Assyrian Contributions to the Arab Civilization
The Haranian School

Harran during the Assyrian period was an important center of astronomy and mathematics which was used to calculate the movement of planets the prediction of eclipses and other astronomical events. It should not surprise us that such knowledge had survived a thousand years later in that city perhaps because Harranians refused to convert to Christianity and the planetary worship was still part of their religion which made such knowledge necessary.

During the early Islamic period they were called Sabians a name mentioned in Koran which they adopted to join the ranks of the tolerated people. At times they have been confused with the Sabians living in southern Mesopotamia.

One of the first translators of the Harranian school of mathematic and astronomy is known by his Arabized name as al-Hajjaj ibn-yusuf ibn-Matar (786-833). He is credited with having made the first translation of Euclid' Elements and one of the first of ptolemy's astronomical work in Arabic "Almagest" in 827-28 from a former Syriac version. (Philip Hitti, "History of the Arabs", Princeton University Press, 10th edition, Macmillan st. Martine Press p.314) It was revised by Hunayn ibn-Ishaq and later by Thabit . Thabit bin Qurra (826-901) is considered to be the greatest geometer of the Arab period. "Thabit translated into Arabic seven of the eight books on conic sections of Apolonius and wrote earliest known work on the sundial."

(Bertram Thomas, "The Arabs", Doubleday, Doran and Co. New York 1937 p.177)

Syriac speaking scholars are often described as merely the custodians of the Greek knowledge and the teachers of Arabs but as such their personal contributions to the world of knowledge is often overlooked. For example Thabit Bar Qarra made important mathematical discoveries such as "the extension of the concept of number to (positive) real numbers, integral calculus, theorems in spherical trigonometry, analytic geometry, and non-euclidean geometry. In astronomy Thabit was one of the first reformers of the Ptolemaic system, and in mechanics he was a founder of statics." Thabit also wrote on logic, psychology, ethics, the classification of sciences, the grammar of the Syriac language, politics, the symbolism of Plato's Republic ... religion and the customs of the Sabians.
(http://www-history.mcs.standrews.ac.uk/history/Mathematicians/Hunayn.html)

Driven by the wealth of astronomical knowledge suddenly available to the Arabs al-Ma'mun erected an observatory in Baghdad to accomedate their need. At this observatory Thabit took the length of the solar year and his great grand son Battani who was much admired by the European of the Renaissance period "calculated the first appearance of the moon, the inclination of the ecliptic, the length of the tropic and sidereal year , and parallaxes." (Bertram Thomas, "The Arabs", Doubleday, Doran and Co. New York 1937 p.181) An important work by Thabit "Kitab fi'l-qarastun" (The book on the beam balance) deals with mechanics where he proves the principle of equilibrium of levers.Translated into Latin by Gherard of Cremona it became a popular work on this subject.

Thabit ibn-Quarrah lead a team of Syriac speaking translators of the Harranians. They are credited with having translated most of the Greek mathematical and astronomical works including the writings of Arachmedes (212 B.C., and Apollonius of Perga (262 B.C.), plus they improved on the earlier translations. A medical compendium by Thabit included a discussion of general hygiene, causes, symptoms and treatment of diseases of skin and other parts of the body, infectious diseases, fractures and dislocations, the importance of climate, food, diet and sex. Thabit also wrote sixteen Syriac works, most were available up to the I3th century, but none exist today. In contrast some of his150 Arabic treatises have survived
(http://93.1911encyclopedia.org/S/SY/SYRIAC_LITERATURE.htm)
Barhebraeus has quoted from a Syriac work of Thabit ibn Qurra, where he praises the Harranians for their loyalty to the ancient religion and contribution to the world of science. "When many were subdued to error through persecution, our fathers through God were steadfast and stood out manfully, and this blessed city has never been defiled by the error of Nazareth. "He goes on to attribute the world's science and civilization to pagan inventors." (ibid)

Thabit was succeeded by his son Sinan (943) who was forced by the Chalif al-Qashir to embrace Islam. His two grand sons Thabit (893) and Ibrahim (946) and one great grandson, abu-al-Faraj continued the family contributions to the world of science. The greatest of of Bet Qarrah family was al-Battasni (929) the grand son of Sinan also known as Alhategnius or Albatenius by the latin authors. His fame resulted from his original astronomical work. He was also called ibn-Jabir ibn Sinan. Among other luminaries of the Harran Sabians were abu-Ishaq ibn-Hilal al-Sabi, secretary of both al-Muti (946-74) and al-Tai (974-91) and perhaps Jabir ibn-Hayan who was an alchemist.

Wm Warda