Page 17 The Islamic Bulletin Volume XXX No. 30 Muslim Contributions That Changed the World Muslim mathematicians, the inventors of algebra introduced the concept of using letters for unknown variables un equations as early as the 9th century A.D. Through this system, they solved a variety of complex equations, including quadratic and cubic equations, and equations with letters such as the now familiar x and y’s. They used symbols to develop and perfect the binomial theorem. The word “algorithm” comes from the mathematician AlKhwarizmi, known as the father of Algebra. ‘Algebra’ is from the Arabic word for equation (Al-Jabr). Trigonometry Trigonometry remained largely a theoretical science amongst the Greeks. It was developed to a level of modern perfection by Muslim scholars, although the weight of the credit must be given to Al-Battani. The words describing the basic function of this science: sine, cosine, and tangent-are all derived from Arabic terms. Thus , original contributions by the Greeks in trigonometry were minimal. Cheque The modern cheque word comes from the Arabic ‘saqq’, a written vow to pay for goods when they are delivered to avoid money having to be transported across dangerous terrain. In the 9th century, a Muslim businessman could cash a cheque in China drawn on his bank in Baghdad. Algebra Astrolabe Geography Astrolabes, originally thought to be invented in the Hellenistic world in 150 BC, were further developed by Muslim astronomers, by introducing angular scales and adding circles indicating azimuths on the horizon. It was widely used throughout the Muslim world, chiefly as an aid to navigation and as a way of finding the Qiblah. The first person credited with building the astrolabe in the Muslim world is reportedly the 8th century mathematician Muhammad Al-Fazari. Astrolabes were used to find the times of sunrise and the rising of fixed stars to help schedule morning prayers. In the 10th century , Abd Al- Rahman Al-Sufi first described over 1.000 different uses for an astrolabe, in areas as diverse as astronomy, astrology, navigation, surveying, timekeeping, the Qiblah, prayers, etc. Astrolabes were introduced to Europe in the early 1100s and had become the most popular astronomical instrument by 1650. Pendulum The pendulum was discovered by the Ibn Yunus Al-Masri during the 10th century, who was the first to study and document its oscillatory motion. Its value for use in clocks were introduced by Muslim physicists during the 15th century. Glass Mirrors Glass mirrors were in use in Islamic Spain as early as the 11th century. The Venetians learned of the art of fine glass production from Syrian artisans during the 9th and 10th centuries. Muslim geographers produced untold volumes of books on the geography of Africa, Asia, India, China, and the Indies during the 8th through to the 15th century. These writings included the world’s first geographical encyclopedias, almanacs, and road maps. Ibn Battutah’s 14th century masterpieces provide a detailed view of the geography of the ancient world. The Muslim geographers far exceeded the output by the Europeans regarding the geography of these regions well into the 18th century. Navigation Muslim geographers and navigators learned of the magnetic needle, possibly from the Chinese and were the first to use magnetic needles in navigation. They invented the compass and passed the knowledge of its use in navigation to the West. European navigators relied on Muslim pilots and their instruments when exploring unknown territories. Gustav Le Bon claims that the magnetic needle and compass were entirely invented y the Muslims and the Chinese had little to do with it. Necham also states that the Chinese probably learned of it from the Muslim traders. Clocks Mechanical clocks were produced by Spanish Muslim engineers, and this knowledge was transmitted to Europe through Latin translations of Islamic books on mechanics. Muslim astronomers were the first astronomers to dispute Ptolemy’s archaic ideas. They synthesized proof that the sun is the centre of the solar system and that the orbits of the Earth and other planets might be elliptical. Optometry Ibn Firnas of Islamic Spain invented eyeglasses during the 9th century, and were manufactured and sold throughout Spain for over two centuries. Matter The concept of the finite nature of matter was first introduced by Muslim scholar Al-Biruni (d.1050). He discovered that although matter may change its form or shape, its mass always remains the same. Thus, for instance, if water is heated to steam; if salt is dissolved in water etc., the total mass remains unchanged. Antione Lavoisier later introduced thesms to Europe during the 18th century. Coffee Coffee drinking started in the 15th century in the Sufi monasteries of Yemen. Coffee then spread to Europe by sea from the Yemeni port of Mocha. The term mocha, takes its name from this town and entered European languages as a synonym for the highquality coffee of the species Coffea arabica, still grown in the Yemen Highlands. The word “coffee” entered the English language in 1582 via the Dutch koffie, borrowed from the Turkish kahve, in turn borrowed from the Arabic qahwah. Astronomy
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