A Reading of the Manuscript of the Book Al-Ain: Two Hundred and Seven Questions by Hunayn ibn Ishaq al-Abbadi

Abstract

Hunayn ibn Ishaq al-Abbadi al-Nasrani (d. 264 AH) is considered one of the most famous authors and translators of medical texts, using the correct scientific method. He enjoyed the trust of the Abbasid Caliphs al-Ma'mun and al-Mutawakkil, as he served as head of the House of Wisdom during their reigns. He was also the chief physician during the reign of Caliph al-Mutawakkil. He wrote a book on examining physicians, and he authored nearly one hundred books on medicine in general, including works on ophthalmology, He is also credited with finding a new method of translation that does not depend on literal translation but on meaning, as he followed the method of the Alexandrian School in translation that depends on question and answer, and on the basis of this method he wrote a book on the eye known as (The Book of Questions on the Eye) which is two hundred and seven questions that he wrote for his two sons Isaac and David. It is a manuscript in the British Library / Oriental Manuscripts Department published online by the Qatar National Library. We have decided here to have a reading of the manuscript (The Book of the Eye: Two Hundred and Seven Issues), which is a summary of the book (The Ten Articles on the Eye), which Hunayn had previously written, but it seems that Hunayn wanted it to be an educational book for teaching medical students, and therefore he followed this method, which is the method of the Alexandrian School As we mentioned earlier, the question-and-answer method was a popular teaching method at the time.