Ibn Sina (Avicenna) (370-428 A.H. / 980-1037 A.D.) His Birth and Early Life: His name is Al-Husain bin `Abdullah bin `Ali bin Sina, nicknamed Abu `Ali. He was born in Afishnah, a village neighboring Bukhara, now located in the Uzbekistan Republic. Ibn Sina was brought up in a respectful family. His father was from Balkh and moved to Bukhara during the reign of Nuh bin Mansur. Thanks to his father, Ibn Sina and his brother were highly educated. There were two teachers dedicated to teach Ibn Sina the Holy Qur’an and Arabic Literature, which helped him to memorize the entire Qur’an at the age of ten. His Pursuit of Knowledge: Ibn Sina studied many Arabic Literature textbooks, Mathematics, Jurisprudence, research and argumentation methods, Sufism, Logic, Philosophy and Medicine. Ibn Sina continued to seek knowledge day and night, especially Jurisprudence and Philosophy. He had his own ways of solving questions. He mastered all the branches of knowledge he studied at young age, perhaps sixteen or eighteen. His Fame and High Status: When the emir Nuh bin Mansur was sick, he was advised to join Ibn Sina to his consort of physicians. Thanks to Ibn Sina’s efforts, the emir recovered his health. When the emir admitted him to the library of his palace, he read all the books in it. Following the unrest of the Samanid dynasty, Ibn Sina began his series of travels. He visited Karkanj, Jurjan, Khurasan and Dahistan. He returned to Jurjan and met the famous scholar Al-Jauzajani. In Jurjan Ibn Sina assumed the office of vizier twice. He did not stop his activities of writing, studying and composition. He used to spend the day in ministerial works and the night in teaching lessons. His Works: Around 250 works, including books, treatises and essays in Mathematics, Logic, Morals, Physics, Medicine and Philosophy. “Al-Qanun” is the masterpiece of Ibn Sina in the filed of Medicine, in which he proposed some accurate remarks, such as drawing a relation between tuberculosis and other pulmonary diseases. He highlighted the role of water and particles of dust in the transfer of contagious diseases. He proposed psychological and sympathetic factors behind illness and the causes of odd behavior. His Al-Qanun is translated into many European languages and continued to be studied in the European universities for four centuries. His books Al-Shifa’, Al-Najah and Al-Isharah are his contributions in the field of Physics. His Death: Ibn Sina did not take care of his health, which made him fall prey to many illnesses. He died in Hamadan in 428 A.H. / 1037 A.D.

 

Al-Idrisi (493-560 A.H. / 1099-1165 A.D.) - His name is Abu `Abdullah Muhammad bin `Abdullah bin Idris Al-Hammudi Al-Hasani Al-Qurtubi. -  He was born in Ceuta, northern Morocco on Gibraltar strait. - He had his education in Cordoba, Andalusia, and was especially interested in geography, in which he made great contributions. - He toured the northern African countries and visited their towns and villages. He also visited some French and British coastal cities on the Atlantic Ocean, and then moved to the East, where he visited Egypt, Old Syria and Asia Minor (Turkey). - Al-Adrisi was especially known for his acute mind, modesty and immense varying education in mathematics, geometry, geography, astronomy, physics, politics, medicine, as well as the benefits of herbs, their types and their places. - Al-Idrisi then moved to Sicily, on account of an invitation of its king Roger. At that time, Sicily was a center of commercial and cultural interaction and a meeting place for the international intellectuals. - Appreciating Al-Idrisi’s abilities, Roger asked him to compose a comprehensive book containing essential information on geography. Thus, Al-Idrisi composed Nuzhat Al-Mushtaq fi Ikhtraq Al-Afaq, including 70 maps of the globe, which were, compared to other then available maps, very accurate. These maps showed out Al-Idrisi’s conviction that the globe is round, in a time when the prevailing thought was that the glob is flat. - Al-Idrisi criticized most of the compositions made by his predecessors and made comments and explanations on the vague points they mentioned. He composed a description of his journeys, in which he defined the riverhead of the Nile and the animal life in these regions, and distinguished the boundaries of the equatorial lakes, a task which many other scholars failed to fulfill. -Al-Idrisi managed to estimate the diameter of the earth, which was 22,900 miles or 42,185 kilometers, which is relatively near to the accurate figure 40,068 km. - Among the famous works of Al-Idrisi are:  Nuzhat Al-Mushtaq fi Ikhtiraq Al-Afaq   Al-Jami’ Lisifat Ashtat Al-Nabat  Al-Adwiah Al-Mufradah  Al-Masalik wal Mamalik  Sa’adat Al-Rijal wa Ghibtat Al-Nufus

