Said al-Andalusi facts for kids

Ṣāʿid al-Andalusī (Arabic: صاعِدُ الأندلسي) was a very smart Arab scholar who lived a long time ago, from 1029 to 1070. His full name was Abū al-Qāsim Ṣāʿid ibn Abū al-Walīd Aḥmad ibn Abd al-Raḥmān ibn Muḥammad ibn Ṣāʿid ibn ʿUthmān al-Taghlibi al-Qūrtūbi. He was a judge, known as a qadi, in the city of Toledo in Muslim Spain.

Ṣāʿid was very interested in the history of science, philosophy, and different ideas. He was also a talented mathematician and scientist, especially in astronomy. He created a famous encyclopedia about science that became very popular.

Life and Learning

Ṣāʿid al-Andalusī was born in Almería, a city in a region called Al-Andalus, which was part of Muslim Spain. His family came from the Taghlib tribe. They had moved to Almería to escape a civil war.

His grandfather was a judge in a place called Sidonia. Later, his father became a judge in Toledo. When his father passed away in 1057, Ṣāʿid took over his role as judge.

His Teachers and Studies

Early historians tell us about Ṣāʿid's teachers in Toledo. Some of his important teachers were Abū Muḥammad ibn Hazm, Al-Fataḥ ibn al-Qāsim, and Abū Walīd al-Waqshi.

He first studied law (called fiqh) in Almería, then in Córdoba. He finished his studies in Toledo around 1046, when he was eighteen. Toledo was a big center for learning back then.

Ṣāʿid studied many subjects, including law, how to understand the Qur'an (tafsir), the Arabic language, and Arabic literature. One of his teachers, Abū Isḥaq Ibrāhīm ibn Idrīs al-Tajibī, encouraged him to study mathematics and astronomy. Ṣāʿid became very good at these subjects.

Contributions to Science

Even after he became a judge in Toledo, Ṣāʿid continued his scientific work. He wrote several important books that helped create the famous Tables of Toledo. These tables were important for understanding the movements of stars and planets.

He also guided a group of young scholars, instrument makers, and scientists. This group included the well-known astronomer Al-Zarqali. Ṣāʿid encouraged them to invent new things and explore. Their research greatly helped in making the Tables of Toledo even better.

His Books and Writings

Ṣāʿid al-Andalusī wrote several important books during his lifetime. Here are some of them:

• Iṣlāh Ḥarakāt an-Najūn: This book was about fixing mistakes in earlier astronomical tables.
• Jawāmiʿ akhbār al‐umam min al‐Arab wa‐l Ajam: This was a "Universal History of Nations – Arab and Non‐Arab."
• Ṭabaqāt al-‘Umam: This is his most famous book and the only one that still exists today. He wrote it in 1068, two years before he passed away.
• Rectification of Planetary Motions and Exposition of Observers' Errors: Another book about astronomy.
• Maqālāt ahl al‐milal wa-l-nihal: This book discussed the "Doctrines of the Adherents of Sects and Schools."
• Kitāb al-Qāsī: Also known as the "Book of Minor."

Ṭabaqāt al-ʼUmam (Categories of Nations)

The Ṭabaqāt al-ʼUmam is a very important book written in 1068. It is one of the earliest "histories of science." In this book, Ṣāʿid wrote about the scientific achievements and biographies of scientists from eight different nations.

These nations included:

• Indians
• Persians
• Chaldeans
• Egyptians
• Greeks
• Byzantines
• Arabs
• Jews

He also mentioned other groups like Norsemen, Chinese, Africans, Russians, and Turks, noting that they had not contributed as much to science at that time.

Ṣāʿid explained what each nation contributed to different sciences like arithmetic, astronomy, and medicine. He also wrote about early scientists and thinkers, from the Greeks like Pythagoras, Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, to scholars in Baghdad in the 9th and 10th centuries.

The second part of the book focuses on the contributions of Arab-Islamic scholars. It covers their work in logic, philosophy, geometry, improving Ptolemaic astronomy, and new ways of observing the sky. It also discusses their calculations in trigonometry and mathematics to figure out the length of the year and build astronomical tables.

Challenges with the Book

The original copy of Ṭabaqāt al-ʼUmam no longer exists. Because of this, historians face challenges when studying it. The book has been copied and translated into many languages over time.

Sometimes, there are differences in the translations. Words, sentences, or even whole sections might be missing or changed. These changes could be due to simple copying mistakes, difficulties in translating, or sometimes even done on purpose. This might happen because of political, religious, or national feelings of the people doing the translating.

See also

In Spanish: Said al-Andalusi para niños