Abū al-Barakāt al-Baghdādī

Abū al-Barakāt al-Baghdādī (c. 1080–1164/1165) was an Arab physician, scientist, and philosopher born in Iraq. Although born into a Jewish family, he converted to Islam later in life. He is known for his critical examination of accepted scientific and philosophical ideas, particularly in physics and psychology.1

Al-Baghdādī's major work, the Kitāb al-Muʿtabar, explored logic, physics, and metaphysics. He proposed innovative ideas about motion, suggesting that a constant force causes acceleration rather than constant speed, and that motion is relative. These concepts foreshadowed later developments in modern physics, such as Isaac Newton's laws of motion. His philosophical impact on Jewish thought is difficult to ascertain, as his work contained few references to Jewish texts or topics.12