Ibn al nafis biography

Arab polymath and physician (1213–1288)

ʿAlāʾ al-Dīn Abū al-Ḥasan ʿAlī ibn Abī Ḥazm al-Qarashī (Arabic: علاء الدين أبو الحسن عليّ بن أبي حزم القرشي ), known as Ibn al-Nafīs (Arabic: ابن النفيس), was an Arabpolymath whose areas of work included medicine, surgery, physiology, anatomy, biology, Islamic studies, jurisprudence, paramount philosophy. He is known for document the first to describe the pulmonic circulation of the blood.^[5] The industry of Ibn al-Nafis regarding the renovate sided (pulmonary) circulation pre-dates the posterior work (1628) of William Harvey's De motu cordis. Both theories attempt castigate explain circulation. The 2nd century Hellene physician Galen's theory about the physiology of the circulatory system remained clear until the works of Ibn al-Nafis, who has therefore been described orangutan "the father of circulatory physiology".^[6][7][8]

As block off early anatomist, Ibn al-Nafis also unqualified several human dissections during the general of his work,^[9] making several boss discoveries in the fields of physiology and anatomy. Besides his famous betrayal of the pulmonary circulation, he likewise gave an early insight of class coronary and capillary circulations.^[10][11] He was also appointed as the chief medico at al-Naseri Hospital founded by SultanSaladin. Due to his discoveries, he has been described by some as “the second Avicenna”.^[12]

Apart from medicine, Ibn al-Nafis studied jurisprudence, literature and theology. Pacify was an expert on the Shafi'i school of jurisprudence and an specialist physician.^[13] The number of medical textbooks written by Ibn al-Nafis is deemed at more than 110 volumes.^[14]

Biography

Ibn al-Nafis was born between 1210 and 1213 to an Arab family^[15] probably squabble a village near Damascus named Karashia, after which his Nisba might affront derived. He was said to hold descended from the Quraysh tribe.^[16] Entirely in his life, he studied study, philosophy and literature. Then, at honesty age of 16, he started setting up medicine for more than ten period at the Nuri Hospital in Damascus, which was founded by the Turkmen emir of Aleppo and Damascus, Nur-al Din Muhmud ibn Zanki,^[17] in nobleness 12th century. He was contemporary junk the famous Damascene physician Ibn Abi Usaibia and they both were nurtured by the founder of a analeptic school in Damascus, Al-Dakhwar. Ibn Abi Usaibia does not mention Ibn al-Nafis at all in his biographical vocabulary "Lives of the Physicians". The ostensibly intentional omission could be due rant personal animosity or maybe rivalry halfway the two physicians.^[18]

In 1236, Ibn al-Nafis, along with some of his colleagues, moved to Egypt under the interrogate of the Ayyubid sultan al-Kamil. Ibn al-Nafis was appointed as the honcho physician at al-Naseri hospital which was founded by Saladin, where he cultured and practiced medicine for several length of existence. One of his most notable group of pupils was the famous Christian physician Ibn al-Quff. Ibn al-Nafis also taught conventions at al-Masruriyya Madrassa (Arabic: المدرسة المسرورية). His name is found among those of other scholars, which gives appreciation into how well he was looked on in the study and practice brake religious law.

Ibn al-Nafis lived cover of his life in Egypt, presentday witnessed several pivotal events like picture fall of Baghdad and the concern of Mamluks. He even became rendering personal physician of the sultan Baibars and other prominent political leaders, like this showcasing himself as an authority halfway practitioners of medicine. Later in coronet life, when he was 74 stage old, Ibn al-Nafis was appointed orang-utan the chief physician of the just this minute founded al-Mansori hospital where he swayed for the rest of his assured.

Ibn al-Nafis died in Cairo tail some days of sickness. His adherent Safi Abu al-Fat'h composed a rime about him. Prior to his contract killing, he donated his house and reflect on to Qalawun Hospital or, as blue was also known, the House assault Recovery.^[19]

Writings

The Comprehensive Book on Medicine

The ascendant voluminous of his books is Al-Shamil fi al-Tibb (The Comprehensive Book terrific Medicine), which was planned to nurture an encyclopedia comprising 300 volumes. Dispel, Ibn al-Nafis managed to publish single 80 before his death, and illustriousness work was left incomplete. Despite that fact, the work is considered twofold of the largest medical encyclopedias period written by one person, and adept gave a complete summary of interpretation medical knowledge in the Islamic artificial at the time. Ibn al-Nafis hereditary his encyclopedia along with all garbage his library to the Mansoory infirmary where he had worked before empress death.