 

Zaid bin Harithah (may Allah Be Pleased with Him) His Early Life: - His name is Zaid bin Harithah bin Shurahil Al-Ka`bi. - When he was eight years old, his mother Su`da bint Tha`labah took him in a visit to her people Banu Ma`n. On the way, they were attacked by Banu Al-Qain, who plundered her people’s property and took their offspring as captives. - Losing her son, the mother of Zaid suffered a great deal and kept on weeping and wailing. The Story of Selling Him: - Zaid was offered for sale in `Ukazh marketplace, which was held in Mecca during the Sacred Months for transactions and as a forum for presenting poetry. Zaid was bought by Hakim bin Hizam, one of the dignitaries of the Quraish and nephew of Khadijah bint Khuwailid, who became later the wife of the Prophet. - Hakim gave Zaid as a gift to his paternal aunt Khadijah, who in turn gave Zaid as a gift to the Prophet (peace be upon him) after they got married. At that time, the Prophet did not receive the revelation yet. - Zaid was happy with the Prophet (peace be upon him) and loved him very much, and so did the Prophet (peace be upon him). The Decision to Stay with the Messenger of Allah: - Zaid’s father knew where his son is. He traveled to Mecca along with Ka`b, Zaid’s paternal uncle, carrying money to ransom Zaid. - The Prophet (peace be upon him) refused to take money and proposed to make Zaid free to choose either to stay with him or to return to his family. Zaid’s father and uncle were satisfied with this suggestion. Unexpectedly, Zaid preferred to stay with the Messenger (peace be upon him). When his father blamed him for preferring servitude to freedom, Zaid explained that he experienced something during his stay with the Prophet that urged him to keep his company forever. When Zaid said that, the Prophet took him to the Sacred House and proclaimed his adoption of Zaid before the Quraish people. On seeing this, Zaid’s father was very pleased and he left Mecca after being reassured of his son’s status. Zaid was called Zaid the son of Muhammad until adoption was prohibited and the Qur’anic verse: “Call them by the names of their fathers” (33:5) was revealed. Afterwards, Zaid was known as Zaid bin Harithah. His Jihad: - When the Prophet (peace be upon him) received revelation, Zaid was one of the pioneering men who accepted Islam, and commanded some of the detachments and deputations sent by the Prophet (peace be upon him). Sometimes he was appointed ruler of Medina when the Prophet left it for some battles in outside borders. His Death: - In 8 A.H., Zaid bin Harithah (may Allah be pleased with him) commanded the Islamic army, which was composed of 3000 soldiers, at the battle of Mu’tah. No sooner the Islamic army reached Mi`an (present Jordan), than Hiraql, the Roman King, commanded an army of 100,000 soldiers, to which another 100,000 of the polytheist Arabs were joined. Zaid was killed in that battle, and was succeeded by Ja`far bin Abi Talib and `Abdullah bin Rawahah, who were also killed. The Muslims then chose Khalid bin Al-Walid to command the army. Khalid managed to make an organized retreat, thus saving the Islamic army from total destruction. - The Prophet was very sad for the death of Zaid and the other two commanders. He wept bitterly for the loss of his beloved Zaid.

