The Role of Muslims in the Formation and Development of Sciences (Part 31)
Imam Thabit bin Qorra
Imam Abul-Hasan Thabit bin Qorra bin Irfan al-Harrani al-Sabi was from Harran, situated between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Thabit bin Qorra lived between 221 and 288 AH (835-901 AD). He had numerous scientific descendants, including Sinan bin Thabit and Ibrahim bin Sinan. His eldest grandson, Muhammad bin Jabir bin Sinan, known as Al-Battani, is regarded as one of the greatest scientists in physics and astronomy.
Thabit bin Qorra was renowned for his expertise in various fields, including mathematics, medicine, physics, and philosophy. He was fluent in Arabic and many other languages, such as Syriac, Greek, and Hebrew. He was the first to translate Ptolemy’s works, including Al-Mujasati and The Geography of the World, into Arabic. Furthermore, he translated the works of Euclid, Archimedes, and Apollonius in the field of geometry. Thabit bin Qorra also authored significant works in mathematics and physics that were widely utilized across Arab and Islamic regions both in the East and West.
Historians of science believe that Thabit bin Qorra was a pioneer in the development of “differential” and “integral” calculus, as he calculated the volume of a solid formed by rotating a bounded area between two curves. Differential and integral calculus are essential mathematical sciences that have greatly contributed to solving complex problems in natural and applied sciences. Thabit bin Qorra generalized the theory of the right triangle, which states that the area of the square constructed on the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the areas of the squares constructed on the other two sides, extending this principle not only to right triangles but to any triangle with an acute, obtuse, or right angle. He went beyond just squares constructed on chords and also employed rectangles and parallelograms, closely resembling modern methodologies.
Thabit bin Qorra developed laws concerning amicable numbers (numbers with interesting mathematical properties), which played important roles in magic, astronomy, and astronomical predictions. He also exhibited a particular interest in magic squares, which are akin to today’s crossword puzzles, popular in newspapers and magazines for entertainment.
The Abbasid Caliph Mu’tazid Billah was fond of engaging with scientists and talented individuals and actively participated in solving their challenges. He often stayed up late into the night to listen to their discussions about innovations, rewarding them generously with gifts and prizes.
Mu’tazid Billah held Thabit bin Qorra in high regard, addressing him as “Abu Al-Hasan,” despite the fact that Thabit had no son by that name—his two sons were named Sinan and Ibrahim. This title continued to be used to refer to him in the third century AH (ninth century AD).
Thabit bin Qorra’s reputation among his contemporaries, Arab and Muslim scholars, was such that he was called “the engineer of the Arabs.” Additionally, he was well-known in the fields of medicine and pharmacy, authoring books on kidney and bladder diseases and their treatments, which showcased his extensive knowledge.
Regrettably, European and American scholars have largely overlooked the contributions that Ibn Qorra made to human civilization. Many even maintain the belief that Arab intellect could not have been the originator of theories established by Galileo, Gauss, Newton, Euler, Faraday, and others. This widespread misconception arises from two significant reasons:
1. Deliberate Neglect: Western scholars have intentionally and unjustly overlooked the Arab and Islamic scientific and cultural heritage.
2. Internal Neglect: Arab scholars themselves have neglected their scientific heritage, providing Westerners with the opportunity to perpetuate such beliefs.
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