AL-RAZI (RHAZES)
(864-930 C.E.)
Abu Bakr Muhammad Ibn Zakariya al-Razi
(864-930 C.E.) was born at
In medicine his contribution was so
significant that it can only be compared to that of Ibn Sina. Some of his works
in Medicine e.g. Kitab al-Mansoori, Al-Hawi, Kitab al-Mulooki, and Kitab
al-Judari wa al-Hasabahearned everlasting fame. Kitab al-Mansoori which was
translated into Latin in the 15th century C.E., comprised ten volumes and dealt
exhaustively with Greco-Arab medicine. He became the first to draw clear
comparison between smallpox and chicken-pox. Al-Hawi was the largest medical
encyclopedia composed by then. He greatly favoured cure through correct and
regulated food and psychological treatment. He was also an expert surgeon and
was the first to use opium for anaesthesia.
He compounded medicines and designed several
instruments used in chemical investigations. One of his books called Kitab
al-Asrar deals with the preparation of chemical materials and their
utilization. He paved way for organic and inorganic Chemistry. He was the first
to produce sulphuric acid and prepared alcohol by fermenting sweet products.
His contribution as a philosopher is also well known.
He has more than 200 outstanding scientific
contributions to his credit, out of which about half deal with Medicine and 21
concern alchemy.
ABU'L WALEED MUHAMMAD IBN RUSHD (AVERROES)
(1128-1198 C.E.)
Abu'l Waleed Muhammad Ibn Rushd, known as
Averroes in the West, was born in 1128 C.E. in Cordova.
Ibn Rushd made remarkable contributions in
Philosophy, Logic, Medicine, Music and Jurisprudence. In Medicine his well
known book Kitab al-Kulyat fi al-Tibb was written before 1162 C.E. Its Latin
translation was known as 'Colliget'. In it, Ibn Rushd had thrown light on
various aspects of Medicine including the diagnoses, cure and prevention of
diseases.
In Philosophy Tuhafut al-Tuhafut was written
in response to Ghazali's work. In the field of Music, Ibn Rushd wrote a
commentary on Aristotle's book De Anima. In Astronomy he wrote a treatise on
the motion of the sphere, Kitab fi-Harakat al-Falak.
Ibn Rushd's writings spread over 20,000 pages,
the most famous of which deal with Philosophy, Medicine and Jurisprudence. On
Medicine alone he wrote 20 books. Regarding Jurisprudence, his book
Hidayat-al-Mujtahid wa-Nihayat-al-Muqtasid has been held by Ibn Jafar Thahabi
as possibly the best book on the Maliki School of Fiqah. Ibn Rushd's writings
were translated into various languages. Aristotle was recognized in
ABU ALI HASAN IBN AL-HAITHAM (ALHAZEN)
(965-1040 C.E.)
The father of modern optics, Abu Ali Hasan Ibn
al-Haitham was one of the most eminent physicists, whose contributions to
optics and the scientific methods are outstanding. His scientific pursuits,
included Optics, Mathematics, Physics, Medicine and development of scientific
methods on each of which he has several outstanding books.
He discovered the laws of refraction and
carried out the first experiments on the dispersion of light into its
constituent colours. His book Kitab al-Manazir was translated into Latin in the
Middle Ages. In this work, he rejected the then, popular idea that eyes give
out light rays. Instead, he correctly deduced that eyes work when light rays
enter the eye from outside.
He dealt at length with the theory of various
physical phenomenons like shadows, eclipses, the rainbow and speculated on the
physical nature of light. He is the first to describe accurately the various
parts of the eye and give the scientific explanation of the process of vision.
He also attempted to explain binocular vision and gave the correct explanation
of apparent increase in the size of sun and moon when near the horizon. He is
known for the earliest use of camera obscura.
His research on catoptrics centered on
spherical and parabolic mirrors and spherical aberration. He made the important
observation that the ratio between the angle of incidence and refraction does
not remain constant and investigated the magnifying power of a lens.
In his book Mizan al-Hikmah, Ibn al-Haitham
has discussed the density of the atmosphere and studied atmospheric refraction.
He discovered the twilight only ceases and begins when the sun is 19° below the
horizon. In Mathematics, he developed analytical geometry by establishing
linkage between algebra and geometry. The list of his books runs to 200 or so.
