LIFE OF BU ALI SINA

Bu Ali Sina was born in the year 370 A.H. at Bukhara and died in the year 428 A.H. at Hamadan, Iran. He was given the title of “Master of Learning and Erudition”. He was a great physician, philosopher, mathematician and chemist. Even in child hood, he had tremendous memory and the capabilities of observing and understanding. In Europe and the West, he was known as “Avicenna”.He had an exceptional eye-sight as he could see a horse rider from 14 miles! He had written a book on the treatment of ailments called “Al-Qanoon” consisting of about 120,000 sentences. To save his life, he had to leave his city in haste and the book was left behind. At the new place, people wanted to read his book. He asked for two copyists and reproduced those 120,000 sentences from his excellent memory. Later, when the original book was retrieved and compared to the new book, it was observed that it was exactly the same!

Bu Ali Sina had exceptional memory. While he was still a young man, he was staying with his father. His father was transferred to Bukhara and the governor of Bukhara fell seriously ill. All top physicians of the town tried to treat him but failed. Bu Ali Sina offered to treat the governor and he was cured by his treatment. The governor was very pleased and wanted to reward him. Bu Ali Sina wanted the access to his library which was accepted. In those days books were in the form of manuscripts and required very careful handling. Accidentally the library caught fire and all the books were burnt out. Bu Ali Sina offered to dictate the contents of all the books but some of his enemies blamed him for the fire and the opportunity was denied to him.

He had to move from city to city as Mahmud Ghaznavi was a staunch enemy of Shias of Ahlul Bayt (a.s.)

Though his family was Isma'ili but he did not subscribe to their faith. He converted to the Shia faith and as soon as he adopted the path of Ahlul Bayt (a.s.), he left every social evil, distributed his wealth to the poor and became a true follower of Ahlul Bayt (a.s.) and a practicing Shia.

Two persons saw the Noble Messenger (s.a.w.a.s.) in their dreams. Shaikh Mujaddadeen Baghdadi, a Sunni scholar saw the Messenger of Allah in his dream and asked about Bu Ali Sina, before his convertion to Shia faith. The Noble Messenger (s.a.w.a.s.) said that Bu Ali Sina was seeking Allah without accessing him (Prophet) hence he will go to Hell.

Shaikh Baha'i in his “Kashkool” narrates that a faithful used to pass by the grave of Bu Ali Sina in Hamadan and used to pray for the dead buried in the graveyard but did not pray for Bu Ali Sina thinking that he was not on the “Right Path” Once, the man saw the Noble Messenger (s.a.w.a.s.) in his dream and Bu Ali Sina was sitting near the Noble Messenger (s.a.w.a.s.). On inquiry, as to how Bu Ali Sina was close to him, he (s.a.w.a.s.) replied, “O Person! Despite your ignorance you know that the faith of the persons following only the Six Imams is not right. Then how is it possible that the erudite, learned Bu Ali Sina would not recognize the “True Faith”?”

Mahmud Ghaznavi also learned that he was also a follower of Ahlu Bayt (a.s.). But Bu Ali Sina was the least worried and was ready to sacrifice his life for the love of Ahlul Bayt (a.s.).

While in Isfahan, Bu Ali Sina witnessed that a small child of 4 years asking an iron-smith for some embers of burning coal for his mother. When the iron-smith asked if he had any container to carry the hot burning coal, the child picked up some sand and carried the red hot coal. Bu Ali Sina was impressed by his intelligence and made him his disciple. His name was Bahman Yar.

There is a law of nature that when a person thinks that he is perfect in his skills, it shatters him and his pride is dashed on the ground. Once prophet Musa had such a thought and he was sent to Hazrat Khizr to experience what the knowledge was. Similar thoughts came in Bu Ali Sina's mind. But he heard that there was a physician in that small town who would tell what the patients had eaten by putting his hand on the pulse of the patient. He was curious to visit him. He went to that physician and sat the whole day with him. In the evening he inquired of the physician about the secret. He replied that the people in the town were very clumsy. Whenever they ate, they spilled the particles of the food on their clothes and with his keen observation in most cases, he would be able tell as to what they had eaten!

Sources: Islamic-Laws.com, Lectures of Maulana Sadiq Hasan, muslimphilosophy.com