This is a partial list of some of the leading Muslims. Major Muslim contributions continued beyond the fifteenth century. Contributions of more than one hundred other major Muslim personalities can be found in several famous publications by Western historians.
Jabir Ibn Haiyan (Geber) - Chemistry (Father of Chemistry) Died 803 C.E.
Al-Asmai - Zoology, Botany, Animal Husbandry. 740 - 828
Al-Khwarizmi (Algorizm) - Mathematics, Astronomy, Geography. (Algorithm, Algebra, calculus) 770 - 840
'Amr ibn Bahr Al-Jahiz - Zoology, Arabic Grammar, Rhetoric, Lexicography 776 - 868
Ibn Ishaq Al-Kindi (Alkindus) - Philosophy, Physics, Optics, Medicine, Mathematics, Metallurgy. 800 - 873
Thabit Ibn Qurrah (Thebit) - Astronomy, Mechanics, Geometry, Anatomy. 836 - 901
'Abbas Ibn Firnas - Mechanics of Flight, Planetarium, Artificial Crystals. Died 888
Ali Ibn Rabban Al-Tabari - Medicine, Mathematics, Caligraphy, Literature. 838 - 870
Al-Battani (Albategnius) - Astronomy, mathematics, Trigonometry. 858 - 929
Al-Farghani (Al-Fraganus) - Astronomy, Civil Engineering. C. 860
Al-Razi (Rhazes) - Medicine, Ophthalmology, Smallpox, Chemistry, Astronomy. 864 - 930
Al-Farabi (Al-Pharabius) - Sociology, Logic, Philosophy, Political Science, Music. 870 - 950
Abul Hasan Ali Al-Masu’di - Geography, History. Died 957
Al-Sufi (Azophi) - Astronomy 903 - 986
Abu Al-Qasim Al-Zahravi (Albucasis) - Surgery, Medicine. (Father of Modern Surgery) 936 - 1013
Muhammad Al-Buzjani - Mathematics, Astronomy, Geometry, Trigonometry. 940 - 997
Ibn Al-Haitham (Alhazen) - Physics, Optics, Mathematics. 965 - 1040
Al-Mawardi (Alboacen) - Political Science, Sociology, Jurisprudence, Ethics. 972 - 1058
Abu Raihan Al-Biruni - Astronomy, Mathematics. (Determined Earth’s Circumference) 973-1048
Ibn Sina (Avicenna) - Medicine, Philosophy, Mathematics, Astronomy. 981 - 1037
Al-Zarqali (Arzachel) - Astronomy (Invented Astrolabe). 1028 - 1087
Omar Al-Khayyam - Mathematics, Poetry. *1044 - 1123 *
Al-Ghazali (Algazel) - Sociology, Theology, Philosophy. 1058 - 1111
Fall of Muslim Toledo (1085), Corsica and Malta (1090), Provence (1050), Sicily (1091) and Jerusalem (1099). Several Crusades. First wave of devastation of Muslim resources, lives, properties, institutions, and infrastructure over a period of one hundred years.
Abu Bakr Muhammad Ibn Yahya (Ibn Bajjah) - Philosophy, Medicine, Mathematics, Astronomy, Poetry, Music. 1106 - 1138
Ibn Zuhr (Avenzoar) - Surgery, Medicine. *1091 - 1161 *
Al-Idrisi (Dreses) - Geography (World Map, First Globe). 1099 - 1166
Ibn Tufayl, Abdubacer - Philosophy, Medicine, Poetry. 1110 - 1185
Ibn Rushd (Averroes) - Philosophy, Law, Medicine, Astronomy, Theology. 1128 - 1198
Al-Bitruji (Alpetragius) - Astronomy Died 1204
Second wave of devastation of Muslim resources, lives, properties, institutions, and infrastructure over a period of one hundred and twelve years. Crusader invasions (1217-1291) and Mongol invasions (1219-1329). Crusaders active throughout the Mediterranean from Jerusalem and west to Muslim Spain. Fall of Muslim Cordoba (1236), Valencia (1238) and Seville (1248). Mongols devastation from the eastern most Muslim frontier, Central and Western Asia, India, Persia to Arab heartland. Fall of Baghdad (1258) and the end of Abbasid Caliphate. Two million Muslims massacred in Baghdad. Major scientific institutions, laboratories, and infrastructure destroyed in leading Muslim centers of civilization.
Ibn Al-Baitar - Pharmacy, Botany Died 1248
Nasir Al-Din Al-Tusi - Astronomy, Non-Euclidean Geometry. 1201 - 1274
Jalal Al-Din Rumi - Sociology 1207 - 1273
Ibn Al-Nafis Damishqui - Anatomy 1213 - 1288
Al-Fida (Abdulfeda) - Astronomy, Geography, Histrory. 1273 - 1331
Muhammad Ibn Abdullah (Ibn Battuta) - World Traveler. 75,000 mile voyage from Morocco to China and back. 1304 - 1369
Ibn Khaldun - Sociology, Philosophy of History, Political Science. 1332 - 1395
Ulugh Beg - Astronomy 1393 - 1449
Third wave of devastation of Muslim resources, lives, properties, institutions, and infrastructure. End of Muslim rule in Spain (1492). More than one million volumes of Muslim works on science, arts, philosophy and culture was burnt in the public square of Vivarrambla in Granada. Colonization began in Africa, Asia, and the Americas.
Two hundred years before a comparable development elsewhere, Turkish scientist Hazarfen Ahmet Celebi took off from Galata tower and flew over the Bosphorus. Logari Hasan Celebi, another member of the Celebi family, sent the first manned rocket, using 150 okka (about 300 pounds) of gunpowder as the firing fuel.
Tipu, Sultan of Mysore [1783-1799] in the south of India, was the innovator of the world’s first war rocket. Two of his rockets, captured by the British at Srirangapatana, are displayed in the Woolwich Museum Artillery in London. The rocket motor casing was made of steel with multiple nozzles. The rocket, 50mm in diameter and 250mm long, had a range performance of 900 meters to 1.5 km.
The dates in the table are converted from the Islamic calendar (A.H.) which begins with Hejira, the migration of Prophet Muhammad (s) from Makkah to Medinah. The calendar is based on lunar monthly cycles. 1 A.H. = 622 C.E.
