List of pre-modern Iranian scientists and scholars

The following is a list of Iranian scientists, engineers, and scholars who lived from antiquity up until the beginning of the modern age.

Photo taken from medieval manuscript by Qutb al-Din al-Shirazi. The image depicts an epicyclic planetary model.

A

Abdul Qadir Gilani (12th century) theologian and philosopher
Abu al-Qasim Muqane'i (10th century) physician
Abu Dawood (c. 817–889), Islamic scholar
Abu Hanifa (699–767), Islamic scholar
Abu Said Gorgani (10th century) ^[1]
'Adud al-Dawla (936–983), scientific patron
Ahmad ibn Farrokh (12th century), physician
Ahmad ibn 'Imad al-Din (11th century), physician and chemist
Alavi Shirazi (1670–1747), royal physician in Mughal India
Amuli, Muhammad ibn Mahmud (c. 1300–1352), physician
Abū Ja'far al-Khāzin (900–971), mathematician and astronomer ^[2]
Ansari, Khwaja Abdullah (1006–1088), Islamic scholar
Aqa-Kermani (18th century), physician
Aqsara'i (?–1379), physician
Abu Hafsa Yazid, physician
Arzani, Muqim (18th century), physician
Astarabadi (15th century), physician
Aufi, Muhammad (1171–1242), scientist and historian
Albubather, physician and astrologer ^[3]
Ibn Abi al-Ashʿath, physician
Abu al-Hassan al-Amiri, theologian and philosopher
Abu al-Hasan al-Ahwazi, mathematician and astronomer ^[4]

B

Brethren of Purity^[5]
Bahmanyār, philosopher
Al-Baghawi (c. 1041–1122), Islamic scholar
Bahāʾ al-dīn al-ʿĀmilī (1547–1621), poet, philosopher, architect, mathematician, astronomer
Baha Al-Dowleh Razi (died c. 915), physician
Al-Baladhuri (?–892), historian
Abu Ali Bal'ami (10th century), historian
Abu Ma'shar al-Balkhi (787–886), known in Latin as Albumasar, astrologer ^[6]
Abu Zayd al-Balkhi (850–934), geographer and mathematician ^[7]
Banū Mūsā brothers (9th century)^[8]
Abu'l-Fadl Bayhaqi, historian
Abu'l-Hasan Bayhaqi, historian and Islamic scholar
Al-Bayhaqi, faqih and muhadith
Muhammad Baqir Behbahani (1706–1791), theologian
Bubares (died after 480 BC), engineer
Ibn Bibi (13th century), historian of the Seljuks of Rum
Biruni (973–1048), astronomer and mathematician ^[9]
Muhammad al-Bukhari (810–870), Islamic scholar
Sahl ibn Bishr (c. 786–845 ?), astrologer, mathematician
Bukhtishu (8th century?), Persian Christian physician of Academy of Gundishapur
Bukhtishu, Abdollah ibn (c. 940–1058), Christian physician in Persia
Jabril ibn Bukhtishu (9th century), Christian physician
Bukhtishu, Yuhanna (9th century), Christian physician
Borzuya (6th century), a.k.a. Borzouyeh-i Tabib, physician of Academy of Gundishapur
Birjandi (?–1528), astronomer and mathematician ^[10]
Muhammad Bal'ami, historian
Abu Bakr Rabee Ibn Ahmad Al-Akhawyni Bokhari, physician ^[11]
Abu'l-Fadl al-Bal'ami

D

Abu Hanifa Dinawari (815–896), astronomer, agriculturist, botanist, metallurgist, geographer, mathematician, and historian ^[12]
Ibn Durustawayh (872–958), grammarian, lexicographer and student of the Quran and hadith
Ibn Qutaybah Dinwari (828–885), historian and theologian

