partha@mse.ogi.edu (R. Parthasarathy) (05/30/90)
>From: amin@csd4.csd.uwm.edu (Aminuddin Ahmad) ISLAMIC CONTRIBUTIONS TO SCIENCE ---------------------------------------------------------------- > This is a research paper written for the Department of > (Hitti 373). About the year 600 A.H.-during the lifetime of > Prophet Muhammad - an Indian Muslim mathematician developed the ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ > symbol "cipher" or zero and the system of placed notation. This > invention, first mentioned in a Syriac text written in 662 AD, > revolutionized the study of mathematics and made possible the > great achievements of Muslim mathematicians (Science p4). I think during the prophet Muhammed's time, islam hadn't spread to the indian sub-continent. Therefore, I am puzzled about how an " Indian Muslim Mathematician " could have developed the concept of zero. I know that the word Algebra has roots in Arabic. Kindly do not start a religious war fare here. Instead I'd appreaciate correct facts. Partha sarathy
beekun@ncar.UCAR.EDU (R. I. Beekun) (06/04/90)
In article <8516@accuvax.nwu.edu> partha@mse.ogi.edu (R. Parthasarathy) writes: > >>From: amin@csd4.csd.uwm.edu (Aminuddin Ahmad) > > > > > ISLAMIC CONTRIBUTIONS TO SCIENCE > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------- >> This is a research paper written for the Department of > >> (Hitti 373). About the year 600 A.H.-during the lifetime of >> Prophet Muhammad - an Indian Muslim mathematician developed the > ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ >> symbol "cipher" or zero and the system of placed notation. > > I think during the prophet Muhammed's time, islam hadn't ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ > spread to the indian sub-continent. Therefore, I am puzzled > about how an " Indian Muslim Mathematician " could have > developed the concept of zero. You should read the sentence more carefully. It says "about the year 600 A.H.", which means that this did not take place during the lifetime of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), but rather about 600 years after Hijrah. Hijrah represents the date of the Prophet's flight from Mecca to Yathrib, and counts as the beginning of the Muslim Era. Pickthall talks about Hijrah as June 20th, 625 A.D. Consequently, 600 A.H. would make it about 1225 A.D. If I remember right, Muslims had been spreading Islam in the Indian sub- continent by that time. Abu Syed Marwan ............................................................................ :... We decreed for the children of : : :Israel that whosoever kills a human : : :being for other than manslaughter or : / | "" | : :corruption in the earth, it shall be : / | | | | : :as though he had killed all mankind, : | | __| | | | : :and whoso saves the life of one, it : ____|___| | <__|__|__| | : :shall be as though he had saved the : | * : :life of all mankind. (Qur'an 5: 32) : _ / : :.....................................:....................................:
hhasan@max.physics.sunysb.edu (Hidayat Hasan) (06/07/90)
In article <13225@wpi.wpi.edu> uunet!unrvax!tahoe.unr.EDU!unssun!beekun@ncar.UCAR.EDU (R. I. Beekun) writes: # # #In article <8516@accuvax.nwu.edu# partha@mse.ogi.edu (R. Parthasarathy) writes: ## ###From: amin@csd4.csd.uwm.edu (Aminuddin Ahmad) ## ## ## ## ## ISLAMIC CONTRIBUTIONS TO SCIENCE ## ## ## ---------------------------------------------------------------- ### This is a research paper written for the Department of ## ### (Hitti 373). About the year 600 A.H.-during the lifetime of ### Prophet Muhammad - an Indian Muslim mathematician developed the ## ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ### symbol "cipher" or zero and the system of placed notation. ## ## I think during the prophet Muhammed's time, islam hadn't # ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ## spread to the indian sub-continent. Therefore, I am puzzled ## about how an " Indian Muslim Mathematician " could have ## developed the concept of zero. # #You should read the sentence more carefully. It says "about the year #600 A.H.", which means that this did not take place during the #lifetime of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), but rather about 600 #years after Hijrah. # #Hijrah represents the date of the Prophet's flight from Mecca to Yathrib, and #counts as the beginning of the Muslim Era. Pickthall talks about Hijrah #as June 20th, 625 A.D. Consequently, 600 A.H. would make it about 1225 A.D. #If I remember right, Muslims had been spreading Islam in the Indian sub- #continent by that time. # # #Abu Syed Marwan Sir, what you are saying does not make any sense. However carefully you read the sentence there is atleast one error in it. Let me reproduce it. # (Hitti 373). About the year 600 A.H.-during the lifetime of # Prophet Muhammad - an Indian Muslim mathematician developed the # symbol "cipher" or zero and the system of placed notation. The sentence clearly says that, a) Zero was invented around the year 600 A.H.; b) Prophet Muhammad was alive at that time; and, c) The inventor was an Indian Muslim. a) and b) cannot go togather since Prophet Muhammad died in year 11 A.H. (633 A.D.). One way to correct it to drop b) and not to insist that it happened in the Prophet's lifetime. However, statement a) is wrong historically. 