Arabic name: Jabir Ibn Hayyan, Abu Musa A PROMINENT Muslim polymath (c. 721–c. 815), who excelled in many scientific branches but his contributions in chemistry are unmatched. He was also an astronomer, engineer, pharmacist and physician. Ibn Hayyan has been widely referred to as the “father of chemistry.” He is credited with the introduction of the experimental method in alchemy, and with the invention of important processes still used in modern chemistry today, such as the syntheses of hydrochloric and nitric acids, distillation, and crystallization. His original works are highly esoteric and probably coded. On the surface, his alchemical career revolved around an elaborate chemical numerology. Many of his books were translated into Latin since the early phase of Arabic-Latin transmission of knowledge. They contributed greatly toward launching the European tradition of chemistry and alchemy.
