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Temperament (al-mizaj)

المزاج

For Ibn Sina a temperament (mizaj) is a state that results from the interaction of opposite qualities, once its definition is grasped 1. The primary qualities in the elements are four: heat, cold, moisture and dryness 1. It is treated in the third section of Book I, Fann 1, in three chapters 1.

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Overview

For Ibn Sina a temperament (mizaj) is a state arising from the interaction of contrary qualities held at their bound 1. The primary qualities in the elements are four: heat, cold, moisture and dryness 1. The temperament is treated in the third lesson of the first fann, in three chapters 1.

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Part of
Medicine

People and things also explored

Anatomy· Disease (al-marad)· The four elements (al-arkan)· Health (al-sihha)· Humours (al-akhlat)· Medical treatment (al-mu'alaja)· Powers and actions (al-quwa wal-af'al)· Regimen of health (al-tadbir)

Sources

  1. The Canon of Medicine, vol. 1 (Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyya, Beirut, 1999) , p.19
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islam.museum contributors. “Temperament (al-mizaj)”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/concept/temperament/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Last updated 2026-10-22.

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