 

Bilal bin Rabah (May Allah Be Pleased with Him) His Birth and Early Life: Bilal bin Rabah (may Allah be pleased with him) was born in Mecca 43 years before the Hijrah. Bilal spent his early life in Mecca as a slave owned by some orphans from the Banu `Abd Al-Dar, who were under the custody of Umaiyah bin Khalaf. After the Prophet’s Mission and the emergence of Islam, Bilal was one of the pioneering converts to Islam. When he embraced Islam, there were very few Muslims, such as Khadijah bint Khuwailid, Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq, `Ali bin Abi Talib, `Ammar bin Yasir and his mother Sumaiyah, Suhaib Al-Rumi, and Al-Miqdad bin Al-Aswad. His Forbearance of Persecution: At the hands of the polytheists of the Quraish, Bilal suffered a great deal of persecution, maltreatment, oppression and violence, which none but a true Muslim can bear. Many of the converts had influential relatives in the Quraish who could protect them, except Bilal, `Ammar bin Yasir as well as his father and mother, and Suhaib. They were the object of the Quraish’s wrath and indignation. It was the custom of Umaiyah bin Khalaf and a group of polytheists to take Bilal in midday to a plain, when the sands became extremely hot, slip him of his clothes, dress him in an iron shield and let him suffer the burning heat of the sun and the scorching sands, while they flogged him with whips. They then ordered him to revile the Prophet (peace be upon him). In spite of the relentless torture, Bilal uttered no words other than “Ahadun Ahad” (He is the One and Only One, He is the One and Only One). Whenever Umaiyah bin Khalaf lost hope of diverting Bilal from Islam through torture, he would put a cuff around his neck and hand him over to some boys and light-minded men to drag him throughout the valleys and plains of Mecca. Abu Bakr then bought Bilal from Umaiyah bin Khalaf for a high price and set him free. Though he would sell Bilal at any price, Umaiyah demanded a high price, but Abu Bakr was ready to pay generously in order to set him free. Bilal was so pleased when Abu Bakr bought him and set him free. Afterwards, he turned over a new leaf of his life, which he had never experienced. He immigrated to Medina with the believers. His Traits: Bilal was the Prophet’s muezzin throughout the Prophet’s lifetime. After the Prophet’s death, once Bilal made Adhan. When he reached “Ashhadu anna Muhammadan rasulu-llah” (I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah), he was in tears. He asked Abu Bakr to pardon him from the task of making Adhan, as he would not bear to do that after the Prophet’s death. Bilal joined the first Muslim mission after the Prophet’s death and stayed in Daria near Damascus. When `Umar bin Al-Khattab, who loved and respected Bilal so much, visited Damascus, he ordered him to make Adhan. `Umar used to say: “Abu Bakr is our master, who emancipated our master,” meaning Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him). When Bilal made Adhan, he wept. `Umar and all other Companions who were present and who used to hear Bilal’s voice during the lifetime of the Prophet, also wept. If fact, the voice of Bilal moved their emotions and took their memories to the past, which they loved most. His death: Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him) died while repeating the phrase: “Tomorrow I shall meet the beloved company: Muhammad and his Companions”. May Allah be pleased with him and reward him on account of the great services he made to the cause of Islam.

 

