AVICENNA

Abu Ali Husain bin Abdulah bin Sina, Avicenna (980-1037A.D./ 370-428 A.H.) is

considered as the most outstanding peripateticist philosopher and physician of Iran

in the Islamic world.

His father was the native of Balkh and during the rule of Nuh bin Mansur Samani

(977-997 A.D./ 366-387 A.H.) he went to Bokhara. He joined the government

service in an important town named Kharmaisan and married to a woman of his

neighbouring village. Avicenna was born there in 980 A.D./ 370 A.H. Avicenna first

started learning the Holy Quran and literature and when he was only ten years old

he was well versed in the Holy Quran and literature which astonished everybody.

He learne Indian mathematics under Mahmud Massahi, jurisprudence under

Ismail Zahed and the philosophy and the introduction to the Aristotle and

Ptolemy's logic under Abu Abdullah Husain bin Ibrahim al Tabari Natili Then

Avicenna studied the texts and its exegesis of the books regarding the natural

sciences and metaphysics which according to his statement "opened the gates of

knowledge for him." He was then inclined to medical sciences and started reading

the books in this field. In a very short duration he became an outstanding physician

such that the distinguished physicians came to learn from him. Avicenna according

to his own statement by the age of 18 years studied and mastered all the sciences

of his era. He says "During that period I had excellent memory in knowledge but

now my knowledge is perfected. Knowledge is the same which I had studied and till

now I had not found a new thing".

When he was 22 years old Avicenna lost his father and in 392 A.H he left Bokhara

for Gorganaj in the north-west of Khwarizm. Then he after a period he left for Ray,

then Qazwin and arrived in Hamedan. After residing in Hamedan he left for

Isfahan and was welcomed in the city after undergoing very tiring journey For a

long period he stayed in Isfahan. He accompanied A'la al-Dowlah on his trip to

Hamedan and became eritically ill and passed away in (1037 A.D. / 428 A.H) at an

age of 58 and was buried in the Hamedan city.

Avicenna inspite of his turbulent and eventful life was a most distinguished thinker

and prolific writer. In the catalogues 131 books written directly by Avicenna and

111 books ascribed to him are mentioned.

The printed and translated works of Avicenna are as follows:

1 - Ash-Shafa

2 - An-Najat

3 - Al-Isharaat wal Tanbihaat

4 - Kitab al-Insaf

5 - Mantiq al-Mashraqin

6 - Risalah Azhawiyyah fi Amr al Ma'ad

7 - Uyun al-Kikmah.

8 - Tas'a Rasail fil Hikmah wal Tabi'iyat

9 - A.F. Miren from 1889 till 1899 A.D. published some works of Avicenna in

French translation titled "The Mystical Epistles of Avicenna", in four parts which

were published in Leiden.

10 - Fi Ma'ani Kitab Rhetorica

11 - Risalah fi al-Iksir

12 - Risalah fi Marifah-tun-Nafs al-Natiqa wa Ahwalaha.

13 - Al-Taliqat

14 - Al-Qanum fil Tibb

15 - Al-Nuktu wal Fawaid.

16 - Al-Mabda wal Ma'ad.

Avicenna has also left behind many works in Persian and the most famous among

then is the book "Danishnameh A'laee" which is mentioned in Arabic and Persian

sources with the titles "Al-Hikmah tul A'laiyyah", "Ar-Risalahtul - A'laiyyah",

"Hikmat A'laee" and "Kitab-i A'laee. Avicenna has also written many treatises

which has been mentioned by Ibn Abu Asiba'a. The treatises in Persian written by

Avicenna are as follows: Risalah Nabs, Meraj Namah, Kanwaz al-Muazzamin,

Zafar Namah, I'lal Tasalsul Maujudat.