Amīn-ad-Daula Abu-'l-Faraǧ ibn Yaʻqūb ibn Isḥāq Ibn al-Quff al-Karaki (Arabic: أمين الدولة أبو الفرج بن يعقوب بن إسحاق بن القف الكركي; AD 1233–1286) was an Arab physician and surgeon and author of the earliest and largest medieval Arabic treatise intended solely for surgeons.[1]

Life

Ibn al-Quff, also known as "al-Malikī al-Masīḥī" (The Melkite Christian), was born in the city of Al Karak (in modern-day Jordan).[2] His father was Muwaffaq al-Dīn Yaʿqūb and was a Melkite Christian Arab. His father had a good job opportunity and moved his family to Sarkhad in Syria, where Ibn al-Quff was tutored by Ibn Abi Uṣaybiʿah who introduced him to the medical studies. He studied with Ibn Abi Uṣaybiʿah and learned a lot of medical information, read many biographies on earlier doctors, and spent a large amount of time meditating on the material he studied and learned.

Ibn al-Quff ended up moving to Damascus where he improved his knowledge and studied metaphysics, philosophy, medicine, natural sciences, and mathematics. It is not completely clear as to who was teaching him all of this material but regardless he learned a large amount of information which would be very beneficial for his career. After he had studied for a while and proved he was a good knowledgeable physician and surgeon he was given the job of physician-surgeon in the army which was stationed in Jordan.[3] It was while serving in the army where he really became well known as a physician and a surgeon.

His reputation became widespread in the Muslim empire for being a Christian Arab and actually caring for his patients and conducting his work with honesty.[4] After his time of popularity died down he was sent to Damascus and remained there teaching until his death at the age of fifty-two.[3]

Works

During his time in Jordan being a physician-surgeon Ibn al-Quff was writing many books and teaching people. He was actually more well known as a writer and educator on medical topics than being a doctor. He wrote at least ten commentaries and books during his lifetime. Seven of these works are known to exist today whether fragments or the entire work. One of his allegedly most famous works was a commentary on Ishārāt of Ibn Sīnā but there is no evidence of this today, it is assumed to have gone missing or Ibn al-Quff never finished it and produced it. Some of his most well known surviving works are listed below with a brief description.

References

  1. ^ a b Pormann, Peter E.; [[Emilie Savage-Smith|]]title=Medieval Islamic Medicine (2007). Edinburgh University Press. p. 61. ISBN 978-0-7486-2066-1. ((cite book)): Missing or empty |title= (help)
  2. ^ Brice, William (1981). An Historical Atlas of Islam. p. 391. ISBN 9004061169.
  3. ^ a b Ibn Al-Quff, Amīn Al-Dawlah Abū Al-Faraj Ibn Muwaffaq Al-Dīn Ya‘Qūb Ibn Isḥāq Al-Masīhī Al-Karakī. Complete Dictionary of Scientific Biography. Vol. 11. Detroit: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2008. p238-239. Word Count: 861.[1]
  4. ^ The Physician, Therapist and Surgeon, Ibn al-Quff. An Introductory Survey of his Time, Life and Works by Sami K. Hamarneh Review by: Albert T. Awad Pharmacy in History, Vol. 17, No. 2 (1975), pp. 77-78 [2]
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