SCIENCE & ISLAM 3/6 | The language of science العلم والإسلام

A BBC documentary examining the great leap in scientific knowledge that took place in the Islamic world between the 8th and 14th centuries.

Isaac Newton is, as most will agree, the greatest physicist of all time.
At the very least, he is the undisputed father of modern optics, or so we are told at school where our textbooks abound with his famous experiments with lenses and prisms, his study of the nature of light and its reflection, and the refraction and decomposition of light into the colours of the rainbow.

Yet, the truth is rather greyer; and I feel it important to point out that, certainly in the field of optics, Newton himself stood on the shoulders of a giant who lived 700 years earlier.

For, without doubt, another great physicist, who is worthy of ranking up alongside Newton, is a scientist born in AD 965 in what is now Iraq who went by the name of al-Hassan Ibn al-Haytham.

Most people in the West will never have even heard of him.
As a physicist myself, I am quite in awe of this man's contribution to my field, but I was fortunate enough to have recently been given the opportunity to dig a little into his life and work through my recent filming of a three-part BBC Four series on medieval Islamic scientists.

First shown on BBC4 05/01/2009
Professor Jim Al-Khalili presents Science and Islam

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Islam
• science
• Al-Khalili
• bbc
• bbc4
• technology
• Islamic
• knowledge
• Arabic
• medicine
• algebra
• physics
• scientific
• theoretical
• physicist
• ibn
• al-Haytham
• celestial
• mechanics
• university
• Alexandria

[JANNAH1624]

Bismillaah .... Walhamdulillaah .. wa Assalamu 'alaykum Wa Rahmatullaah, im trying to find this book online, does anyone know where i may find it?

[microman780]

You mean the book which accompanies this series??

I think its out in the UK soon, check on Amazon

[Noaiy]

Science is not "Muslim" or "Christian" - nor "black" or "white" - Science has no boundaries. Allah says that Science is the way to recognize his grace, and EVERY human being, no matter to which denomination he/she belongs should investigate in understanding the nature.

[muhammadtorres]

amazing . but im not happy how the western scientists take all the credit of the discoveries made .

[SultanOfSwords]

@PeteStrat07 yes, the Western idiology came in.

[magicalgold010]

i am in love with this documentary

[petestrat07]

8:50 !  "A high degree of religious tollerance." Something went seriously wrong.

[SethHesio]

@Noaiy Supernatural without proof is ridiculous right?

[Noaiy]

@SethHesio absolutely

[SethHesio]

@Noaiy Good for you. Science is the way forward.

[Noaiy]

@SethHesio - This is, what i said. You misunderstood my post because i used the term "Allah says". But this very term has only to do with my PERSONAL ambition and inspiration when it comes to scientific comprehension. Let me underline once again: Science is NOT limitated to ANY denomination, religion, nation, race! And ( - now don't get this sentence wrong!) that is exactly what is said in my religion, the Islam.

[Nathanrjroche]

@SethHesio True words, rationalism will prevail(let's hope)

[Nathanrjroche]

@microman780 I'm seeing the live version tonight at the University of Liverpool haha Jim Al-Khalili "standing on the shoulders of eastern giants" should be good :)