Sir Isaac Newton. One of the
greatest physicists ever said, “If I have seen further, it is because I stand on the shoulders of giants”. We know about Isaac Newton
very well, but we do not recognize the ‘Giants’. We are aware of the famous
picture of Isaac Newton, where he is seen experimenting with light. But we are
not aware that the same experiment was done by ibn al-Haytham somewhat seven
centuries before him.[1]
Muslim scientists such as Thabit ibn
Qurra, ibn al-Haytham wrote about calculus.[2] We know of ibn al-Haytham
writing about gravity.[3] Abu Bakr al-Razi,
centuries before Newton, made distinction between absolute and relative space;
absolute space, which is three dimensional and infinite, exists quite
independently of the bodies contained in it.[4] And ibn Sina tried to
relate velocity with weight, which is a precursor to the concept of
momentum.[5] This is also connected to Newton.
Let’s look at Newton’s laws of
motion. ibn Sina, ibn al-Haytham with others are seen to be writing about
Newton’s law of inertia, the first law of motion.[6] Abul Barakat al-Baghdadi
writes that force is proportional to acceleration, which we get to know from
the second law.[7] While ibn Bajja wrote that, for every force there is a
reaction force. Which is a forerunner to Newton’s third law of motion.[8]
How do so many things that Newton
worked on are described before by Muslim scientists?
The ‘Giants’ they say, are
Copernicus, Kepler, Descartes, Tycho Brahe and Galileo. But actually, it just
might be that Sir Isaac Newton was influenced by Muslim scientists.
In his writings, there are clear
marks of influence of ibn Tufail’s philosophical romance Hayy ibn Yaqzan (Alive
Son of Awaken).[9] It is known that both Latin and English translations of the
book by Edward Pococke and Simon Ockley
were available at Isaac Newton’s time. ibn Tufail’s influence is seen on
other philosopher, scientists and fiction authors too.[9]
Ibn al-Haytham’s name is frequent.
Talented man he was. Isaac Newton kept a copy of ibn al-Haytham’s magnum opus, Kitab
al-Manazir in his personal library.[10]
Many laugh at Jabir ibn Hayyan for
his alchemy, considering it irrational. Jabir ibn Hayyan didn’t try to create
gold out of silly stuff without a system; rather his process was more
scientific and experimental. Anyways, these people get shocked when they find
out that Sir Isaac Newton also practiced alchemy. And, he didn’t only practice
alchemy, he read Jabir’s book and was influenced by it, says professor
Newman.[11] A book named Summa perfectionis was based on the Arabic work
Kitab al-Mulk from the Jabirian corpus. It was translated
into English by Richard Russell and appeared in three other versions. One of
which was Willam Starkey’s Secrets Reveal’d’, the one which Newton
owned.[11]
So, Newton’s ideas didn’t fall from
an apple tree after all.
References:
1. 1. J. al-Khalili,
“Science and Islam” on
BBC Four, (Oxford Scientific Films), 2009.
2. Michael Hamilton Morgan, Lost History : The Enduring Legacy of Muslim Scientists, Thinkers and Artists (Washington D.C.: National Geographic, june 2008) p: 104
3. Ibid
4. Shlomo Pines, Studies in Arabic Versions of Greek Texts and in Mediaeval Science. p.368; Pines comments: “Al-Razi appears to suggest as a proof for the existence of three dimensional space the fact that if one removes by means of the estimative faculty, or more probably the imagination (al-wahm), (all existing) bodies, absolute space will still remain in existence, i,e. it will still be imagined by that faculty (wahm). Elsewhere he adduces as a proof for the existence of empty space outside the world the fact that simple folk, whose soul has not lost its spontaneity, state that their reason tells them that such a space exists. In other words, Al Razi considers that the fact that a physical conception or representation is accepted as certain 1) by reason, or 2) by the estimative faculty or the imagination, is a proof of its real existence.”
5. Nasr, S.H.; Razavi, M.A. (1996). The Islamic Intellectual Tradition in Persia. Routledge.
6. Seyyed Hossain Nasr, Science and Civilization in Islam (ABC International Group, Inc. 2001) p: 128; Espinoza, Fernando (2005). "An Analysis of the Historical Development of Ideas About Motion and its Implications for Teaching". Physics Education. 40 (2): 139–146. doi:10.1088/0031-9120/40/2/002;
7. Pines, Shlomo (1986). Studies in Arabic versions of Greek texts and in mediaeval science. 2. Brill Publishers. p. 203.
8. Franco, Abel B. "Avempace, Projectile Motion, and Impetus Theory". Journal of the History of Ideas. 64 (4): 543.
9. Samar Attar, The Vital Roots of European Enlightenment: Ibn Tufayl's Influence on Modern Western Thought, Lexington Books.
10. Salim T. S. al-Hassani (edt), 1001 Inventions: The Enduring Legacy of Muslim Civiliazation (National Geographic, 3rd Edition 2012) p: 35; George Sarton indirectly writes that Newton was influenced by ibn al-Haytham (Introduction to History of Science, vol 3, 1947)
11. G. A. Russell (1994), The 'Arabick' Interest of the Natural Philosophers in Seventeenth-Century England, p. 278-96, Brill Publishers.
12. I would like to clear out that this is just a cursory study and no research. Thorough research may and should find more astonishing facts.
2. Michael Hamilton Morgan, Lost History : The Enduring Legacy of Muslim Scientists, Thinkers and Artists (Washington D.C.: National Geographic, june 2008) p: 104
3. Ibid
4. Shlomo Pines, Studies in Arabic Versions of Greek Texts and in Mediaeval Science. p.368; Pines comments: “Al-Razi appears to suggest as a proof for the existence of three dimensional space the fact that if one removes by means of the estimative faculty, or more probably the imagination (al-wahm), (all existing) bodies, absolute space will still remain in existence, i,e. it will still be imagined by that faculty (wahm). Elsewhere he adduces as a proof for the existence of empty space outside the world the fact that simple folk, whose soul has not lost its spontaneity, state that their reason tells them that such a space exists. In other words, Al Razi considers that the fact that a physical conception or representation is accepted as certain 1) by reason, or 2) by the estimative faculty or the imagination, is a proof of its real existence.”
5. Nasr, S.H.; Razavi, M.A. (1996). The Islamic Intellectual Tradition in Persia. Routledge.
6. Seyyed Hossain Nasr, Science and Civilization in Islam (ABC International Group, Inc. 2001) p: 128; Espinoza, Fernando (2005). "An Analysis of the Historical Development of Ideas About Motion and its Implications for Teaching". Physics Education. 40 (2): 139–146. doi:10.1088/0031-9120/40/2/002;
7. Pines, Shlomo (1986). Studies in Arabic versions of Greek texts and in mediaeval science. 2. Brill Publishers. p. 203.
8. Franco, Abel B. "Avempace, Projectile Motion, and Impetus Theory". Journal of the History of Ideas. 64 (4): 543.
9. Samar Attar, The Vital Roots of European Enlightenment: Ibn Tufayl's Influence on Modern Western Thought, Lexington Books.
10. Salim T. S. al-Hassani (edt), 1001 Inventions: The Enduring Legacy of Muslim Civiliazation (National Geographic, 3rd Edition 2012) p: 35; George Sarton indirectly writes that Newton was influenced by ibn al-Haytham (Introduction to History of Science, vol 3, 1947)
11. G. A. Russell (1994), The 'Arabick' Interest of the Natural Philosophers in Seventeenth-Century England, p. 278-96, Brill Publishers.
12. I would like to clear out that this is just a cursory study and no research. Thorough research may and should find more astonishing facts.
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