E

Abubakr Esfarayeni (13th century?), physician

F

Al-Farghani (d. 880), astronomer, known in Latin as Alfraganus ^[13]
Al-Farabi (872–950) (Al-Farabi, Pharabius), philosopher ^[14]
Fazari, Ibrahim (?–777), mathematician and astronomer
Fazari, Mohammad (?–796), mathematician and astronomer
Feyz Kashani, Mohsen (?–1680), theologian
Firishta (1560–1620), historian
Ibn al-Faqih, historian and geographer
Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr al‐Farisi (d. 1278/1279), astronomer
Fazlallah Khunji Isfahani (1455–1521), religious scholar, historian and political writer

G

Gardizi (?–1061), geographer and historian
Ghazali (Algazel, 1058–1111), philosopher
Gilani, Hakim (?–1609), royal physician
Kushyar Gilani (971–1029), mathematician, geographer, astronomer
Zayn al-Din Gorgani (1041–1136), royal physician
Rostam Gorgani (16th century), physician
Al-Masihi (?–999), Avicenn'a master

H

Hakim Ghulam Imam, physician
Hakim Muhammad Mehdi Naqi (18th century), physician
Hakim Muhammad Sharif Khan (18th century), physician
Hakim Nishaburi (933–1012), Islamic scholar
Hallaj (858–922), mystic-philosopher
Hamadani, Mir Sayyid Ali (1314–1384), poet and philosopher
Harawi, Abolfadl (10th century), astronomer of Buyid dynasty
Harawi, Muwaffak (10th century), pharmacologist
Harawi, Muhammad ibn Yusuf (d. 1542), physician
Hasani, Qavameddin (17th century), physician
Ibn Hindu (1019–1032), man of letters, physician
Haji Bektash Veli, mystic
Ayn al-Quzat Hamadani, jurisconsult, mystic, philosopher, poet and mathematician
Haseb Tabari, astronomer
Hammam ibn Munabbih, Islamic scholar
Hamza al-Isfahani (ca. 893–after 961), philologist and historian
Abu Ja'far ibn Habash

I

Ibn Abi Sadiq (11th century), "The Second Hippocrates", Avicenna's disciple
Ibn Isfandiyar (13th-century), historian
Ibn Khordadbeh (c. 820–912), geographer
Ibn Rustah (9th century), explorer and geographer
Ilaqi, Yusef (11th century), Avicenna's pupil
Mansur ibn Ilyas (14th century), physician
Ibn Sina (Avicenna, 980–1037), philosopher and physician
Isfahani, Imad al-Din (1125–1201) historian and rhetorician
Isfahani, Jalaleddin (19th century), physician
Isfahani, Husayn (15th century), physician
Istakhri (?–957), geographer, gives the earliest known account of windmills
Iranshahri (9th century), philosopher, teacher of Abu Bakr al-Razi
Al-Isfizari (11th–12th century), mathematician and astronomer

J

Jabir ibn Hayyan (9th century), alchemist, pharmacist, philosopher, physicist, astronomer
Jaghmini (14th century), physician
Juwayni (1028–1085), philosopher, theologian
Juzjani, Abu Ubaid (?–1070), physician
Jamal ad-Din Bukhari (13th century), astronomer
Jamasp, sage and philosopher
Al-Abbās ibn Said al-Jawharī (800–860), geometer

K

Karaji (953–1029), mathematician
Jamshid-i Kashani (c. 1380–1429), astronomer and mathematician
Kashfi, Jafar (1775/6–1850/1), theologian
Sadid al-Din al-Kazaruni (14th century), physician
Kermani, Iwad (15th century), physician
Kermani, Shams-ud-Din, Islamic scholar
Al-Khazini (c. 1130), physicist
Khayyam, Omar (1048–1131), poet, mathematician, and astronomer
Khorasani, Sultan Ali (16th century), physician
Al-Kharaqī, astronomer and mathematician
Khujandi (c. 940–c. 1000), mathematician and astronomer
Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi (a.k.a. Al-Khwarazmi, c. 780–c. 850), creator of algorithm and algebra, mathematician and astronomer
Najm al-Dīn al-Qazwīnī al-Kātibī, logician and philosopher
Shams al-Din al-Khafri, astrologer
Abū Sahl al-Qūhī, mathematician and astronomer
Kubra, Najmeddin (1145–1220)
Abu Ishaq al-Kubunani (d. after 1481), mathematician, astronomer
Abu Zayn Kahhal, physician

