During the Islamic Golden Age, emerged various Muslim scholars who contributed to science and technology. This slide was presented during UNGS 2090 Islamic Worldview, Knowledge and Civilisation course in IIUM

1. The Contribution of Muslim
Scholars: Natural Sciences
Ain Atiya Azmi binti Nazmi (1710222)
Nur Hasanah binti Mohd Sohaimi (1710170)
Norhannani Nadiah bt Mohd Zakir (1728356)
Najwa Tariq (1727234)

2. What are Natural Sciences?
❖ A branch of science concerned with
the description, prediction and
understanding of natural
phenomena.
❖ Only based on empirical evidence
from observation and
experimentation.
❖ Can be divided into:
1) Life science
2) Physical science
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3. Al-
Khawarizmi
•Abu Abdallah Muhammad ibn Musa Al-Khawarizmi.
(780-850 CE)
-his birthplace is Khwarizm, south of the Aral Sea.
-One of the first Directors of the House of Wisdom in
Bagdad
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4. Founder of Algebra (Al-Jabr)
The word "algebra" is derived from the
Latinization of "al-jabr", part of the title of his
most famous book, Ilm aljabr wa al-Muqabalah
(the science of reunion and equations)
He introduced the fundamental algebraic
methods and techniques for solving
equations for example x2 + 1Ox = 39
(polynomial and quadratic equations)
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5. Algorithm
(Arithmetic)
He advocated the Hindu-Arabic numerical system. The Hindu numerals
originally had 9 numerals (1-9) but he introduced the digit zero 0
He developed arithmetical procedures such as decimals and fractions.
•He wrote many books on arithmetic, among them: Kitab al-Jam’a wa al-
Tafriq bi al-Hisab al-Hind, which was translated to and preserved in
Latin language (the Arabic version was lost)
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6. Geography
He revised and corrected Ptolemy's views
He produced the first map of the known world
in 830 CE.
Author of Kitab Surat al-Ard,(The Face of the
Earth) together with its maps
He worked on measuring the volume and
circumference of the earth
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7. Geometry
Made tables of trigonometric of
functions of sines and cosines
The first Muslim tables also
containing tangents
Invented the concept of
differentiation
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8. Mechanics
Clocks
Sundials (to determine prayer times)
Astrolabes (to determine direction of qiblat)
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9. Al-Razi
➢ Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Zakariyya al-
Razi. Also known as Rhazes or Rasis.
➢ Born 854 CE in Ray, persia and died
932/925 CE in Ray, Persia
➢ Active in islamic golden era
➢ Interests in Medicine, Philosophy and
Alchemy
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10. Medicine
➔ He is considered the father of
psychology and psychotherapy.
➔ Wrote about diseases such as smallpox
and chickenpox.
➔ Compared the methods of treating
meningitis to see if blood-letting could
help.
➔ Compiling pharmacy texts and
introduces the use of “mercurial
ointments”
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➔ Wrote about Ethics of
medicine.
➔ Wrote many books about
medicine.
➔ The first produced acids.

11. Alchemy
➔ He believed in the possibility of
transmutation of lesser metals to
silver and gold.
➔ Developed several chemical
instruments that remain in use to
this day.
➔ His famous book on alchemy is
secret of secret (sirr al-asrar)
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➔ Razi classified minerals into
six division:
1. Four spirits (al-arwah)
2. Seven bodies (al-asjad)
3. Thirteen stones (al-ahjar)
4. Seven vitriols (al-zajat)
5. Seven barotes
6. Eleven salts (al-amlah)

12. Philosophy
➔ The metaphysical doctrine of Razi is
derived from the theory of the five
eternals.
➔ He wrote many books on philosophy
➔ God for him, does not create the world
from nothing but rather arranges a
universe out of pre-existing principle.
➔ Al-Razi saw ethics as a kind of
psychological medicine.
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13. Al-Biruni
➢ Abu Al-rayhan Muhammad ibn Ahmad
Al-Biruni
➢ Born on 4th September, 973 CE in
Uzbekistan and died on 9th December
1048 in Afghanistan
➢ Muslim astronomer, mathematician,
physicist, historian, geographer and
ethnographist
➢ Manage to become the most original
polymath the Islamic world had ever
known
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14. Astronomy
❖ The first to conduct elaborate experiments
related to astronomical phenomena
❖ He observed and described the solar
eclipse on 8 April 1019 and lunar eclipse on
17 September 1019
❖ In 1031, he completed his extensive
astronomical encyclopaedia Kitab Al-
Qanun Al-Mas’udi, which recorded his
astronomical findings and formulated
tables
❖ Discovered the distance between the Earth
and the Sun
❖ Invented a number of astronomical
instruments such as odometer
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❖ He was able to mathematically
determine the direction of Qibla
from any place in the world and
explained the calculation of
prayer times according to the
shadow cast by gnomon of a
sundial

15. Geodesy and Geography
❖ Solved a complex geodesic equation in
order to accurately compute the Earth’s
circumference
❖ Developed a new method of using
trigonometric calculations based on the
angle between a plain and mountain top
❖ He was also regarded as the most skilled
mapping cities and measuring the
distances between them
❖ Developed techniques measuring the
heights of mountains, depths of valleys and
expanse of the horizon
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16. Mineralogy
❖ Introduced the scientific method in
Kitab Al-Jawahir(Book of Precious
Stones)
❖ Described the existence of shells and
fossils
❖ Described minerals such as stones and
metals in depth
❖ He catalogued each mineral by its
colour, odor, hardness, density and
weight
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17. Physics
❖ Described the earth’s gravitation as the
attraction of all things towards the
centre of the earth
❖ Discovered that gravity exists within the
heavenly bodies and celestial spheres
❖ The first to discover that the speed of
light is faster than the speed of sound
(2.9979x10^8m/s)
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18. Al-
Zahrawi
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Al Zahrawi Father of Surgery Born in
936 A.D. in SPAIN He was a great
surgeon and Invented many surgical
appliances, never known before an
instrument for internal examina-tion
ofthe ear, urethra, and instrument for
applying or removing foreign bodies
from the throat

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He gave perfection to the surgical science and
performed surgery of eye, ear and throat. He was
an excellent dentist he could very successfully
set an artificial tooth in He performed
cauterization, removal ofstone from the bladder
and dissection animals. He wrote famous
Medical Ecyclopaedia called Al-Tasrif.

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Kitab Al Tasrif

21. Kitab Al Tasrif
El Zahrawi wrote a medical encyclopaedia spanning 30 volumes which
included sections on surgery, medicine, orthopaedics, ophthalmology,
pharmacology, nutrition etc. This book was known as Al-Tasrif and
contained data that El Zahrawi had accumulated during a career that
spanned almost 50 years of training, teaching and practice. ehad wide
experience in treating accident victims and war casualties. He
emphasised theimportance of a good doctor patient relationship and
took great care to ensure the safety of his patients and win their trust
social status.
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Al Zahrawi was the first to describe the so-called "Walcher
position" in obstetrics; the first to depict dental arches,
tongue depressors and lead catheters and the first to
describe clearly the hereditary circumstances surrounding
haemophilia. He also described ligaturing of blood vessels
long before Ambroise Pare. Once Al Tasrif was translated
into Latin in the 12th century, Alzahrawi had a
tremendous influence on surgery in the West The French
surgeon Guy de Chauliac in his Great com in about pleted
1363, quoted Al Tasrif over 20o times. Al Zahrawi was
described by Pietro Argallata (died 1423) as "without
doubt the chief ofall surgeons".

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