In this modern era, the development of cameras is increasing so fast. Every company is competing to introduce their trademarks with better camera quality and even new terms are popping up like ultrawide, telephoto, depth, megapixels, DSLR and so on. But did you know that there is someone who is credited behind it all.
Known as Ibn Haitham, he is the scientist with the idea that became the forerunner of today's super cameras. His prowess is recognized worldwide, he even earned the nickname "Father of Modern Optics"
Alhazen Biography.
Abu Ali Muhammad al-Hasan bin al-Haitham (أبو علي الØسن بن الØسن بن الهيثم) or familiarly called Ibn Haitham was born in Basra in 965 AD and died in Qahirah (Cairo) in 1039 AD at the age of 74 years. while Western Scholars know him better as Alhazen.
Ibn Haitham Is an Islamic scientist who is an expert in the fields of science, astronomy, mathematics, geometry, medicine, and philosophy. In fact, he has inspired many western scientists such as Roger Bacon and Johannes Kepler.
Quoting a description from the historian Ibn Qifti (1172-1248), Ibn Haitham started his basic education in his hometown of Basrah. In fact, when he became an adult, he served as a judge
However, Ibn Haitham then chose to put down the position. his interest in gaining knowledge is far greater than working in the bureaucratic field
Although he had refused, in the end the government could not do much. At that time under the Buwayhid dynasty, received the letter of resignation of Ibn Haitham. Even so that the resignation application was passed he pretended to be sick.
In search of knowledge, he decided to migrate to Ahwaz and Baghdad, which were the world's intellectual centers at that time, until he finally landed in Egypt. He was received with open arms by Caliph al-Hakim of the Fatimid dynasty.
The Caliph wanted Ibn Haitham to assist him in completing a project to build a dam on the Nile River. At first, the scientist agreed to be involved. Moreover, he sees the job as an opportunity to apply his ideas in engineering. However, he soon realized, the design of the dam was far from the existing vision. Many of the sections also failed so that the flood continued to overflow into the area around the Nile.
Ibn Haitham also expressed his intention to withdraw from the project. However, Caliph al-Hakim strongly refused. Because he was worried about his safety, Ibn Haitham pretended to be crazy so that the authorities imprisoned him. Luckily, he escaped the death penalty because Caliph al-Hakim had died. After that, Ibn Haitham was released. All his property was returned to him.
Once released from prison, he remained in Cairo. Busy devoted to teaching and developing science at al-Azhar.
Science
Ibn Haitham was very productive in writing books. History records, he has written no less than 200 works. All cover many fields, such as physics, mathematics, engineering (engineering), astronomy, medicine, psychology, anatomy, and ophthalmology (eye medicine).
In the field of optics, Ibn Haitham has even been called the modern-day scientist as "Father of Modern Optics." His works have been collected and can still be found today, such as Book al-Manazir (The Book of Optics).
The book consists of seven volumes. Uniquely, he produced the work while he was imprisoned for 10 years in Cairo.
The book explains the theory of light. The hypothesis he proposed was revolutionary and ahead of its time. This was because his theory was different from the theories at that time, both those developed in the East and the West.
For example, he opposed the theory of Ptolemy and Euclid which assumed that objects could be seen because of the light coming out of the human eye. Ibn Haytham emphasized that this was not what happened. Instead, light comes and/or is reflected from the object being viewed. The light then enters the eye so that there is an activity of seeing. He did not stop at the idea. Furthermore, Ibn Haitham also experimented with a pinhole camera.
Book al-Manazir also explains the theory of light refraction. In it, Ibn Haitham describes his experiments in sorting white light into the colors of the rainbow. He also made great contributions in explaining the use and mechanism of action of convex (convex) lenses, especially to magnify the object being seen. The convex principle discovered by Ibn Haitham later in the 13th century was used to make glasses. Book al-Manazir has alluded to various reviews about the nature of light, seven centuries before Sir Isaac Newton reviewed it in his work.
One of his studies also discusses twilight and halos around the moon and sun as well as shadows and eclipses. According to Ibn Haitham, the light of dawn begins when the sun is at a line of 19 degrees on the eastern horizon.
The red color at dusk will also disappear when the sun is at 19 degrees on the western horizon. In his study, he has also explained how the position or properties of light such as light refraction and light reversal.
Apart from discussing optics, Ibn Haitham had also found a model of gravitational attraction before Sir Isaac Newton knew about it.
There is also Ibn Haitham's theory regarding the human soul as a series of feelings that are continuously continued on a regular basis. This then gave inspiration to western scientists to produce wayang images.
Ibn Haitham's theory has led him to the invention of film reels which are then spliced and shown to the audience as the forerunner of the film world.
What is even more amazing is that Ibn Haitham has discovered the principle of unified air. This was long before a scientist named Torricelli found out about it 500 years later.
He also believes that there is only one truth. Therefore all indictments of truth are reasonable to doubt in assessing all existing views. In this case, Ibn Haitham pioneered the use of experiments with controlled parameters to verify a theory
Because he always presents hypotheses and data based on experiments, historians also give him the title "The First Modern Scientist".
His other works include:
Optical:
1. Treatise Fi Al-Ain Wa Al-Abshar
2. Treatise Fi Al-Maraya Al-Muhriqah Bi Ad-Dawa'ir
3. Treatise on Fi In'ithaf Adh-Dhau
4. Treatise on Fi Al-Maraya Al-Muhriqah Bi Al-Quthu
5. The book Fi Al-Hala Wa Qaus Qazah
Astronomy:
1. At-Tanbih Ala Ma Fi Ar-Rashdi Min Al-Ghalath
2. Irtifa' Al-Kawakib
3. Maqalah Fi Ab'ad Al-Ajram As-Samawiyyah wa Iqdar I'zhamiha wa Ghairiha
4. The Book of Fi Hai'ati Al-Alam
5. Fi Asy-Syafaq's treatise
Mathematics:
1. AL-Jami' Fi Usul Al-Hisab
2. Ilal Al-Hisab Al-Hindi
3. Ta'liq Ala Ilm Al-Jabar
4. Al-Mukhtashar Fi Ilm Al-Handasah[10]
5. Tarbi' Ad-Da'irah
6. Al-Asykal Al-Hilaliyah
Source:
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ibn-al-Haytham
https://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ibnu_al-Haitsam
https://mathshistory.st-andrews.ac.uk/Biographies/Al-Haytham/
https://www.famousscientists.org/alhazen/
https://www.exsdee.com/2021/12/biografi-ibnu-haitham-ilmuwan-pertama.html
