Abul Qasim ibn Mohammed al-Ghassani

Al-Ghassani was born in Fez to a family of Morisco descent that had emigrated from Al-Andalus. He studied medicine and pharmacology under his father, who was also a skilled physician. He spent his life moving between the dual capitals of Marrakesh and Fez, serving the Saadian elite. Beyond his medical practice, he was a distinguished scholar of the Maliki school of law and served as a judge and a "Wazir" (minister), a title that reflects his high standing in the Saadian administration. He died in Marrakesh in 1610. == Works ==

Al-Ghassani is best known for his monumental work on pharmacology and botany, titled Hadiqat al-azhar fi mahiyyat al-ushb wa-l-aqqar (; Garden of Flowers in the Explanation of the Character of Herbs and Drugs). In this treatise, he identified and classified over 380 species of plants, providing their names in Arabic, Berber (Tamazight), and sometimes Spanish (Latini). The work is considered one of the most important North African contributions to post-classical Islamic medicine and was frequently cited by later scholars in the Maghreb. == Diplomacy ==

In 1610, Sultan Zidan Abu Maali appointed Al-Ghassani as an envoy to the Low Countries (The Dutch Republic). His mission was part of the Moroccan–Dutch alliance, where he was tasked with negotiating the release of Moroccan captives and establishing trade agreements. He was succeeded in his diplomatic efforts by other notable figures such as Ahmad ibn Qasim Al-Hajari and Yusuf Biscaino. He also authored an anti-Christian polemical work titled Apología contra los artículos de la ley Cristiana (Apology against the articles of the Christian law), written at the specific request of Sultan Mulay Zidan. == Legacy ==

Al-Ghassani is remembered as a pioneer of clinical medicine in Morocco. In recognition of his contributions, the **Al-Ghassani Hospital** (Hôpital Al Ghassani) in Fez was named in his honor. == See also ==