Dawn of Islam 610–750

7th c. Profile Nusaybah Bint Ka'ab نَسيبة بنت كعب Defended the Prophet ﷺ at Uhud; early woman warrior and companion Arabia · Warriors, Women 7th c. Profile Rufaida Al-Aslamia رفيدة الأسلمية First nurse in Islam; ran a field hospital tent in Medina Arabia · Physicians, Women 7th c. Profile Umm Muta' al-Aslamiyya أم مطاع الأسلمية Early woman who treated the wounded at Khaybar Arabia · Physicians, Women 7th c. Profile Umm Sinan al-Aslamiyya ام سنان الاسلامي Nursed the wounded and carried water on early campaigns Arabia · Physicians, Warriors, Women 7th c. Profile Al-Shifa' bint Abdullah الشفاء بنت عبد الله Taught reading and writing; appointed market inspector in Medina Arabia · Physicians, Women 7th c. Profile Umm Waraqa أم ورقة بنت عبد الله بن الحارث Memorised and compiled the Qur'an; appointed to lead her household in prayer Arabia · Islamic Scholars, Women 7th c. Profile Zaynab al-Awadiya زينب الأوَدية One of the earliest named women eye-doctors in Arab history Yemen · Physicians, Poets, Women 653–729 Profile Ibn Sirin ابن سيرين Hadith scholar of Basra, famous for the interpretation of dreams Iraq · Islamic Scholars, Psychologists 7th–8th c. Profile Abd al-Malik ibn Abjar al-Kinani عبد الملك بن أبجر الكناني Physician of Alexandria and of Caliph Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz Egypt/Syria · Physicians