`Amr bin Al-`As (May Allah Be Pleased with Him) Birth: `Amr bin Al-`As (may Allah be pleased with him) was born about 50 years before the Hijrah. Character: - 'Amr bin Al-`As was a smart fellow and one of the well-known resourceful Arabs, and a peerless genius. - He was one of the most eloquent and speech making Arabs. - He had exceptional faculties and was characterized by prudence and far insight. - His father is Al-`As bin Wa’il who was one of the Arab dignitaries and wise men, who lived in the Pre-Islamic period. -`Amr bin Al-`As had an eventful life, which made his biography the subject of people’s interest for ages. - Following the first immigration, some Muslims made to Abyssinia to seek shelter with the Abyssinian King Negus, the Quraish tribe decided to get hold of them and to incite Negus against them. They found none to undertake this mission better than `Amr bin Al-`As, because he was a resourceful man who had good relation with Negus. After Negus heard `Amr’s claim and the Muslims’ defense, he was inclined to Islam that he embraced it later. `Amr’s Conversion to Islam - When `Amr bin Al-`As failed to convince Negus to hand over the Muslim immigrants and was about to return home, Negus invited him to embrace Islam, explaining the great favor that Allah endowed on Arabs by sending the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Such advice from a king like Negus impressed `Amr bin Al-`As and resulted in his embracement of Islam in 8 A.H. - `Amr bin Al-`As decided to meet the Prophet (peace be upon him). On his way, he met Khalid bin Al-Walid and `Uthman bin Talhah, who had the same orientation. - When the three met the Prophet (peace be upon him), both Khalid and `Uthman extended their hands to pledge allegiance to him, while `Amr bin Al-`As withheld his hand. The Prophet (peace be upon him) asked: “What is the matter with you, `Amr?” He replied: I shall pledge allegiance on the condition that Allah would forgive my pervious sins. Upon this the Prophet (peace be upon him) replied: “Islam and Hijrah wipe out what was before them.” Thus, `Amr pledged allegiance. Knowing how magnanimous and genius `Amr was, the Prophet (peace be upon him) appointed him the commander of the Muslim army at the Battle of Dhat Al-Salasil. His Jihad: -  Following the Prophet’s death, `Amr bin Al-`As had a significant role in curbing the rebels in the Riddah Wars during the caliphate of Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq. - During the caliphate of `Umar bin Al-Khattab, `Amr bin Al-`As managed to conquer Palestine and Egypt. The importance of this conquest needs no elaboration. This resulted in securing the coastline of ancient Syria to Muslim armies. Through the conquest of Egypt, the gates of Africa and Spain were opened. - `Amr bin Al-`As showed resourcefulness and military genius in the conquest of Egypt. This was the subject of even non-Muslim historians’ admiration and appreciation. - Quotations: - “Men are of three types: a perfect man, half a man and a null man. As for the first, he is a man with perfect religion and mind. If he intends to do something, he consults the people of sound opinion, thus he will continue to be successful. As for the half-man, he is one whose religion and mind are not perfect. If he wants to do something, he neither consults anyone, nor asks himself which people he should follow and give up his opinion in favor of theirs. Thus, he will be liable to success and failure. As for the null man, he is the one who has neither religion nor mind. He continues to fail throughout. By Allah, I always consult men concerning my affairs, even my servants.” -  In the later part of his life, he used to say: “I experienced three phases of my life, in which I knew myself well: At first I was a disbeliever. If I died then, I would be liable to enter Hell. When I pledged allegiance to the Prophet (peace be upon him), I was so shy of him that I never gazed at him. If I died then, people would say: “Hurrah for `Amr! He embraced Islam and his life ended well.” Later, I was indulged in certain matters which I don’t know whether they will be counted for or against me.” Traits: - He died in 43 A.H., after a long eventful lifetime.

 

