Top Scholars of the Islamic Golden Age and their Major Achievements
The Islamic world of the Middle Ages is famed for making significant contributions to the development of numerous disciplines, ranging from science and mathematics to arts and philosophy. Taking place during the reign of the Abbasid Caliphate, which spanned from late 8th century AD to mid-13th century AD, the Islamic Golden Age produced some of history’s most influential minds. It’s been stated that many of the advances medieval Europe made in fields like architecture, medicine, and art can be traced back to the outstanding works of these brilliant personalities.
One amazing quality of these great thinkers was their level of tolerance to new ideas and their ability to synthesize knowledge from all walks of life. This point is evidenced in the famous House of Wisdom (i.e. the Grand Library of Baghdad), which was established during the Islamic Golden Age in order to allow Muslim and non-Muslim polymaths and scholars share ideas and expand Islam and Arabic culture.
In no particular order, the article below sheds light on the most influential thinkers of the Islamic Golden Age.
Ibn Sina (also known as Avicenna)
Ibn Sina was born in the village of Afshana, on the outskirts of Bukhara in what is now Uzbekistan, to an extremely wealthy family in c. 980. Abu Ali al-Husayn ibn Abdullah ibn Sina, or Avicenna as he is commonly known in the West, was a Muslim scholar and physician from the 11th century. He is sometimes referred to as “the Father of Early Modern Medicine” due to his groundbreaking works in the field of medicine.
The polymath’s contributions to medicine are so significant that he is often cited as a key figure in the development of contemporary health care. The “Kitab Al-Qanun Fil-Tibb” (“The Canon of Medicine”), is one of his most well-known books that was seen as the go-to medical textbook in Europe for many centuries. The Qanun is certainly one of the most influential medical publications ever written.
Ibn Sina not only described the inner dealings of organs such as the eye and the heart, but also provided a list of more than 500 potential remedies for common illnesses. His knowledge as a botanist was on full display as he described the effects of plants and their roots on the human body.
The Polymath also worked on another important book called “The book of Healing” (“Kitāb al-Shifā”) in 1014 and finally published his work in 1027. Unlike the “Canon of Medicine”, this book was intended to be a bridge to the soul and span across topics such as logic, natural sciences, mathematics and metaphysics.
Did you know?
- Ibn Sina subscribed to the teachings of his mentor ancient Roman physician and researcher Aelius Galenus (aka Galen), especially on medical views such as pulse taking and pharmacology. However, he did not side with Galen when it came to functions surrounding the cardiovascular system.
- The polymath influenced renowned personalities such as French philosopher René Descartes and German philosopher and scientist Albertus Magnus.
- At age 10, Ibn Sina was officially certified as a Quran Hafiz (one who has memorized the entire Quran). It is said that his knowledge rivaled that of his teachers by the time he was fourteen, as he could not learn anything else from them at that time.
- Due to Avicenna’s successful endeavor to integrate Aristotelianism and Neoplatonism together with Kalam, Avicennism had established itself as the leading school of Islamic thought in the medieval Islamic world by the 12th century.
- In the 10th century, Ibn Sina created a hollow syringe that was used to remove cataracts by suction.
- In spite of Ibn Sina’s best efforts to recover from Colic, it was rumored that one of his slaves slowly poisoned him, rendering his treatment useless. Due to this, he died at an untimely age.
- Death came for Ibn Sina in June 1037, at the age of 58, after a long struggle with colic. He was laid to rest in what is now a mausoleum at his tomb in Hamadan, Iran.
Next on the list is another brilliant Islamic Golden Era scholar known as Ibn Kh