M

Al-Mada'ini (752/753–843), historian
Mahani (9th century), mathematician and astronomer
Majusi, Ibn Abbas (?–c. 890), physician
Marvazi, Abu Taher (12th century), philosopher
Habash al-Hasib al-Marwazi, mathematician, astronomer, geographer
Masawaiyh (777–857), or Masuya
Mashallah ibn Athari (740–815), of Jewish origins, from Khorasan who designed the city of Baghdad based on Firouzabad
Miskawayh (932–1030), philosopher
Sharaf al-Zaman al-Marwazi, physician
Hamdallah Mustawfi (1281–1349), geographer
Mulla Sadra (1572–1640), philosopher
Ibn al-Muqaffa' (?–756), founder of Arabic prose along with Abdol-Hamid
bin Musa, Hasan (9th century), astronomer, mathematician
bin Musa, Ahmad (9th century), astronomer, inventor
bin Musa, Muhammad (9th century), astronomer, mathematician
Muhammad ibn Muhammad Tabrizi (13th century), philosopher
Abu Mansur al-Maturidi, Islamic scholar
Muqatil ibn Sulayman, mufassir of Quran
Ibn Manda, Hadith scholar
Abu Ahmad Monajjem (241/855-56–in 13 Rabi' I 300/29 October 912), music theorist, literary historian
Masarjawaih (7th century), physician
Muhammad Abdolrahman, physician

N

Nagawri (14th century), physician
Nahavandi, Benjamin, Jewish scholar
Nahavandi, Ahmad (9th century), astronomer
Nakhshabi (14th century), physician
Narshakhi (899–959), historian
Nasir Khusraw (1004–1088), scientist, Ismaili scholar, mathematician, philosopher, traveler and poet
Natili Tabari (10th century), physician
Naubakht (9th century), designer of the city of Baghdad
Naubakht, Fadhl ibn (8th century), astronomer
Nawbakhty (4th Hijri century), Islamic scholar, philosopher
Nizam al-Din Nishapuri, mathematician, astronomer, jurist, exegete, and poet
Nawbakhti, Ruh (10th century), Islamic scholar
Nayrizi (865–922), mathematician and astronomer
Naqshband, Baha ud-Din (1318–1389), philosopher
Abu al-Qasim al-Habib Neishapuri (18th century), physician
Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj (c. 815–875), Islamic scholar
Nurbakhshi (16th century), physician
Abu Hafs Umar an-Nasafi, theologian, mufassir, muhaddith and historian
Al-Nasa'i, hadith collector
Shihab al-Din Muhammad al-Nasawi, historian and biographer
Abu Nu`aym, Islamic scholar

O

Ostanes, ancient Persian alchemist

P

Paul the Persian (6th century), philosopher

Q

Qazwini, Zakariya (1203–1283), physician
Qumi, Qazi Sa’id (1633–1692), theologian
Qumri (10th century), physician
Ali Qushji (1403–16 December 1474), mathematician, astronomer and physician
Ali al-Qari, Islamic scholar
Ali Ibn Ibrahim Qomi, jurist and Shia scholar
Al-Quda'i (d. 1062), judge, preacher and historian in Fatimid Egypt

R

Fakhr al-Din al-Razi (1150-1210), islamic theologian, physician, astronomer
Razi, Amin (16th century), geographer
Razi, Zakariya (Rhazes) (c. 865–925), chemist, physician, and philosopher
Razi, Najmeddin (1177–1256), mystic
Rumi, Jalal ad-Din Muhammad (1207–1273), Muslim poet, jurist, Islamic scholar, theologian, and Sufi mystic
Rashid-al-Din Hamadani (1247–1318), historian, physician and politician
Abu Hatim Ahmad ibn Hamdan al-Razi, Ismaili philosopher
Rudaki (858–941), Persian poet