The Golden Age 750–1258

d. c.758 Profile Maryam Al-Zinyani مريم الزينياني Early woman poet and alchemist Tunisia · Chemists, Poets, Women c.721–815 Profile Jabir ibn Hayyan جابِر بِن حَيّان Father of chemistry: crystallisation, distillation and classification of substances Iraq · Chemists, Philosophers d. c.806 Profile Muhammad al-Fazari الفزاري Translated the Sanskrit Sindhind into Arabic; early astrolabe and zij work Iraq · Astronomers, Mathematicians, Philosophers d. 831 Profile Zubayda bint Ja'far زبيدة بنت جعفر Built the Darb Zubayda pilgrim road and wells, and water for Mecca Iraq · Humanitarians, Women 766–818 Profile Imam Ali al-Rida الامام علي بن موسى الرضا Eighth Imam; the 'Golden Treatise' on medicine is attributed to him Arabia/Iran · Humanitarians, Islamic Scholars, Jurists 786–833 Profile Al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf ibn Matar الحجّاج بن يوسف بن مطر Translated Euclid's Elements and Ptolemy's Almagest into Arabic Iraq · Linguists, Mathematicians fl. c.800–845 Profile Ahmad Nahavandi Observations at Jundishapur; compiled the 'Comprehensive' astronomical tables Iran · Astronomers c.780–850 Profile Al-Khwarizmi الخوارزمي Founded algebra; 'algorithm' comes from his name; spread Hindu-Arabic numerals Khwarazm/Iraq · Astronomers, Geographers, Mathematicians 9th c. Profile Ibn Turk ابن ترک Early algebra text on quadratic equations, 'Logical Necessities in Mixed Equations' Central Asia/Iraq · Inventors, Mathematicians c.770–870 Profile Habash al-Hasib al-Marwazi First tables of tangents; observations at Baghdad and Damascus Iran/Iraq · Astronomers, Mathematicians d. after 864 Profile Sanad ibn Ali سند بن علي Astronomer at al-Ma'mun's observatory; took part in measuring the Earth's circumference Iraq · Astronomers, Engineers, Linguists 787–886 Profile Abu Ma'shar al-Balkhi Astronomy and theory of tides; his works shaped medieval European astronomy Afghanistan/Iraq · Astronomers 9th c. Profile Ahmad ibn Musa (Banu Musa) أحمد بن موسى Book of Ingenious Devices: automatic controls and valves Iraq · Astronomers, Engineers, Inventors c.800–870 Profile Al-Farghani الفرغاني Elements of Astronomy, used in Europe for centuries; built the Nilometer in Cairo Central Asia/Egypt · Astronomers 9th c. Profile Al-Hasan ibn Musa (Banu Musa) الحسن بن موسى Geometry of the ellipse; co-author of the Banu Musa works Iraq · Astronomers, Inventors, Mathematicians c.801–873 Profile Al-Kindi الكندي Philosopher of the Arabs; cryptanalysis by frequency analysis; optics Iraq · Islamic Scholars, Mathematicians, Philosophers c.820–880 Profile Al-Mahani Studied cubic equations ('al-Mahani's equation'); astronomical observations Iran/Iraq · Astronomers, Mathematicians d. 873 Profile Muhammad ibn Musa (Banu Musa) محمد بن موسى Eldest of the Banu Musa brothers; geometry, astronomy and mechanics Iraq · Astronomers, Engineers, Mathematicians c.838–870 Profile Ali ibn Sahl Rabban al-Tabari علي بن سهل الربان الطبري Firdaws al-Hikma, early Arabic medical encyclopedia; teacher of al-Razi Iran/Iraq · Philosophers, Physicians, Psychologists c.800–880 Profile Fatima al-Fihri فاطمة بنت محمد الفهرية القرشية Founded al-Qarawiyyin in Fez (859), the oldest continuously operating university Morocco · Philosophers, Women 810–887 Profile Abbas ibn Firnas عباس بن فرناس Early controlled glider flight; water clock and colourless glass making in Córdoba Al-Andalus · Chemists, Engineers, Physicists 828–896 Profile Abu Hanifa Dinawari Book of Plants, founding work of Arabic botany; astronomy and history Iran · Astronomers, Botanists, Geographers 9th c. Profile Abu Sa'id al-Jurjani Geometrical problems and the drawing of the meridian line Iran · Astronomers, Mathematicians 865–925 Profile Abu Bakr al-Razi أبو بکر محمد بن زکریاء الرازي Distinguished smallpox from measles; ran the Baghdad hospital; isolated many chemicals Iran · Chemists, Philosophers, Physicians 850–934 Profile Abu Zayd al-Balkhi ابو زید احمد بن سهل بلخی Mental health and the body; founded the Balkhi school of mapmaking Afghanistan · Geographers, Mathematicians, Physicians c.865–922 Profile Al-Nayrizi Commentary on Euclid's Elements; treatise on the spherical astrolabe Iran/Iraq · Astronomers, Mathematicians c.858–929 Profile al-Battani Measured the solar year to within minutes; trigonometric ratios replacing Greek chords Syria/Iraq · Astronomers, Mathematicians c.872–950 Profile Al-Farabi الفارابي The 'Second Teacher' after Aristotle; logic, politics and music theory Central Asia/Syria · Musicians, Philosophers fl. 921 Profile Ahmad ibn Fadlan أحمد بن فضلان Eyewitness account of the Volga Bulgars and the Rus Iraq/Volga · Geographers, Jurists, Travellers 893–945 Profile Al-Hamdani أبو محمد الحسن بن أحمد بن يعقوب الهمداني Geography and antiquities of Arabia (al-Iklil); mining and metals Yemen · Astronomers, Geographers, Historians c.900–971 Profile Abu Jafar al-Khazin Solar models and solution of cubic equations with conic sections Iran · Astronomers, Mathematicians c.896–956 Profile Al-Mas'udi المسعودي Meadows of Gold, encyclopedic history and geography Iraq/Egypt · Geographers, Historians c.895–979 Profile Ibn al-Jazzar الجزار Physician of Kairouan; Provisions for the Traveller, translated into Latin Tunisia · Physicians 10th c. Profile Mariam al-Ijliya العجلية بنت العجلي Made precision astrolabes at the court of Sayf al-Dawla in Aleppo Syria · Astronomers, Inventors, Women 903–986 Profile Abd al-Rahman al-Sufi عبدالرحمن الصوفی Book of Fixed Stars; first recorded description of the Andromeda galaxy Iran · Astronomers, Mathematicians d. 987 Profile Sutayta al-Mahmali سطيتا المحملي Mathematician and jurist of Baghdad, praised for solving equations and inheritance problems Iraq · Mathematicians, Women d. 987 Profile Amah al-Wahid أمة الوحيد Jurist and mathematician of Baghdad; issued legal opinions Iraq · Islamic Scholars, Jurists, Mathematicians d. after 978 Profile Ibn Hawqal بن حوقل Surat al-Ard, geography and maps from personal travel Iraq · Geographers, Travellers d. 984 Profile Lubna of Cordoba لبنى القرطبية Mathematician, scribe and librarian of the Córdoba palace library Al-Andalus · Mathematicians, Women c.940–1000 Profile