Abu al-Fadl Ja'far ibn 'Ali al-Dimashqi

Who is Abu al-Fadl Ja'far ibn 'Ali al-Dimashqi?

Abū al-Faḍl Jaʻfar ibn ʻAlī al-Dimashqī was a prosperous Muslim merchant from Damascus. He is best known for being the author of Kitab al-Isharah ila Mahasin at-Tijarah wa Marifat Jayyid al-A’rad wa Kadiiha wa Ghush-ush al-Mudallisin fiha.

Almost nothing is known about al-Dimashqi’s life. He was among the Muslim writers who were influenced by Greek sources, particularly by the neo-Pythagorean Bryson of Heraclea.