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Table of Contents
Avicenna is the most important scientific figure in the Islamic Golden Age. He was considered the “Father of Early Modern Medicine”, as the medical facts in his book, The Canon of Medicine, remain relevant until now. He was a Persian polymath who was also renowned for his expertise in astronomy, philosophy, chemistry, and other disciplines.
See the fact file below for more information on the Avicenna or alternatively, you can download our 21-page Avicenna worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.
Key Facts & Information
PERSONAL BACKGROUND
- Avicenna is a Latinized name of his real name, Abu Ali al-Husayn Ibn Abd Allan Ibn Sina. He was mostly referred to as Ibn Sina.
- Avicenna was born around 980 AD in Afshana, Transoxiana, which is now in Uzbekistan.
- His father, Abdullah, was an advocate of the Ismaili sect and a local Samanid governor.
- He had exceptional intellectual skills and memorized the Quran at the age of ten.
- He studied logic, philosophy, metaphysics, and natural sciences, and he developed an interest in medicine.
- He mastered medicine under several well-known scholars at the age of 16 and became a physician at the age of 18.
JOURNEY AS A PHYSICIAN
- Avicenna’s most significant contributions were in the field of medicine. His intellect helped him master the field when he was only sixteen years old.
- He was able to treat patients at sixteen, and his reputation regarding his skill in medicine served him well.
- He was a reputed physician at the age of eighteen and served as a physician for the Sultan of Bukhara the Samanid Court, Nuh ibn Mansur (r. 976-997).
- After treating the Sultan’s illness, he was allowed to access the Sultan’s library and its rare manuscripts. This enabled him to continue his research.
- However, the fall of the Samanid court also meant a significant change in Avicenna’s life.
- In 1012, Avicenna traveled to Gorgan, hoping for Qabus’ support.
- Qabus was the King of the province of Khorasan. After learning that the King was already assassinated, he managed to settle there and delivered lectures on logic and astronomy while practicing his medical profession.
- After two years, he ventured south of Hamadan, where he was summoned by Prince Emir Shams al-Dawlah of the Buyid dynasty after the prince learned of Avicenna’s presence in the city.
- He became the prince’s private physician and confidant and was appointed as a Grand Vizier or Prime Minister.
- When the prince died in 1021, Avicenna wrote to the ruler of Isfahan offering his service as a physician. He was sent to prison by the new prince when his correspondence was discovered. After a few years, he escaped from Hamadan to Isfahan.
- During the last years of his life, he was in the service of a military commander named Abu Jafar Ala Addaula as a physician and general literary and scientific consultant.
PHILOSOPHICAL THOUGHTS
- Avicenna was one of the brightest minds that existed during the Islamic Golden Age.
- His teachings revolutionized the way we think about our souls. He also tried to reconcile logic and religion.
- He pointed out that our souls are created with the body, and it uses the body as an instrument. The formation of moral habits and the acquisition of knowledge contribute to the individuality and difference from other souls.
- Avicenna suggested that when a body died, the soul survived with all the individual characteristics, perfections, or imperfections that it acquired during its existence with the body. It is rewarded or punished according to its past deeds.
- In religion, he argued that everything in this world is contingent. Everything was not existing before and could have easily failed to exist. There must be an external cause outside the said contingency.
- Thus, there must be a necessary existence of an entity that causes all other things, and that entity is God.
OTHER MAJOR CONTRIBUTIONS
- He wrote more than 400 books in his lifetime, but only 240 books survived.
- Aside from The Canon of Medicine, his other major work was The Book of Healing.
- It was intended to “heal” the soul. Not to be confused as a medical book, it was composed of four parts – logic, natural sciences, mathematics, and metaphysics.
- He also developed Avicennian logic, his system of philosophy, which he explained in this book.
- In Astronomy, he suggested that Venus was closer to the sun than Earth. He also invented an instrument for coordinating stars.
- He also invented a system of steam distillation to produce essential oils.
INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT AVICENNA
- Avicenna invented a thought experiment, “The Floating Man” (also called Flying Man or Man suspended in the air), which is meant to argue for the existence of souls.
- The fall of the Samanid Dynasty had a significant impact on his life. He was forced to move from one position to another.
- He treated poor patients for free while he was wandering around and looking for another position.
- He died in June 1037, at the age of 56, in the month of Ramadan.
- Before he died, he bestowed his goods to the poor and freed his slaves.
Avicenna Worksheets
This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about the Avicenna across 21 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Avicenna worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about Avicenna who is the most important scientific figure in the Islamic Golden Age. He was considered the “Father of Early Modern Medicine”, as the medical facts in his book, The Canon of Medicine, remain relevant until now. He was a Persian polymath who was also renowned for his expertise in astronomy, philosophy, chemistry, and other disciplines.
Complete List Of Included Worksheets
- Avicenna Facts
- Avicenna’s Bio
- Philosophical Thoughts
- The Missing Details
- The Islamic Bright Minds
- The Prodigy’s Life
- The Canon of Medicine
- A Physician’s Journey
- According to Avicenna
- Avicenna’s Gift
- Avicennian Doodle
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Link will appear as Avicenna Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, June 26, 2020
Use With Any Curriculum
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