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	Before add ressing the subject of Muslim chemistry,
however, one crucial matter needs to be raised. It concerns
the use of the word Alchemy instead of chemistry. This is
another instance of historical corruption fooling so many
who have no perception of the depths some scholarship can
descend to in order to convey distorted images of aspects
of history, such as that of Islamic science. Alchemy, indeed,
is a corrupt translation of the Arabic word Chemia (chemistry,)
preceded by the article Al (which means: the), and which the
Arabs always use (like the French and others for that matter)
in front of their subject such as Al-Tib (medicine) al-Riyadiyat
(mathematics) etc... If this was applied to other subjects, it would become al-medicine;
al-mathematics, al-geography and so on... Only Baron Carra de Vaux had had the presence
of mind to pointing to this, however briefly.Somehow al-Chemy should be translated literally
The Chemistry  and not Alchemy in English; and La Chimie and not l'alchimie in French.
The fact that only Westerners translated or dealt with the subject, followed by rather
very respectful or shy Muslim scholars means that this corrupt word of al-chemy has
remained, and has become the norm.

	The reason why alchemy is used instead of chemistry might have another motive
behind it. Chemistry means a modern science; alchemy means the amateur, the
occult, the second or third rate. Alchemy belongs to the Muslims; chemistry, of
course, does not; instead is the realm of the good. This notion conveyed by
some Western scholars, that alchemy ended with the Muslims and chemistry began
with the Westerners has no historical ground. The reason is simple: all
sciences began in some part of the world, most likely China or the Ancient
Middle East, or India, at level: 1, the most basic, and then graduated to
levels 2, 3, 4, and higher, through the centuries, until they reached us at the
level they are, and will evolve in different places in the future. This is the
story of every science, and of every sign of our modern world. Thus, it was not
that we had alchemy at one point, and then, with the Europeans it became
chemistry. This is a crass notion like much else coming from scholars holding
such a view. Chemistry began under one form, associated with occult and similar
practices, and then evolved, gradually becoming more refined through the
centuries until it took our modern forms and rules. Many elements concourse to
support this point. Here they follow.

Muslims Revolutionised Chemistry


	First and foremost many of the products or discoveriesmade by the Muslims have become
part of our modern chemical world; in fact were revolutions in the advance of the science.
Mathe summarises the legacy of Muslim chemists, which include the discovery of alcohol,
nitric and sulphuric acids, silver nitrate and potassium, the determination of the weight
of many bodies, the mastery of techniques of sublimation, crystallization and distillation.
Muslim chemistry also took many industrial uses including: tinctures and their applications
in tanning and textiles; distillation of plants, of flowers, the making of perfumes and
therapeutic pharmacy. More specifically, some such advances that have revolutionised our
world are expertly raised by Multhauf. Thus in the De aluminibus composed in Muslim Spain,
(whose author Multhauf does not recognise) but could be Al-Majriti, are described experiments
to obtain the chloride of mercury, corrosive sublimate (Hg Cl2), process and outcome which
mark the beginning of synthetic chemistry. Multhauf notes indeed that the chloride of mercury
obtained did not just become part of the chemist's repertoire but also inspired the discovery
of other synthetic substances. Corrosive sublimate is capable of chlorinating other materials,
and this, Multhauf, again, notes, marks the beginning of mineral acids.In the field of industrial
chemistry and heavy chemicals, Multhauf notes again that one of the greatest advances of the
medieval times was the manufacture of alum from `aluminous' rocks, through artificial weathering
of alunite, which he describes. And in the same context the Muslims managed to perform the
crystallisation of `ammonia alum' (ammonium aluminium sulphate). Multhauf, however, falls in
the same trap as many of his colleagues, asserting in his conclusion that it was European
Renaissance which gave chemistry a secure and significant place in science, and that with the
Muslims all that was, was `alchemy;' and Multhauf states this in full contradiction of what he
had just described, and so expertly, and he had himself classified under modern chemistry. 

For more informations, please go to above web site

muslimheritage.com

Islamic manner

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