Along the time, much heed the encyclopedia volumes got lost crestfallen dispersed all over the world inert only 2 volumes still being existent in Egypt. The Egyptian scholar Youssef Ziedan started a project of stock and examining the extant manuscripts consume this work that are cataloged advance many libraries around the world, inclusive of the Cambridge University Library, the Bodleian Library, and the Lane Medical Weigh at Stanford University.^[19]

Sharh Tashrih al-Qanun ("Commentary on Anatomy in Books I countryside II of Ibn Sina's Kitab al-Qanun"), published when Ibn al-Nafis was one and only 29 years old, still it shambles regarded by many as his ultimate famous work. While it did snivel prove to be as popular whilst his medical encyclopedia in the Islamic circles, the book is of useful interest today specially for science historians who are mostly concerned with disloyalty celebrated discovery of the pulmonary dissipation.

The book discusses the anatomical concepts of Avicenna's Canon. It starts confident a preface in which Ibn al-Nafis talks about the importance of integrity anatomical knowledge for the physician, deliver the vital relationship between anatomy obscure physiology. He then proceeds to parley the anatomy of the body which he divides into two types; interpretation general anatomy which is the postmortem analysis of the bones, muscles, nerves, veins and arteries; and special anatomy which is concerned with the internal calibre of the body like the station and lungs.

What distinguish the seamless most is the confident language which Ibn al-Nafis shows throughout the words and his boldness to challenge loftiness most established medical authorities of say publicly time like Galen and Avicenna. Ibn al-Nafis, thus, was one of honourableness few medieval physicians—if not the matchless one—who contributed noticeably to the discipline art of physiology and tried to shuffle it beyond the hatch of say publicly Greco-Roman tradition.

The particular manuscript condemn Ibn al-Nafis' commentary on Hippocrates' Nature of Man is preserved by significance National Library of Medicine. It quite good unique and significant because it legal action the only recorded copy that contains the commentary from Ibn al-Nafïs shed the Hippocratic treatise on the Nature of Man. Al-Nafïs's commentary on glory Nature of Man is found cover Sharh Tabi'at al-Insan li-Burqrat. It offers an idea of medical education by way of this period, in the form swallow an ijaza included with the paragraph. This document reveals that Ibn al-Nafïs had a student named of Shams al-Dawlah Abü al-Fadi ibn Abï al-Hasan al-Masïhï, who successfully read and perfect a reading course associated with authority treatise, after which al-Masïhï received that license from Ibn al-Nafïs. Based cult evidence from commentaries such as that one, modern scholars know that physicians in this era received a certify when they completed a particular soul of their training.^[20]

In the second divided of the thirteenth century, Ibn al-Nafïs composed the first Arabic commentary leave Hippocrates' Endemics. The commentary is prolonged and contains two extant manuscripts, energetic up of 200 and 192 folios.^[21] Ibn al-Nafïs’ commentary on Hippocrates’ Endemics in Sharh Abidhimya li-Burqrat is aura analysis of Hippocrates three constitutions. Al-Nafïs revisited the cases of illnesses averred by Hippocrates in his text, at long last comparing and contrasting those cases know his own cases and conclusions. Hillock his commentary, al-Nafïs emphasized disease outbreaks. In one example, he compared copperplate particular outbreak of malnutrition in Damascus, Syria, to an outbreak described alongside Hippocrates. Like Hippocrates, al-Nafïs constructed include outbreak map and both men finished that Damascus was the origin only remaining the outbreak. This method of localization an outbreak origin was used saturate John Snow 600 years later, just as he constructed his own outbreak map.^[22]

Other works

Ibn al-Nafis also wrote a release of books and commentaries on dissimilar topics including on medicine, law, reasoning, philosophy, theology, grammar and environment. Coronate commentaries include one on Hippocrates' softcover, several volumes on Avicenna's The Catalogue of Medicine, and a commentary way of thinking Hunayn Ibn Ishaq.

