Ibn al‑Nafis (1213–1288): Father of Circulatory Physiology
By M. Basheer Ahmed, MD, New Age Islam
09 June 2026
Ibn al‑Nafis (c. 1210–1288 CE) was one of the greatest physicians in world history. He was born in Damascus during the vibrant Islamic Golden Age (roughly 8th to 14th century CE), an era of unparalleled scientific, philosophical, and medical achievement in the Muslim world.
The Baitul Hikma (House of Wisdom) in Baghdad, established by Abbasid caliphs, was the first major center where Muslim, Christian, and Jewish scholars collaborated to translate ancient Indian, Roman, and Greek works into Arabic. These translations became the foundation of knowledge for medieval Muslim scholars. Similar intellectual centers flourished from Baghdad to Cordoba, Damascus, Cairo, and Samarkand.
Scholars in the Islamic world did far more than preserve ancient Greek knowledge. They translated, critiqued, expanded, corrected, and surpassed the works of Aristotle, Hippocrates, and Galen, producing original writings that formed the foundation of modern science and medicine. Great libraries, observatories, and academic hospitals thrived in these cities. Scholars of Arab, Persian, Turkish, and Central Asian backgrounds produced thousands of manuscripts; many were polymaths who worked across many fields. During this period (4th–14th century CE), while Europe was in the Dark Ages, Muslim scientists illuminated the world with their knowledge.
Notable Scholars of the Islamic Golden Age Al-Khwarizmi (780–850) – “Father of Algebra”; introduced Indian numerals to Europe; his work on algebra became foundational to computer science.
Al-Kindi (801–873) – “Father of Arab philosophy”; worked in optics, mathematics, and music theory.
Al-Razi (Rhazes, 854–925) – Pioneered clinical medicine; first to distinguish smallpox from measles; described hospital hygiene.
Al-Zahrawi (Abulcasis, 936–1013) – “Father of surgery”; invented over 200 surgical instruments; his medical encyclopedia was used in Europe for centuries.
Ibn al‑Haytham (965–1040) – First scientist to use experimental proof of a hypothesis; “Father of optics”; correctly explained vision.
Al-Biruni (973–1048) – Mathematician, astronomer, geographer; calculated Earth’s circumference with remarkable precision.
Ibn Sina (Avicenna, 980–1037) – “Father of early modern medicine”; his Canon of Medicine was the standard textbook in Europe and the Islamic world for 600 years.
Ibn Khaldun (1332–1406) – “Father of sociology”; historian, philosopher, and sociologist.
Ibn al‑Nafis (1213–1288) – Discoverer of pulmonary and coronary artery circulation.
A Prolific Writer
Ibn al‑Nafis undertook the monumental task of composing a 300‑volume Encyclopedia of Medicine (Al‑Shamil fi al‑Tibb). He completed 80 volumes before his death, but only 28 survive, preserved in Damascus. One of his most important works was his Commentary on Anatomy in Avicenna’s Canon (Sharh Tashrih al-Qanun Ibn Sina).
Early Life and Education
Born in Damascus in 1212 CE, Ibn al‑Nafis studied Islamic jurisprudence, philosophy, literature, and medicine from an early age. His medical training took place at the Bimaristan al‑Noori in Damascus (founded 1154 CE)—one of the first teaching hospitals, where patient care (regardless of religion, gender, or social class), medical education, and scholarly research were integrated, centuries before European medical schools existed.
In 1236, at age 23, he moved to Cairo. He worked at the Al‑Nassri Hospital and later became physician‑in‑chief at the prestigious Al‑Mansouri Hospital, as well as personal physician to the Sultan. His reputation spread throughout the Islamic world and beyond, earning him the admiring title “the second Avicenna.” At age 29, he wrote his most important work—the Commentary on Anatomy in Avicenna’s Canon—which contained his groundbreaking description of pulmonary circulation.
His deep religious faith motivated his pursuit of knowledge; he believed scientific inquiry was a form of worship and that understanding the human body revealed the wisdom of the Creator. Ibn al‑Nafis was an orthodox Sunni Muslim and wrote extensively in law, theology, philosophy, sociology, and astronomy.
