Wednesday, 28 November 2012
Tuesday, 27 November 2012
Writing System for the Blind: Al-Amidi vs. Braille
Writing System for the Blind: Al-Amidi vs. Braille
The history of Muslims is abundant in numerous,
if not countless, prime examples of scientists, scholars, thinkers,
philosophers, reformers, inventors, etc. The remarkable achievements of
such pioneering prominent figures are beyond counting. However, many of
these achievements are not recognized nowadays as have been carried out
by Muslims. This can be attributed to the fact that many Arabic names of
the original owners of such magnificent contributions were “naturalized”
from Arabic and morphologically changed in a way to make them look like
ancient Greek names. Therefore, the Arabic reader should not mistake
them for English names, e.g.: Avempace (Ibn Bajah),[1] Avenzoar (Ibn Zuhr),[2] Averroes (Ibn Rushd),[3] Avicenna (Ibn Sina),[4] Saladin (Salah Ad-Din),[5] etc.
More
interestingly, I was reading something about the Mamluke era in Egypt
and the Levant recently. I came to know that that particular era is
conceived to be void of any significant contribution by some
Orientalists and others. They claim that the only achievement of that
era was one book by one scholar; namely, “Al-Muqadimmah” by Ibn Khaldun.[6]
In fact, these claims were proved groundless as the Mamluke era
witnessed many scientific and scholarly achievements as well as a huge
cultural boom that can be compared to the renaissance enjoyed by the
whole Muslim world for centuries. This is very true despite long-term
wars, revolutions, afflictions and turmoil that were then prevalent.
Interestingly enough, the cultural and knowledge-based aspects of
society were not affected in the same manner. Hundreds of manuscripts
and books attest to the then existence of a galaxy of scholars and
scientists who crowned that era with their amazing achievements. Many of
these books and manuscripts survived and thus can nowadays be found in
famous world libraries in Dublin, London, Leiden, Istanbul, Cairo, and
many others.[7]
One of the main reasons that led to that civilizational boom and cultural boost was the fact that many Muslim scholars and scientists fled to Egypt when the Tatars invaded the Muslim world and demolished Baghdad in (1258 A.C.). Egypt was then a safe-haven for so many; a matter which enabled them to achieve whatever scientific and scholarly contributions they opted for.
Many of the books and manuscripts that survived the Mamluke era contain valuable information and details of the discoveries and contributions that first appeared at that time. This encompasses innovations in the fields of education, linguistics and lexicons, medicine, mathematics, geography, astrology, social and religious studies, etc. One of the most outstanding discoveries of that era was the invention of a writing system for visually impaired or sightless people. Such a system is basically needed to help the blind read and play an active role in the cultural life of the community as well as the whole human race.
Ironically, when this last issue is often raised, the name Braille is solely mentioned as the first to invent such a system. Before getting any further, let us learn something about Braille.
Braille,
Louis (1809-1852), French teacher of the blind. Born in Coupvray,
France, he was blind from age three. In 1829, while teaching at the
National Institute for the Young Blind in Paris, Braille conceived the
idea of modifying the so-called point writing system, used for coded
army messages, to enable the blind to read.[8]
The Alphabet he devised, called the "Braille Alphabet", consists of 63 characters made up of a series of six dots raised on paper so that they can be read by passing fingers lightly over the manuscript. The dots are conventionally numbered 1, 2, and 3 from the top of the left column and 4, 5, and 6 from the top of the right column. The presence or absence of dots gives the coding for the symbol.[9] Remarkably, a universal Braille code for the English speaking world was adopted in London in 1932. Braille is now used throughout the English-speaking world and has been adapted to most other languages including Arabic.
However, historical records attest to the fact that it was Al-Amidi (d. 1314 A.C.), who was the first to invent such a writing system 600 years before Braille. Ali Ibn Ahmed Ibn Yusuf Al-Amidi, a Syrian Muslim, was considered an expert in using such a system. Amazingly, like Braille, Al-Amidi too was blind from childhood. It is a well known fact that, “the tactile receptors of blind peoples' fingers are exceptionally well developed and Al-Amidi was also gifted in this 'super-sense'.”[10] This enabled him not only to locate books on shelves using the sense of touch, but also to recognize each book’s number of pages. He could also determine the value of the books by the spacing of the lines. Whenever he went to purchase a book he would always take with him a piece of paper. He would roll the paper into the shape of a letter of the alphabet. He would then stick that piece of paper onto the front cover of the book in a way that would enable him afterwards to identify the book’s title, author, price, number of pages, etc., just by touching the letter-shaped piece of paper as it was part of a code that he himself had developed to classify books.
