AVICENNA

born 980, Bukhara, Iran died 1037, Hamadan Arabic Ibn Sina, in full Abu 'Ali al-Husayn ibn 'Abd Allah ibn Sina Iranian physician, the most famous and influential of the philosopher-scientists of Islam. He was particularly noted for his contributions in the fields of Aristotelian philosophy and medicine. He composed the Kitab ash-shifa' (Book of Healing), a vast philosophical and scientific encyclopaedia, and the Canon of Medicine, which is among the most famous books in the history of medicine. Additional reading Translations and commentaries on Avicenna's works include: M. Achena and H. Masse, Le Livre de science, 2 vol. (195558); O.C. Gruner, A Treatise on the Canon of Medicine of Avicenna (1930); M. Horten (ed.), Das Buch der Genesung der Seele: Eine philosophische Enzyklopdie Avicennas, vol. 4, Die Metaphysik, Theologie, Kosmologie und Ethik (1908); H. Jahier and A. Noureddine, Pome de la mdicine (1956); A.F. Mehren, Traits mystiques d'Avicenne, 3 vol. (188991); F. Rahman, Avicenna's Psychology (1952).General studies include: S.M. Afnan, Avicenna: His Life and Works (1958); H. Corbin, Avicenne et le rcit visionnaire, 2nd ed., 2 vol. (1954; Avicenna and the Visionary Recital, 1960); S.H. Nasr, An Introduction to Islamic Cosmological Doctrines (1964), and Three Muslim Sages (1964), locating Avicenna within the context of Islamic intellectual tradition; M.H. Shah, The General Principles of Avicenna's Canon of Medicine (1966), an analysis from the point of view of modern medical theory and practice; G.W. Wickens (ed.), Avicenna: Scientist and Philosopher (1952), a collection of essays; Y. Mahdavi, Bibliographie d'Ibn Sina (1954).