Maslamah Ibn Ahmad al-Majriti

Maslama al-Majriti or Abu al-Qasim al-Qurtubi al-Majriti was a scientists muslim, he is a chemist, astronomer, economist and scholar in Islamic spain. He is one of scientist muslim who is forgotten from education field.  He took part in the translation of Ptolemy's Planispherium, he also improved existing translations of the Almagest, introduced and improved the astronomical tables of al-Khwarizmi, aided historians by working out tables to convert Persian dates to Hijri years, and introduced the techniques of surveying and triangulation.

Al-Majriti was one of the earliest Alchemists to record the usage and experimentation of mercuric oxide. He was among the most brilliant of Spanish Muslims during the reign of Al-Hakam II. According to Saa’id ibn Ahmad Andalisii, he was the best mathematician and astronomer of his time (in Al-Andalus). He also introduced new surveying methods by working closely with his college Ibn al-Saffar. He also wrote a book on taxation and the economy of Al-Andalus.

Al-Majriti is greatly reputed for his influential chemical writing. Two chemical writings, the "Sage's Step" (Rutbat al-hakim) and the "Aim of the Wise" (Ghayat al-hakim), are ascribed to him, although almost certainly falsely. Both of his works on Chemistry were translated into Latin in 1252 and named Picatrix; the original Arabic text dates probably from the middle of the eleventh century. The Book The Sage's Step, was also written by Al-Majriti, in 1047-50. Rutbat Al-Hakim (The Rank of the Wise), which amongst other things gives formulae and instructions for purification of precious metals. It was collected and put together in the year 1009, two years after his death.

In this work, Al-Majriti was also the first to note the principle of conservation of mass, which he did in the course of his pathbreaking experiment on mercuric oxide.

He edited and made changes to the parts of the Encyclopedia of the Brethren of Sincerity when the encyclopaedia arrived in Al-Andalus.

Al-Majriti also predicted a futuristic process of scientific interchange and the advent of networks for scientific communication. He built a school of Astronomy and Mathematics and marked the beginning of organized scientific research in Al-Andalus. Among his students were Ibn al-Saffar, Abu al-Salt and Al-Tartus.

Al-Majriti is one of scientists muslim whose experimentation was admitted by western scientists such as Americans or European. This fact is so concerned for education in Islamic civilization.