Muslim Scholars

So respected was Jabir's work that his theory of metal transmutation (though false) spurred European alchemists on an epic quest for the search of Philosopher's Stone. He theorised that rearranging the defining values of one metals to match the properties of another should cause metal to transmutate.

Jabir's Mastery over ancient knowledge is evident in his tributes to to Egyptian and Greek alchemists, but it is his addition to their work that is truly fascinating. Taking Aristotelian physics to the next level, Jabir defined each element in term of its physical values.

Jabir is credited to have composed more than 100 works of which 22 chemical works are still extant. Despite his leanings towards mysticism, Jabir's alchemy is characterised by a focus on scientific technique, objectivity and precision. He clearly recognised the importance of experimentation, which he declared "The first essential in chemistry is that you should perform practical work and conduct experiments, for he who performs not practical work nor makes experiments will never attain the least degree of mastery." which immensely added to its rapid development.

The fame of Jabir rests on his alchemical writings preserved in Arabic, Six of his works namely

1. Kitab al Rahmah (book of Mercy)
2. Kitab al Tajmi (Book of concentration)
3. Al Zilaq al Sharqi (Book of Eastern Mercury)
4. Al Kimiya
5. Book of The Kingdom, and
6. The little Book of the Balances and several others have been translated and published in several European languages including latin and had a deep influence over the entire course of the development of modern chemistry.

A complete overview on Jabir ibn Haiyan's contribution is difficult in a single post (unless you can call a 2 page essay a POST), as he is also credited with the invention and development of a number of chemical substances and instruments that are still used today, We will discuss about these in another post hopefully tomorrow.