MCQ Detailed View

Al-Qanun fi al-Tibb (The Canon of Medicine) is one of the most influential medical books in history, written by the great Muslim scientist and philosopher Abu Ali Sina, also known in the West as Avicenna. This monumental work was completed in the early 11th century and remained a standard medical text in Europe and the Islamic world for several centuries.Abu Ali Sina (980–1037 CE) was a Persian polymath who made groundbreaking contributions to medicine, biology, philosophy, astronomy, and chemistry. His book Al-Qanun fi al-Tibb is an extensive encyclopedia of medical knowledge available during his time. It compiled information from Greek, Roman, Indian, and earlier Islamic medical sources, enriched by Abu Ali Sina’s own research and observations.

The book is divided into five volumes, covering topics such as:

• 
  

  Basic medical principles: anatomy, physiology, and general health science

  
  


• 
  

  Causes of diseases and symptoms

  
  


• 
  

  Detailed study of specific diseases affecting different body organs

  
  


• 
  

  Methods of treatment and medicines

  
  


• 
  

  Preparation of compounds and pharmacology

  
  

Al-Qanun introduced concepts like the contagious nature of diseases, the importance of clinical trials, and the need for hygiene in medical care, ideas far ahead of their time. For nearly 600 years, this text was taught in European medical universities and was a cornerstone in the development of modern medicine.

The other scientists mentioned in the options, such as Jabar bin Hayyan (father of chemistry) and Zakariya Al-Razi (famous physician and chemist), made remarkable contributions to science, but Al-Qanun was specifically authored by Abu Ali Sina.

Thus, the correct answer is Abu Ali Sina, whose Canon of Medicine left an enduring legacy in the history of biology and medical science.