He died in 1288 in Cairo. In a final act of extraordinary generosity, he donated his home, his medical clinic, and his entire private library to the Al‑Mansouri Hospital.
Challenging Galen and Ibn Sina In Ibn al‑Nafis’s time, the teachings of Galen (2nd century CE) and Ibn Sina (11th century CE) dominated academic circles. Galen’s writings on anatomy and physiology were accepted as infallible for over 1,000 years. Ibn Sina’s Canon systematized and built upon Galen’s theories. Ibn al‑Nafis wrote his famous commentary precisely on Avicenna’s Canon—and that commentary contained his revolutionary discovery.
The old theory stated that blood flowed to the right ventricle, where some entered the lungs through the pulmonary artery to nourish them, but the remainder reached the left ventricle through “invisible pores” in the interventricular septum. The existence of these pores puzzled anatomists for over a thousand years. Ibn al‑Nafis insisted that hypotheses must be tested through observation and evidence. He was the first to challenge the long‑accepted views of Galen and Ibn Sina.
The Great Discovery: Pulmonary Circulation
Galen’s wrong theory: Blood was continuously manufactured in the liver from digested food. From the liver, blood flowed into the right ventricle, then some passed through invisible pores in the interventricular septum directly into the left ventricle, where it mixed with air from the lungs to create “vital spirit.” The pores do not exist. For over 1,000 years, nobody challenged Galen—until Ibn al‑Nafis.
Ibn al‑Nafis’s discovery (c. 1242 CE): Around 1242, at approximately age 29, Ibn al‑Nafis wrote a landmark 20‑volume commentary on Ibn Sina’s Canon, correcting numerous anatomical errors with diagrams and explanations. He made three important advances:
No pores – He stated categorically that the interventricular septum is not porous and cannot allow blood to travel through it.
Pulmonary circulation – Since there is no communication between the right and left ventricles, blood from the right ventricle can only reach the left ventricle via the pulmonary veins. The lungs oxygenate the blood, which then travels back to the left atrium and ventricle via the pulmonary vein.
Structure of the lungs – He provided the earliest detailed description of the lungs, bronchi, and the interaction between air and blood vessels. More than 400 years before the microscope, he reasoned that tiny, invisible passages (manafidh, Arabic for “outlets, pores, or passages”) within the lung tissue connect the pulmonary artery branches to the pulmonary vein branches.
In 1661 CE, Italian scientist Marcello Malpighi used an early microscope to examine frog lungs and confirmed the existence of these capillary vessels—exactly as Ibn al‑Nafis had predicted, 419 years later.
Coronary Arteries
Ibn al‑Nafis was also the first physician to describe that the heart muscle (myocardium) receives its own dedicated blood supply through coronary vessels branching from the aorta—the foundational concept behind our modern understanding of heart attacks (myocardial infarctions).
Ibn al‑Nafis vs. European Scientists
European scientists later received credit for discovering blood circulation. In 1628, William Harvey demonstrated experimentally that blood moves from the right ventricle to the lungs and returns to the left ventricle, and that no pores exist in the septum. He confirmed what Ibn al‑Nafis had written three centuries earlier. Harvey was praised as the founder of circulatory physiology.
A long‑debated question is whether European physicians—Servetus, Colombo, Valverde, Vesalius, and Harvey—were aware of Ibn al‑Nafis’s work. Several facts suggest they may have been. Andrea Alpago, a professor at Padua University, spent 30 years in Syria translating Arabic medical texts, including Ibn al‑Nafis’s work on pulmonary circulation (printed in Venice in 1547). Harvey earned his medical degree at Padua University in 1602, where Arabic medical texts were widely studied. Servetus’s description of pulmonary circulation (1553) is strikingly similar to Ibn al‑Nafis’s account. Ibn al‑Nafis made his discoveries first, independently, and correctly—but was denied credit for centuries due to historical barriers between civilizations.