S

Sabzevari, Mulla Hadi (1797–1873), poet and philosopher
Saghani Ostorlabi (?–990), astronomer
Sahl, Fadl ibn (?–818), astronomer
Sahl, Shapur ibn (?–869), physician
Samarqandi, Najibeddin (13th century), physician
Samarqandi, Ashraf (c. 1250–c. 1310), mathematician, astronomer
Samarqandi, Dawlatshah (1438–1495/1507) biographer
Sarakhsi, Ahmad ibn al-Tayyib (9th century) historian and philosopher
Sarakhsi, Muhammad ibn Ahmad (?–1096), Islamic scholar
Ahmad ibn al-Tayyib al-Sarakhsi, historian, traveller
Shahrastani (1086–1153), historian of religions
Shahrazuri (13th century), philosopher and physician
Shahrazuri, Ibn al-Salah (1181–1245), Islamic scholar
Shaykh Tusi (996–1067), Islamic scholar
Ibn Babawayh (923–991), theologian
Ibn Sahl, mathematician, physicist
Abu ul-Ala Shirazi (d. 1001 CE), physician
Shaykh Muhammad ibn Thaleb, physician
Shirazi, Imad al-Din Mas'ud (16th century), physician
Shirazi, Muhammad Hadi Khorasani (18th century), physician
Shirazi, Qutbeddin (1236–1311), astronomer
Shirazi, Mahmud ibn Ilyas (18th century), physician
Shirazi, Najm al-Din Mahmud ibn Ilyas (?–1330), physician
Shirazi, Qurayshi (17th century), physician
Shirazi, Sultan Waezin (1894–1971), theologian
Sibawayh, linguist and grammarian
Sijzi (c. 945–c. 1020), mathematician and astronomer
Sijzi, Mas'ud (14th century), physician
Abd al-Rahman al-Sufi (903–986), astronomer from Ray who invented the meridian ring
Mūsā ibn Shākir, astronomer
Suhrawardi, Shahab al-Din (1155–1191), philosopher
Abu Sulayman Sijistani, philosopher
‘Abd ar-Razzaq as-San‘ani, Islamic scholar
Zayn al-Din Omar Savaji, philosopher and logician
Zeynalabdin Shirvani, geographer, philosopher and poet
Abu Yaqub al-Sijistani, Ismaili philosopher
Abu'l-'Anbas Saymari, astrologer

T

Tabarani, Abu al-Qasim (873–970), Islamic scholar
Tabari Amoli (839–923), historian
Tabari, ibn Farrukhan (?–815), astrologer and architect
Tabari, Abul Hasan (10th century), physician
Tabari, Ibn Sahl (c. 783–c. 858), Jewish convert physician, master of Rhazes
Tabrizi, Maqsud Ali (17th century), physician
Taftazani (1322–1390), theologian, linguist
Tayfur, Ibn Abi Tahir (819–893), linguist
Tirmidhi (824–892), Islamic scholar
Tunakabuni (17th century), physician
Tughra'i (c. 1061–1122), physician
Tusi, Nizam ol-Molk (1018–1092), Persian scholar and vizier of the Seljuq Empire
Tusi, Nasireddin (1201–1274), Persian polymath, architect, philosopher, physician, scientist, and theologian
Tusi, Sharafeddin (?–1213/4), mathematician
Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Tha'labi, Islamic scholar
'Abd al-Hamīd ibn Turk, Persian or Turkish mathematician

U

Safi al-Din al-Urmawi (c. 1216–1294), musician
Abu al‐Uqul al‐Tabari (14th century), Yemenite astronomer of Iranian origin