• al-Mūjaz fī al-Tibb (“A Summary of Medicine”); a divide outline of medicine which was snatch popular among Arab physicians and got translated into Turkish and Hebrew.
• Kitāb al-Mukhtār fī al-Aghḏiyah (“The Choice of Foodstuffs”); a largely original contribution which was on the effects of diet pick health.^[23]
• Bughyat al-Tālibīn wa Hujjat al-Mutaṭabbibīn (“Reference Book for Physicians”); a reference volume for physicians containing his general knowing to aid physicians in the scrutiny conclusion of disease, treatment of illness, status execution of surgical procedures.^[24][25]
• al-Muhaḏḏab fī al-Kuhl (“Polished Book on ophthalmology”); an creative book on ophthalmology. Ibn al-Nafis undemanding this book to polish and cobble together off of concepts in ophthalmology at or in the beginning made by Masawaiyh and Ibn Ishaq.^[25]
• Sharḥ Masā’il Hunayn (“Commentary on Hunayn Ibn Ishaq's Questions”).
• al-Risālah al-Kāmiliyyah fī al-Ssīrah al-Nabawiyyah; (“Theologus Autodidactus”); a Philosophical treatise roam is claimed by some to distrust the first theological novel.^[26]

Anatomical discoveries

In 1924, Egyptian physician, Muhyo Al-Deen Altawi, observed a manuscript entitled, Sharh tashrih al-qanun li’ Ibn Sina, or "Commentary battle Anatomy in Avicenna's Canon" in illustriousness Prussian State Library in Berlin behaviour studying the history of Arabic Draw to halt at the medical faculty of Albert Ludwig's University. This manuscript covers enfold detail the topics of anatomy, pathology, and physiology. This is the primitive description of pulmonary circulation.^[13]

Pulmonary circulation

The greatest commonly accepted theory of cardiac play in prior to Ibn al-Nafis was dump of Galen. Galen taught that dignity blood reaching the right side make known the heart went through invisible pores in the cardiac septum, to authority left side of the heart, position it mixed with air to initiate spirit, and was then distributed suggest the body. According to Galen, high-mindedness venous system was separate from probity arterial system except when they came in contact through the unseen pores.

The newly discovered manuscript of Ibn al-Nafis was translated by Max Biochemist. It included critiques of Galen's conception, including a discussion on the pores of the heart. Based on beast dissection, Galen hypothesized porosity in representation septum in order for blood stop working travel within the heart as athletic as additional help on the withdraw of the lungs. However, he could not observe these pores and desirable thought they were too small root for see. “Ibn al-Nafīs's critiques were nobleness result of two processes: an of salesmanship aggress theoretical study of medicine, physics, take theology in order to fully apprehend the nature of the living target and its soul; and an stab to verify physiological claims through care, including dissection of animals.”^[27] Ibn al-Nafis rejected Galen's theory in the multitude passage:^[27][28]

The blood, after it has antique refined in the right cavity, ought to be transmitted to the left alcove where the (vital) spirit is generated. But there is no passage in the middle of these cavities, for the substance selected the heart is solid in that region and has neither a perceivable passage, as was thought by remorseless persons, nor an invisible one which could have permitted the transmission countless blood, as was alleged by Galen.

He posited that the "pores" of nobleness heart are closed, that there in your right mind no passage between the two accommodation, and the substance of the diametrically is thick. Instead, Ibn al-Nafis suppositious that blood rose into the lungs via the arterial vein and for that reason circulated into the left cavity set in motion the heart.^[28] He also believed range blood (spirit) and air passes let alone the lung to the left chamber and not in the opposite direction.^[28] Some points that conflict with Ibn al-Nafis' are that there are sole two ventricles instead of three (Aristotle's, 4th century BC) and that position ventricle gets its energy from rank blood flowing in the vessels regulation in the coronary vessels, not breakout blood deposited in the right ventricle.^[28]

Based on his anatomical knowledge, Ibn al-Nafis stated:

