Al‐Malik Al‐Ashraf (Mumahhid Al‐Din) Umar Ibn Yūsuf Ibn Umar Ibn Alī Ibn Rasul (Arabic: عمر بن يوسف بن عمر بن علي بن رسول الغساني), known as Umar Ibn Yusuf (c. 1242 – 1296) was the third Rasulid sultan, who ruled as Al-Ashraf Umar II. He was also a mathematician, astronomer and physician.
Few biographical details about Al‑Malik al‑Ashraf ‘Umar are known.[1] He was born in 1242 in Yemen,[note 1] and he died in 1296. [2] He excelled in astronomy, agriculture, veterinary science and medicine.[1]
Al‑Ashraf ruled for as the third Rasulid sultan for 21 months from 1295, succeeding after the end of the 46-year rule of his father, Al-Muzaffar Yusuf I [ar]. According to the historian David King. In 1266 he commanded a military raid on the Yemenese city of Hajjah. He was made governor of al‑Mahjam [ar]. He was in charge of the highland city of Sanaa, now the capital of Yemen. For a period al‑Ashraf ruled as governor of the flood‑irrigated lands near al‑Mahjam, which was owned by his family.[1]
Al-Ashraf's diagram of the compass and qibla, copied in Yemen in 1293
Al-Ashraf wrote the first description of the use of a magnetic compass for determining the qibla. His works on astronomy contain information on earlier sources.[4]
In a treatise about astrolabes and sundials, al-Ashraf included information on the construction of a compass bowl (ṭāsa). He then uses the compass to determine the north point, the meridian (khaṭṭ niṣf al-nahār), and the qibla towards Mecca. This is the first mention of a compass in a medieval Islamic scientific text and its earliest known use as a qibla indicator, although al-Ashraf did not claim to be the first to use it for this purpose.[4]
Al‑Ashraf astronomical treatise includes the names of local Yemeni star names.[1]
Treatise on agricultureEdit
Al-Ashraf's Milh al‑Malâha is considered by the historian David King to be crucial for constructing the history of agriculture during the Rasulid era. The work, of which two copies are extant, is the earliest Rasulid treatise about agriculture. The exact title is not known.[1]
The seven chapters of the treatise consider the knowledge of times for planting, transplanting, working the land and improving it; cereal crops (zar‘); pulses (qatânî), crops grown from seed (hubûb); the cultivation of flowering plants (al‑ashjâr al‑muthmira); aromatic plants (rayâhîn); growing vegetables (khadrâwât and (buqûlât); and methods of pest control (âfât). The text would have been primarily of use to Yemenese farmers and landowners; there is evidence that Al-Ashraf obtained some of his information from other lands, although no other texts are mentioned.[1]
NotesEdit
^According to King. he was born after 1242, and before his father became sultan.[1]
Bosworth, C.E.; Van Donzel, E.; Heinrichs, W.P.; Lecompte, G., eds. (1986). "Rasulids". The Encyclopaedia of Islam. Vol. 8. Leiden: Brill Publishers. pp. 456–458.
Schmidl, Petra G. (2007). "Ashraf: al‐Malik al‐Ashraf (Mumahhid al‐Dīn) ʿUmar ibn Yūsuf ibn ʿUmar ibn ʿAlī ibn Rasūl". In Thomas Hockey; et al. (eds.). The Biographical Encyclopedia of Astronomers. New York: Springer. pp. 66–7. ISBN9780387310220. (PDF version)
Further readingEdit
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Al-Ashraf Umar II.
Ali, Abdul (1996). Islamic Dynasties of the Arab East: State and Civilization During the Later Medieval Times. M.D. Publications Pvt. Limited. ISBN978-81753-3-008-5.
King, David A. (1983). Mathematical Astronomy in Medieval Yemen: A Biobibliographical Survey. Undena Publications. p. 27. ISBN978-08900-3-098-1.
King, David A. (1985). "075 - Yemeni Astrolabe in NY Met 1985.pdf". Zeitschrift für Geschichte der Arabisch-Islamischen Wissenschaften. 2: 99–122.
Suter, Heinrich (1900). Die Mathematiker und Astronomen der Araber und ihre Werke (in German). Leipzig: Teubner. p. 160.
