Ibn-e-Umail scientists of Islam

 

Ibn-e-Umail

(Source: 100 Muslims Scientists by Abdur Rahman Sharif)

 

Ibn Umail was one of the notable scientists of Islam who made valuable contribution to the development of chemistry. He occupies a very important position in the history of science because two of the oldest European works on chemistry were actually translations of his books.

 Life:

 Muhammad Ibn Umail was an Egyptian who lived during the fourth century AH/ tenth century AD. He led a very secluded life away from the gaze of the public. His books were circulated among his close friends. He has not given any personal information in his books that have come down to us. Even the exact dates of his birth and death are not known. His full name was Abu Abd Allah Muhammad al-Hakim al Sadiq al-Tamimi Ibn Umail. He studied chemistry from Abul Qasim Abd al-Rahman. He believed that the ancient Egyptian pyramids found near Cairo contained secret knowledge of chemistry. In order to study them, he entered the pyramids with two of his friends. He has given a description of the pyramids, their statues and paintings in one of his books. He also wrote an explanation of their secret chemical knowledge. Ibn Umail died in about 349 AH/960 AD.

 Achievements

Ibn Umail wrote several books on chemistry. He also composed long poems called qasida on the subject. Some of his books and poems are: Risala al shams ilal hilal, Ma al-waraqi wal ardh al najmiya, al Sifr al-kabir fi hall al ashkal al birbawiya wal tasawir, al Qasida al-nuniya, al Durat al naqiya and Khawas al bar wal bahr. Risala al-shams ilal hilal (Essay on the sun and crescent moon) and Ma al-waraqi wal ardh al —naimiya (silvery water and starry earth) were translated into Latin in 1200 AD as "Tabula Chimica" and "Epistola Solis and Linam Crescentem." These Latin works are among the oldest European works on chemistry. Ibn Umail's books are important from another point of view. They contain names of a large number of chemical scientists from earlier times and their quotations. He has named Egyptian, Greek and Muslim scientists such as Hermis, Markunus (Egyptian), Socrates, Plato (Greek), Khalid ibn Yazid, Jabir ibn Hayyan and Dhun Nun al-Misri.