Rufaida Al-Aslamia
RA advocated for preventative care and recognized the importance of health education.
She also became involved in social work within the community. The Rasulullah ﷺ gave
her permission to erect a tent within a mosque and deliver health-related
teachings to the community.
During military expeditions,
Saidatuna Rufaida Al-Aslamia RA led groups of volunteer nurses who went to the
battlefield and treated the casualties. She participated in the battles of
Badr, Uhud, Khandaq, Khaibar, and others.
RUFAIDA AL-ASLAMIA رفيدة الأسلمية
– 1st CENTURY – MEDINA, SAUDI
ARABIA
Embroidered portrait of Saidatuna
Rufaida Al-Aslamia RA, head and shoulders. She is staring straight ahead and
wearing a blue and white hijab.
Rufaida Al-Aslamia is
considered the first Muslim nurse and social worker. Born in Madinah sometime
in the 7th century, Saidatuna Rufaida Al-Aslamia RA’s family were among the
first to have converted to Islam and it is said that she knew Rasulullah ﷺ personally.
Her father was a physician
by trade, and taught his daughter the skills needed to care for the sick and
wounded. At a time in history defined by a number of holy wars, Saidatuna
Rufaida Al-Aslamia RA’s help was invaluable on the battlefield, and she cut her
teeth in desert field hospitals.
Saidatuna Rufaida Al-Aslamia
RA’s was also an excellent organizer and clearly a charismatic personality – in
the highly male dominated field of medicine she was able to flourish and
thrive. She trained other women in nursing, and introduced the first documented
mobile care units which aimed to stabilize the wounded after battles and
prepare them for further procedures.
Saidatuna Rufaida Al-Aslamia
RA’s team of volunteer nurses were so successful that following one battle Rasulullah
ﷺ
ensured that she receive the same portion of war booty due to soldier who had
fought – one of the earliest examples of equal pay
In addition to her role in
battlefield healthcare, Saidatuna Rufaida Al-Aslamia RA’s was interested in
disease and its causes among ordinary people. She is recorded as having
personally worked in poor communities encouraging hygiene and attempting to
alleviate social problems which led to poor health.
In Islam, nurses provide
healthcare services to patients, families and communities as a manifestation of
love for Allah and Rasulullah ﷺ. The nursing profession is
not new to Islam. Islamic traditions include sympathy for and responsibility
toward those in need. This perspective had emerged during the development of
Islam as a religion, culture, and civilization.
Ethos
of health care service in Islam
1 Ethos of health care service
2 Approach to health care service
3 First Muslim nurse
4 Nursing in hospitals
5 References
In Islamic traditions,
caring is the manifestation of love for Allah and Rasulullah ﷺ. Caring
in Islam, however, is more than the act of empathy; instead, it consists of
being responsible for, sensitive to, and concerned with those in need, namely
the weak, the suffering and the outcasts of society. This act of caring is
further divided into three principles: intention, thought, and action.
Intention and thought refer to who, what, where, when and why to care, whereas
action is related to the knowledge necessary to be able to care. In short,
health care is deemed as service to the patients and to Allah, as opposed to
other professions that are commercial-based. This ethos was the fundamental
motivating factor for the majority of the doctors and nurses in the history of
Islam.
Approach
to health care services in Islam
Another aspect of Islamic
health care service that distinguishes it from the contemporary Western health
care industry is the holistic approach to health and wellbeing taken. This
holistic approach consists of both treating the organic basis of the ailments
and providing spiritual support for the patient. This spiritual component comes
in the form of Tawheed (Oneness of Allah), a dimension lacking in current
Western models of nursing and, thus, could pose as a challenge for application
of this model of nursing to Muslim patients as it does not meet their holistic
needs.
Nursing
in hospitals of the Medieval Muslim Society
In hospitals built in the
Medieval Muslim society male nurses tended to male patients and female nurses
to female patients.[4] The hospital in Al-Qayrawan (Kairouan in English) was
especially unique among Muslim hospitals for several reasons. Built in 830 by
the order of the Prince Ziyadat Allah I of Ifriqiya (817–838), the Al-Dimnah
Hospital, constructed in the Dimnah region close to the great mosque of Al
Qayrawan, was quite ahead of its time. It had the innovation of having a
waiting area for visitors, not to mention that the first official female nurses
were hired from Sudan to work in this hospital. Moreover, aside from regular
physicians working there, a group of religious imams who also practiced
medicine, called Fugaha al-Badan, provided service as well, likely by tending
the patients’ spiritual needs.
Know more about the heritage
in science and health technology in Islam related to Al Qayrawan Al Dimnah in nowadays Tunisia. here
(Al-Osimy,
1994; Jan, 1996
