Al-Ghafiqi

Al-Ghafiqi, full name Abu Muhammad al-Ghafiqi, was an influential 12th-century Muslim botanist and herbalist from Al-Andalus, present-day Spain. He is best known for his work “Kitab al-Adwiya al-Mufrada,” or “Book of Simple Medicines,” which cataloged various medicinal plants and their uses. This text was significant in the history of medicine and influenced later herbalists in both the Islamic world and Europe. Al-Ghafiqi’s contributions helped bridge knowledge of natural remedies, laying groundwork for the development of pharmacology and the understanding of medicinal botany.