The Arabic term for alchemy is al-kīmiyāʾ. The word kīmiyāʾ is alternately derived from the Greek chumeia (or chēmeia), denoting the "art of transmutation," or from kim-iya, a South Chinese term meaning "gold-making juice." Greek and later Hellenistic writings are generally regarded as the initial impetus behind Muslim learning, thus the wide acceptance of the Greek origin of the word.

In the Islamic context, al-kīmiyāʾ refers to the "art" of transmuting substances, both material and spiritual, to their highest form of perfection. The word kīmiyāʾ also refers to the agent or catalyst that effects the transmutation and hence is used as a synonym for al-iksīr ("elixir") and ḥajar al-falāsifah ("philosopher's stone"). The search for the ideal elixir has been an ancient quest in many cultures of the world; it was supposed to transform metals to their most perfect form...