This, in fact, was the real beginning of a writing system especially designed for the visually impaired almost 600 years before the birth of Louis Braille. Ironically, this fact is hardly recorded or not mentioned at all in the books of history.
| Read Also: |
One of the main reasons that led to that civilizational boom and cultural boost was the fact that many Muslim scholars and scientists fled to Egypt when the Tatars invaded the Muslim world and demolished Baghdad in (1258 A.C.). Egypt was then a safe-haven for so many; a matter which enabled them to achieve whatever scientific and scholarly contributions they opted for.
Many of the books and manuscripts that survived the Mamluke era contain valuable information and details of the discoveries and contributions that first appeared at that time. This encompasses innovations in the fields of education, linguistics and lexicons, medicine, mathematics, geography, astrology, social and religious studies, etc. One of the most outstanding discoveries of that era was the invention of a writing system for visually impaired or sightless people. Such a system is basically needed to help the blind read and play an active role in the cultural life of the community as well as the whole human race.
Ironically, when this last issue is often raised, the name Braille is solely mentioned as the first to invent such a system. Before getting any further, let us learn something about Braille.
| Historical records attest to the fact that Al-Amidi invented such a writing system 600 years before Braille. |
The Alphabet he devised, called the "Braille Alphabet", consists of 63 characters made up of a series of six dots raised on paper so that they can be read by passing fingers lightly over the manuscript. The dots are conventionally numbered 1, 2, and 3 from the top of the left column and 4, 5, and 6 from the top of the right column. The presence or absence of dots gives the coding for the symbol.[9] Remarkably, a universal Braille code for the English speaking world was adopted in London in 1932. Braille is now used throughout the English-speaking world and has been adapted to most other languages including Arabic.
However, historical records attest to the fact that it was Al-Amidi (d. 1314 A.C.), who was the first to invent such a writing system 600 years before Braille. Ali Ibn Ahmed Ibn Yusuf Al-Amidi, a Syrian Muslim, was considered an expert in using such a system. Amazingly, like Braille, Al-Amidi too was blind from childhood. It is a well known fact that, “the tactile receptors of blind peoples' fingers are exceptionally well developed and Al-Amidi was also gifted in this 'super-sense'.”[10] This enabled him not only to locate books on shelves using the sense of touch, but also to recognize each book’s number of pages. He could also determine the value of the books by the spacing of the lines. Whenever he went to purchase a book he would always take with him a piece of paper. He would roll the paper into the shape of a letter of the alphabet. He would then stick that piece of paper onto the front cover of the book in a way that would enable him afterwards to identify the book’s title, author, price, number of pages, etc., just by touching the letter-shaped piece of paper as it was part of a code that he himself had developed to classify books.
This, in fact, was the real beginning of a writing system especially designed for the visually impaired almost 600 years before the birth of Louis Braille. Ironically, this fact is hardly recorded or not mentioned at all in the books of history.
[1]
Avempace (in Arabic, Ibn Bajah) (1095?-1138), Muslim philosopher and
exponent of Neo-platonic intellectual mysticism who was born in
Andalusia (now Spain). His famous book, On the Union of the Intellect, is a very important contribution to the field of mysticism and Muslim intellectualism.
[2] Avenzoar (in Arabic, Ibn Zuhr) (1090-1162), Muslim physician and writer who was born in Andalusia (now Spain). Ibn Zuhr’s Practical Manual of Treatments and Diet showed an advanced understanding of the human body based on science rather than speculation.
[3]
Averroes (in Arabic, Abu al-Walid Muhammad Ibn Ahmad Ibn Muhammad Ibn
Rushd) (1126-1198), Muslim philosopher, jurist, and physician, born in
Cordoba, Andalusia (now Spain).
[4]
Avicenna (in Arabic, Ibn Sina) (980-1037), Muslim Iranian philosopher
and physician, regarded as one of the greatest through history. Born
near Bukhoro (in what is now Uzbekistan), he served as court physician
to the Samanid ruler of Bukhoro and as scientific adviser and physician
to the ruler of Esfahan.
[5]
Saladin (in Arabic, Salah Ad-Din) (1137-1193), Muslim ruler of Egypt
and Syria who liberated Palestine, restored Muslim sovereignty over the
sacred city of Jerusalem (in Arabic, Al-Quds), and defended it during
the Third Crusade (1189-1192).
