A series of events dedicated to the 1150th anniversary of Al-Farabi at the Bolashaq Academy from September 15, 2020 opened the discussion of Akzhan Al-Mashani’s book “Al-Farabi and Modern Science”.
Akzhan Zhaksybekuly Mashanov (1906-1997) – a native of Karaganda region, geologist, surveyor, founder and organizer of the Kazakh school of geomechanics (geomechanics – mechanics of rocks), doctor of geological and mineralogical sciences, professor, academician of the Academy of Sciences of the Kazakh SSR, honored worker of science of the Kazakh SSR. Also Akzhan Mashanov – the founder of the Kazakh science fiction, the author of novels “Journey into the depths of the earth”, “Mystery of the earth”, the Kazakh-Russian and Russian-Kazakh dictionaries on mining, geology and metallurgy.
Wide scientific outlook, knowledge of Arabic language allowed Akzhan Zhaksybekuly to make one of his main deeds – opening to the world the role of the great scientist Abu Nasyr Al-Farabi. The scientist wrote: “… before and after there were many brilliant people, but it is very difficult to find such scientists, such as Al-Farabi, who developed geometry, music, astronomy in equal harmony. Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy themselves admitted that they could not fully master music. Before Al-Farabi, many philosophers could not reach a full understanding of Aristotle.
Al-Farabi in his “Comments” fully understands the heritage of Aristotle. For this reason, he was called the “Great Commentator”, and later became known as “Aristotle of the East” and “The Second Teacher”.
In the 1940s, the president of the Czech Academy of Sciences E. Kolman lived in Alma-Ata. He told the young scientist about the greatest thought of the Middle Ages Al-Farabi. Intrigued by his name, Akzhan Mashanov started searching. Soon, the scientist finds proof of his guess. The famous Arabian geographer ibn Haukal in his book “Kitab Әл – Masalik Ua-L-Mamalik” pointed out that the city of Otrar was the homeland of Al-Farabi. Requests to large libraries in Berlin, Lisbon, Paris, Cairo, Madrid and other cities were successful and materials were multiplied. In Ufa, in the madrasah “Galiya” he finds three books of the great scholar-encyclopedist, from Istanbul friends gave him a list of scientific works of Al-Farabi, academician Шаһмардан Esenov brings from Canada treatises published in Beirut. Some of his works were lost; others were found in Bratislava. Over time, Akzhan Mashanov has accumulated a fair number of works by Al-Farabi. Portraits appeared, consisting of drawings of different years. In one of them, a scientist wearing a hat resembling a Kipchak headdress looks at us from the depths of the ages; Arabs did not wear such a hat. As usual, there appeared “critics” who were annoying with reproaches: “Who is in the turban? Who is the mullah? If he is Kazakh, then what kind of a mullah does he belong to? Why did he write his works in Arabic?” For a long time they argued about his origins. To look for a man like al-Farabi, he himself had to rise to his level. Akzhan Mashanov was able to do it. At the age of more than 50 he mastered Arabic, Persian, which gave him the opportunity to read treatises of the great countryman in the original.
In 1968, he found the grave of Abu Nasr al-Farabi in the cemetery of Bab al-Sagir in Damascus (Syria), sought to install a memorial plaque – kulpytasa.
Studying the works of the great philosopher, encyclopedist, mathematician and astronomer, Akzhan Mashanov came to the conclusion that in the book “Music of Heaven” by the German astronomer Johann Kepler, many facts and data are given from the work of al-Farabi “Kitab al-Music al-Kabir.
In his historical novel “Al-Farabi” he described his artistic image, in his treatise “Al-Farabi and Abai” he explored the scientific and spiritual connection between the two personalities. For his in-depth research into Al-Farabi’s heritage, Arab scientists gave him the new name Al-Mashani, which he accepted and began to sign his scientific works (“Ay Arys”, “Geomechanics”).
In 1971, the 13th UNESCO Congress on the History of Science was held in Moscow, where the question of holding a scientific conference dedicated to the 1100th anniversary of Al-Farabi was raised. Akzhan Mashanov convinced everyone to come to Almaty. In 1972, when Al-Farabi celebrated its 1100th anniversary, Akzhan Mashanov initiated an international conference in Almaty with the participation of prominent scientists of the world. It was there that he told the whole world that the great scientist-encyclopedist Al-Farabi was born in Desht-i-Kipchak steppe.
In the early 1980s, A. Mashanov met in Almaty with journalist Mustafa Nabil from Kuwait, who represented the world-famous scientific journal “Al-Gharabi”. After many hours of conversation, the foreign correspondent writes an article in the magazine, where he talks about the successes of the Kazakh scientist.
In 1984, there were many publications on the pages of scientific publications, which indicate that “Al-Mashani was right”. Since then, the entire scientific world has recognized that the Kazakh man is the spiritual continuer of the traditions established by the great ancestor. Since then he has signed all scientific works in the name of Al-Mashani. Akzhan al-Mashani has written more than 350 scientific works (all his works are collected in 16 volumes, which are released by his students headed by Professor, President of PF “Akzhan Mashani” Sh. Abdraman).
In 2001, during the celebration of the jubilee of Al-Farabi in Kazakhstan, the academician was posthumously awarded the Al-Farabi Prize and was presented with certificate number 1. He continued all his life to study and cognize, saying: “The measure of humanity is a comprehensive education, so it is necessary to know and study the history of all sciences”. By decision of UNESCO, 2006 was declared the year of Al-Mashani’s centennial.
In the works of Akzhan Al-Mashani, extensive information about Al-Farabi is collected, as well as answers to questions on how to use the moral value, philosophical-aesthetic and potential of Al-Farabi philosophy in the formation of a new integrated worldview and values of Kazakh society.
The treatise “Al-Farabi and Abai” written by him on the eve of the 150th anniversary of Abai is very valuable for us with its deep content, substantiated conclusions tracking the millennial cultural harmony expressed in the scientific and spiritual connection between two great personalities. Akzhan Al-Mashani once again proves that the ideological origins of the great poet lie in the depths of centuries, the world view of Abai was held thanks to the East, led by Al-Farabi.
Representatives of all educational programs of the Bolashaq Academy took part in the discussion of Akzhan Al-Mashani’s book “Al-Farabi and Modern Science”. To get acquainted with this work, please, follow the link: http://elib.kaznu.kz/app/voyager/books/1122/1521017567013.pdf
“Rukhaniyat” Science Center