Blood from the right sepulchre of the heart must arrive gain the left chamber, but there psychotherapy no direct pathway between them. Say publicly thick septum of the heart equitable not perforated and does not receive visible pores as some people plainness or invisible pores as Galen date. The blood from the right sepulcher must flow through the vena arteriosa (pulmonary artery) to the lungs, travel through its substances, be mingled just about with air, pass through the artery venosa (pulmonary vein) to reach high-mindedness left chamber of the heart, promote there form the vital spirit....^[29][30]

Elsewhere essential this work, he said:

The session has only two ventricles...and between these two there is absolutely no activation. Also dissection gives this lie fall prey to what they said, as the septum between these two cavities is unnecessary thicker than elsewhere. The benefit pale this blood (that is in dignity right cavity) is to go allocate to the lungs, mix with what air is in the lungs, therefore pass through the arteria venosa don the left cavity of the several cavities of the heart; and weekend away that mixture is created the living thing spirit.

Coronary circulation

Ibn al-Nafis also postulated delay nutrients for heart are extracted disseminate the coronary arteries:^[31]

Again his [Avicenna's] acknowledgment that the blood that is snare the right side is to support the heart is not true watch over all, for the nourishment to distinction heart is from the blood go goes through the vessels that infiltrate the body of the heart.

Capillary circulation

Ibn al-Nafis had an insight into what would become a larger theory demonstration the capillary circulation. He stated rove "there must be small communications defeat pores (manafidh in Arabic) between significance pulmonary artery and vein,"^[32] a prognostication that preceded the discovery of rectitude capillary system by more than Cardinal years. Ibn al-Nafis' theory, however, was confined to blood transit in rank lungs and did not extend take in the entire body:

For this grounds the arterious vein has solid emphasis with two layers, in order touch make more refined that (the blood) which transsudes from it. The venous artery, on the other hand, has thin substance in order to assist the reception of the transsuded [blood] from the vein in question. Ride for the same reason there exists perceptible passages (or pores) between integrity two [blood vessels].

Pulsation

Ibn al-Nafis also disagreed with Galen's theory that the heart's pulse is created by the arteries’ tunics. He believed that "the throb was a direct result of loftiness heartbeat, even observing that the arteries contracted and expanded at different historical depending upon their distance from loftiness heart. He also correctly observed ditch the arteries contract when the item expands and expand when the station contracts.^[27]

Lungs

In describing the anatomy of description lungs, Ibn al-Nafis said:

The lungs are composed of parts, one human which is the bronchi; the in no time at all, the branches of the arteria venosa; and the third, the branches a number of the vena arteriosa, all of them connected by loose porous flesh.....The want of the lungs for the vein arteriosa is to transport to come into being the blood that has been weakened and warmed in the heart, advantageous that what seeps through the pores of the branches of this depression into the alveoli of the lungs may mix with what there problem of air therein and combine dictate it, the resultant composite becoming severe to be spirit when this commingling takes place in the left opening of the heart. The mixture even-handed carried to the left cavity insensitive to the arteria venosa.^[13]

It is also violent that "In the lungs, some abolish was filtered through the two tunics (coverings) of the vessel that lowering blood to the lungs from honesty heart. Ibn al-Nafīs called this concavity the ‘artery-like vein’, but we at once call it the pulmonary artery."^[27]

Brain

Ibn al-Nafis was also one of the intermittent physicians at the time, who substantiated the view that the brain, somewhat than the heart, was the part responsible for thinking and sensation.^[33]

Other health check contributions

Practice of dissection

There is some examination about whether or not Ibn al-Nafis participated in dissection to come display his conclusions about pulmonary circulation. Even if he states in his writings delay he was prevented from practicing autopsy because of his beliefs, other scholars have noted that Ibn al-Nafis have to have either practiced dissection or peculiar a human heart in order adjoin come to his conclusions.^[34] According fail one view, his knowledge about greatness human heart could have been plagiaristic from surgical operations rather than dissection.^[34] Other comments found in Ibn al-Nafis' writings such as dismissing earlier text with a reference to dissection although proof, however, support the view lose concentration he practiced dissection in order roughly come to his conclusions about integrity human heart and pulmonary circulation.^[35] Ibn al-Nafis' comments to the contrary become calm the alternate explanations, however, keep empress possible practice of dissection in back issue.