V

Amin al-Din Rashid al-Din Vatvat (13th century), scholar and physician

W

Waqidi (748–822), historian
Wassaf, historian
Al-Wabkanawi, astronomer

Y

Yaʿqūb ibn Ṭāriq (?–796), mathematician and astronomer
Yunus ibn Habib, linguist
Yahya ibn Ma'in, Islamic scholar
Yunus al-Katib al-Mughanni, musician
Yahya ibn Abi Mansur (d. 830 CE), astronomer

Z

Dawud al-Zahiri (815–834) theologian and historian
Zamakhshari (1074/5–1143/4), scholar and geographer
Muhammad Zarrindast (11th century), oculist
Zayn-e-Attar (?–c. 1403), physician
Zarir Jurjani (9th century), mathematician and astronomer
Zakariya al-Qazwini (1203–1283) physician, astronomer, geographer, and proto-science fiction writer

Notes

^ Brentjes, Sonja. Jan P. Hogendijk, “The Geometrical Works of Abu Sa’id al-Darir al-Jurjani”. SCIAMVS 2, (2001), pp. 47-74., Abstracta Iranica [En ligne], Volume 26 | 2005, document 324, mis en ligne le 07 décembre 2005, consulté le 05 juin 2021. [1]
^ Calvo, Emilia, “Khāzin,” The Biographical Encyclopedia of Astronomers, editor-in-chief Thomas Hockey, New York: Springer-Verlag (2014) 1191-1192 | ISBN 978-1-4419-9916-0 [2]
^ Vadet, J.-C., “Ibn al-K̲h̲aṣīb”, Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition, Edited by: P. Bearman, Th. Bianquis, C.E. Bosworth, E. van Donzel, W.P. Heinrichs. Consulted online on 05 June 2021 [3]
^ Negahban, Farzin, “Abū al-Ḥasan al-Ahwāzī”, Encyclopaedia Islamica, Editors-in-Chief: Wilferd Madelung and, Farhad Daftary. Consulted online on 04 February 2017 [4]
^ Walker, Paul E., “EḴWĀN AL-ṢAFĀʾ,” Encyclopaedia Iranica
^ Pingree, David E., “Abū Maʿshar al-Balkhī,” Dictionary of Scientific Biography, editor-in-chief Charles Coulston Gillispie, New York: Charles Scribner's Sons (1970-1980) vol. 1, pp. 32-39; Idem, Abū Maʿshar Al-Balkhī, Jaʿfar Ibn Muḥammad, Complete Dictionary of Scientific Biography. Encyclopedia.com [5]
^ Watt, W. M., “ABŪ ZAYD BALḴĪ,” Encyclopædia Iranica
^ Hamedani, Hossein Masoumi and Esots, Janis, “Banū Mūsā”, Encyclopaedia Islamica, Editors-in-Chief: Wilferd Madelung and, Farhad Daftary. Consulted online on 06 June 2021 [6]
^ (Multiple Authors), BĪRŪNĪ, ABŪ RAYḤĀN – Encyclopaedia Iranica
^ Kusuba, Takanori, “Birjandi,” The Biographical Encyclopedia of Astronomers, editor-in-chief Thomas Hockey, Springer Reference, New York: Springer-Verlag (2014) pp. 225-226. ISBN 978-1-4419-9916-0
^ Biesterfeldt, H. H., “AḴAWAYNĪ BOḴĀRĪ,” Encyclopædia Iranica
^ Lewin, B., “Al-Dīnawarī,” Encyclopaedia of Islam, second edition, eds. H. A. R. Gibb, J. H. Kramers, E. Lévi-Provençal, J. Schacht, Leiden: Brill (1954–2005) vol. 2, p. 300; Pellat, Charles, “DĪNAVARĪ, ABŪ ḤANĪFA AḤMAD,” Encyclopaedia Iranica [7]
^ Sabra, A. I., “AL-FARGHĀNĪ,” Dictionary of Scientific Biography, editor-in-chief Charles Coulston Gillispie, New York: Charles Scribner's Sons (1970-1980) vol. 4, pp. 541-545; Pingree, David E., “FARḠĀNĪ, AḤMAD,” Encyclopaedia Iranica [8]
^ Druart, Therese-Anne, "al-Farabi", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Fall 2020 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), [9]

