Ibn al-Bitar's resources in the comprehensive book of the vocabulary of medicines and foods: Collection and study

This study offers a comprehensive examination of the scientific sources used by the eminent Andalusian scholar Ibn al-Bayṭār in his monumental work “The Comprehensive Book on Simple Drugs and Foods.” The research aims to identify and analyze the references upon which Ibn al-Bayṭār built his material, highlight his methodological approach in quoting, comparing, and verifying earlier medical texts, and explore the scientific foundations of the botanical, animal-based, and mineral substances included in his encyclopedia. Ibn al-Bayṭār relied on more than 150 major sources, most notably the works of Dioscorides, Galen, and Hippocrates, in addition to the contributions of Muslim physicians such as al-Rāzī, Ibn Sīnā, al-Tamīmī, Ibn al-Rūmiyya, and others. The study reveals Ibn al-Bayṭār’s rigorous analytical method, especially his reliance on direct observation, experimentation, and empirical verification in assessing the benefits and harms of medicinal substances. His critical approach allowed him to correct mistranslations, identify inaccuracies in earlier works, and enrich the pharmacological knowledge of his time. This research classifies Ibn al-Bayṭār’s sources according to the major medical traditions and highlights the encyclopedic value of his book as a foundational reference in the history of pharmacy—one that bridged earlier medical heritage and later scientific advancements within Islamic civilization.