ABU RAIHAN AL-BIRUNI
(973-1048 C.E.)
Al-Biruni was a versatile scholar and
scientist who had equal facility in Physics, Metaphysics, Mathematics,
Geography, Sociology, Astrology, Archeology and History.
His well known book Kitab al-Hind gives a
graphic account of the historical and social conditions of the sub-continent.
His famous book Qanoon-i Masoodi discusses several theories of Astronomy,
Trigonometry, solar, lunar and planetary motions and relative topics. In
al-Athar al-Baqia, he has attempted a connected account of ancient history of
nations and the related geographical knowledge, discussed the rotation of the
earth and has given correct values of longitudes and latitudes of various
places. His Kitab al-Saidana, is an extensive materia medica that combines the
Arabic and Indian knowledge on Medicine. Kitab al-Jawahar deals with the
properties of various stones. The formula attributed to
He was the first to take experiments related
to astronomical phenomenon. He ascertained that as compared with the speed of
sound, the speed of light is immense. He was authentic astrologer.
IBN CINA (AVECENNA)
(980-1037 C.E.)
Abu Ali al-Hussain Ibn Abdullah Ibn Sina was
born in 980 C.E. at Afshana, near
He was the most famous physician, philosopher,
encyclopedist, mathematician and astronomer of his time. His major contribution
to medical science was his famous book Al-Qanoon, known as the “Canon” in the
West. The Qanun fi al-Tibb is an immense encyclopedia of Medicine extending
over a million words. His important original contribution includes such
advances as recognition of the contagious nature of phthisis and tuberculosis;
distribution of diseases by water and soil and interaction between psychology
and health. In addition to describing pharmacological methods the book
described 760 drugs and became the most authentic materia medica of the era. He
was also the first to describe meningitis and made rich contributions to
Anatomy, Gynecology and child health. His philosophical encyclopedia Kitab
al-Shifa was a monumental work, embodying a vast field of knowledge from
philosophy to science.
Ibn Sina also contributed to Mathematics,
Physics, Music and other fields. In Physics his contribution comprised the
study of different forms of energy, heat, light and mechanical and such
concepts as force, vacuum and infinity, specific gravity and use of air
thermo-meter.
JABIR IBN HAIYAN (JEBBER)
(BORN 1190 A.D.)
Jaber Ibn Haiyan, the alchemist Jebber of the
Middle Ages, is generally known as the father of chemistry. Abu Musa Jabir Ibn
Haiyan, sometimes caleed al-Harrani and al-Sufi, was the son of a druggist
(Attar). The precise date of his birth is the subject of some discussion, but
it is established that he practiced Medicine and Alchemy in Kufa around 776
C.E. He is reported to have studied under Imam Ja’far Sadiq and the Ummayed
prince Khalid Ibn Yazid. In his early days, he practiced Medicine and was under
the patronage of the Barmaki Vizir during the Abbasid Caliphate of Haroon
al-Rashid. He shared some of the effects of the downfall of the Barmakis and
was placed under house arrest in Kufa, where he died in 803 C.E.
IBN ABBAS ZAHRAWI
(936-1013 C.E.)
Abul Qasim Khalaf ibn al-Abbas al-Zahrawi was
born in 936 C.E. in Zahra in the neighborhood of Cordova. He became one of the
most renowned surgeons and physicians of the Muslim era.
He is best known for his early and original
breakthroughs in surgery as well as for his famous medical encyclopedia called
Al-Tasrif, which is composed of thirty volumes. Three volumes on surgery
specially focus on cauterization, removal of stone from the bladder, dissection
of animals, midwifery, styptics and surgery of eye, ear and throat. He
perfected several delicate operations, including the removal of dead fetus and
amputation.
Al Zahrawi was the inventor of several
surgical instruments and specialized in curing disease by cauterization.
Al Zahrawi was also an expert in dentistry,
and his book contains sketches of various instruments used thereof. He
discussed the problem of deformed teeth and developed the technique of
preparing artificial teeth and of replacement of defective teeth by these. In
Medicine, he was the first to describe in detail the unusual disease,
hemophilia.
ABU AL-NASR AL-FARABI
(870-950 C.E.)
