Born: 980 A.D. in Afshanah,
near Bukhara (present day Uzbekistan)
Died: June 1037 A.D. in Hamadan, Persia
(Iran)
Other Names: Full Name was Abu Ali al-Husain ibn Abdallah
ibn Sina. Also known as Avicenna or Avecenna
Occupation: Philosopher,
Physician, Mathematician, Astronomer, & Teacher
Claim to Fame: Al-Qanun
fi al-Tibb & other discoveries in several different fields
Famous Quote: Is it the fault of wine if a fool drinks
it and goes stumbling into darkness.
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Biography
Early Years:
 Young Abu Ali studied
in Bukhara, and by age 10 had mastered the verses of
the Koran and
studied the science and Greek philosophy. Many topics
interested him, including Muslim literature by a famous
philosopher named Abu Abdallah Natili. Abu Ali started
practising medicine and at the age of 17, miraculously
cured the Samanid King, Nooh Ibn Mansour. Where other
physicians had failed, he succeeded and the King
granted him the wish to access the royal library.
Abu Ali Sina, Medicine Man:
Abu Ali finally
left Bukhara after his father passed away. He travelled
through
Jurjan, Ray, and Hamadan, healing the sick along the
way. He spent a lot of time in Esfahan, where he
worked on his famous book Al-Qanun fi al-Tibb. He also
treated famous kings and royalty including
Shams
al-Daulah, the King of Hamadan, for severe colic.
Abu Ali Sina's
major contribution to medical science included a his
book the al-Qanun, known as
the "Canon" in the West. This work was the
largest catalog of medical knowledge of its
time, combinding Eastern and Western medical procedures
and theories. It
superseded previous works such as Razi's Hawi,
Ali Ibn Abbas's Maliki, and the works of Galen.
 Ibn Sina also included his own reseaerch and medical
studies, including the discovery of the contagious
nature of phthisis and
tuberculosis; distribution of diseases by water and soil,
and the links between human health and psychology.
The books also included entire chapters on pharmacology,
medicinal drugs, meningitis, and considerable contributions
to human anatomy, gynaecology and child health.
His other accomplishments included major discoveries
in the fields of mathematics,
physics, music and others. This
included new mathematical theories. In music, he improved
Farabi's work, moving closer towards
the harmonic system. In chemistry, he discovered that
metals differed from other elements even though at the
time his views opposed conventional science. In philosophy,
we worked on major volumes such as the Shifa, the al-Najat
and the Isharat. Through the years, Ibn Sina travelled
a great deal. His continuous voyages took a toll
on his health and perhaps excessive mental exertion and
political
turmoil
agitated him along the way. He returned to Hamadan eventually
and he died there in 1037 A.D.
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Famous Iranians
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