From Fatima Al-Fihriya to the First Documented Medical Degree in the World

This paper delves into the history of the University of al-Qarawiyyin, founded in 859 CE in Fez, Morocco, as an important institution in the global history of higher education. Established by Fatima Al-Fihriya, this university marks a significant phase in the Islamic Golden Age, evolving from a mosque-centered religious institution into a multidisciplinary academic center. This review article emphasizes al-Qarawiyyin’s contribution to the preservation and integration of classical Greek and Roman knowledge with Islamic scientific advancements, offering a curriculum that includes theology, mathematics, astronomy, and medicine, among other disciplines. Special emphasis is placed on the university’s pioneering role in the formalization of medical education, highlighting the Ijaza as an early model of structured credentialing that serves as a useful parallel to the subsequent development of licensing systems in medieval European universities. While the intellectual contributions of figures such as Ibn Rushd, Ibn Khaldun, and Maimonides spanned the vast landscape of the Islamic world, the University of al-Qarawiyyin served as one important channel through which this knowledge was preserved and transmitted to the West. It functioned as a key node in a wider network of intellectual exchange that linked North Africa, Al-Andalus, the Euro-Mediterranean space, and beyond. This narrative review article highlights the institution's lasting influence on contemporary educational frameworks and the historical significance of female philanthropic leadership in intellectual progress.