Abu Sahl al-Quhi ابوسهل بیژن ابن رستم کوهی Geometry of conics; directed the Baghdad observatory; centres of gravity Iran · Astronomers, Mathematicians, Physicists 940–998 Profile Abu al-Wafa al-Buzjani Introduced the tangent and secant; spherical trigonometry and the law of sines Iran/Iraq · Astronomers, Mathematicians 936–1013 Profile Al-Zahrawi الزهراوي Father of modern surgery; Kitab al-Tasrif with 200+ surgical instruments Al-Andalus · Chemists, Physicians, Surgeons 932–1030 Profile Ibn Miskawayh ابن مسكويه Tahdhib al-Akhlaq on ethics; history of nations Iran · Historians, Philosophers, Physicians d. 990 Profile Mohammed al-Saghani Astronomer and instrument maker at the Baghdad observatory of Sharaf al-Dawla Iraq · Astronomers 10th c. Profile Abolfadl Harawi ابو الفضل هروى Revised the Arabic translation of Menelaus' Spherics; observations at Rayy Iran/Afghanistan · Astronomers, Mathematicians d. c.1007 Profile Maslama al-Majriti مسلمة بن أحمد المجريطي Founded the Córdoba school of astronomy; adapted al-Khwarizmi's tables Al-Andalus · Astronomers, Chemists, Mathematicians c.940–1000 Profile Abu-Mahmud Khujandi ابومحمود خجندی Built the huge mural sextant at Rayy to measure the Earth's axial tilt Central Asia/Iran · Astronomers, Mathematicians c.960–1036 Profile Abu Nasr Mansur أبو نصر منصور Proved the spherical law of sines; teacher of al-Biruni Central Asia · Astronomers, Mathematicians d. c.1010 Profile Abu Sahl 'Isa ibn Yahya al-Masihi أبو سهل عيسى بن يحيى المسيحى Physician and teacher of Ibn Sina (a Christian) Iran · Physicians 10th–11th c. Profile Fatima Al-Majritiya فاطمة المجريطي Worked with her father Maslama on astronomical tables ('Corrections of Fatima') Al-Andalus · Astronomers, Mathematicians, Women c.950–1009 Profile Ibn Yunus ابن يونس Hakimi Zij, one of the most accurate astronomical tables of its time Egypt · Astronomers, Mathematicians 971–1029 Profile Kushyar Gilani کوشیار دیلمی Arithmetic of Indian numerals and astronomical tables (Jami Zij) Iran · Astronomers, Geographers, Mathematicians 973–1048 Profile Al-Biruni أبو ريحان محمد بن أحمد البيروني Measured Earth's radius; India; specific gravity; founding figure of comparative studies Central Asia · Astronomers, Mathematicians, Philosophers 980–1037 Profile Ibn Sina ابن سينا The Canon of Medicine, taught in Europe until the 17th century; philosophy Central Asia/Iran · Philosophers, Physicians 965–1040 Profile Ibn al-Haytham أبو علي، الحسن بن الحسن بن الهيثم Book of Optics; how vision works; pioneer of the experimental method Iraq/Egypt · Astronomers, Mathematicians, Physicists d. after 1037 Profile Ali ibn Abi al-Rijal أبو الحسن علي ابن أبي الرجال Kitab al-Bari', a major astronomical-astrological work translated into Latin Tunisia · Astronomers d. c.1070 Profile Abu 'Ubayd al-Juzjani أبو عبيد عبد الواحد بن محمد الجوزجاني Student and biographer of Ibn Sina; completed his unfinished works Iran · Astronomers, Mathematicians 988–1061 Profile Ali ibn Ridwan أبو الحسن علي بن رضوان Physician of Cairo; on preventing disease and the physician's education Egypt · Astronomers, Physicians 1029–1087 Profile Al-Zarqali إبراهيم بن يحيى الزرقالي Universal astrolabe (saphea) and the Toledan Tables used across Europe Al-Andalus · Astronomers, Inventors d. 1095 Profile E'etemad al-Rumaikiyya اعتماد الرميكية Poet of Seville and wife of King al-Mu'tamid Al-Andalus · Poets, Women 1058–1111 Profile Al-Ghazali الغزالي Revival of the Religious Sciences; critique of philosophy; Nizamiyya professor Iran · Islamic Scholars, Philosophers 1048–1131 Profile Omar Khayyam عمر خیّام Geometric solution of cubic equations; Jalali calendar; the Rubaiyat Iran · Astronomers, Mathematicians, Philosophers fl. 1115–1130 Profile Al-Khazini الخازنی Book of the Balance of Wisdom on hydrostatics, gravity and density Iran (Merv) · Astronomers, Mathematicians c.1080–1165 Profile Abu'l-Barakāt al-Baghdādī أبو البركات البغدادي Critique of Aristotle's theory of motion; ideas of acceleration Iraq · Philosophers, Physicians, Physicists 1094–1162 Profile Ibn Zuhr ابن زهر Experimental surgery and tracheotomy; described scabies mites Al-Andalus · Physicians, Surgeons 1089–1178 Profile Shuhda al-Katiba (Zaynab) شهدة الكاتبة Calligrapher and hadith teacher of Baghdad, called 'the Pride of Women' Iraq · Calligraphers, Islamic Scholars, Philosophers 1100–1165 Profile Muhammad al-Idrisi محمد الإدريسي Tabula Rogeriana, the most accurate world map of the Middle Ages Morocco/Sicily · Cartographers, Geographers c.1105–1185 Profile Ibn Tufayl ابن طفيل Hayy ibn Yaqzan, the philosophical novel that influenced Europe Al-Andalus · Astronomers, Philosophers, Physicians 1126–1198 Profile Ibn Rushd (Averroes) ابن رشد Commentaries on Aristotle that shaped European philosophy; medicine and law Al-Andalus · Astronomers, Islamic Scholars, Linguists 1145–1217 Profile Ibn Jubayr ابن جبير Rihla: travel account of the Mediterranean and the Hajj Al-Andalus · Geographers, Poets, Travellers d. c.1204 Profile Al-Bitruji البطروجي Planetary theory without Ptolemy's epicycles, debated in Europe Al-Andalus · Astronomers, Physicians 1149–1209 Profile Fakhr al-Din al-Razi فخر الدين الرازي Great Qur'an commentary; theology, medicine and natural philosophy Iran · Islamic Scholars, Philosophers c.1135–1213 Profile Sharaf al-Din al-Tusi شرف‌الدین التوسی Study of cubic equations; early ideas of the derivative Iran/Iraq · Mathematicians 1162–1231 Profile Abd al-Latif al-Baghdadi Corrected Galen's anatomy of the jaw and sacrum by direct observation; account of Egypt Iraq/Egypt · Historians, Philosophers, Physicians 1136–1206 Profile Ismail al-Jazari إسماعيل بن الرزاز الجزيري Book of Ingenious Mechanical Devices: crankshaft, camshaft, programmable automata Anatolia/Mesopotamia · Engineers, Inventors d. 1222 Profile Najib ad-Din Samarqandi نجيب الدين السمرقندي Systematic book of causes and symptoms of disease Central Asia · Physicians 1186–1242 Profile Dayfa Khatun ضيفة خاتون Ayyubid regent of Aleppo; founded madrasas and the Firdaws complex Syria · Politicians, Women d. 1257 Profile Shajarat al-Durr شجرة الدر Sultana of Egypt who led resistance to the Seventh Crusade Egypt · Politicians, Women