Rediscovery of His Manuscript
In the early 20th century, a young Egyptian physician, Muhyo al‑Deen el‑Tatawi, discovered a copy of the Commentary in the Prussian State Library in Berlin while preparing his doctoral thesis at the University of Freiburg. The eminent orientalist Max Meyerhof recognized its importance, preserved the manuscript, and later published key sections. Without this intervention, Ibn al‑Nafis’s groundbreaking work might have been lost forever.
Modern Recognition
Today, Ibn al‑Nafis is honoured worldwide. Medical institutions in Egypt, Syria, and across the Middle East bear his name. Postage stamps have been issued in his honor by Arab nations. He is now firmly established as the “Father of Circulatory Physiology”—a title that acknowledges not just his priority in time but the quality and depth of his reasoning.
Conclusion
Ibn al‑Nafis wrote over 110 medical works, though many are lost. His surviving writings reveal a brilliant mind committed to scientific truth, religious devotion, and intellectual courage. His discovery of pulmonary circulation stands as one of the most important milestones in cardiovascular science.
He lived during a turbulent era—Crusader invasions and the Mongol destruction of Baghdad in 1258 CE. Yet despite this turmoil, scientific activity in Damascus and Cairo remained vibrant. As noted in Rise and Fall of Human Civilization, the decline of Muslim scientific culture began earlier, when theologians discouraged inquiry, rulers withdrew support, and universities stopped teaching science. Ibn al‑Nafis stands as a powerful example of a scholar who produced groundbreaking research even as the Muslim world was in crisis.
A Challenge to Every Young Student
Ibn al‑Nafis did not discover pulmonary circulation because he had better technology than anyone else. He had less. He discovered it because he refused to accept what “everyone knew” as true.
Question absolute authority – Just because something is written in a textbook—or said by a famous person or believed for a thousand years—does not make it correct. Ask: What is the evidence?
Observe for yourself – Ibn al‑Nafis dissected, looked, and reasoned. He did not rely on secondhand claims. Test ideas with your own eyes and hands.
Have the courage to be wrong, and the courage to be right – He knew he was contradicting Galen and Ibn Sina, two untouchable giants. He wrote it anyway. Speak truth with humility but without fear.
Let your knowledge serve others – He donated his home, clinic, and library to a hospital. Let your education be a tool of service, not just personal success.
Know your history – You come from a civilization that once led the world in science, medicine, and philosophy. That legacy is yours to reclaim—not by boasting about the past, but by building a future worthy of it.
Ibn al‑Nafis believed that scientific inquiry was a form of worship, because understanding the human body reveals the wisdom of the Creator. Whether you share that faith or not, the core principle is universal: the pursuit of truth is a sacred act.
The world today faces new pandemics, climate crises, and health inequalities. It needs a new generation of Ibn al‑Nafises—young people who will not accept injustice or falsehood just because “that’s how it has always been.”
Question. Observe. Serve. And when you discover something true—no matter how small—have the courage to write: “They were wrong. Here is the evidence.”
That is the legacy of Ibn al‑Nafis. Now it is yours.
References
1. Wikipedia contributors. “Ibn al-Nafis.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ibn_al-Nafis [Accessed 2026
2. West, J. B. “Ibn al-Nafis, the pulmonary circulation, and the Islamic Golden Age.” Journal of Applied Physiology , 2008; 105(6): 1877–1880
3. Haddad, S. I. & Khairallah, A. A. “A Forgotten Chapter in the History of the Circulation of Blood.” Annals of Surgery , 1936; 104(1): 1–8. [The landmark 1924 rediscovery described
4 Coppola, E.D. The Discovery of the Pulmonary Circulation: A New Approach. Bull Hist Med 1957;31:44-77
...
Dr. Basheer Ahmed is a physician, humanitarian, and advocate for interfaith understanding and global peace. He is a former Professor of Psychiatry, UT, Southwestern Medical School Dallas, President Emeritus of Institute of Medieval and Post- Medieval Studies (IMPMS), and Chairman Emeritus of the Muslim Community Centre for Human Service.
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-science/ibn-al-nafis-father-of-circulatory-physiology-/d/140317
New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism