In collaboration with University of Tübingen, the Juma Al Majid Center for Culture and Heritage organized a virtual lecture on Monday, 2 February 2026, titled “Chemistry in Poetry: Manuscripts of the Diwan Shudhūr al-Dhahab by Ibn Arfaʿ Ras, Andalusian Scholar (6th AH / 12th CE)”. The lecture was delivered by Dr. Regula Forster, Professor of Islamic History and Culture at the University of Tübingen, and attended by a distinguished group of researchers and specialists.
The lecture highlighted the life and contributions of the Andalusian chemist Ibn Arfaʿ Ras, who lived in the 6th century AH / 12th century CE, and focused on his renowned chemical compendium Shudhūr al-Dhahab. It began with a brief introduction on the significance of chemistry in the history of Arab thought, before moving on to discuss questions surrounding Ibn Arfaʿ Ras’s identity and his scientific contributions in both chemistry and occult sciences.
The main part of the lecture explored Shudhūr al-Dhahab through its multiple manuscript copies, dating from the late medieval period to the 20th century CE, spanning geographically from Morocco to India. This demonstrated the high status of the compendium and the broad scholarly interest in chemistry within the Arab scientific tradition.
The presentation also included a comprehensive overview of the known manuscripts, examining their chronological and geographical distribution, and emphasizing their importance in the study of the history of sciences among the Arabs.
