From chemistry to poetry, Avicenna made his mark in many different disciplines. However, all good things must come to an end. In this article, you will learn of the fate concerning Avicenna, and some of the things he accomplished before passing away in 1037. Additionally, a collection of quotes and sayings attributed to the man are also included.
· Avicenna and Poetry
· Avicenna also wrote poetry, as a great deal of his works were versified. Throughout the years, his poems were written and translated in both Persian and Arabic. In some circles, debates arise because some of his works are thought incorrectly attributed to others. For instance, this is the claim of Edward Granville Browne, who was known within scholarly circles of history and literature. Browne has stated that the following lines are not those of Omar Khayyam (Persian poet and philosopher), but belongs to Avicenna:
“Up from Earth’s Centre through the Seventh Gate
I rose, and on the Throne of Saturn sate,
And many Knots unravel’d by the Road;
But not the Master-Knot of Human Fate.”
Continuing the poetry of Avicenna, you may encounter the following:
“When some of his opponents blame him for blasphemy, he says
The blasphemy of somebody like me is not easy and exorbitant
There isn’t any stronger faith than my faith
If there is just one person like me in the world and that one is impious
So there are no Muslims in the whole world.”
· Righting His Wrongs
· While on his deathbed, Avicenna was overcome with regret. As a result, he gave his possessions to the poor, righted any wrongs, and gave his slaves freedom. On every 3rd day until he died, he spent his time listening to the Qur’an being read to him.
· His Death
· When Avicenna died (in June of 1037), he was 58 years old and was buried in Hamedan, Iran.
Words of Wisdom , Avicenna
To get an idea of the wisdom attributed to Avicenna, consider the following quotes:
“As to the mental essence, we find it in infants devoid of every mental form.”
“Now it is established in the sciences that no knowledge is acquired save through the study of its causes and beginnings, if it has had causes and beginnings; nor completed except by knowledge of its accidents and accompanying essentials.”
“Wherefore the rational soul shall surely depart (migrate, travel) taking along the kernels of the other powers after death ensues.”
“That whose existence is necessary must necessarily be one essence.”
“It is evident that everything which does not exist at first and then exists, is determined by something other than itself.”
“The knowledge of anything, since all things have causes, is not acquired or complete unless it is known by its causes.”
“The world is divided into men who have wit and no religion and men who have religion and no wit.”
“Therefore in medicine we ought to know the causes of sickness and health.”
“Medicine considers the human body as to the means by which it is cured and by which it is driven away from health.”