Ibn al-Haytham (Alhazen): Visionary Scientist Who Laid the Foundation for Modern Optics and Photography

Ibn al-Haytham (c. 965–1040 CE), widely known in the West as Alhazen, was a visionary Arab scholar, scientist, mathematician, and astronomer of the Islamic Golden Age, celebrated as the father of modern optics and one of the earliest pioneers of the scientific method. Renowned for his groundbreaking work in physics, mathematics, and astronomy, Ibn al-Haytham is best remembered for his revolutionary treatise, the Book of Optics (Kitab al-Manazir), which transformed the understanding of light, vision, and visual perception.

Through his meticulous experiments and theories, he planted the intellectual seeds for the invention of the modern camera, becoming the first to clearly describe the principles behind the camera obscura—a device that projected inverted images and later inspired the development of photography. His assertion that vision occurs in the brain, not just the eyes, and his explanation of how light reflects and refracts, established the foundation of modern optical science.

Ibn al-Haytham's legacy as a trailblazing scientist, committed to observation, experimentation, and critical thinking, continues to influence physics, optics, and visual sciences to this day. His visionary insights made him a key figure in both Islamic science and the broader history of scientific discovery.