Qutb al-Din al-Shirazi

Qutb al-Din al-Shirazi was a 13th-century Persian polymath and poet who made contributions to astronomy, mathematics, medicine, physics, music theory, philosophy and Sufism. He was born in Kazerun in October 1236 to a family with a tradition of Sufism. His father, Zia' al-Din Mas'ud Kazeruni was a physician by profession and also a leading Sufi of the Kazeruni order. Qutb al-Din received his education in medicine, philosophy and theology from his father and other masters of his time. He also studied the Canon of Avicenna and its commentaries, and wrote his own commentary on it with the help of Nasir al-Din al-Tusi. Qutb al-Din was interested in astronomy and joined the observatory of Maragha, where he worked with al-Tusi and other famous astronomers. He devised a geometrical model for planetary longitudes that involved a minimum of rotating vectors. He also wrote several books on astronomy, such as Almagest (a commentary on Ptolemy's work), The Royal Present (a summary of astronomical knowledge), and Pearly Crown (a treatise on the construction and use of astrolabes). He also made observations of lunar and solar eclipses, comets and planetary conjunctions. Qutb al-Din was also a poet and a Sufi. He wrote poems in Persian and Arabic, some of which are preserved in his works. He was influenced by the teachings of Suhrawardi and Ibn Arabi, and followed the Sufi path of love and gnosis. He received his Sufi robe from his father and later from Najib al-Din Bozgush Shirazni. He also had a close relationship with Jalal al-Din Rumi, whom he met in Konya and exchanged poems with. Qutb al-Din died in Tabriz on 7 February 1311 at the age of 75. He was buried in the Charandab cemetery of the city. He left behind a legacy of scientific and literary works that influenced many later scholars and thinkers.