Muhammad bin Sirin His Birth and Early Life: - Muhammad bin Sirin was born during the caliphate of `Uthman bin `Affan (may Allah be pleased with him). - His father “Sirin” was a servant who belonged to the Companion Anas bin Malik, as a share that he got from the spoils following the Battle of `Ain Al-Tamr. `Ain Al-Tamr was a town located western Kufa, which was conquered by Khalid bin Al-Walid during the caliphate of Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq. Anas bin Malik eventually set “Sirin” free. - His mother’s name was Safiyah, who was a female-slave of Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq and was later freed by him. - Both his father and mother were known for their piety and blameless life. His Pursuit of Knowledge: - Muhammad bin Sirin was brought up in a respected family, and had relations with many Companions, such as · Zaid bin Thabit · `Imarn bin Al-Husain · Anas bin Malik · Abu Hurairah · `Abdullah bin Al-Zubair · `Abdullah bin `Abbas · `Abdullah bin `Umar - Muhammad bin Sirin received knowledge from the above Companions, including jurisprudence and Hadith narrations. His Fame: - Muhammad bin Sirin’s fame spread throughout the Islamic territories, and was especially known for his knowledge and piety. - He had notable stands towards the Umayyad rulers, in which he stuck to truth and gave advice sincerely for the sake of Allah and his Messenger. For example, he was once asked by `Umar bin Hubairah, the Umayyad ruler, “What are the conditions of the people in your town?” he replied, “I left them soaked in injustice, while you are not paying attention to them.” When his nephew patted him on his shoulder to alleviate his tone of speech, Muhammad bin Sirin said to him, “You are not the one who is asked about my people, but it is me. The answer on what I have been asked about is a testimony; whoever conceals it, his heart is tainted with sin.” Ibn Hubairah, however, offered him a magnificent gratuity, but he did not accept it. His nephew blamed him saying, “What’s wrong if you accept the gratuity of the emir?” He replied, “If this gratuity is in return for something good he expects in me, I should not accept it if this good is really in me. If it is not in me, again I will not be worthy to accept it.” His Piety: - Muhammad bin Sirin once heard a man reviling Al-Hajjaj bin Yusuf Al-Thaqafi after his death. He said to him, “Stop it! Al-Hajjaj is now in the audience of his Lord. When you will be in his place, you will find the most insignificant sin you have committed in your life, more disturbing to you than the greatest sin committed by Al-Hajjaj. That day each one of us will have enough concern of his own to make him indifferent to the others. Know that just as Allah will avenge those who were wronged by Al-Hajjaj by punishing him, He will also avenge Al-Hajjaj by punishing those who wronged him. Thus, you should not busy yourself with reviling others.” - Muhammad bin Sirin had a good appearance and was much loved by people. If he was seen in a marketplace, people would attend from their advertence and would remember Allah and pronounce tahlil and takbir (saying: “la ilaha illa Allah” and “Allahu Akbar”. - When he returned home after a long busy day of selling and buying in the marketplace, he used to perform tahajjud and recite Qur’an while weeping. - He was very meticulous concerning his transactions. Once he bought oil for a delayed price of 40,000 dirhams. When he opened one of the receptacles of oil, he found a decayed mouse in it. As all the oil in the press was contained in one and the same place, he thought, and that filth was not limited to such receptacle only, the seller may sell it to people, if Ibn Sirin returned it to him on account of such filth. He, thus, spilt all the oil. - Acknowledgement of His Merits: - It was said about him: “No one has ever been seen more understanding when he observes piety, or more scrutinizing in religious matters than Muhammad bin Sirin.” His Death: - Muhammad bin Sirin died when he was 77 years old. May Allah shower him with His Mercy!

 

Sa`id bin Al-Musaiyib -            He is one of the prominent Followers of the Prophet’s Companions. -            A distinguished Muslim, he used to observe fast all day and spend night in prayer. He performed Pilgrimage forty times. He never missed the commencing Takbir in the congregational Prayer, and was keen to go early to Prayer and stand in the first row, which he never missed for forty years. -            He took the daughter of the poor Abu Hurairah in marriage, though he was able to marry any of the noble women of the Quriash. -            He dedicated himself to the pursuit of religious knowledge since his early life. -            He acquired knowledge from the wives of the Prophet as well as several Companions including `Abdullah bin `Abbas, Zaid bin Thabit, `Abdullah bin `Umar, `Uthman bin ‘Affan, `Ali bin Abi Talib and Suhaib. -            He stuck to the moralities of the Companions and their traits. -            He was very ascetic. He refused to marry his daughter to Al-Walid bin `Abdul-Malik, the then crown prince and son of the Caliph `Abdul-Malik bin Marwan, and gave her in marriage to one of the seekers of knowledge, who was called Abu Wada`ah. -            When people blamed him about that, he said: “She is my daughter; a trust in my custody. I should choose the best for her.” -            One of the people of Medina described him saying: “He was a man who devoted his life to serve the Hereafter. By Allah, he did not marry his daughter to the son of the Emir of the Believers, nor deemed him unfit for her, but he protected her from the temptations of the worldly life.” Some of his companions asked him: “Do you reject the proposal of the Emir of the Believers and give your daughter in marriage to one of the common people?!” He replied: “She is my daughter; a trust in my custody. I should choose the best for her.” He added: “What do you think of her if she moves to the palaces of the Banu Umaiyah and leads a luxurious life there, then becomes the wife of the caliph, how will be her religion then?!”

