Maslamah Ibn Ahmad al-Majriti
Encyclopedia
Maslama al-Majriti or Abu al-Qasim al-Qurtubi al-Majriti ' onMouseout='HidePop("63785")' href="/topics/Common_Era">CE
) was a Muslim astronomer
, chemist, mathematician
, economist
and Scholar in Islamic Spain
. He took part in the translation of Ptolemy
's Planispherium, improved existing translations of the Almagest
, introduced and improved the astronomical tables of al-Khwarizmi, aided historians by working out tables to convert Persian dates to Hijri year
s, and introduced the techniques of surveying
and triangulation
.
He was among the most brilliant of Spanish Muslims during the reign of Al-Hakam II
. According to Şā'id ibn Ahmad Andalusī
he was the best mathematician and astronomer of his time (in Al-Andalus
). He also introduced new surveying methods by working closely with his colleague Ibn al-Saffar
. He also wrote a book on taxation and the economy of Al-Andalus
.
Al-Majriti is greatly reputed for his influential chemical writing. Two chemical writings, the "Sage's Step" (Rutbat al-hakim) and the "Aim of the Wise" (Ghayat al-hakim), are ascribed to him, although almost certainly falsely. Both of his works on Chemistry were translated into Latin in 1252 and named Picatrix
; the original Arabic text dates probably from the middle of the eleventh century. The Book The Sage's Step, was also written by Al-Majriti, in 1047-50. Rutbat Al-Hakim (The Rank of the Wise), which amongst other things gives formulae and instructions for purification of precious metals. It was collected and put together in the year 1009, two years after his death.
In this work, Al-Majriti was also the first to note the principle of conservation of mass
, which he did in the course of his pathbreaking experiment on mercuric oxide:
He edited and made changes to the parts of the Encyclopedia of the Brethren of Sincerity
when the encyclopaedia arrived in Al-Andalus
Al-Majriti also predicted a futuristic process of scientific interchange and the advent of networks for scientific communication. He built a school of Astronomy and Mathematics and marked the beginning of organized scientific research in Al-Andalus
. Among his students were Ibn al-Saffar
, Abu al-Salt
and Al-Tartushi
.
Common Era
Common Era ,abbreviated as CE, is an alternative designation for the calendar era originally introduced by Dionysius Exiguus in the 6th century, traditionally identified with Anno Domini .Dates before the year 1 CE are indicated by the usage of BCE, short for Before the Common Era Common Era...
) was a Muslim astronomer
Islamic astronomy
Islamic astronomy or Arabic astronomy comprises the astronomical developments made in the Islamic world, particularly during the Islamic Golden Age , and mostly written in the Arabic language. These developments mostly took place in the Middle East, Central Asia, Al-Andalus, and North Africa, and...
, chemist, mathematician
Islamic mathematics
In the history of mathematics, mathematics in medieval Islam, often termed Islamic mathematics or Arabic mathematics, covers the body of mathematics preserved and developed under the Islamic civilization between circa 622 and 1600...
, economist
Economist
An economist is a professional in the social science discipline of economics. The individual may also study, develop, and apply theories and concepts from economics and write about economic policy...
and Scholar in Islamic Spain
Al-Andalus
Al-Andalus was the Arabic name given to a nation and territorial region also commonly referred to as Moorish Iberia. The name describes parts of the Iberian Peninsula and Septimania governed by Muslims , at various times in the period between 711 and 1492, although the territorial boundaries...
. He took part in the translation of Ptolemy
Ptolemy
Claudius Ptolemy , was a Roman citizen of Egypt who wrote in Greek. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet of a single epigram in the Greek Anthology. He lived in Egypt under Roman rule, and is believed to have been born in the town of Ptolemais Hermiou in the...
's Planispherium, improved existing translations of the Almagest
Almagest
The Almagest is a 2nd-century mathematical and astronomical treatise on the apparent motions of the stars and planetary paths. Written in Greek by Claudius Ptolemy, a Roman era scholar of Egypt,...
, introduced and improved the astronomical tables of al-Khwarizmi, aided historians by working out tables to convert Persian dates to Hijri year
Hijri year
The Hijri year is year numbering system used in the Islamic calendar. It commemorates the Hijra , or emigration of Muhammad and his followers to the city of Medina in 622 CE. In Arabic, AH is symbolized by the letter هـ...
s, and introduced the techniques of surveying
Surveying
See Also: Public Land Survey SystemSurveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, and science of accurately determining the terrestrial or three-dimensional position of points and the distances and angles between them...
and triangulation
Triangulation
In trigonometry and geometry, triangulation is the process of determining the location of a point by measuring angles to it from known points at either end of a fixed baseline, rather than measuring distances to the point directly...
.
Al-Hakam II
Al-Hakam II was the second Caliph of Cordoba, in Al-Andalus , and son of Abd-ar-rahman III . He ruled from 961 to 976....