Age of Observatories 1258–1500

1213–1288 Profile Ibn al-Nafis ابن النفيس First to describe the pulmonary circulation of blood Syria/Egypt · Jurists, Philosophers, Physicians d. 1266 Profile Mu'ayyad al-Din al-Urdi العرضي Built the Maragha instruments; the 'Urdi lemma' later used by Copernicus Syria/Iran · Astronomers 1201–1274 Profile Nasir al-Din al-Tusi نصیر الدین الطوسی Founded Maragha observatory; Tusi couple; trigonometry as its own discipline Iran · Astronomers, Mathematicians, Philosophers 1236–1311 Profile Qutb al-Din al-Shirazi Explained the rainbow; astronomy at Maragha; medical commentary Iran · Astronomers, Mathematicians, Physicians c.1250–1310 Profile Shams al-Din al-Samarqandi Logic, geometry (Ashkal al-Ta'sis) and astronomy Central Asia · Astronomers, Mathematicians d. c.1300 Profile Sara al-Halabiya سارة بنت أحمد بن عثمان الحلبية Poet, calligrapher and copyist who won the patronage of kings Syria/Al-Andalus · Poets, Women 1267–1319 Profile Kamāl al-Dīn al-Fārisī كمال‌الدين فارسی First correct explanation of the rainbow; camera obscura experiments Iran · Mathematicians, Physicians d. 1346 Profile Sadr al-Shari'a al-Asghar Hanafi jurist of Bukhara; also wrote on astronomy and logic Central Asia · Astronomers, Islamic Scholars, Linguists 1304–1369 Profile Ibn Battuta ابن بطوطة Travelled 120,000 km across Africa, Asia and Europe; the Rihla Morocco · Travellers 1304–1375 Profile Ibn al-Shatir ابن الشاطر Timekeeper of Damascus; planetary models mathematically identical to Copernicus' Syria · Astronomers, Engineers, Mathematicians 1320–1380 Profile Al-Khalili الخليلي Tables for prayer times and the qibla for any location Syria · Astronomers 1332–1406 Profile Ibn Khaldun ابن خلدون The Muqaddimah: foundations of sociology, historiography and economics Tunisia/Egypt · Economists, Historians, Philosophers c.1380–1429 Profile Jamshid al-Kashi جمشید الکاشانی Calculated π to 16 decimal places; decimal fractions Iran/Samarkand · Astronomers, Mathematicians 1394–1449 Profile Ulugh Beg الغ‌ بیگ Ruler-astronomer; Samarkand observatory and star catalogue Samarkand · Astronomers, Mathematicians, Politicians 15th c. Profile Aisha bint al-Jayyar al-Sabtiyyah عائشة بنت الجيار السبتية Physician of Ceuta during the Marinid era, sought by rulers Ceuta (Morocco) · Physicians, Women 1412–1486 Profile Al-Qalasadi Pioneer of algebraic symbolism using letters for unknowns and operations Al-Andalus/Tunisia · Mathematicians 1403–1474 Profile Ali Qushji علي قوشجي Freed astronomy from Aristotelian physics; possible Earth rotation Samarkand/Ottoman · Astronomers, Mathematicians, Philosophers

