Ibn Al Haytham (The Muslim physicist)

Ibn Al Haytham was the master of physics and photonics for centuries. He also was one of the great Muslim scientists who paved the way before the entire humanity to benefit from Muslims' sciences.

His name is Muhammad ibn Al Hasan, or Al Hasan ibn Al Hasan. Ibn Abu Usaybi`ah, who was born in Damascus and died in 668 AH, said in His Book (`Uyun Al Anba' Fy Tabaqat Al Atibba') that the name of (Ibn Al Haytham) is Muhammad ibn Al Hasan ibn Al Haytham. Khayrud-Din Az-Zirikly followed this view in his lexicon of proper nouns, however Al Qafty said in his book (Ikhbar Al `Ulama' Bakhbar Al Hukama') that his name is Ibn Al Haytham.

The same name was used by the author of Kashf Azh-Zhunun in page 138, 1^st volume, therefore when (Carl Brockelmann) mentioned his biography, he hesitated to mention his name, and likewise did Suter —(the orientalist) according to the Islamic Encyclopedia p. 298— when he hesitated to write the name of Ibn Al Haytham whether to write Al Hasan ibn Al Hasan or Al Hasan ibn Al Husayn.

No matter what his name is, he is Ibn Al Haytham the great scholar. He was born in the late fourth century AH. He was born poor and worked in copying and selling books then he became brilliant.

The biggest accident in his life was the summoning of Al Hakim Biamr Allah Al `Ubaydy to him to come to Egypt or he himself went to Egypt to do some work. Ibn Al Haytham said while he was in the Levant (the region covering Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Palestine): If I were in Egypt, I would have done something to benefit people no matter the water of the Nile is little or much.

Those words reached the hearing of Al Hakim Biamr Allah in Egypt, then he summoned Ibn Al Haytham to the Nile until he reached the location known as Janadil down Aswan. He inspected the Nile from its two banks and could not come up with anything; that was the narration of the French Encyclopedia in p. 813.

Other narrations stated that Ibn Al Haytham said: I had meditated the monuments of the Ancient Egyptians and knew that who have built these great monuments would not be unable to build something for the Nile in Aswan if that was possible.

Thoughts are not like real work, therefore he came back helpless but he feared to declare that because Al Hakim was an oppressor. So, Ibn Al Haytham showed insanity to escape the punishment of Al Hakim and Al Hakim believed him, therefore he assigned someone to serve him and seized his money.

He stayed insane until Al Hakim died, then Ibn Al Haytham showed sanity, got out from his house, and lived in a tent near Al Azhar Mosque, then he restored him money and used it to write books until he died.

Az-Zirikly stated 70 books for Ibn Al Haytham, of which are: The book of Al Manazhir, Risalat Ash-Shukuk against Batlaymous, Al Izhlal, Tahdhib Al Magsaty, Tarbi` Ad-Da'irah, and Risalat Al Akhlaq.

Al Bayhaqy said about the latter book: "None has preceded him in writing such a book." Ibn Al Haytham also wrote Misahat Al Jism Al Mutakafi', Al Ashkal Al Hilaliyyah, Al Maraya Al Muhriqah, Tafsir Al Maqalah Al `Ashirah of Abu Ja`far Al Khazin, and Irtifa`at Al Kawakib.

However, Ibn Abu Usaybi`ah stated in his book (`Uyun Al Anba') two hundred books and letters in math, astronomy, physics, philosophy, and medicine.

Suter praised Ibn Al Haytham saying: "He was a great Arab scientist in math and physics as he wrote in medicine and in older sciences, especially the philosophy of Aristotle."

Ibn Al Haytham was of great effect in the scientific European culture.

The first letter which the West thought that Ibn Al Haytham wrote was Tafsir Al Maqalah Al `Ashirah of Abu Ja`far Al Khazin on which he commented, so they may called him Al Khazin when they confused between his name and the name of the author.

They translated his books to their languages. His book Al Manazhir was published in German in 1572 AD in Pal city along with another letter about twilight that was translated to Latin by Gerar De Komona. The book of Al Manazhir had a great impact on conveying that science to the West in the medieval from Roger Bacon to Kapler i.e., throughout 3.5 centuries because Roger Bacon was born in 1214 AD and Kapler was born in 1571.

Fedman published Ibn Al Haytham's book (Kayfiyat Al Izhlal) in German in 1907 and participated with Hebrug in publishing Al Maraya Al Muhriqah Bid-Dawa'ir in the same group from page 293 to 207.

Later on, Suter translated his book Fi Misahat Al Jism Al Mutakafi' in the twelfth volume in 1912 along with commentary.

The French Lexicons mentioned that Ibn Al Haytham had several writings in math, astrology, philosophy, and physics that were lost and only one letter about Al Munhanayat Al Handasiyyah was left over which made us be sure that he was full-aware of Euclid's axioms.

Ibn Al Haytham had the merit of discovering "the use of number 9 as a proof to the validity of math operations".

For the first time, Westerners could see the book of Ibn Al Haytham "Al Manazhir" which contained fine description of the eye, and knew that sight comes from the reflection of things in the eye not from the eye itself as the Greek thought.

They also knew how Ibn Al Haytham dealt with the issue of reflection and dark chamber which was the first step in inventing the solar camera.

Sarton also admitted the merit of Ibh Haytham by saying: "Ibn Al Haytham was one of the greatest Arab scientists in physics, but rather one of the greatest scientists in medieval and one of the few scientists of optics."

Francis Bacon 1561-1627 said in his book "The Value of science progress" which he wrote in 1605: Al Kindy and Ibn Al Haytham were the pillars of optics.

Ibn Al Haytham passed away in 430 - 1039 in Egypt according to most historians except Al Bayhaqy who wrote in his book "The history of Muslim wise people": When Ibn Al Haytham feared for himself, he escaped to Syria and neither mentioned his death nor his return to Egypt.

He was a star in the heaven of Islamic civilization and paved the way for Europe as he paved it for Muslims.

He benefited from the atmosphere of scientific freedom, high thinking, and culture which Islam implanted; and had not for the Islamic Civilization, good scientists would not have spread their knowledge all over the world and taught the people.