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In
its history, Muslim society has boasted
of innovators and creative thinkers in every
era and in every geographical region. One
such innovator was the great engineer-scientist
Al-Jazari who lived in the 12th century.
What
makes itself glaringly obvious, when examining
Al-Jazari's contributions to scientific
thought in his age, is his emphasis on practical
application. Al-Jazari was not an occupier
of the proverbial "white tower" but an inhabitant
of life as seen by those who sought solutions
to everyday problems.
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Mechanical
Pump by Al-Jazari
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Despite his being in the service of the kings
and princes of that era, he was able to see the
needs of the masses and sought to solve their
problems. Therefore, it should be stated at the
outset, that the purpose of this short article
is not to add to the cacophony of voices singing
the praises of the Muslims of old. Rather, we
want to understand how Al-Jazari sought to provide
solutions to problems faced in those times.
"The
Book of Knowledge of
Ingenious Mechanical Devices"
Badi'
Al-Zaman Abul-'Izz Ibn Ismail Ibn Al-Razzaz Al-Jazari
lived in Diyar-Bakr in Upper Mesopotamia. He served
the Urtuq princes of this area from 570-597 AH
(1174-1200 CE) as a Mechanical Engineer. Upon
the suggestion of Sultan Nur al-Din Mahmud, Al-Jazari
completed his single greatest contribution to
posterity in the form of a book. The title of
the work is roughly translated as "The Book of
Knowledge (Or Compendium) of Ingenious Mechanical
Devices" (Al-Jami' Bain Al-'Ilm Wal-'Amal Al-Nafi
Fi Sina'at Al-Hiyal) which he completed in 1206
CE.
The
book is one of a handful of surviving treatises
from that period, which give us details on the
technical sophistication and creativity of scientists
of that era. In this work, Al-Jazari anticipated
many of the techniques, components, and concepts,
that would form the basis of modern mechanical
engineering. In fact, his work places him at the
head of mechanical engineers from any region in
pre-Renaissance times. He also further improved
many of the existing designs of many machines
that were in use in his time.
Key
Innovations
His
main inventions and innovations include original
designs and modifications to the water clock,
the candle clock, and various hydraulic mechanisms.
These mechanisms were used for agriculture, industry,
and for ritual purity in the form of "wudu" machines.
Several concepts and methods are encountered in
his work for the first time. These include the
lamination of timber to minimize warping, the
static balancing of wheels, the use of wooden
template/patterns for production purposes, the
use of paper models to establish designs, the
grinding of the seats and plugs of valves together
with emery powder to obtain a watertight fit,
and the casting of metals in closed mold boxes
with sand.
Al-Jazari's
book is said to be so detailed as to have allowed
for the reconstruction of his designs in the modern
era by contemporary researchers. Writers point
out that this is a unique facet of his work. Other
such manuscripts often fail to give sufficient
details partly because their authors are not artisans,
or the authors were more concerned with keeping
their secrets rather than sharing their discoveries.
Artisans of that time were usually illiterate.
Al-Jazari's contribution, therefore, is unique,
which gives his work a value beyond compare.
Al-Jazari
- a true "technolgist"
In
essence, Al-Jazari was an innovative thinker and
a true "technologist" of his time.
When
one looks up the word "technology", the basic
understanding of the term denotes a use of local
resources for the alleviation of local problems.
In other words, technology is not just the acquisition
of high technology and the hiring of consultants
to solve your company's problems. Rather, technology
- its widest sense - can be understood to be the
creative problem solving process itself as applied
to finding solutions to issues that affect life.
Lessons
for todays businesses
For
the business managers of today, the example of
Al-Jazari emphasizes two key aspects of the innovative
process that apply today. One is, that to innovate,
businesses have to focus on identifying and capitalizing
on existing or evolving needs of their environment
and markets. Al-Jazari was a man constantly involved
in solving problems. His designs tackled the everyday
problems of his immediate environment such as
keeping time, agricultural needs, and cleanliness
for ritual prayer. Today's leading innovators
have a well-defined process that nurtures this
same approach.
The
second aspect that applies very well today is
for innovators to focus on their core skills and
leverage it fully throughout the process of developing
new products and solutions. Al Jazari's style
of problem solving was not merely based on the
drafting board. Al-Jazari had complete command
over the skills he needed to bring his visions
to reality. He was not afraid of getting his hands
dirty.
Today's
managers must also adopt such a "hands on" method.
This does not mean micro management - it means
that one is taking the task on in a way that includes
ones own creative inputs. Al-Jazari certainly
had people working for him but he also knew what
he needed them to do and for that, he was a master
artisan before he was a master engineer.
Your Feedback
"I
realy appreciate the efforts that you put in compiling
the information about Al-Jazari and his work.
I wish if it is possible to either have a link
to his original writing. It will be great to have
in every issue a different Islamic scientist wher
you describe his work and innovation, that might
give our future generation a push toward accomplishing
more rather than sticking to the debates of whether
the woman's veil should cover her cheeks or not
or any other mind drugging ideas the so called
ulemas come with.
Please
accept my deepest respect and admiration. Your
work is a rare innovation and a light in a dark
ocean. Thank you and may Allah bless your work."
M.
Al-Fehaid
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