1001 Inventions and The Library of Secrets 

Questions:

• Who are the well-regarded Muslim inventors?
• Give a short biography of each inventor?
• What is/are their known inventions?
• How their inventions benefit Human Society?

1. Al-JazariBadi' al-Zaman Abu-'Izz Ibn Isma'il Ibn al-Razzaz al-Jazari was born in 1136 CE at cizre, Artuqid State during the Islamic Golden Age and lived in Turkey. He was an engineer and indigenous inventor. He is best recognized for his book “The Book of knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical devices”. He is known as the Father of Robotics. He once served as a chief engineer at the Artukulu palace like his father before him. He was more of a practical engineer than an inventor and most of his inventions were made by trial and error rather than theoretical analysis. He died in 1206 CEHe converted rotary motion into linear motion. He invented the time telling machine which was his legendary Elephant Clock by using many parts collected from different cultures around the world. Fountains, wash basins, musical instruments, hydropower water supplying system, soda machine and automatic doors. His inventions made sure that people show up to places early, play musical instruments, water drainage systems, motion sensitive doors and water closets.
2. Mariam ‘Al-Astrolabiya’ Al-IjliyaMariam al-Asturlabo or Al-'Ijliyah bint al-'Ijli al-Asturlabo was a 10th century astronomer in Aleppo. Her father was an astrolabist and she became the student of Bitolus, she was so creative that she was later on employed by the ruler of the city. She invented sophisticated astrolabes which are ancient calculating, navigational and time keeping devicesHer inventions are used by sailors for navigation and also the compass which is used by muslims for Qibla and satellite navigation which help people and explorers to travel the world.
3. Ibn Al HaythamHasan Ibn al-Haytham sometimes called the Father of modern optics. He was born in 354AH in Iraq and died in 430AH in Cairo. He was a Mathematician, physicist and astronomer during the golden ages. He made a name for himself due to his literacy in applied MathematicsHe was the scientist who laid the foundations of modern camera by explaining how our eyes work. He found a way of projecting an image on another surface through a small hole in a dark room later called camera obscura. He was also one of the people who argued that a theory must be explained using experiments based on mathematical calculations. Cameras, televisons and Cinemas all share the same principle.
4. Abbas Ibn FirnasAbu al-Qasim Abbas ibn Firnas ibn Wirdas al-Takurini also known as the Father of flight was born in 809 AD IN Al adalus and died in 887 Cordoba. He was a Spanish inventor, physicist, chemist, engineer and Arabic poet. He designed a water clock called al-Maqata which helped seize the exportation of quartz to Egypt, devised a means of producing colorless glass, ring system, and also the first to attempt flight but forgot a tail for landing. He led to the inventon of jets, aeroplanes which we use to travel to other places around the world.
5. Abu al-Qasim al-ZahrawiAbū al-Qāsim Khalaf ibn al-‘Abbās al-Zahrāwī al-ansari was an Arabianwas an Arab Muslim physician, surgeon and chemist who lived in Al-Andalus but was born inAzahara in 1936 CE and died in 1013. He wrote an Arabic Encyclopedia known as Kitab al-Tasrif He is known as the Father of surgery and the founder of modern surgical and medical instruments. He invented many surgical tools used in modern hospitals such as Catgut from the gut of animals which is perfect for stitching up internal wound, identify haemophilia and also describe an abdominal pregnancy. These inventions are still used to cure different diseases and ensure well-being of different patients.