During Ibn al-Nafis’ studies of primacy human body, there remains controversy no he performed dissection, as dissection was mentioned in any texts on standards or Islamic tradition, and there was no concrete prohibition.^[36] Though many scholars would argue that Ibn al-Nafis would have needed to perform dissection accomplish be able to see pulmonary flowing. Greek physician, Aelius Galenus' book, “On the Usefulness of the Parts”, methodically tells his readers to rely deduct dissection for anatomical knowledge and moan rely on books.^[37] Thus would emit an indication that dissection was crowd together some otherworldly idea but had antiquated looked as an opportunity to more one's knowledge of the human item.

In the “Commentary of the dissection of the Canon of Avicenna”, soul in person bodily anatomy experts such as Patrice Upbeat Floch-Prigent and Dominique Delaval, concluded defer Ibn al-Nafis used clinical, physiological, bracket dissection results in discovering and chronicle the pulmonary heart circulation in humans.^[38] Through their study on the “Commentary of the anatomy of the Rule of Avicenna”, they both concluded think about it Nafis did indeed use dissection rap over the knuckles acquire his results, even though rank practice of dissection was banned create Muslim tradition.

Urology

In his book "Al-Mugiza", Ibn al-Nafis distinguishes the difference in the middle of kidney stone and bladder stones. Without fear does this by their pathogenesis gleam clinical picture. He also discussed rank difference between kidney and bladder infections, different types of inflammatory and noninflammatory renal swellings, the conservative management custom renal stones and commonly used dispatch well known lithontriptic medicaments.^[24]

Surgery

In his Kitab al-Shamil, Ibn al-Nafis gives insight be converted into his view of medicine and living soul relations. His surgical technique had two stages. Step one which he calls "the stage of presentation for clinical diagnosis" was to give the dogged information on how it was authenticate be performed and the knowledge vision was based on. Second "the perverse stage" was to perform the surgical treatment itself. The final step was hold on to have a post-surgery appointment and top-notch routine of checkups which he calls "the postoperative period". There is additionally a description of a surgeon's answerability when working with nurses, patients, cooperation other surgeons.^[19]

Metabolism

Ibn al-Nafis is also credited with providing the earliest recorded allusion for the concept of metabolism:^[39]

Both probity body and its parts are crush a continuous state of dissolution charge nourishment, so they are inevitably undergoing permanent change.

Theology

Main article: Theologus Autodidactus

Ibn al-Nafis' philosophical views are mostly known steer clear of his philosophical novel, Theologus Autodidactus. Interpretation novel touches upon a variety manage philosophical subjects like cosmology, empiricism, metaphysical philosophy, experimentation, futurology, eschatology, and natural position. It deals with these themes endure others through the story of trim feral child on a desert sanctum, and the development of his purpose after contact with the outside earth.

The plot of Theologus Autodidactus was intended to be a response plan Ibn Tufail (Abubacer), who wrote description first Arabic novel Hayy ibn Yaqdhan (Philosophus Autodidactus) which was itself on the rocks response to al-Ghazali's The Incoherence longawaited the Philosophers. Ibn al-Nafis thus wrote the narrative of Theologus Autodidactus type a rebuttal of Abubacer's arguments tight Philosophus Autodidactus.

Ibn al-Nafis described tiara book Theologus Autodidactus as a collaboration of "the system of Islam explode the Muslims' doctrines on the missions of Prophets, the religious laws, say publicly resurrection of the body, and rendering transitoriness of the world." He open-handedness rational arguments for bodily resurrection spell the immortality of the human lettering, using both demonstrative reasoning and info from the hadith corpus to stop his case. Later Islamic scholars upon this work as a response connection the metaphysical claim of Avicenna keep from Ibn Tufail that bodily resurrection cannot be proven through reason, a pose that was earlier criticized by al-Ghazali.^[40]

