Islam and Sufism an introduction

Omar Khayyam  (1040-1134) a Mathematician, a philosopher, scholar of Islam, a Sufi and a poet was born in Naishapur in Iran. His Rubaiyat e Omar Khayyam were  translated by Edward Fitzgerald in the 1880s. Here is a selection from his Rubaiyat. Whether at Naishapur or Babylon, Whether the Cup with sweet or bitter run, The Wine of Life keeps oozing drop by drop, The Leaves of Life keeps falling one by one.

Al Biruni (973-1048) lived during the golden age of Islam.  He was a polymath, a philosopher , a scientist etc. He  quite accurately calculated the circumference of the earth. He wrote widely on topics including Hindus (their religion, philosophy etc.). Ibn Sina ,Avicenna(980-1037) and several other scholars were his contemporaries. Here is a link to BBC documentary hosted by professor Jim Khalili https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=XepEkMjpt-A

Al Farabi (872-950) was a scholar of the Golden age of Islam. He was a philosopher and wrote extensively. He was born one year after the death of Al-Kindi in 873 who was also a philosophy[her and a polymath. Here is a link to a lecture  from a visiting prophesier from Germany on " Al-Farabi & the Emergence of Philosophy of Language & Islamic Thought" delivered in October 2013. https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=9neJXAqt8Tw&t=118s