Abū Marwān ˓Abd al‐Mālik ibn Ẓuhr (Latin: Avenzoar; 484–557/1092–1162) belonged to the Arabian tribe of lyād, Banū Ẓuhr. His father, Abū al‐ ˓Alā ibn Ẓuhr (d. 525/1131), was a respected physician in the courts of the Murābiṭ dynasty (482–541/1090–1147). He trained his son in the art and craft of medicine.
Like his father, Ibn Ẓuhr started his career in the service of the Murābiṭ dynasty and earned a good reputation. During the reign of ˓Ali ibn Tashfīn (499–537/1106–1143), he served at the palace in Marrakesh, Morocco, where his life was full of trials and tribulations. In ca. 535/1141, he was stripped of his official position and imprisoned. Although he was pardoned and released, he endured a hard life in prison and the experience left a resentment in his heart against the ruling dynasty.
The beginning of the reign of al‐Muwāḥḥidūn proved to be a blessing for Ibn Ẓuhr. He was not only appointed as an official physician but also became a wazīr in the court of Abū Muḥammad ˓Abd...
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