Skip to main content

Omar Khayyam 1040-1134. (Post 303)

Omar Khayyam (1040-1134) a Mathematician, a philosopher, scholar of Islam  and a poet was born in Naishapur, Iran. He Wrote a treatise entitled "Demonstration of Problems of Algebra" (1070) and on the "Triangular array of binomial coefficient known as Pascal's triangle". In 1077 he produced another work, "Explanations of the Difficulties in the Postulates of Euclid", and on "theory of proportions". He also wrote on religion, music and astronomy.
Contemporaries included Al Bairuni (973-1048) a philosopher and scientist, who calculated the circumference of the earth quite accurately. He wrote widely on topics including Hindus(religion, Medicine,  philosophy etc.). Abu Sina (Avicenna 980-1057) a great physician, a philosopher and a Sufi, wrote on Islam, Philosophy and the famous Canon of Medicine. Al Ghazali (1058-1111) was a philosopher and a great teacher of Islam.

Omar Khayyam is best known for his Rubayats  translated by Edward Fitzgerald in the 1880s. Sufi poetry has lot of references  to wine and love, more so in Hafiz(1325–1389) and Omar Khayyam. However their wine did not come from a bottle but a mystical experience.  Love is Love of God (Ishque Allah). Sufis were not on a full time mystical  mode. They were teachers, writers, scientists, Philosophers, Physicians, and scholars of Islam. Not all Sufis were poets and not all scholars of Islam were poets.
Here is a selection from his Rubayat. Khaliq, Dec 2017.

Why, all the Saints and Sages who discussed  
Of the two worlds so wisely—they are thrust 
Like foolish prophets forth; their words to scorn 
Are scattered, and their mouths are stopped  with dust.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Masnavi of Rumi. The end and object...(Post 75)

The end and object of all negation is to attain to subsequent affirmation, as the negation in the creed, "There is no God," finds its complement and purpose in the affirmation "but God." Just so the purpose of negation of self is to clear the way for the apprehension of the fact that there is no existence but the One. The intoxication of Life and its pleasures and occupations veils the Truth from men's eyes, and they ought to pass on to the spiritual intoxication which makes men beside themselves and lifts them to the beatific vision of eternal Truth.
Post a Comment
Read more

Muslim women rulers, scholars a repeat (Post 305)

Muslim women rulers, scholars and Sufis . 1.Women Sufies and Scholars Rabia Al Basri and Fatima Naishapuri, born in the 8th century were the early scholars and Sufis. As-Sulami (died in 1021) in his publication Early Sufi Women* mentions that between the 8th and 11th century there who 80 respected Sufi teachers and spritual guides. Some known figures were  Lubna  of Cordoba (Spain) who died in 984, who was a scholar and a mathematician. She presided over the famous Library of Cordoba that had about 500,000 books.  Fatima b Al Qasim  died in 1216. She was also from Andalusia and is regarded as one of the most learned scholar of her time. Zainab B Ahmed  died in 1339 and was an eminent Islamic scholar of the 14th century. Bibi Hatati Kirmani and Aisha of Damascus were known Sufi teachers in the 15th century. Jaahan Ara(1592-1666) daughter of Emperor Shahjahan was a Sufi and a writer. (Women ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Omar Khayyam(1048-1131) come fill ..(Post 163)

Omar Khayyam a polymath is best known for his Rubaiyats translated by Edward Fitzgerald in the 1880s. Sufi poetry has lot of references  to wine and love, more so in Hafiz(1325–1389) and Omar Khayyam. However their wine did not come from a bottle but a mystical experience.  Love is Love of God (Ishque Allah).  Come, fill the Cup, and in the fire of Spring Your Winter-garment of Repentance fling: The Bird of Time has but a little way To flutter---and the Bird is on the Wing.
Post a Comment
Read more