Abu Nasr Muhammad Ibn al-Farakh al-Farabi was
born in a small village Wasij, near Farab in
Farabi contributed considerably to Science,
Philosophy, Logic, Sociology, Psychology, Medicine, Mathematics and Music. He
was also an encyclopedist. Author of large number of books on several subjects
embodying his original contribution; he came to be known as the “Secont
Teacher” (al-Muallam al-Sani) Aristotle being the first. One of the important
contributions of the Farabi was to make the study of logic easier by dividing
it into two categories viz., Takhayyul (idea) and Sabut (proof).
In Sociology he wrote several books out of
which Ara Ahl al-Madina al-Fadila became famous. He also wrote a book on Music,
captioned Kitab al-Musiqa and invented several musical instruments.
IBN AL-BAITAR
(DIED 1248 A.D.)
Abu Muhammad Abdullah Ibn Ahmad Ibn al-Baitar
Dhiya al-Din al-Malaqi was one of the greatest scientists of Muslim Spain and
was the greatest botanist and pharmacist of the Middle Ages. He learned Botany
from Abu al-Abbas al-Nabati,with whom he started collecting plants in and
around
His second monumental treatise Kitab al-Mughni
fi al-Adwiya al-Mufrada is an encyclopedia of Medicine. The drugs are listed in
accordance with their therapeutical value. Thus, its twenty different chapters
deal with the plants bearing significance to disease of head, ear, eye etc.
ABU ABDULLAH AL-BATANI
(858-929 A.D.)
Abu Abdullah Muhammad Ibn Jabir Ibn Sinan
al-Batani al-Harrani was born around 858 A.D. in
Al Batani determined with remarkable accuracy
the obliquity of the eclipse, the length of the seasons and the true and mean
orbit of the sun.
He proved the variation of the apparent
angular diameter of the sun and the possibility of annular eclipses. He
rectified several orbits of the moon and the planets and propounded a new and
very ingenious theory to determine the conditions of visibility of the new
moon. His treatise on Astronomy was extremely influential in
ALI IBN RABBAN AL-TABARI
(838-870 A.D.)
Abu al-Hasan Ali Ibn Sahl Rabban al-Tabari was
born in 838 A.D. Professionally; Sahl was an extremely successful physician. He
had command over Calligraphy, Astronomy, Philosophy, Mathematics, Literature
and Syriac and Greek languages.
The main cause behind his exaltation lies in
his world-renowned treatise Firdous-al-Hikmat. Spread over seven parts, Firdous
al-Hikmat is the first ever medical encyclopedia which incorporates all the
branches of medical science in its folds.
Part One: Kulliyat-e-Tibb. This part throws
light on contemporary ideology of medical science in that era.
Part Two: Elucidation of the organs of the
human body, rules for keeping good health and comprehensive account of certain
muscular diseases.
Part Three: Description of diet to be taken in
conditions of health and disease.
Part Four: All diseases from head to toe.
Part Five: Description of flavor, taste and
color.
Part Six: Drugs and poison.
Part Seven: Deals with diverse topics.
Discusses climate and astronomy. Also contains a brief mention of Indian
medicine.
He has two more compilations to his credit
namely Deen-o-Doulat Hifz-al-Sehat.
NASEER AL-DIN AL-TUSI
(1201-1274 A.D.)
Abu Jafar Muhammad Ibn Muhammad Ibn al-Hasan
Naseer al-Din al-Tusi was born in Tus (Khurasan) in 1201 A.D. Naseer al-Din was
one of the greatest scientists, philosophers, mathematicians, astronomers,
theologians and physicians of the time and was a prolific writer. He made
significant contributions to a large number of subjects. He wrote several
treatises on different sciences and subjects including Geometry, Algebra,
Arithmetic, Trigonometry, Medicine, Metaphysics, Logic, Ethics and Theology. In
addition he wrote poetry in Persian.
In Mathematics, his major contribution would
seem to be in trigonometry, which was compiled by him as a new subject in its
own right for the first time. Also he developed the subject of spherical
trigonometry, including six fundamental formulas for the solution of spherical
right-angled triangles.
As the chief scientist of the observatory
established under his supervision at Maragha, he made significant contributions
to Astronomy. The observatory was equipped with the best possible instruments.
He himself invented an instrument “turquet” that contained two planes. His book
Akhlaq e Nasr became the most important work on ethics. And Tajrid al-Aqaid was
well known contribution on Islamic scholastic Philosophy.
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