Abul Hasan Ali Ibn Husain Ibn Ali Al-Masu'di is a descendant of Abdallah Ibn Masu'd, a companion of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). He is referred to as the Herodotus and Pliny of the Arabs.
Masu'di was born in the last decade of the 9th century A.D. He was an expert geographer, who explored distant lands; he was also a physicist and a historian. He died at Cairo, in 957 A.D.
He traveled to Fares in 915 A.D., where he stayed for about one year in Istikhbar, and then he proceeded through Baghdad to India, where he visited Multan and Mansoora before returning to Fares. From Fares he traveled to Kirman and then again to India.
At his times, Mansoora was the capital of the Muslim state of Sind, it was a city of great renown, which was surrounded by many settlements and townships of new converts to Islam.
In 918 A.D., Masu'di traveled to Gujrat, where more than 10,000 Arab Muslims had settled in the sea-port of Chamoor. He also traveled to Deccan, Ceylon, Indo-China and China, and traveled to Basra via Madagascar, Zanjibar and Oman.
At Basra he continued his book 'Muruj-al-Thahab', in which he described his experiences in countries he's been to, their peoples and climates. He also described his personal encounters with the Jews, Iranians, Indians and Christians.
Masu'di moved from Basra to Syria and from there to Cairo, where he wrote his second extensive book "Muruj al-Zaman" in thirty volumes.
In this book he described in details the geography and history of the countries that he visited. His first book was completed in 947 A.D.
He also wrote a supplement, called "Kitab al-Ausat", in which he compiled historical events chronologically.
In 957 A.D., the year he died, Masu'di finished his last book "Kitab al-Tanbih wa al-Ishraf".
Masu'di created a change in the art of historical writings, introducing analysis, reflection and criticism of historical events. This was further improved by Ibn Khaldoun.
In his book, "al-Tanbeeh" he made a systematic study of history with a perspective of geography, sociology, anthropology and ecology. Masu'di had a deep insight into the causes of rise and fall of nations.
With his scientific and analytical approach, Masu'di found out the causes of the earthquakes of 955 A.D., as well as the secrets of the water of the Red Sea and other problems in earth sciences. He is the first author to mention windmills, which were invented by the Muslims of Sijistan.
Masu'di also made important contributions to music and other fields of science. In his book, "Muruj al-Thahab", he provides important information on early Arab music as well as music of other countries.
His book "Muruj al-Thahab wa al-Ma'adin al-Jawahir" (Meadows of Gold and Mines of Precious Stones) is regarded 'remarkable' because of the 'catholicity of its author, who neglected no source of information and of his truly scientific curiosity'.
In addition to writing a supplement "Kitab al-Ausat", he completed "Kitab al-Tanbih wa al-Ishraf" towards the end of his career.
It is a great loss that out of his thirty four books, as he mentioned in his book "Al-Tanbih", only three have survived, beside "Al-Tanbih" itself.
Some questions have been raised about his travel to China and Madagascar, but the correct situation cannot be assessed due to the loss of his several books.
Masu'
di recorded everything according to a scientific approach and contributed to geography, history and earth sciences.
It is worth mentioning that he was one of the early scientists who had premature assumptions about the evolution theory, from minerals to plant, plant to animal and animal to man. His researches and views extensively influenced the sciences of historiography, geography and earth sciences.
Source: www.mala.bc.caMasu'di was born in the last decade of the 9th century A.D. He was an expert geographer, who explored distant lands; he was also a physicist and a historian. He died at Cairo, in 957 A.D.
He traveled to Fares in 915 A.D., where he stayed for about one year in Istikhbar, and then he proceeded through Baghdad to India, where he visited Multan and Mansoora before returning to Fares. From Fares he traveled to Kirman and then again to India.
At his times, Mansoora was the capital of the Muslim state of Sind, it was a city of great renown, which was surrounded by many settlements and townships of new converts to Islam.
In 918 A.D., Masu'di traveled to Gujrat, where more than 10,000 Arab Muslims had settled in the sea-port of Chamoor. He also traveled to Deccan, Ceylon, Indo-China and China, and traveled to Basra via Madagascar, Zanjibar and Oman.
At Basra he continued his book 'Muruj-al-Thahab', in which he described his experiences in countries he's been to, their peoples and climates. He also described his personal encounters with the Jews, Iranians, Indians and Christians.
Masu'di moved from Basra to Syria and from there to Cairo, where he wrote his second extensive book "Muruj al-Zaman" in thirty volumes.
In this book he described in details the geography and history of the countries that he visited. His first book was completed in 947 A.D.
He also wrote a supplement, called "Kitab al-Ausat", in which he compiled historical events chronologically.
In 957 A.D., the year he died, Masu'di finished his last book "Kitab al-Tanbih wa al-Ishraf".
Masu'di created a change in the art of historical writings, introducing analysis, reflection and criticism of historical events. This was further improved by Ibn Khaldoun.
In his book, "al-Tanbeeh" he made a systematic study of history with a perspective of geography, sociology, anthropology and ecology. Masu'di had a deep insight into the causes of rise and fall of nations.
With his scientific and analytical approach, Masu'di found out the causes of the earthquakes of 955 A.D., as well as the secrets of the water of the Red Sea and other problems in earth sciences. He is the first author to mention windmills, which were invented by the Muslims of Sijistan.
Masu'di also made important contributions to music and other fields of science. In his book, "Muruj al-Thahab", he provides important information on early Arab music as well as music of other countries.
His book "Muruj al-Thahab wa al-Ma'adin al-Jawahir" (Meadows of Gold and Mines of Precious Stones) is regarded 'remarkable' because of the 'catholicity of its author, who neglected no source of information and of his truly scientific curiosity'.
In addition to writing a supplement "Kitab al-Ausat", he completed "Kitab al-Tanbih wa al-Ishraf" towards the end of his career.
It is a great loss that out of his thirty four books, as he mentioned in his book "Al-Tanbih", only three have survived, beside "Al-Tanbih" itself.
Some questions have been raised about his travel to China and Madagascar, but the correct situation cannot be assessed due to the loss of his several books.
Masu'
di recorded everything according to a scientific approach and contributed to geography, history and earth sciences.
It is worth mentioning that he was one of the early scientists who had premature assumptions about the evolution theory, from minerals to plant, plant to animal and animal to man. His researches and views extensively influenced the sciences of historiography, geography and earth sciences.
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