ashraf, umar, malik, ashraf, mumahhid, umar, yūsuf, umar, alī, rasul, arabic, عمر, بن, يوسف, بن, عمر, بن, علي, بن, رسول, الغساني, known, umar, yusuf, 1242, 1296, third, rasulid, sultan, ruled, also, mathematician, astronomer, physician, umar, yusufعمر, بن, يوس. Al Malik Al Ashraf Mumahhid Al Din Umar Ibn Yusuf Ibn Umar Ibn Ali Ibn Rasul Arabic عمر بن يوسف بن عمر بن علي بن رسول الغساني known as Umar Ibn Yusuf c 1242 1296 was the third Rasulid sultan who ruled as Al Ashraf Umar II He was also a mathematician astronomer and physician Umar Ibn Yusufعمر بن يوسف بن عمر بن علي بن رسول الغسانيBornc 1242YemenDied22 November 1296YemenEraIslamic Golden AgeKnown forAstronomy mathematicsAl Ashraf Umar IISultanReignc 636 654 ADPredecessorAl Muzaffar Yusuf I ar Successoral Mu ayyad Da udDynastyRasulid Contents 1 Biography 1 1 Family 2 Astronomical work 3 Treatise on agriculture 4 Notes 5 References 6 Sources 7 Further readingBiography EditFew biographical details about Al Malik al Ashraf Umar are known 1 He was born in 1242 in Yemen note 1 and he died in 1296 2 He excelled in astronomy agriculture veterinary science and medicine 1 Al Ashraf ruled for as the third Rasulid sultan for 21 months from 1295 succeeding after the end of the 46 year rule of his father Al Muzaffar Yusuf I ar According to the historian David King In 1266 he commanded a military raid on the Yemenese city of Hajjah He was made governor of al Mahjam ar He was in charge of the highland city of Sanaa now the capital of Yemen For a period al Ashraf ruled as governor of the flood irrigated lands near al Mahjam which was owned by his family 1 Family Edit Further information Rasulid dynasty Al Ashraf had six adults sons Two of his daughters married sons of his younger brother and successor al Mu ayyad Da ud 1 Data from theEncyclopaedia of Islam 1986 3 Family of Al Ashraf Umar IIAl Mansur Umar 1228 1249 Al Muzaffar Yusuf I 1249 1295 Al Ashraf Umar II 1295 1296 al Mu ayyad Dawid IV 1296 1322 al Mudjahid Ali 1322 1363 Al Afdal al Abbas 1363 1377 al Ashraf Isma il ar 1377 1401 Astronomical work Edit nbsp Al Ashraf s diagram of the compass and qibla copied in Yemen in 1293Al Ashraf wrote the first description of the use of a magnetic compass for determining the qibla His works on astronomy contain information on earlier sources 4 In a treatise about astrolabes and sundials al Ashraf included information on the construction of a compass bowl ṭasa He then uses the compass to determine the north point the meridian khaṭṭ niṣf al nahar and the qibla towards Mecca This is the first mention of a compass in a medieval Islamic scientific text and its earliest known use as a qibla indicator although al Ashraf did not claim to be the first to use it for this purpose 4 Al Ashraf astronomical treatise includes the names of local Yemeni star names 1 Treatise on agriculture EditAl Ashraf s Milh al Malaha is considered by the historian David King to be crucial for constructing the history of agriculture during the Rasulid era The work of which two copies are extant is the earliest Rasulid treatise about agriculture The exact title is not known 1 The seven chapters of the treatise consider the knowledge of times for planting transplanting working the land and improving it cereal crops zar pulses qatani crops grown from seed hubub the cultivation of flowering plants al ashjar al muthmira aromatic plants rayahin growing vegetables khadrawat and buqulat and methods of pest control afat The text would have been primarily of use to Yemenese farmers and landowners there is evidence that Al Ashraf obtained some of his information from other lands although no other texts are mentioned 1 Notes Edit According to King he was born after 1242 and before his father became sultan 1 References Edit a b c d e f g h Varisco Daniel Martin 2010 The Milh al Malaha of al Malik al Ashraf Umar d 696 1296 Situating the Ur Text of the Rasulid Agricultural Corpus Chroniques du manuscrit au Yemen 9 via Centre pour l Edition Electronique Ouverte OpenEdition Schmidl 2007 Bosworth et al 1986 p 457 a b Schmidl 1997 Sources EditBosworth C E Van Donzel E Heinrichs W P Lecompte G eds 1986 Rasulids The Encyclopaedia of Islam Vol 8 Leiden Brill Publishers pp 456 458 Schmidl Petra G 1997 Two Early Arabic Sources On The Magnetic Compass Journal of Arabic and Islamic Studies Oslo University of Oslo 1 81 132 doi 10 5617 jais 4547 ISSN 0806 198X Schmidl Petra G 2007 Ashraf al Malik al Ashraf Mumahhid al Din ʿUmar ibn Yusuf ibn ʿUmar ibn ʿAli ibn Rasul In Thomas Hockey et al eds The Biographical Encyclopedia of Astronomers New York Springer pp 66 7 ISBN 9780387310220 PDF version Further reading Edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Al Ashraf Umar II Ali Abdul 1996 Islamic Dynasties of the Arab East State and Civilization During the Later Medieval Times M D Publications Pvt Limited ISBN 978 81753 3 008 5 King David A 1983 Mathematical Astronomy in Medieval Yemen A Biobibliographical Survey Undena Publications p 27 ISBN 978 08900 3 098 1 King David A 1985 075 Yemeni Astrolabe in NY Met 1985 pdf Zeitschrift fur Geschichte der Arabisch Islamischen Wissenschaften 2 99 122 Suter Heinrich 1900 Die Mathematiker und Astronomen der Araber und ihre Werke in German Leipzig Teubner p 160 Varisco Daniel Martin 1994 Medieval Agriculture and Islamic Science the Almanac of a Yemeni Sultan Washington DC University of Washington Press ISBN 978 02959 7 378 4 Astrolabe of Umar ibn Yusuf ibn Umar ibn Ali ibn Rasul al Muzaffari The Met The Metropolitan Museum of Art Retrieved 2 February 2023 Al Malik al Ashraf Milḥ al malaḥa fi ma rifat al filaḥa The Filaḥa Texts Project Retrieved 3 February 2023 nbsp This article about an astronomer is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Al Ashraf Umar II amp oldid 1175108579, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
