SOME FAMOUS MULSIM SCIENTISTS

GENERAL QUESTIONS: 2001, 1999, 1998, 1997

1) MUHAMMAD BIN MUSA AL-KHAWARIZMI (MATHEMATICIAN) 2008 (5 marks)

i) He contributed richly in the fields of Mathematics, Astronomy and Geography. He was considered an authority on Mathematics.

ii) He composed the oldest works on arithmetic, algebra and astronomical tables.

iii) His work “Hisab al-Jabr Wal Muqabala” was translated in Latin.

iv) He wrote a great treatise on Algebra containing analytical solutions of linear and quadratic equations; solution of a cubic equation.

v) He authored the following important books:

a) Hisab Al-Hindi b) Al-Jama- Wat Tafriq

2) JABIR IBN HAYYAN (CHEMIST) 2001

i) Known as Geber in the West, Jabir was a practical chemist of his time.

ii) He prepared a large number of important chemicals like, Nitric acid, Sulphuric acid and Hydrochloric acid.

iii) He became famous for his various chemical techniques and processes like, calcination, reduction, sublimation, distillation, melting and crystallization.

iv) He gave sound views on methods of chemical research, and a theory on the geological formation of metals. He prepared basic lead carbonate, arsenic and antimony from their sulphides; dealt with refinement of metals, preparation of steel, dyeing of cloth and leather.

v) Authored the following

a) Kitab al –Rahmah b) Composition of Alchemy

3) ABU ISHAQ KINDI (PHYSICIST)

i) He was great physicist, known as Al-Kindus in the West.

ii) He wrote a treatise on geometrical and physiological optics. He also endeavoured to ascertain the laws that govern the fall of bodies.

iii) No less than 265 works are ascribed to him of several on specific weights, tides, optics and on the reflection of light.

Write short note on the following by giving their exact life span and contribution to the field of science (Accurate facts will be appreciated) (2009)
(a) Umer Al Khayam
(b) Zakariya Al Razi

4) ZAKARIYA AL-RAZI (PHYSICIAN) (2009)

i) Au Bakr Muhammad Ibn Zakariya Al-Razi (A.D 865-925) was Persian Muslim and a great physician by profession.

ii) He is better known as Rhazes in the West. Other fields of interest were Physics and Chemistry.

iii) He was the most brilliant pillar of Islamic medicine along with Iban Sina. He earned the title of the Father of Pediatrics by writing his monograph on “Diseases in children.”

iv) An excellent teacher of medicine; he was the fist scientist to classify substances into vegetables, animals and minerals.

v) His famous books are:

a) Arabian Medicine b) Kitab Al-Mansuri


5) ABU ALI SINA (PHYSICIAN, MATHEMATICIAN) 2001, 2008

i) Ali Ibn Sina was born in A.D 980, at Afshinah near Bukhara (Turkistan).

ii) He is considered as the greatest intellectual giant of the Middle Ages. He contributed to medical sciences, philosophy, logic, mathematics, astronomy and music.

iii) He is better known as Avicenna in the West.

iv) Most famous book ‘Al-Qannun fil-Tib’, known as Canon in Latin, was translated in many languages.

v) He was the first to use catheters made of the skins of various animals, and he mentioned intra-vesical injections by means of a silver syringe.

vi) His famous books are:

a) Ash-Shifa b) An-Najat

6) AL-BIRUNI (2005)

i) Abu Rayhan Muhammad Al-Biruni was born in A.D 973. He was simultaneously a physician, astronomer, mathematician, physicist, geographer and historian.

ii) He learnt Sanskarit language in order to investigate Indian knowledge.

iii) He explained the problems of advanced trigonometry. It was he who discovered that light travels faster than sound. He gave an understanding to them terms of longitudes and latitudes.

a) Tahqiq Al-Hind b) Qamun Al-Masudi

7) IBN AL-HAITHAM (OPTICIAN) (2005)

i) Ibn Al-Haitham, better known as Alhazan in the West, was born in A.D 975.

ii) He was an outstanding mathematician, physiologists and optician.

iii) iHe was more known for his optical works. He explained the refraction of light rays through transparent objects, discovered magnifying lenses, and the function of retina as the seat of vision.

iv) He identified gravity as a force, a theory which was later on developed by Newton.

v) His famous books are:

a) Kitab Al-Manzir b) On Twilight Phenomena. c) Mizanul Hikma


8) IBN AL BAITAR (BOTANIST & PHARMACIST)

i) Born in Malaga (Spain), he was a great Spanish Muslim botanist and Pharmacist.

ii) He had complete collection of plants and herbs extending from Spain to Syria.

iii) He discovered many new plants and extracted medical drugs from them.

iv) His work was considered an authority in plants and he gave new orientation to the classification and nomenclature of plant kingdom over which modern botany is based.

v) He was the author of the following famous books;

a) Kitab Al-Jami fi Adwiya Al-Mufzada b) Jami c) Mughani

9) IBN RUSHD

i) Born in Spain in A.D 1126, he is better known as Averroes in the West.

ii) He contributed in philosophy, mathematics, medicine, astronomy, logic and Islamic Jurisprudence.

iii) He was an authority on Fiqh.

iv) He investigated astronomy at length and discovered the sunspots.

v) His famous books are:

a) Kitab Fi Karkat Al Falak

10) AL MAWARDI

i) He was a learned juris-consult and political economist.

ii) He was an expert on diverse subjects like religion, ethics, literature and politics.

iii) He was the author of the following famous books;

a) Al-Bayan Wat-Tabiyan
b) Al-Hawi
c) Al-Ahkam-us-Sultaniyah

11) NASIR AL DIN TOOSI

i) Born in Toos in AD 1201, he contributed in the fields of astronomy, mathematics, optics, geography, medicine, philosophy, logic, music, mineralogy.

ii) He was a versatile scholar and astrologer.

iii) He got built the Maragha observatory for astronomical researchers. He earned a great popularity by writing “The Ilkhanian Tables”.

12) ABDUL QASIM AL ZAHRAWI (SURGEON) 1996

i) Abul Qasim Al-Zahrawi, better known as Mamoon of the West, was born in A.D 936, in Spain.

ii) He was a great surgeon. He invented many surgical appliances, never known before.

iii) He was a physician and an excellent dentist as well. He very successfully set an artificial tooth in place of a diseased.

a) Al-Tasrif

Write short note on the following by giving their exact life span and contribution to the field of science (Accurate facts will be appreciated) (2009)

(a) Umer Al Khayam
(b) Zakariya Al Razi

13) UMER AL KHAYAM (2009)
Umar Khayyam (1048-1123 AD, Neyshapur, Iran), was a Persian polymath, mathematician, philosopher, astronomer and above all poet.
He has also become established as one of the major mathematicians and astronomers of the medieval period. He was the author of the most important treatise on algebra before modern times Treatise on Demonstration of Problems of Algebra giving a geometric method for solving cubic equations by intersecting a hyperbola with a circle.
Omar Khayyam was part of a panel that introduced several reforms to the Persian calendar, largely based on ideas from the Hindu calendar. In 1079, Sultan Malik Shah I accepted this corrected calendar as the official Persian calendar.
Like most Persian mathematicians of the period, Omar Khayyám was also famous as an astronomer. In 1073, Khayyám build an observatory, along with various other distinguished scientists.
Famous Books:
1. Treatise on Demonstration of Problems of Algebra
2. Explanations of the Difficulties in the Postulates of Euclid