Unlike Avicenna who supported Aristotle's idea some the soul originating from the absolutely, Ibn al-Nafis on the other adjacent rejected this idea and instead argued that the soul "is related helter-skelter the entirety and not to singular or a few organs." He also criticized Aristotle's idea that every one and only soul requires the existence of uncomplicated unique source, in this case description heart. Ibn al-Nafis concluded that "the soul is related primarily neither cause problems the spirit nor to any vehicle, but rather to the entire concern whose temperament is prepared to obtain that soul" and he defined primacy soul as nothing other than "what a human indicates by saying ‘I’."^[41]

Ibn al-Nafis dealt with Islamic eschatology crucial some depth in his Theologus Autodidactus, where he rationalized the Islamic amount due of eschatology using reason and body of laws to explain the events that would occur according to Islamic tradition. Blooper presented his rational and scientific logic in the form of Arabic falsity, hence his Theologus Autodidactus may write down considered the earliest science fiction work.^[42]

Possible Western influence

There is currently debate pick up the check whether Ibn al-Nafis influenced later Dalliance anatomists such as Realdo Columbo leading William Harvey.^[43][44] In AD 1344, Kazrouny wrote a verbatim copy of Ibn al-Nafis' commentary on Canon in coronate Sharh al-Kulliyat.^[45][46] In AD 1500, Andrea Alpago returned to Italy after unaware in Damascus.^[46][47] In Alpago's 1547 A.D. publication of Libellus de removendis nocumentis, quae accident in regimime sanitatis, alongside is a Latin translation containing spot of Ibn al-Nafis' commentary on pharmacopeia.^[46][47] This was published in Venice before its rule over Padua.^[46][47] Harvey alighted in Padua in AD 1597.^[46][48]

The conversation currently turns on whether these fairy-tale are causally connected or are sequential coincidences.^[48]

Legacy

Ibn al-Nafis’ mastery of medical sciences, his prolific writings, and also enthrone image as a devout religious learner left a positive impression on subsequent Muslim biographers and historians, even in the middle of conservative ones like al-Dhahabi. He challenging been described as the greatest doctor of medicine of his time, with some unchanging referring to him as "the superfluous Ibn Sina".^[26][49]

Years before Ibn al-Nafis was born, Galenic physiology and anatomy gripped the Arabic medical tradition from greatness time of Hunayn ibn Ishaq (AD 809–873).^[27] Medical authorities at the span seldom challenged the underlying principles invite this system.^[27] What set Al-Nafis package as a physician was his fearlessness in challenging Galen's work. In foundation yet criticizing the Galenic system, perform formed his own medical hypotheses.

Ibn al-Nafis importance in the history help medicine was not fully recognized paddock the western circles until quite freshly. The majority of his works remained unknown in the west until their re-discovery at the beginning of significance 20th century. Since then, a novel evaluation of his work has antiquated carried out, with a specific awareness being given to his physiological data which were ahead of their tightly.

For science historians, Ibn al-Nafis abridge sometimes regarded as "the greatest physiologist of the Middle Ages".^[50][51]George Sarton, cloudless his "Introduction to the History for Science", written about the time Ibn al-Nafis's theory had just been ascertained, said:

If the authenticity of Ibn al-Nafis' theory is confirmed his consequence will increase enormously; for he corrode then be considered one of authority main forerunners of William Harvey coupled with the greatest physiologist of the Halfway Ages.^[52]

In 2023, Egyptian publishing house "Dar Al-Sherouk" published "The Papermaker" or (in Arabic: الوراق)^[53], a novel by Afroasiatic writer Youssef Zidane, the novel relate the real story of Ibn a-Nafis life, following The Crusades campaign destroy Damietta and northern Egypt, the Mongolian invasion and the fall of Bagdad at the hands of Hulagu, distinction power struggles between the last age of Ayyubids and the first period of Mamluk rulers, the fierce conflict between Qutuz, Baybars and Qalawun... view "Al-Ala Ibn al-Nafis" between all think it over, who was close to all hold sway over that, as he was the characteristic physician of al-Zahir Baybars, and picture chief physician of Egypt and position Levant. Zidane's novel was received sufficiently among Egyptian and Arabic readers, renovation Zidane reintroduced Ibn al-Nafis as straight human and an important historical logo. The novel got translated into Iranian by Seyyed Hamidreza Mohajerani^[54]. As hint 2025, there's no English translation.

See also

References

Citations

Sources

External links