JABIR
IBN HAIYAN
(Died 803 AD)
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Jabir Ibn Haiyan, the alchemist Geber of the Middle Ages,
is generally known as the father of ehemistry. Abu Musa
Jabir Ibn Hayyan, sometimes called al-Harrani and al-Sufi,
was the son of the druggist ( Attar ). The precise date
of his birth is the subject of some discussion, but it is
established that he practised medicine and alchemy in Kufa
around 776 A.D. He is reported to have studied under Imam
Ja'far Sadiq and the Ummayed prince Khalid Ibn Yazid. In
his early days, he practised medicine and was under the
patronage of the Barmaki Vizir during the Abbssid Caliphate
of Haroon al-Rashid. He shared some of the effects of the
downfall of the Barmakis and was placed under house arrest
in Kufa, where he died in 803 A.D.
Jabir's
major contribution was in the field of chemistry. He introduced
experimental investigation into alchemy, which rapidly changed
its character into modern chemistry. On the ruins of his
well-known laboratory remained after centuries, but his
fame rests on over 100 monumental treatises, of which 22
relate to chemistry and alchemy. His contribution of fundamental
importance to chemistry includes perfection of scientific
techniques such as crystallization, distillation, calcinations,
sublimation and evaporation and development of several instruments
for the same. The fact of early development of chemistry
as a distinct branch of science by the Arabs, instead of
the earlier vague ideas, is well-established and the very
name chemistry is derived from the Arabic word al-Kimya,
which was studied and developed extensively by the Muslim
scientists.
Perhaps
Jabir's major practical achievement was the discovery of
mineral and others acids, which he prepared for the first
time in his alembic (Anbique). Apart from several contributions
of basic nature to alchemy, involving largely the preparation
of new com-pounds and development of chemical methods, he
also developed a number of applied chemical processes, thus
becoming a pioneer in the field of applied science. His
achievements in this field include preparation of various
metals, development of steel, dyeing of cloth and tanning
of leather, varnishing of water-proof cloth, use of manganese
dioxide in glass-making, prevention of rusting, letterring
in gold, identification of paints, greases, etc. During
the course of these practical endeavours, he also developed
aqua regia to dissolve gold. The alembic is his great invention,
which made easy and systematic the process of distillation.
Jabir laid great stress on experimentation and accuracy
in his work.
Based
on their properties, he has described three distinct types
of substances. First, spirits i.e. those which vaporise
on heating, like camphor, arsenic and ammonium chloride;
secondly, metals, for example, gold, silver, lead, copper,
iron, and thirdly, the category of compounds which can be
converted into powders. He thus paved the way for such later
classification as metals, non-metals and volatile substances.
Although
known as an alchemist, he did not seem to have seriously
pursued the preparation of noble metals as an alchemist;
instead he devoted his effort to the development of basic
chemical methods and study of mechanisms of chemical reactions
in themselves and thus helped evolve chemistry as a science
from the legends of alchemy. He emphasised that, in chemical
reactions, definite quantities of various substances are
involved and thus can be said to have paved the way for
the law of constant proportions.
A
large number of books are included in his corpus. Apart
from chemistry, he also contributed to other sciences such
as medicine and astronomy. His books on chemistry, including
his Kitab-al-Kimya , and Kitab al-Sab'een were translated
into Latin and various European languages. These translations
were popular in Europe for several centuries and have influenced
the evolution of modern chemistry. Several technical terms
devised by Jabir, such as alkali, are today found in various
European languages and have become part of scientific vocabulary.
Only a few of his books have been edited and published,
while several others preserved in Arabic have yet to be
annotated and published.
Doubts
have been expressed as to whether all the voluminous work
included in the corpus is his own contribution or it contains
later commentaries/additions by his followers. According
to Sarton, the true worth of his work would only be known
when all his books have been edited and published. His religious
views and philosophical concepts embodied in the corpus
have been criticised but, apart from the question of their
authenticity, it is to be emphasised that the major contribution
of Jabir lies in the field of chemistry and not in religion.
His various breakthroughs e.g., preparation of acids for
the first time, notably nitric, hydrochloric, citric and
tartaric acids, and emphasis on systematic experimentation
are outstanding and it is on the basis of such work that
he can justly be regarded as the father of modern chemistry.
In the words of Max Mayerhaff, the development of chemistry
in Europe can be traced directly to Jabir Ibn Haiyan.