Health, like every other facet of life in the early Islamic world, was viewed first and foremost from within the larger framework of the teachings of Islam. The approach of members of the budding medical profession in this era was thus infused with noble and selfless principles: a fitting continuation to the legacy of Hippocrates.

Islamic physicians, chemists and scholars were centuries ahead of their European counterparts in the development of medical science. As in several other fields, much of what Islamic men of learning discovered and achieved in medicine was fated to be repeated later by Europeans, who would then - by accident or design - receive the credit.