Kitāb al-Ḥashāʾish
| Author | Based on De Materia Medica by Pedanius Dioscorides |
|---|---|
| Original title | كتاب الحشائش |
| Translator | Istifan ibn Basil (trad.) Ḥunayn ibn Isḥaq (rev.) |
| Language | Arabic |
| Subject | Materia medica; Pharmacology; Botany |
| Genre | Scientific treatise |
Publication date | 9th century |
| Publication place | Abbasid Caliphate |
| Media type | Manuscript |
Kitāb al-Ḥashāʾish (Arabic: كتاب الحشائش, Book of Medicinal Plants) is a medieval Arabic pharmacological and botanical book that deals with medicinal plants, minerals, and animal-derived substances.[1][2] The work forms part of the Islamic scientific tradition of materia medica and reflects the transmission, translation, and expansion of Greco-Roman medical knowledge in the medieval Islamic world.[3][4][5] It is based on De materia medica which was written by Pedanius Dioscorides, a Greek physician in the Roman army. It was widely read for more than 1,500 years until supplanted by revised herbals in the Renaissance, making it one of the longest-lasting of all natural history and pharmacology books.
The manuscript copy of Kitāb al-Ḥashāʾish are preserved in the Khuda Bakhsh Oriental Library.[6][7][8]
References
- ^ "Double folio from a Kitab-i hasha'ish (The book of herbs) - National Museum of Asian Art". National Museum of Asian Art. Retrieved 2026-01-02.
- ^ Levey, Martin (1973-01-01). Early Arabic Pharmacology. BRILL. ISBN 978-90-04-66173-8.
- ^ Pickstone, John V. (1989). "Some Manchester sources for the history of sciences, technology and medicine, with special reference to the John Rylands University Library of Manchester". Bulletin of the John Rylands Library. 71 (2): 141–158. doi:10.7227/bjrl.71.2.6. ISSN 2054-9326.
- ^ Dols, Michael W. (1979-01-01), "Manfred Ullmann, Islamic Medicine. Islamic Surveys Series 11. Edinburgh University Press, 1978. xiv, 138 pp., illus. £4.50.", Clio Medica : Acta Academiae Internationalis Historiae Medicinae, Vol. 14, BRILL, pp. 147–148, ISBN 978-90-04-41826-4, retrieved 2026-01-02
{{citation}}: CS1 maint: work parameter with ISBN (link) - ^ Phillips, J. H. (1988). "John M. Riddle, Dioscorides on pharmacy and medicine, Austin, University of Texas Press, 1985, 8vo, pp. xxvii, 298, illus". Medical History. 32 (1): 112–113. doi:10.1017/s002572730004789x. ISSN 0025-7273.
- ^ "In Bihar, 19th-century library holds India's treasure trove of Arabic manuscripts". Arab News. 2025-04-18. Retrieved 2026-01-02.
- ^ "KITAB AL-HASHA'ISH". christies.
- ^ "Khuda Bakhsh Oriental Public Library (Bankipur) | Al-Furqan Islamic Heritage Foundation". Al-Furqan. Retrieved 2026-01-02.