[6]
Ibn Khaldun, full name Abu Zayd Abd-Ar-Rahman Ibn Khaldun (1332-1406),
medieval Islamic historian. He was born in Tunis (now in Tunisia). In
the 14th century he completed his monumental work Muqaddamah,
the introductory volume to his Universal History, which is a valuable
guide to the history of Muslim North Africa and the Berbers. In the Muqaddamah
Ibn Khaldun outlined a philosophy of history and a theory of society
that are unprecedented in ancient and medieval writing. Societies, he
believed, are held together by the power of social cohesiveness, which
can be augmented by the unifying force of religion. (The Encarta Desk
Encyclopedia (1998). Microsoft Corporation. Electronic version).
[7] I have visited some of these libraries in the last 10 years or so.
[8] The Encarta Desk Encyclopedia (1998). Microsoft Corporation. Electronic version.
[9] The Foundation for Science, Technology and Civilization (www.muslimheritage.com).
[10] Ibid.
Wednesday, 21 November 2012
Sunday, 18 November 2012
how to deal on Gaza issue..
Sarah Joseph said:
The situation in Gaza is distressing in the extreme. Israel as the Occupying Power over the Palestinian Territories has moral and legal responsibilities over the people in Gaza, to ensure their safety and security. Instead, it's aggression has killed innocent people, including young children. If Israel is responding to the rockets fired from Gaza, then its use of excessive and disproportionate force against unarmed civilians is wholly unacceptable, and should cease immediately. For those of us watching the horrors via the media and the internet, it is easy to feel a mixture of negative emotions: anger, hatred, despair, impotence. Here are a few ideas to attempt to deal with these emotions that may also build a culture where such an attack on Gaza becomes unacceptable on a global basis.
1. Stay calm, focused and in control at all times.
2. Write a letter to the leader of your nation that details how you find the human tragedy unacceptable. Ask them to request Israel to immediately cease the attack. If your nation is offering support to the attack then explain that as a citizen of a nation you find this totally unacceptable.
3. If you believe in God, pray! Then pray some more. Now here's the tricky bit, pray that the violence stops, but also pray that the hearts of Israeli citizens are turned against this violence, and opened to peace and coexistence, so they themselves will request the attack to cease.
4. Give to a charity that is operating in Gaza. There will be a desperate need for medical resources, food, etc. Even if it is a tiny amount, give. The collective amount will increase exponentially if we all give something.
5. Become aquainted with the historical facts, and with the a discourse on the current situation. There are a number of good books on both. For a quick and easy read, I suggest "Extreme Ramblings" by Mark Thomas for a view of The Wall.
6. Hold an event that promotes the culture and people of Palestine. We have to humanise the situation and show that this is not a Muslim issue, but a human issue.
7. Reach out to others beyond your own community-people from other faith groups, people from other nations, and explain the situation to them. Hence the important of points 1 and 5 above.
8. Write to the media explaining where their coverage was good, and where it was biased in favour of the Israeli attack.
9. Take to the social media forums and forward articles, information etc that helps our understanding of the situation.
10. Do not hate. Hatred pollutes the soul. If you say that this is impossible then read the works of Izzledien Aboulaish who lost three daughters in the 2009 Israeli incursion into Gaza. Here is an interview with him on YouTube: http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=uslS-In4hPQ&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DuslS-In4hPQ&gl=GB
11. Know within your heart that such injustice cannot and will not continue. It goes against the natural order, which demands justice. Similar inhumanities have occurred in our human history, and were resolved.
12. Be a source of good for your community, for your fellow humanity, and for the world. Work for good in whatever way you can.
The situation in Gaza is distressing in the extreme. Israel as the Occupying Power over the Palestinian Territories has moral and legal responsibilities over the people in Gaza, to ensure their safety and security. Instead, it's aggression has killed innocent people, including young children. If Israel is responding to the rockets fired from Gaza, then its use of excessive and disproportionate force against unarmed civilians is wholly unacceptable, and should cease immediately. For those of us watching the horrors via the media and the internet, it is easy to feel a mixture of negative emotions: anger, hatred, despair, impotence. Here are a few ideas to attempt to deal with these emotions that may also build a culture where such an attack on Gaza becomes unacceptable on a global basis.
1. Stay calm, focused and in control at all times.
2. Write a letter to the leader of your nation that details how you find the human tragedy unacceptable. Ask them to request Israel to immediately cease the attack. If your nation is offering support to the attack then explain that as a citizen of a nation you find this totally unacceptable.