 

Ibn Rushd (Averroes)  (520-595 A.H. / 1128-1198 A.D.) - His name is Al-Walid Muhammad bin Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Rushd. - He was born in Cordoba. Both his father and grandfather were prominent judges. His family was famous for scientific knowledge. - He studied religious law, medicine, and philosophy, and was given license to teach and practice jurisprudence and medicine. - He was interested in literature, especially the pre-Islamic and Islamic poetry. - He met the intelligentsia of his time, like Ibn Al-Tufail, Ibn Bajah, and Ibn Al-`Arabi. - Before reaching thirty years old, he traveled to Marrakech, where caliphs and emirs honored him. - He was so humble, modest, decent, smart and self-disciplined, that he was much admired by all. - When Ibn Rushd was given a high status by the Mohad emirs, those who envied him conspired against him and caused him troubles that lasted for a year, after which he was announced innocent. -  He did not live long after the trial, as he died a year later. His body was moved to Cordoba, where he was buried in the graveyard of his grandfather Ibn Al-`Abbas. -  His works cover jurisprudence, medicine, philosophy, astronomy and Arabic grammar. -   About 87 of his books are still surviving. -   Among his most famous works are:               * Tahafut Al-Tahafut               * Fasl Al-Maqal fima bain Al-Hikmah wal Maqal              * Sharh Jumhuriyat Aflatun               * Sharh Ara’ Ahl Al-Madinah Al-Fadilah               * Kitab Al-Manahij               * Al-Kulliyat fi Al-Tibb

 

Abu Aiyub Al-Ansari -            His name is Khalid bin Zaid bin Kulaib from the Banu Al-Najjar. -            The Prophet (peace be upon him) resided in his house upon his arrival to Medina. -            Everyone of the Ansar was keen to host the Prophet (peace be upon him) in his house. They used to stand in the way of his she-camel, trying to lead it towards their houses. The Prophet said to them: “Let it go away, for it is directed by Allah’s commands.” The she-camel walked until it knelt down in a courtyard in front of the house of Abu Aiyub Al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him). -            Abu Aiyub was very much pleased of that. He hastened to the Prophet (peace be upon him), welcomed him warmly and carried his baggage to his house. -            In his two-story house, Abu Aiyub accommodated the Prophet (peace be upon him), according to his choice, in the ground apartment, so that people could easily meet him. However, Abu Aiyub was not satisfied to sleep in the upper apartment, rather he spent all the night awake. In the morning he asked the Prophet to move to the upper apartment. The Prophet was pleased with Abu Aiyub’s attitude, but told him that the ground floor was more suitable for his stay so as to be able to receive visitors. Abu Aiyub thus complied with the wish of the Prophet (peace be upon him). Once in a cold night a jar was broken in the upper apartment and water spilt down. Abu Aiyub and his wife, who had only a velvet cover, began to dry up water with such cover to prevent its leakage to the ground floor where the Prophet (peace be upon him) resided. When it was morning, Abu Aiyub told the story to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and repeated his request to move to the upper apartment, which the Prophet (peace be upon him) accepted. -            The Prophet’s stay in the house of Abu Aiyub lasted for seven months, until he built his mosque and the chambers beside it. -            Abu Aiyub was tenderhearted and most loving to the Prophet (peace be upon him). He was generous. He used to serve food to guests. He had palm dates from which he supports his family. -            Abu Aiyub was such courageous fighter in battles as he never missed a battle witnessed by the Prophet (peace be upon him), or those took place during the era of Islamic conquests. -            When Mu`awiah mobilized an army commanded by his son Yazid to conquer Constantinople, Abu Aiyub, who was then 80 years old, enrolled in the army, but fell ill when he was on board. Asked by the commander about his wishes, he answered that in case of his death, soldiers should carry his body and bury him near the gates of Constantinople. Later on, he died. -            His wish was realized. The soldiers made successive attacks on the enemy until they reached the gates of Constantinople, where they buried the body of Abu Aiyub

 