. According to Şā'id ibn Ahmad Andalusī
Said Al-Andalusi
Said al-Andalusí was an Andalusi Muslim Qadi. He was born at Almería and died at Toledo. Said Al-Andalusi was a historian, philosopher of science and thought, and mathematical scientist with an especial interest in astronomy. He was highly interested in the science of Astronomy his claim to the...
he was the best mathematician and astronomer of his time (in Al-Andalus
Al-Andalus
Al-Andalus was the Arabic name given to a nation and territorial region also commonly referred to as Moorish Iberia. The name describes parts of the Iberian Peninsula and Septimania governed by Muslims , at various times in the period between 711 and 1492, although the territorial boundaries...
). He also introduced new surveying methods by working closely with his colleague Ibn al-Saffar
Ibn al-Saffar
Abu al‐Qasim Ahmad ibn Abd Allah ibn Umar al‐Ghafiqī ibn al-Saffar al‐Andalusi , Ibn al-Saffar . He was a close colleague and astronomer at the school founded by Al-Majriti in Cordoba...
. He also wrote a book on taxation and the economy of Al-Andalus
Al-Andalus
Al-Andalus was the Arabic name given to a nation and territorial region also commonly referred to as Moorish Iberia. The name describes parts of the Iberian Peninsula and Septimania governed by Muslims , at various times in the period between 711 and 1492, although the territorial boundaries...
.
Al-Majriti is greatly reputed for his influential chemical writing. Two chemical writings, the "Sage's Step" (Rutbat al-hakim) and the "Aim of the Wise" (Ghayat al-hakim), are ascribed to him, although almost certainly falsely. Both of his works on Chemistry were translated into Latin in 1252 and named Picatrix
Picatrix
Picatrix is the name used today, and historically in Christian Europe, for a grimoire originally written in Arabic titled غاية الحكيم , which most scholars assume was written in the middle of the 11th century, though a supported argument for composition in the first half of the 10th century has...
; the original Arabic text dates probably from the middle of the eleventh century. The Book The Sage's Step, was also written by Al-Majriti, in 1047-50. Rutbat Al-Hakim (The Rank of the Wise), which amongst other things gives formulae and instructions for purification of precious metals. It was collected and put together in the year 1009, two years after his death.
In this work, Al-Majriti was also the first to note the principle of conservation of mass
Conservation of mass
The law of conservation of mass, also known as the principle of mass/matter conservation, states that the mass of an isolated system will remain constant over time...
, which he did in the course of his pathbreaking experiment on mercuric oxide:
I took natural quivering mercury, free from impurity, and placed it in a glass vessel shaped like an egg. This I put inside another vessel like a cooking pot, and set the whole apparatus over an extremely gentle fire. The outer pot was then in such a degree of heat that I could bear my hand upon it. I heated the apparatus day and night for forty day, after which I opened it. I found that the mercury (the original weight of which was a quarter of a pound) had been completely converted into red powder, soft to touch, the weight remaining as it was originally.
He edited and made changes to the parts of the Encyclopedia of the Brethren of Sincerity
Encyclopedia of the Brethren of Purity
The Encyclopedia of the Brethren of Purity was a large encyclopedia in 52 treatises written by the mysterious Brethren of Purity of Basra, Iraq sometime in the second half of the 10th century CE...
when the encyclopaedia arrived in Al-Andalus
Al-Andalus
Al-Andalus was the Arabic name given to a nation and territorial region also commonly referred to as Moorish Iberia. The name describes parts of the Iberian Peninsula and Septimania governed by Muslims , at various times in the period between 711 and 1492, although the territorial boundaries...
Al-Majriti also predicted a futuristic process of scientific interchange and the advent of networks for scientific communication. He built a school of Astronomy and Mathematics and marked the beginning of organized scientific research in Al-Andalus
Al-Andalus
Al-Andalus was the Arabic name given to a nation and territorial region also commonly referred to as Moorish Iberia. The name describes parts of the Iberian Peninsula and Septimania governed by Muslims , at various times in the period between 711 and 1492, although the territorial boundaries...
. Among his students were Ibn al-Saffar
Ibn al-Saffar
Abu al‐Qasim Ahmad ibn Abd Allah ibn Umar al‐Ghafiqī ibn al-Saffar al‐Andalusi , Ibn al-Saffar . He was a close colleague and astronomer at the school founded by Al-Majriti in Cordoba...
, Abu al-Salt
Abu al-Salt
Abū al‐Ṣalt, Umayya ibn ʿAbd al‐ʿAzīz ibn Abī al‐Ṣalt al‐Dānī al‐Andalusī was an Andalusian polymath whose works on astronomical instruments were read both in the Islamic world and Europe. He also worked as a physician, a teacher of alchemy, and wrote treatises on medicine, philosophy, music, and...
and Al-Tartushi
Al-Tartushi
Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn al-Walid al-Tartushi, Abu Bakr Al-Tortuchi was a famous Muslim jurist from Tortosa, in the northern region of Al-Andalus at the delta of the river Ebro....
.
External links
(PDF version)- "Science:The Islamic Legacy; Science in Al-Andalus"
- "Maslama ibn Ahmad al-Majriti - 1007 AD"
- Article on Science in Spain from Encyclopedia Britannica