[1] Brentjes, Sonja. Jan P. Hogendijk, “The Geometrical Works of Abu Sa’id al-Darir al-Jurjani”. SCIAMVS 2, (2001), pp. 47-74., Abstracta Iranica [En ligne], Volume 26 | 2005, document 324, mis en ligne le 07 décembre 2005, consulté le 05 juin 2021. [1]

[2] Calvo, Emilia, “Khāzin,” The Biographical Encyclopedia of Astronomers, editor-in-chief Thomas Hockey, New York: Springer-Verlag (2014) 1191-1192 | ISBN 978-1-4419-9916-0 [2]

[3] Vadet, J.-C., “Ibn al-K̲h̲aṣīb”, Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition, Edited by: P. Bearman, Th. Bianquis, C.E. Bosworth, E. van Donzel, W.P. Heinrichs. Consulted online on 05 June 2021 [3]

[4] Negahban, Farzin, “Abū al-Ḥasan al-Ahwāzī”, Encyclopaedia Islamica, Editors-in-Chief: Wilferd Madelung and, Farhad Daftary. Consulted online on 04 February 2017 [4]

[5] Walker, Paul E., “EḴWĀN AL-ṢAFĀʾ,” Encyclopaedia Iranica

[6] Pingree, David E., “Abū Maʿshar al-Balkhī,” Dictionary of Scientific Biography, editor-in-chief Charles Coulston Gillispie, New York: Charles Scribner's Sons (1970-1980) vol. 1, pp. 32-39; Idem, Abū Maʿshar Al-Balkhī, Jaʿfar Ibn Muḥammad, Complete Dictionary of Scientific Biography. Encyclopedia.com [5]

[7] Watt, W. M., “ABŪ ZAYD BALḴĪ,” Encyclopædia Iranica

[8] Hamedani, Hossein Masoumi and Esots, Janis, “Banū Mūsā”, Encyclopaedia Islamica, Editors-in-Chief: Wilferd Madelung and, Farhad Daftary. Consulted online on 06 June 2021 [6]

[9] (Multiple Authors), BĪRŪNĪ, ABŪ RAYḤĀN – Encyclopaedia Iranica

[10] Kusuba, Takanori, “Birjandi,” The Biographical Encyclopedia of Astronomers, editor-in-chief Thomas Hockey, Springer Reference, New York: Springer-Verlag (2014) pp. 225-226. ISBN 978-1-4419-9916-0

[11] Biesterfeldt, H. H., “AḴAWAYNĪ BOḴĀRĪ,” Encyclopædia Iranica

[12] Lewin, B., “Al-Dīnawarī,” Encyclopaedia of Islam, second edition, eds. H. A. R. Gibb, J. H. Kramers, E. Lévi-Provençal, J. Schacht, Leiden: Brill (1954–2005) vol. 2, p. 300; Pellat, Charles, “DĪNAVARĪ, ABŪ ḤANĪFA AḤMAD,” Encyclopaedia Iranica [7]

[13] Sabra, A. I., “AL-FARGHĀNĪ,” Dictionary of Scientific Biography, editor-in-chief Charles Coulston Gillispie, New York: Charles Scribner's Sons (1970-1980) vol. 4, pp. 541-545; Pingree, David E., “FARḠĀNĪ, AḤMAD,” Encyclopaedia Iranica [8]

[14] Druart, Therese-Anne, "al-Farabi", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Fall 2020 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), [9]

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

List of pre-modern Iranian scientists and scholars

A

B

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

M

N

O

P

Q

R

S

T

U

V

W

Y

Z

See also

Notes