Al-Razi (251-313 A.H. / 865-936 A.D.) -      His name is Muhammad bin Zakariya Al-Razi. -      He was born in Al-Riy, Khurasan (eastern Tehran). -      In his early life, Al-Razi was interested in philosophical, linguistic and mathematical studies. -        When he was 30 years old, he moved to Baghdad where he began to learn medicine diligently.  -       He was appointed chief of Al-`Adudi Hospital in Baghdad. -     Later he returned to Al-Riy, where he was appointed chief of physicians in the Royal Hospital. -      Al-Razi became very famous everywhere. -       Al-Razi achieved many discoveries and inventions in the fields of medicine and chemistry: -    He was the first to use suture -    He was the first to distinguish between smallpox and measles -    He made the ointment compounds from mercury -    He used milk sweated with sugar as a treatment of tuberculosis -    He introduced the idea of separating pharmacology from medicine -    He utilized chemistry to serve medicine -       He inaugurated the specialization of chemical pharmacology ·      He was the first to compound alcohol from fermented saccharine solutions ·         He was the first to compound sulfuric acid by distilling iron sulfate     -     In the last years of his life, Al-Razi lost his sight due to extensive reading at night.   -      It was reported that a physician came to Al-Razi to perform a surgical operation in an attempt to recover his sight. Before the physician had started, Al-Razi asked him about the number of layers of the eye tissues. The physician hesitantly gave no answer. Al-Razi said: “A man who cannot answer this question is not entitled to carry a tool and tamper with my eyes.”   -       The works of Al-Razi were about 230 in different fields.  -       The most famous books written by Al-Razi were Al-Hawi fi Al-Tibb, Al-Mansuri fi Al-Tibb, Al-Judari wal Hasbah, Bur’ Al-Sa’ah, as well as Sirr Al-Asrar and Al-Tadbir in chemistry.   -      Among his famous sayings:   -    “Apply treatment that does not weaken the patient, using a medicine on which physicians agree, and whose effectiveness is accredited by people and whose influence is proved by experience.”   -    "If a physician can cure illnesses by using food without medicine, he is a successful one.”   -    “A patient should refer to an authority physician, whose faults are insignificant when compared to his merits.”   -      “Lifespan is too short to comprehend the effect of all the plants that grow on earth. So stick to the most famous which you have already experimented.”   -      "Reality in medicine is an unattainable aim. Reliance on books to prescribe a medicine without the experience of a clever physician is risky.”

 

Ja`far Bin Abi Talib (May Allah Be Pleased with Him) His Conversion to Islam: His name is Ja`far bin Abi Talib bin `Abdul-Muttalib, known as “Abu Al-Masakin” due to his affection and kindness towards the poor. He is the cousin of the Prophet (peace be upon him). He was among the earlier men who embraced Islam. His Migration to Abyssinia: When Ja`far and his wife Asma’ bint `Umais suffered torture a great deal at the hands of the polytheists of the Quraish, the Prophet (peace be upon him) permitted them to migrate to Abyssinia. When the Quraish sent `Amr bin Al-`As, before his conversion to Islam, and `Abdullah bin Abi Rabi`ah to Al-Najashi (Negus) carrying presents to him to hand over the migrants whom he sheltered, the role of Ja`far was crucial in that situation. When Al-Najashi asked the Muslim migrants about their religion, Ja`far took the floor and said: “We were some ignorant idol worshipers. We used to eat carrion flesh, commit abominable acts, sever the ties of kinship and violate the rights of neighborhood. The weak were crushed by the strong. We remained on that case until Allah sent us a Messenger whose lineage is known to us. He is famous for his truthfulness, honesty, and honor. He calls us to worship Allah alone and give up idol worshiping. He exhorts us to be truthful in speech, deliver the trusts, maintain the ties of kinship, observe the rights of neighborhood, abstain from abominable acts and to bury the hatchet to spare our lives. He forbids us to do misdeeds, false testimony, devouring the property of orphans and slandering chaste women. He ordered us to worship Allah and not to associate anything with Him in worship, to establish Prayer, pay Zakah and fast in Ramadan. He believed in him, followed his teachings and applied them in practical life. The attitude of our people towards us was aggressive. They tortured us to force us to abandon our religion and return us to idol worship. When the matter reached a climax, we migrated to your land and preferred to be in your shelter, hoping that no one can direct harm to us.” Al-Najashi turned to Ja`far and asked: “Do you have anything of what has been reveled to your prophet?” He said: “Yes,” and recited verses from the beginning of Surah Maryam (Mary). When Ja`far finished recitation, Al-Najashi wept until his beard was wet of tears and his patriarchs wept until their books were wet. Afterwards, Al-Najashi said: “What is revealed to your prophet and that which was revealed to Jesus emanate from one and the same source.” He turned to `Amr and his companions and said: “Go away! By Allah, I will never hand them over to you.” `Amr Tries to Change Al-Najashi’s Impression: In an attempt to incite Al-Najashi against the Muslim migrants, `Amar demanded to be in his audience again to tell him something. When they met, `Amr said: “Those whom you have give protection and shelter talk improperly about Jesus. You may ask them to be sure.” When the Muslim migrants learned about that they were greatly perturbed and wondered what should they say to Al-Najashi. However, they agreed to say what they believed in, no matter what would be the result. When they were summoned by Al-Najashi, he asked them about their belief in Jesus. Jar`far replied: “Our belief in Jesus relies on what our prophet has told us about him.” Al-Najashi asked: “What has he told you?” Ja`far replied: “He told us that Jesus is Allah’s servant and messenger and His Word which he bestowed on Mary and a spirit proceeding from Him.” No sooner Al-Najashi listened to these words than he stroke the earth with his hands several times and said: “By Allah, the description of Jesus does not differ from what you have said, even with an atom.” The patriarchs protested on this description, but Al-Najashi paid no attention to their protest. Al-Najashi turned to the Muslim migrants and reassured them of their safety in his land. He returned the presents to `Amr and his companions. In the seventh year of Hijrah, Ja`far and others Muslims with him left Abyssinia and went to Medina, following the conquest of Khaibar by the Prophet (peace be upon him). The Prophet was much pleased of Ja`far’s arrival. His Death: Ja`far martyred at the Battle of Mu’tah, along with Zaid bin Harithah and `Abdullah bin Rawahah