Age of Empires 1500–1800

c.1465–1553 Profile Piri Reis بيري ريس 1513 world map including the Americas; Kitab-ı Bahriye on navigation Ottoman · Cartographers, Geographers, Travellers c.1502–1558 Profile Hurrem Sultan خرّم سلطان Founded the Haseki Sultan complex: mosque, soup kitchen, hospital and schools Ottoman · Humanitarians, Politicians, Women d. 1609 Profile Sadr al-Din Ali al-Gilani al-Hindi Commentary on Ibn Sina's Canon of Medicine Iran/India · Physicians 1611–1682 Profile Evliya Çelebi اوليا چلبى Seyahatname: ten-volume travelogue of the Ottoman world Ottoman · Travellers

The Modern Era 1800–today

1917–1952 Profile Sameera Moussa سميرة موسى Nuclear physicist who worked for peaceful, affordable uses of atomic medicine Egypt · Physicists, Women 1926–1975 Profile Azar Andami آذر اندامی Physician and parasitologist; developed a cholera vaccine Iran · Physicians, Women b. 1938 Profile Farouk El-Baz فاروق الباز NASA geologist who chose Apollo landing sites Egypt/USA · Geologists, Planetary Scientists 1926–1996 Profile Abdus Salam ڈاکٹر عبدالسلام Nobel Prize in Physics 1979 for electroweak unification Pakistan · Physicists b. 1938 Profile Samira Ibrahim Islam سميرة إسلام First Saudi woman professor of pharmacology; UNESCO distinguished scientist Saudi Arabia · Physicians, Women 1946–2016 Profile Ahmed Zewail أحمد حسن زويل Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1999; founder of femtochemistry Egypt/USA · Chemists b. 1947 Profile Shirin Ebadi شيرين عبادى Nobel Peace Prize 2003; first Muslim woman Nobel laureate Iran · Humanitarians, Women b. 1942 Profile Mohamed ElBaradei محمد مصطفى البرادعي Nobel Peace Prize 2005 as head of the IAEA Egypt · Humanitarians, Politicians b. 1966 Profile Anousheh Ansari First Muslim woman in space (2006); engineer and XPRIZE leader Iran/USA · Astronauts, Engineers, Information Technology b. 1940 Profile Muhammad Yunus Nobel Peace Prize 2006; pioneer of microcredit (Grameen Bank) Bangladesh · Economists, Politicians b. 1967 Profile Hayat Al Sindi حياة السندي Biotechnologist; low-cost diagnostic devices for poor communities Saudi Arabia · Biomedical Sciences, Women 1977–2017 Profile Maryam Mirzakhani مریم میرزاخانی First woman to win the Fields Medal (2014) Iran/USA · Mathematicians, Women b. 1983 Profile Burcin Mutlu Pakdil Astrophysicist; discovered the rare double-ringed galaxy known as 'Burçin's Galaxy' Turkey/USA · Physicists, Women b. 1975 Profile Namira Salim نمیرا سلیم First Pakistani to reach both Poles and to travel to space (2023) Pakistan · Adventurers, Astronauts, Women