3. Ibn Rabban Al-Tabari
(Died in 247H/861AD)

Abu al-Hasan Ali Ibn Sahl Rabban al-Tabari was Born in Marv, Tabristan in 780 or 770AD(16). According to Aldo Mili(17) and Ibn Khalkan,(18) he hailed from a Persian Christian family. Later, he embraced Islam guided by Al-Mua'tassim(19). In the words of Mohamad Zubair Siddiki, the annotator of al "Firdous al-Hikmat" treatise : "it was al-Mutawakil who called him to Islam and called him the servant of the commander of the believers. His nobility endeared him to the caliph who made him a member of his court”.

As for the surname of Rabban which implies "professor" according to Aldo Milli who says : "the Siryac surname of Rabban was used amongst Christians as an equivalent for the word professor we use"(20).

His father Sahl was a scholar who excelled in the fields of medicine, geometry, astrology, mathematics and philosophy. Reportedly, he was the first to have succeeded in translating Ptolemy's book Almajest.(21). Ali received his education in the disciplines of medicine, geometry and philosophy from his father. He also mastered Syriac and Greek languages. After the death of his father, he furthered his study of medicine and became a renowned physician. He practiced medicine at his beginnings in the city of Array then moved to Baghdad. In the  end, he settled in "Sura man raa"(22) (Samaraa), where he became the secretary of the Caliphs, al-Muatassim, al-Ouatik and al-Mutawakil.

Contributions to Medical Science

The major scientific contribution of Ali Ibn Rabban lies in his classification of several medical topics which he tackled in-depth in his treatise Firdous al-Hikmat, including laying the general principles of medicine and the rules for keeping good health; comprehensive account of certain muscular diseases; description of the diet to maintain the good health. Besides, he discussed in this comprehensive book all diseases from head to toe, namely head and brain diseases; eye, nose, ear, mouth and teeth diseases; muscular diseases: chest and lung diseases; diseases of the abdomen; liver diseases; gallbladder and spleen diseases, intestinal diseases as well the different kinds of fever. He also described flavor, taste and color and tackled drugs and poisons.

Major Works

Ali Ibn Rabban left several medical books, the most renown of which are :

- Firdous al-Hikmat treatise (850AD) is a medical encyclopedia which incorporates all the branches of medical science, in addition to studies in philosophy, psychology, zoology, astronomy, meteorological phenomena. Al-Tabari wrote Firdous al-Hikmat in Arabic and simultaneously translated it into Syriac. Several copies of this book were published in different countries. Dr. Mohammed Zubair Siddiqi verified and annotated the manuscripts. The book was published in India in 1928. It was also published by the Institute of Arab and Islamic Sciences in Frankfort University in 1996.

- Kitab Tuhfatu al-Mulouk, Hifdh al-Sehhat (a book on keeping good health) and Kitab fi Tartib al-Aghdiya (a book on foodstuff classification) Manafi'a al-At'ima wal as-Shriba wal Akakir (book on the benefits of foodstuffs, beverages and drugs).

Az-Zarkali(23) added to his works the book entitled Addin wa Dawla (Religion and the State) in which, Ibn Rabban defends Islam.