The Medieval Muslim scholar Al-Jahiz was born in Basra (modern-day Iraq). He was one of the most prolific writers of the Abbasid caliphate.

He wrote over 200 books on many subjects such as literature, biology, zoology, history, rhetoric, psychology, theology, and polemics.

In his Book of the Animals, written between 847 and 867 CE, Al-Jahiz produced the first extensive study of animals published in the Islamic world. He proposed a theory similar to evolution by natural selection, which remained unequaled for 1000 years.

The Book of the Animals was perhaps inspired by Aristotle, who, like Al-Jahiz, believed in spontaneous generation. It consisted of seven volumes and was left unfinished at his death. He envisioned an interconnected natural world of animals. He introduced the idea of an ecosystem and the concepts of survival of the fittest and adaptation. Contrary to Darwin, who saw nature as a ruthless force, Al-Jahiz imagined a perfect and divinely balanced universe.

Some suggest that Darwin stole Al-Jahiz’s work. This is impossible given that no known English translations of Al-Jahiz’s work existed in the 19th century. In fact, there is no complete translation of Al-Jahiz’s work to this day.