- Muhammad ibn Zakariyā Rāzī, (865 – 925). Also known as Rhazes, discovered numerous compounds and chemicals including alcohol and sulfuric acid. He was a Persian alchemist and philosopher, and one of the greatest physicians in history. Also a pioneer in ophthalmology, author of the first book on pediatrics.
- Ibn Sina Also known as Avicenna (980 – 1037). A Persian philosopher and scientist known for his contributions to Aristotelian philosophy and medicine. Also, popularly known as ‘Avicenna’, Ibn Sina was indeed a true polymath with his contributions ranging from medicine, psychology and pharmacology to geology, physics, astronomy, chemistry and philosophy. He was also a poet, an Islamic scholar and theologian. His most important contribution to medical science was his famous book Al Qanun Fi Al-Tibb (The Canon of Medicine). This book is an immense five volume encyclopedia of medicine containing over a million words. It comprises of medical knowledge available from ancient and Muslim sources. His other major work is “The Book of Healing”, a scientific and philosophical encyclopedia.
- Abu Rayhan al-Biruni /ælbɪˈruːni/ (973 – after 1050) was an Iranian scholar and polymath during the Islamic Golden Age. He has been variously called as the “founder of Indology”, “Father of Comparative Religion”, “Father of modern geodesy”, and the first anthropologist.
- Omar Khayyam (1048 –1131); was a Persian mathematician, astronomer, philosopher, and poet. (More in the Poetry section.)