3. If you believe in God, pray! Then pray some more. Now here's the tricky bit, pray that the violence stops, but also pray that the hearts of Israeli citizens are turned against this violence, and opened to peace and coexistence, so they themselves will request the attack to cease.
4. Give to a charity that is operating in Gaza. There will be a desperate need for medical resources, food, etc. Even if it is a tiny amount, give. The collective amount will increase exponentially if we all give something.
5. Become aquainted with the historical facts, and with the a discourse on the current situation. There are a number of good books on both. For a quick and easy read, I suggest "Extreme Ramblings" by Mark Thomas for a view of The Wall.
6. Hold an event that promotes the culture and people of Palestine. We have to humanise the situation and show that this is not a Muslim issue, but a human issue.
7. Reach out to others beyond your own community-people from other faith groups, people from other nations, and explain the situation to them. Hence the important of points 1 and 5 above.
8. Write to the media explaining where their coverage was good, and where it was biased in favour of the Israeli attack.
9. Take to the social media forums and forward articles, information etc that helps our understanding of the situation.
10. Do not hate. Hatred pollutes the soul. If you say that this is impossible then read the works of Izzledien Aboulaish who lost three daughters in the 2009 Israeli incursion into Gaza. Here is an interview with him on YouTube: http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=uslS-In4hPQ&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DuslS-In4hPQ&gl=GB
11. Know within your heart that such injustice cannot and will not continue. It goes against the natural order, which demands justice. Similar inhumanities have occurred in our human history, and were resolved.
12. Be a source of good for your community, for your fellow humanity, and for the world. Work for good in whatever way you can.
Thursday, 15 November 2012
Saturday, 10 November 2012
never regret..
Satu hari seorang lelaki yg frust dgn isterinya telah pergi kpd Amirul Mukminin Umar al Khattab utk mengadu, tiba di rumah Amirul Mukminin dia terkejut mendengar jeritan isteri pemimpin umat Islam itu sedang mmarahi Umar al Khattab ra. Dia pun merasakan kesamaan antara isterinya dgn isteri Amirul Mukminin, iaitu sikap cerewet & tak menghargainya, lantas dia pun pergi... Tiba2 Amirul Mukminin memanggilnya.. Dia pun datang kembali kepadanya lalu mengatakan dgn hampa.. Aku menyangkakan aku Saja yg Ada masalah dgn isteriku.. Rupa2nya Tuan pun menghadapi masalah yg sama ! Apa jwpn Amirul Mukminin ??? Jawapan yg menampakkan hikmah beliau spt yg Nabi sifatkan , katanya pd lelaki yg mengharapkan kesempurnaan pd seseorang isteri itu, Wahai sahabat! Ketahuilah olehmu bhw isteri adalah anugerah Allah utk kita, Mereka banyak berkorban utk kita, memasak utk kita, membasuh pakaian, melahirkan anak2 utk kita Dan mendidik anak2.. Adatnya memang kadang2 Ada kesilapan.. Tapi ketahuilah olehmu Wahai saudaraku, satu hari pasti tiba, Samada mereka wafat sebelum kita lalu kita berehat Dari kekurangan & kejahatan mulut mereka yg mungkin tak disengajakan, atau kita yg pergi sebelum mereka, lalu mereka tak dapat menyakiti kita lagi dgn sikap atau ucapan... Wahai saudara hadapilah hidup ini dgn kesabaran, kerana dunia tak pernah sempurna... Sekian Tamat.. Jom sama2 kita menghargai para isteri... Seeeru 'ala barakatilLah ( teruskan kehidupan dengan keberkatan yang Ada di sisi Allah) ...
Tuesday, 6 November 2012
to my ' a bundle of joy'..
My beloved Ammar Shahmie...
You have brought me
nothing but pure joy since that very first moment.
Watching you grow,
absorbing the world around you, inquisitive and delighted to learn,
I’m
reminded each day of the treasure you bring into my world.
As all
mothers do, I have goals, dreams and wishes for you.
I have, as you can
imagine, dozens of them, but on this anniversary of that laughing
moment,
I will limit myself..
and my ‘one to grow on’ - I wish to be
here for each of your moments…. to keep you on track..
Happy birthday my
buddy..
I will always love you and pray for you may Almighty Allah
continue shower upon you with His blessing..
always observe solat in
appropriate time dear..
Sunday, 4 November 2012
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