Chemistry by Muslims

Chemistry as a science is unquestionably theinvention of the Muslims.
It is one of the sciences in which Muslims have made the greatest
contribution and developed it to such a high degree of perfection that
they were considered authorities in this science until the end of the
17th century A. D.
Jabir and Zakariya Razihave the distinction of being thegreatest
chemists the mediaeval timesproduced. Writing in his illuminating
History of the Arabs, Philip K. Hitti acknowledges the greatness of
Arabs in this branch of science when he says, "After materia medica,
astronomy and mathematics, the Arabs made their greatest scientific
contribution in chemistry. In the study of chemistry and other
physical sciences, the Arabs introduced the objective experiment, a
decided improvement over the hazy speculation of Greeks. Accurate in
the observation of phenomena and diligent in the accumulation of
facts, the Arabs nevertheless found it difficult to project proper
hypotheses."
Jabir Ibn Hayyan (Geber)
Jabir Ibn Hayyan (Geber)who flourished in Kufa about776 A.D.is known
as thefather of modern chemistryand along with Zakariya Razi, stands
as the greatest name in the annals of chemical science during
mediaeval times. He got his education fromUmayyad Prince Khalid Ibn
Yazid Ibn Muawiyahand the celebrated Imam Jafar al-Sadiq.
He worked on the assumption that metals like lead, tin and iron could
be transformed into gold by mixing certain chemical substances. It is
said that he manufactured a large quantity of gold with the help of
that mysterious substance and two centuries later, when a street was
rebuilt in Kufa a large piece of gold was unearthed from his
laboratory.
He laid great emphasis on the importance of experimentation in his
research and hence he made great headway in chemical science, Western
writers credit him with thediscovery of several chemicalcompounds,
which are not mentioned in his twenty-two extant Arabic works.
According to Max Meyerhof "His influence may be traced throughout the
whole historic course of European alchemy and chemistry." He is
credited, with the writing of100 chemical works. "Nevertheless, the
works to which his name was attached" says Hitti, "were after the 14th
century, the most influential chemical treatises in both Europe and
Asia."
He explained scientifically thetwo principal operationsof
chemistry,calcinationandreduction, and registered a marked improvement
in the methods ofevaporation,sublimation
filtration,distillationandcrystallization. Jabir modified and
corrected the Aristotelian theory of theconstituents of metal, which
remained unchanged until the beginning of modern chemistry in the 18th
century.
He has explained in his works thepreparation of many chemical
substancesincluding "Cinnabar" (sulphide of mercury) and arsenic
oxide. It has been established through historical research that he
knew how to obtain nearly pure vitrilos, alums, alkalis and how to
produce 'the so-called liver' and milk of sulphur byheating sulphur
with alkali.
He preparedmercury oxideand was fully conversant with the preparation
of crude sulphuric and nitric acids. He knew the method of thesolution
of gold and silverwith this acid. His chemical treatises on such
subjects have beentranslated into several Europeanlanguages including
Latin and several technical scientific terms invented by Jabir have
been adopted in modern chemistry.
A real estimate of his achievements is only possible when his enormous
chemical work including theBook of Seventyare published. Richard
Russell (1678, A.D.) an English translator ascribes a book entitledSun
of Perfection to Jabir. A number of his chemical works have been
published by Berthelot. His books translated into English are theBook
of Kingdom,Book of BalancesandBook of Easternmercury.
Jabir also advanced a theory on thegeologic formation of metalsand
dealt with many useful practical applications of chemistry such as
refinement of metals, preparation of steel and dyeing of cloth and
leather, varnishing of waterproof cloth and use of manganese dioxide
to color glass.
Jabir was recognized as themasterby the later chemists
includingAl-Tughrai and Abu al-Qasim al-Iraqiwho flourished in the
12th and 13th centuries respectively. These Muslim chemists made
little improvement on the methods of Jabir. They confined themselves
to the quest of the legendary elixir which they could never find.
Zakariya Razi
Zakariya Raziknown asRhazasin Latin is thesecond great namein
mediaeval chemical science. Born in 850 A.D. at Rayy, he is known as
one of the greatest physicians of all times. He wroteKitab al Asrarin
chemistry dealing with the preparation of chemical substances and
their application. His great work of the art of alchemy was recently
found in the library of an Indian prince.
Razi has proved himself to be a greater expert than all his
predecessors, including Jabir, in the exactclassification of
substances. His description of chemical experiments as well as their
apparatus are distinguished for their clarity which were not visible
in the writings of his predecessors. Jabir and other Arabian chemists
divided mineral substances into bodies (gold, silver etc.), souls
(sulphur, arsenic, etc.) and spirits (mercury and sal-ammoniac) while
Razi classified hismineral substances as vegetable, animal and
mineral.
Other Notable Chemists
The mineral substances were also classified byAl-Jabiz.Abu Mansur
Muwaffaqhas contributed to the method of the preparation and
properties of mineral substances.Abul Qasimwho was a renowned chemist
prepared drugs by sublimation and distillation. High class sugar and
glass were manufactured in Islamic countries. The Arabs were also
expert in themanufacture of ink, lacquers,solders, cements and
imitationpearls.