Muslim Intellectuals of Islamic Golden Age

Muhammad Ibn Musa Al-Khwarizmi

780

Muhammad was born in 780 in Persia, and died in 850. He was known as one of the fathers of Algebra. His work was later translated in Latin on the Indian numerals and introduced the decimal positional number system to the Western world. His book, Calculation was the first systematic solution of linear and quadratic equations in Arabic. He revised Ptolemy's Geography and had written based on astronomy and astrology.

Abu Kamil Shuja Ibn Aslam

850

Abu Kamil was born in 850CE, in Egypt. He was a Muslim Mathematician of the Islamic Golden age. Abu Kamil was the successor of Al-Khwarizmi. He was the first Islamic Mathematician who made significant contributions to Algebra and geometry and could easily work with algebraic expressions to the power of 8. He solved sets of non linear equations with a set of three unknown variables. One of his most influential work is the book of Algebra.

Muhammad Ibn Zakariya Al-Razi

854

Razi was born in 854 CE in Ray, Persia and died in 925 CE. He was a Persian, Polymath, physician, Philosopher and one of the important people in the history of medicine. He made many contribution to different fields, he was the first to produce sulfuric acid, he made notes on smallpox and chickenpox. He wrote the first book on pediatrics and made contribution to organic and inorganic chemistry. In addition, he also discovered different chemical compounds including alcohol and kerosene.

Al-Farabi

Dec 14, 872

Al-Farabi is also known as Al Pharabius in the West. He was born in 872 in Damascus and died in 950. He was a well known Philosopher who wrote in the fields of political philosophy, meta physics, ethics, and logic. He was a scientist cosmologist, mathematician, and music scholar. He played an important part in handling down Aristotle's thoughts to the Christian West in the Middle ages.

Banu Musa

900

Banu Musa was born in 9th century, in Bagdad in Persia. He was one of the three sons of Banu Ibn Shakir. His influences were Yahya ibn Abu Mansur, Al-Mamun. He worked in astronomical observatories established in Baghdad by the Abbasid Caliph Al-Mamun as well researching in the house of wisdom. He has written 20 books that have been lost. Some of the most important ones are, the book of Ingenious Devices, Book on the Measurement of Plane and Spherical Figures.

Abdul Al-Rahman Al-Sufi

Dec 7, 903

Abdul Rahman was born in 903 in Buyid, Persia and died in 986. He is known as Azophi Arabus in the West. He was one of the nine famous Muslim Astronomers. He is named after the lunar crater Azophi and the minor planet. His famous book Fixed Stars was published in 964 by Al-Sufi that describes much of his work. He corrected several Ptolemy's star list.

Hasan Ibn Al-Haytham

965

Hasan is also known as Al-Hazen, he was born in 965 CE, to an Arab family and died in 1040 in Cairo. He was a scientist, Mathematician, Astronomer, and Philosopher. He made a huge contribution to the principle of Optics, Astronomy, Mathematics, and visual perception. He is also known as father of Optics. In medieval Europe he was honored as "The Physicist". He has written several volume treatise on Optics. He has written more than 200 works. He was influenced by Aristotle, and Euclid.

Ibn Sina

Aug 22, 980

Ibn Sina is also known as Avicenna. He was born on August 22 980 in Bukhara region of Uzbekistan, and died in 1037, Hamadan Iran. He was influenced by Al-Farabi, Aristotle, and Mohammad. He was a Persian poly math who is also known as one of the most important thinkers of Islamic Golden age. He has written 450 books, of which 240 are used. 150 books based on philosophy and 40 are based on medicine. One of his most important Persian work is the Add to Danishnama- the book of knowledge.

Omar Khyyam

May 18, 1048

Omar Khayyam was born in 1048 Nishapur, Iran, and died in 1131. He was influenced by Attar of Nishapur, and Ahmed Khani. He was a Persian polymath, scholar, astronomer, philosopher, mathematician, and a poet. He was known as one of the most influential thinkers of the middle ages and one of the major mathematicians and Astronomers of Islamic Golden age. He has written many treatises on Mechanics, Geography, Mineralogy, Astronomy, Music, and also written several poetry in Persia.

Ibn Khaldun

May 27, 1334

Ihn Khaldun was born in 1334 in Tunis, and died in 1406 in Cairo, Egypt. He was an African Arab historian and an advocate of sociology and demography. He is well known for his book the Muqaddimah or introduction. He wrote an autobiography about himself. He got a chance to study with the best teachers during his time because of his family's reputation and received classical Islamic education. Ibn Khaldun's main work is The book of Lessons.