The book “Al-Hasha’ish,” authored by Dioscorides Pedanius, is about herbal medicines and therapeutic edibles. This work was originally written in Greek under the title “Peri Hyles” and was translated into Arabic by Stephan ibn Basyil in Baghdad. It was later completed by Hunayn ibn Ishaq during the caliphate of al-Mutawakkil al-Abbasi.

The book consists of a preface and five articles that explain various medicines and their properties. The first article is dedicated to aromatic plants, oils, and chemical compounds. The second article deals with animal products, while the third focuses on a type of mushroom known as Agaricus. The fourth article discusses toxic and narcotic plants, and the fifth addresses various types of vines and beverages along with their mineral properties. Additionally, some copies include articles on poisons and antidotes.

This manuscript is one of the oldest Arabic versions of “Al-Hasha’ish,” preserved in the Leiden Library in the Netherlands. It is written in Naskh script and features intricate and beautiful illustrations. This version was copied from the manuscript of Sheikh Abi Abdullah al-Natili Muslih, which was compiled in Samarkand for the Abbasid caliph, and the date of writing corresponds to the middle of Ramadan in 475 AH. Furthermore, a translation of “Al-Hasha’ish” into Persian was done by Muhammad ibn Ali al-Rami in 510 AH, which, unfortunately, has yet to be found.