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Jābir ibn Hayyān, Abū Mūsā (721?-815?), was an Arab or Persian scholar whose
mystical writings became famous throughout the Middle East and Europe. Many
of his writings involve alchemy, an ancient practice that included elements of
chemistry, philosophy, and mysticism. Other works by Jābir deal with astrology,
medicine, magical talismans, and Shī`ite mysticism. Shī`ites form one of the
two main branches of the religion of Islam. Sunnis are the other main branch.
Jābir was said to be a student of Jaʿfar al-Sādiq, a famous Shī`ite  imam
(religious leader) who lived in the 700’s. However, historians have long doubted
the authenticity of works bearing Jābir's name. Many historians think Jābir’s
writings were mostly composed by other alchemists and mystics between the
800's and 1300's. During this time, authors sometimes falsely claimed their
works were written by famous or legendary figures. A group of Shī`ite scholars
from the 900's may have composed many of Jābir’s writings. Some historians
doubt that Jābir even existed.

Writings attributed to Jābir greatly influenced the practice of alchemy during the
Middle Ages. Working from Jābirian texts, alchemists sought to  transmute
(transform) cheap substances into precious ones, for example turning lead into
gold. Transmutation could supposedly be accomplished with a mystical
substance called the Philosopher’s Stone. According to legend, the Stone could
even grant immortality and create new life.

Many of Jābir’s writings were deliberately hard to understand, supposedly to

protect their secret knowledge. In Europe, Jābir was known by the Latinized
name Geber. The word  gibberish, meaning senseless or confused chatter or
writing, may have been coined in reference to Jābir’s style. Modern scholars no
longer take alchemy seriously as a discipline. But by cataloguing various
chemical elements and their reactions, Jābir’s writings helped establish the
foundations of the modern science of chemistry.

Contributor:
Glen M. Cooper, Ph.D., Visiting Assistant Professor of History, Claremont McKenna College.

How to cite this article:

To cite this article, World Book recommends the following format:
MLA:
Cooper, Glen M. "Jābir ibn Hayyān, Abu Mūsā." World Book Student, World Book, 2017,
www.worldbookonline.com/student/article?id=ar707968. Accessed 2 Mar. 2017.
APA:
Cooper, G. M. (2017). Jābir ibn Hayyān, Abu Mūsā. In World Book student. Retrieved from
http://www.worldbookonline.com/student/article?id=ar707968
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