 

Al-Idrisi (493-560 A.H. / 1099-1165 A.D.) - His name is Abu `Abdullah Muhammad bin `Abdullah bin Idris Al-Hammudi Al-Hasani Al-Qurtubi. -  He was born in Ceuta, northern Morocco on Gibraltar strait. - He had his education in Cordoba, Andalusia, and was especially interested in geography, in which he made great contributions. - He toured the northern African countries and visited their towns and villages. He also visited some French and British coastal cities on the Atlantic Ocean, and then moved to the East, where he visited Egypt, Old Syria and Asia Minor (Turkey). - Al-Adrisi was especially known for his acute mind, modesty and immense varying education in mathematics, geometry, geography, astronomy, physics, politics, medicine, as well as the benefits of herbs, their types and their places. - Al-Idrisi then moved to Sicily, on account of an invitation of its king Roger. At that time, Sicily was a center of commercial and cultural interaction and a meeting place for the international intellectuals. - Appreciating Al-Idrisi’s abilities, Roger asked him to compose a comprehensive book containing essential information on geography. Thus, Al-Idrisi composed Nuzhat Al-Mushtaq fi Ikhtraq Al-Afaq, including 70 maps of the globe, which were, compared to other then available maps, very accurate. These maps showed out Al-Idrisi’s conviction that the globe is round, in a time when the prevailing thought was that the glob is flat. - Al-Idrisi criticized most of the compositions made by his predecessors and made comments and explanations on the vague points they mentioned. He composed a description of his journeys, in which he defined the riverhead of the Nile and the animal life in these regions, and distinguished the boundaries of the equatorial lakes, a task which many other scholars failed to fulfill. -Al-Idrisi managed to estimate the diameter of the earth, which was 22,900 miles or 42,185 kilometers, which is relatively near to the accurate figure 40,068 km. - Among the famous works of Al-Idrisi are:  Nuzhat Al-Mushtaq fi Ikhtiraq Al-Afaq   Al-Jami’ Lisifat Ashtat Al-Nabat  Al-Adwiah Al-Mufradah  Al-Masalik wal Mamalik  Sa’adat Al-Rijal wa Ghibtat Al-Nufus