al-Haytham–Lambert quadrilateral) after introducing the concept of motion into geometry. Al-Haytham went a step further to generate a formula that could sum up the first 100 natural numbers.
- The polymath influenced great scholars like Averroes and the German astronomer and mathematician Johannes Kepler.
Another influential personality during the Islamic Golden Age was Diyāʾ al-Dīn Abū Muḥammad ʿAbd Allāh ibn Aḥmad al-Mālaqī, a famous Andalusian polymath. Popularly known as Ibn al-Bayṭār, this scholar produced remarkable works in botany, pharmacology, and medicine.
Born in 1197, the polymath grew up under the tutelage of a popular Málagan botanist called Abū al-ʿAbbās al-Nabātī. Just like al-Nabātī, he quickly learned all there was to know about the development of the scientific method and the introduction of empirical and experimental techniques.
Ibn al-Baytars main contribution during his lifetime was his precise analyses of contributions made by other Islamic physicians in the Middle Ages. This helped him to discover more than 300 different medicines that had not been documented.
The botanist died from natural causes in 1248. He was in his early 50s.
Other major contributions of Ibn al-Baytar
- The botanist’s life and works influenced other physicians such as Ibn Abī Uṣaybiʿa, Amir Dowlat, and Andrea Alpago
- Al-Baytar produced his first major work called “Kitāb al-Jāmiʿ li-Mufradāt al-Adwiya wa-l-Aghdhiya” which comprised more than a thousand uses of various foods and drugs.
- He also published “Kitāb al-Mughnī fī al-Adwiya al-Mufrada”, which encompassed various Islamic medicines and their treatment of various ailments.
Al-ʻIjliyyah bint al-ʻIjliyy was one of the few women scholars who made a name for herself during the Islamic Golden Age. The Baghdad-based scientist is credited with manufacturing an important astronomical instrument known as astrolabes. These were circular disks that looked like hand-held models of the universe.
She contributed a lot to the study of astronomy and was in the service of Sayf al-Dawla, first Emir of Aleppo, for more than two decades, from 944 to 967. Islamic world historians often hail her as one the most extraordinary women in the Islamic Golden age.
Other interesting facts about Al-ʻIjliyyah
- Her influence in astronomy was recognized when scientists named the main-belt asteroid 7060 Al-ʻIjliya after her. The asteriod was discovered by Henry E. Holt
- Al-ʻIjliyyah influenced one of the characters in the Africanfuturist science fiction horror novel called “Binti”, which was written by Nnedi Okorafor.
Just how long did the Islamic Golden Age last?
Scholars of the era, which spanned from the 8th century to the 14th century, desired nothing than to assimilate scientific knowledge from civilizations of the past and regions that had been conquered by the Islamic Empire.
However, some say that the end of the era coincided with the collapse of the Abbasid caliphate, which was caused by the Mongol invasions and the Siege of Baghdad in 1258. In that siege, it is said that the Great Library of Bagdad was razed to the ground. Other historians maintain that the age came to an end around the 1350, a period which coincided with the rise of the Timurid Empire in Central Asia.
Islamic Golden Age Facts
Between the years 790 and 1258, Muslims enjoyed a flourishing civilization known as the Islamic Golden Age. The era saw them chalked up many cultural, scientific, and military achievements. According to historians, the tolerant nature of the culture allowed for science and mathematics to flourish, as emphasis was placed on the acquisition of knowledge and interpretation of the knowledge.
Here a few more interesting facts about the Islamic Golden Age:
- The Islamic Golden Age witnessed the development of many scientific disciplines because the rulers of the Islamic Empire in this period invested a lot in the scholars of the day, including funding the translation of works into Arabic and Aramaic.
- It is even said that some of the scholars of the Islamic Golden Age received salaries/stipends the value th