600 A.H. is equavalent to 1204 A.D. Muslims were using zero much before that time. By year 1200 A.D. the decline of Islamic learning had already started. There is no doubt that what the author meant was 600 A.D. and NOT 600 A.H. This puts everything right atleast chronologically. Finally coming to the last statement. Muslims attacked India first time in 711 A.D. They had started visiting it about 50 years before this. These visits were both for trading purposes and preaching Islam. But these were limited to the coastal areas in Sindh (in what is now Pakistan) and areas around what is now Bombay. These areas were hardly the centre of learning at that time. So there is only a marginal chance of the Indian inventor of zero being muslim. Now coming to the historical fact. If I remember correctly Zero was invented BEFORE Islam. I don't have a reference available at the moment but I can try to find one, if you insists. Secondly, the inventor was certainly NOT a muslim. Sir, there in no denying the fact that most of the western history of science is biased in favor of West. I am one of those who support the idea of putting the record straight and give the muslim contributors their due credit. But this does mean to take credit from those who worked before Islam. Then the history book that we will produce will be as trashy as today's books written by western historians. -- _______________________________________________________________________________ Hidayat Hasan, Physics Deptt., SUNY at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY 11794. """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" -- _______________________________________________________________________________ Hidayat Hasan, Physics Deptt., SUNY at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY 11794. """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
hhasan@max.physics.sunysb.edu (Hidayat Hasan) (06/08/90)
In article <13225@wpi.wpi.edu> uunet!unrvax!tahoe.unr.EDU!unssun!beekun@ncar.UCAR.EDU (R. I. Beekun) writes: > > >In article <8516@accuvax.nwu.edu> partha@mse.ogi.edu (R. Parthasarathy) writes: >> >>>From: amin@csd4.csd.uwm.edu (Aminuddin Ahmad) >> >> >> >> >> ISLAMIC CONTRIBUTIONS TO SCIENCE >> >> >> ---------------------------------------------------------------- >>> This is a research paper written for the Department of >> >>> (Hitti 373). About the year 600 A.H.-during the lifetime of >>> Prophet Muhammad - an Indian Muslim mathematician developed the >> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ >>> symbol "cipher" or zero and the system of placed notation. >> >> I think during the prophet Muhammed's time, islam hadn't > ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ >> spread to the indian sub-continent. Therefore, I am puzzled >> about how an " Indian Muslim Mathematician " could have >> developed the concept of zero. > >You should read the sentence more carefully. It says "about the year >600 A.H.", which means that this did not take place during the >lifetime of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), but rather about 600 >years after Hijrah. > >Hijrah represents the date of the Prophet's flight from Mecca to Yathrib, and >counts as the beginning of the Muslim Era. Pickthall talks about Hijrah >as June 20th, 625 A.D. Consequently, 600 A.H. would make it about 1225 A.D. >If I remember right, Muslims had been spreading Islam in the Indian sub- >continent by that time. > > >Abu Syed Marwan Sir, what you are saying does not make any sense. However carefully you read the sentence there is atleast one error in it. Let me reproduce it. > (Hitti 373). About the year 600 A.H.-during the lifetime of > Prophet Muhammad - an Indian Muslim mathematician developed the > symbol "cipher" or zero and the system of placed notation. The sentence clearly says that, a) Zero was invented around the year 600 A.H.; b) Prophet Muhammad was alive at that time; and, c) The inventor was an Indian Muslim. a) and b) cannot go togather since Prophet Muhammad died in year 11 A.H. (633 A.D.). One way to correct it to drop b) and not to insist that it happened in the Prophet's lifetime. However, statement a) is wrong historically. 600 A.H. is equavalent to 1204 A.D. Muslims were using zero much before that time. By year 1200 A.D. the decline of Islamic learning had already started. There is no doubt that what the author meant was 600 A.D. and NOT 600 A.H. This puts everything right atleast chronologically. Finally coming to the last statement. Muslims attacked India first time in 711 A.D. They had started visiting it about 50 years before this. These visits were both for trading purposes and preaching Islam. But these were limited to the coastal areas in Sindh (in what is now Pakistan) and areas around what is now Bombay. These areas were hardly the centre of learning at that time. So there is only a marginal chance of the Indian inventor of zero being muslim. Now coming to the historical fact. If I remember correctly Zero was invented BEFORE Islam. I don't have a reference available at the moment but I can try to find one, if you insists. Secondly, the inventor was certainly NOT a muslim. Sir, there in no denying the fact that most of the western history of science is biased in favor of West. I am one of those who support the idea of putting the record straight and give the muslim contributors their due credit. But this does mean to take credit from those who worked before Islam. Then the history book that we will produce will be as trashy as today's books written by western historians. -- _______________________________________________________________________________ Hidayat Hasan, Physics Deptt., SUNY at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY 11794. """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" -- _______________________________________________________________________________ Hidayat Hasan, Physics Deptt., SUNY at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY 11794. """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""