Hamedan, IRNA – The birth anniversary of the 11th Persian physician and polymath Ibn Sina, better known in the Western as Avicenna, is recognized as National Physicians’ Day in Iran.
Born on August 23, c. 980 AD in the village of Afshana in Transoxiana, Avicenna was a prominent physician, philosopher and astronomer during a period known as the gold age of the Islamic history.
Known to be the father of modern medicine, Avicenna was taught by a scholar named Abdullah Nateli and became proficient in all scientific fields of the era in the age of 18. He wrote a 10-volume book about whatever he had learn when he was 21 and then authored two books on ethics and philosophy in 21 volumes.
He authored 450 books and treatises in aggregate, 240 of which has been survived. From among Avicenna’s works that have reached our era, 150 books are on philosophy and 40 books on medicine.
The most prominent books written by Avicenna are Kitab al-Shifa (the Book of Healing) on science and philosophy and Kitab al-Qanun fial-Tibb (Cannon of Medicine). The latter was of global fame and was taught in the biggest universities of the world until 1650.
He adopted his father’s official post after his death, but had to leave Bukhara because of political turbulence. He went to Gorganj, in today north Turkmenistan, but the city was invaded by Sultan Mahmoud of Ghazni who summoned all scientists and scholars. Avicenna, however, didn’t accept to invitation and left Khwarazm under duress.
In the coming years, he moving from one city to another, residing Gorgan, Rey and Qazvin and finally stayed in Hamedan for nine years. He was appointed as chancellor by the Buyid ruler of Hamedan Shams al-Dawla whose son Sama’ al-Dawla offered the same position, but Avicenna rejected. He was jailed by Sama’ al-Dawla for four months, during the time he wrote several treatises on mysticism, medicine, etc.
Avicenna left for Esfahan after redemption and was welcomed by the Kakuyid ruler of the city, Ala’ al-Dawla, to him the scholar presented his celebrated book Daneshnameh-ye Alai on logic, metaphysics, natural sciences and mathematics.
Sultan Masoud, so of Mahmoud of Ghazni, carried out an assault on Esfahan and Ala’ al-Dawlah left the city with his army and companions, including Avicenna. He died of illness on June 22, 1037, during their journey to Hamedan.
Today, Hamedan city hosts a conference on Avicenna on his birth anniversary, with a number of celebrated scholars expected to give lectures and speeches and Avicenna and his works.
The conference used be held annually but was halted due to the coronavirus pandemic for the last two years. This year’s edition would be a sign of resumption of the annual event.
Source: Islamic Republic News Agency – IRNA
