The OG You’ve Never Heard Of
If I told you there was an OG engineer who invented the crankshaft and piston - the very tech that drives modern hydraulics in cars, planes, and basically any machine you can think of - and he lived in the 12th century, you’d probably look at me with one eyebrow raised.
But hold onto that eyebrow…
Because what if I also told you he was a waterbender? A genius who could harness the power of rivers and turn it into water storage systems - the forerunners of modern aqueducts.
Still with me?What if I went further and said he was basically the OG behind AI, designing algorithms that triggered cascades of mechanical events, all powered by water, but dressed up as elephants, dragons, and falcons to tell the time and put on an AI humanoid music show for guests at the palace he served?At this point, I’d be worried your eyebrow might break.
Meet Ai Al-Jazari
The polymath I’m talking about - whose name is longer than a cryptic password (which is probably why you’ve never heard of him) - is none other than:
Abu Izz Ibn Ismail Ibn al-Razzaz al-Jazari
Oh - and by the way? He also invented a safety box with a coded lock so advanced it was practically uncrackable unless you knew the secret combination.
This man was centuries ahead of his time.
The Book of Ingenious Devices
All of Al-Jazari’s mind-blowing inventions were documented in his masterpiece:
Kitab fi Ma'rifat al-Hiyal al-Handasiya (The Book of Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices).
A book that’s part engineering manual, part cosmic wonder.From this treasure trove, we studied and drew inspiration for the Golden Ratio Wudu Tap, especially from two inventions:
1. The Peacock Wudu Machine
Imagine this:
- A guest approaches a golden peacock.
- The bird tips its beak forward.
- Water flows gracefully, providing just the right amount for wudu.
- Hidden siphons and float valves ensure the perfect volume without waste.
It wasn’t just a showpiece. It was engineering as worship - merging beauty, sustainability, and sacred ritual.
2. The Automatic Humanoid Hand-Washer
Another gem from Al-Jazari’s genius:
- A humanoid figure holds a jug.
- Water and air pressure combine in hidden chambers.
- The “person” pours water into your hands at the push of a lever.
- Then, another humanoid figure steps forward, carrying a bar of soap.
- And after that, a third humanoid arrives with a towel to dry your hands.
Modern robotics in action - eight centuries before robots were even a word.
Al-Jazari wasn’t making toys. He was designing ways to serve guests, uphold cleanliness, and make ritual acts more dignified and efficient.
Al-Jazari’s True Intention
Here’s the most mind-blowing part:
At the beginning of his book, Al-Jazari writes that he didn’t create anything new.
He only sought to improve what already existed—to refine, elevate, and make things 1% better.
And that’s the very spirit behind our work at Sabil.
Be 1% better.
A small shift. A hidden improvement. But enough to bring more beauty, sustainability, balance and wisdom into everyday acts like wudu.
What’s Next?
We owe our Golden Ratio Wudu Tap to visionaries like Al-Jazari. He showed us that even the simplest rituals can be elevated through design, intention, and creativity.
Catch you in the next one! We’ll dive even deeper into how his intentions connect to sacred geometry and modern sustainability, and most probably to his being a practising Muslim, taken from the teachings of Islam and the Prophet Muhammad (SAW).
Until then, remember:The water that flows through your tap today was once moved by the same principles Al-Jazari harnessed centuries ago.
Explore the Wudu Tap at The Sabil Shop.
WAWT Wudu powered by air, water & tafakur.
