Ahmad ibn al-Tayyib al-Sarakhsi | |
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Born | |
Died | 899 CE |
Nationality | Persian |
Occupation(s) | Traveler, Historian, Philosopher |
Ahmad ibn al-Tayyib al-Sarakhsi (Persian: أحمد بن الطيب السرخسي; died 899 CE) was a Persian[1] traveler, historian and philosopher from the city of Sarakhs. He was a pupil of al-Kindi.[2]
Al-Sarakhsi was killed by Caliph al-Mu'tadid because, according to an anecdote preserved in Yaqut al-Hamawi's Mu'jam al-Udaba', he had urged the caliph towards apostasy. Al-Biruni reports in his Chronology that al-Sarakhsi had written books in which he denounced prophecy and ridiculed the prophets, whom he styled charlatans. However, Rosenthal has disputed the historicity of the stories that claim al-Sarakhsi was executed for heretical beliefs.[3]
The physicians of the caliphs continued to be Christians and Jews until the time of the caliph al-Muctadid who had a Persian Muslim physician, Ahmad b. al-Tayyib al-Sarakhsl.