The Ideal Student

Abd al-Latif, a twelfth-century legal and medical scholar of Baghdad, talks to his ideal student: ‘I commend you not to learn your sciences from books unaided, even though you may trust your ability to understand. Resort to teachers for each science you seek to acquire; and should your teacher be limited in his knowledge take all that he can offer, until you find another more accomplished than he. You must venerate and respect him. When you read a book, make every effort to learn it by heart and master its meaning.

Imagine the book to have disappeared and that you can dispense with it, unaffected by its loss. One should read histories, study biographies and the experiences of nations. By doing this, it will be as though, in his short life space, he lived contemporaneously with peoples of the past, was on intimate terms with them, and knew the good and bad among them. You should model your conduct on that of the early Muslims.

Therefore, read the biography of the Prophet and follow in his footsteps. You should frequently distrust your nature, rather than have a good opinion of it, submitting your thoughts to men of learning and their works, proceeding with caution and avoiding haste. He who has not endured the stress of study will not taste the joy of knowledge. When you have finished your study and reflection, occupy your tongue with the mention of God’s name, and sing His praises.

Do not complain if the world turns its back on you. Know that learning leaves a trail and a scent proclaiming its possessor; a ray of light and brightness shining on him, pointing him out.’ – Ahmad ibn al Qasim ibn Abi Usaybia, Uyun al Anba. ACTIVITY Comment on this passage. Would it be relevant to a student today?

The study of new subjects promoted critical inquiry and had a profound influence on Islamic intellectual life. Scholars with a theological bent of mind, such as the group known as Mutazila, used Greek logic and methods of reasoning ( kalam ) to defend Islamic beliefs. Philosophers ( falasifa ) posed wider questions and provided fresh answers. Ibn Sina ( - ), a doctor by profession and a philosopher, did not believe in the resurrection of the body on the Day of Judgement.

This was met with strong opposition from theologians. His medical writings were widely read. The most influential was al-Qanun fil Tibb (Canon of Medicine) , a million-word manuscript that lists drugs sold by the pharmacists of his day and includes notes on his own experiments conducted in hospitals ( bimaristan ). The Canon points out the importance of dietetics (healing through dietary regulation), the influence of the climate and environment on health and the contagious nature of some diseases.

The Canon was used as a textbook in Europe, where the author was known as Avicenna (see Theme ). Just before his death, the scientist and poet Umar Khayyam was said to be reading the Canon . His gold toothpick was found between two pages of the chapter on metaphysics. In medieval Islamic societies, fine language and a creative imagination were among the most appreciated qualities in a person.

These qualities raised a person’s communication to the level of adab , a term which implied literary and cultural refinement. Adab forms of expressions included poetry ( nazm or orderly arrangement) and prose ( nathr or scattered words) which were meant to be memorised and used when the occasion arose. The most popular poetic composition of pre-Islamic origin was the ode ( qasida ), developed by poets of the Abbasid period to glorify the achievements of their patrons. Poets of Persian origin revitalised and reinvented Arabic poetry and challenged the cultural hegemony of the Arabs.

Abu Nuwas (d. ), who was of Persian origin, broke new ground by composing classical poetry on new themes such as wine and male love with the intention of celebrating pleasures forbidden by Islam. After Abu Nuwas, the poets addressed the object of their passion in the masculine, even if the latter was a woman. Following the same tradition, the Sufis glorified the intoxication caused by the wine of mystical love.

By the time the Arabs conquered Iran, Pahlavi, the language of the sacred books of ancient Iran, was in decay. A version of Pahlavi, known as New Persian, with a huge Arabic vocabulary, soon developed. The formation of sultanates in Khurasan and Transoxiana took New Persian to great cultural heights. The Samanid court poet Rudaki (d.

) was considered the father of New Persian poetry, which included new forms such as the short lyrical poem ( ghazal ) and the quatrain ( rubai, plural rubaiyyat ). The rubai is a four-line stanza in which the first two lines set the stage, the third is finely poised, and the fourth delivers the point. In contrast to its form, the subject matter of the rubai is unrestricted. It can be used to express the beauty of a beloved, praise