Thabit ibn Qurra: A pioneering 9th century Muslim polymath who dedicated his life to several branches of science

Thabit ibn Qurra, also referred to as Abu al-Hasan Thabit ibn Qurra al-Harrani al-Sabi, was a renowned scientist of the ninth century. He maintains this alternate name to this day.

Among other disciplines, astronomy, mechanics, physics, and mathematics have been affected by his contributions. He came into existence in the year 836 in the municipality of Harran, Turkey, situated in the Sanliurfa province.

"The wealth of brilliant astronomers and mathematicians that the Sabians, who were direct descendants of the Babylonian star devotees, bestowed upon the world was a direct consequence of their religious beliefs"

His lineage was replete with eminent intellectuals. They belonged to the Sabian community, an ethnic group that was frequently referenced in the Quran.

The wealth of brilliant astronomers and mathematicians that the Sabians, who were direct descendants of the Babylonian star devotees, bestowed upon the world was a direct consequence of their religious beliefs.

He established a notable reputation in Baghdad as a physician and physicist from 892 to 902, specifically during the reign of Abbasid Caliph al-Mu'tadid.

Additionally, he rendered into Arabic the works of Greek mathematicians who had preceded him. The subject of his studies was philosophy.

"Translations he authored yielded significant contributions to the disciplines of philosophy, mathematics, astronomy, medicine, and the natural sciences. Sabit, according to multiple sources, is the author of approximately 150 works in these disciplines"

In addition to his medical endeavours, Thabit ibn Qurra authored substantial works on the subjects of astronomy and mathematics.

Additionally, he contributed significantly to the discipline of mathematics and oversaw the revision of several books that had undergone translation prior to his arrival. While a limited number of his scientific compositions were written in Syriac, Arabic by far predominated.

Translations he authored yielded significant contributions to the disciplines of philosophy, mathematics, astronomy, medicine, and the natural sciences. Sabit, according to multiple sources, is the author of approximately 150 works in these disciplines.

Alongside Hunayn ibn Ishaq al-Ibad, he is regarded as one of the preeminent translators in the annals of Islamic history.

The Quran's contributions to the discipline of mathematics can be categorised into three discrete phases. Either the translation into Arabic of significant mathematical works originally composed in Greek or the correction of previously translated texts, must be completed as a matter of urgency.

Sabit was responsible for the exact and thorough Arabic translation of every mathematical work authored by Archimedes. At present, there is considerable dependence on Thabit's translations due to the misplacement of the Greek originals authored by Archimedes. Consequently, they have obtained a substantial quantity of benefits from these.

The Quran undertook the translation and editing of numerous Greek writings, including works authored by Menelaus, Euclid, Archimedes, Apollonius, and Theodosius. Furthermore, he contributed commentary to Euclid's Elements and Ptolemy's Almagest.

The subsequent stage encompasses Sabit's input, which is predominantly comprised of revisions and translations, in the development of an Arabic mathematical language. Works of fixed mathematics originally composed in Arabic, Greek, and Syriac were translated into their appropriate equivalents in Arabic by means of Thabit's endeavours.

While certain concepts he unearthed were subsequently surpassed by other Muslim mathematicians, the vast majority of them continued to be utilised even after their inception.

Bahman ibn Qurra significantly advanced the third stage of mathematics by means of his publication of original works in disciplines including geometry, algebra, arithmetic (number theory), geometry, cone sections, and trigonometry.

"His significant contributions to the fields of analytic geometry, non-Euclidean geometry, integral calculus, and the expansion of the notion of numbers to encompass positive real numbers have had a lasting impact on the discipline"

The translation by Thabit of the Greek mathematician Nicomachus' introduction to arithmetic is considered one of his most influential contributions to the study of number theory.

Subsequently, Euler refined the formula for friendly numbers initially proposed by Thabit by incorporating further developments in Western European mathematics that introduced novel possibilities.

Furthermore, there exists evidence suggesting that Thabit was the initial individual to devise a resolution to the dilemma presented by Menelaus.

The relationship between the ratios obtained when a line is employed to cut across the sides of a triangle is denoted by Menelaus' theorem. It is also worth noting that the converse of the theorem holds true and provides a highly persuasive proof that the three locations under consideration are collinear.

Furthermore, the application of Menelaus' full spherical quadrilateral theorem to matters concerning spherical astronomy fell under the purview of Ptolemy. In his own work, Thabit ibn Qurra revisited the subject and provided flawless proof of Menelaus' theorem.

Throughout this computational process, he implemented a methodology resembling the integral calculation approach utilised in contemporary "calculus."

Due to this, David E. Smith, an authority on the history of mathematics, acknowledged Thabit as one of the pioneers in the development of calculus.

Early in the history of astronomical reformatism, he emerged as a prominent advocate for the kinematics premise. By including the eighth stroke in his work, he also attempted to clarify the concept of motion.

Furthermore, he investigated the issue of equilibrium and tackled the challenge of weights and the reproduction of Aristotle's dynamic principle. These endeavours garnered him recognition as the progenitor of statics in the field of mechanical science.

Thabit was a highly productive author in the field of astronomy, having authored numerous treatises on subjects including celestial spheres, the motion of the sun and moon, sundials, and the occurrence of the new moon.

Beyond Ptolemy's spheres, which comprised the sun, moon, and five planets, the renowned treatise De motu octave sphere delineated an additional sphere exclusively devoted to fixed stars. This sphere was constructed atop the spheres of Ptolemy.

The octave sphere de motu was exclusive to the Latin language. The "trepidation" theory, which he put forth, concerned the precession of the equinoxes. Initially, this hypothesis was alluded to in the context of Islamic astronomy in relation to his name.

Furthermore, in his other published works, he addressed subjects including avian anatomy, general medicine, embryology, and blood circulation, in addition to veterinary medicine and maladies.

Thabit ibn Qurra, an individual who had dedicated numerous decades to scientific inquiry and produced significant advancements in numerous disciplines, descended into the world of Islam in Baghdad on February 19, 901. Given his age, he had been a Baghdad resident since the early 880s.

Dr Ufuk Necat Tasci is a political analyst, academic, and journalist. His research areas and interests include Libya, the foreign policy of Turkey, proxy wars, surrogate warfare, and new forms of conflict and history

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