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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal – Vol.7, No.8

Publication Date: August 25, 2020

DOI:10.14738/assrj.78.8939.

Monjur-Ul-Haider, M. & Rahman, M. M. (2020). The Impact of Al-Biruni’s Astronomical Works on Modern Astronomy. Advances in

Social Sciences Research Journal, 7(8) 577-585.

The Impact of Al-Biruni’s Astronomical Works on Modern

Astronomy

Mohammad Monjur-Ul-Haider

Assistant Professor, Department of Anthropology

Shahjalal University of Science & Technology, Sylhet.

Md. Mokhlesur Rahman

Associate Professor, Department of Anthropology,

Shahjalal University of Science & Technology, Sylhet.

ABSTRACT

Al-Biruni's foremosteffort on astronomy is mainly a blend of

observational diagram and mathematical context. In his astronomical

work, the Qanun-i Masoodi (al-Qanun al-Masudi, fi al-Hai'a wa al- Nujum), he uses his observational facts to challenge Ptolemy's steady

solar 'apogee'.. Al-Biruni's eclipse facts was used by Dunthorne to

supportcontrol the 'acceleration of the moon' and his observational

facts has entered the more astronomical accounts and is still used today.

The present paper aims to explore the major contributions of Al-Biruni

to geophysics and astronomy as well as to identify the impacts of his

works on the modern astronomy. Major findings indicate that Al- Biruni's key concern in astronomy was for calculations. He paid

devotion to theoretical problems that had and have still been

contributing to the development and critical analysis of both applied (in

the procedure of solving problems), and theoretical (in the process of

thought formulations) astronomy. This paper concludes that Al-Biruni's

contributions must be seen in the comprehensiveness of his work, and

in his continual attempts to formulate astronomical thoughts.

Keywords: Al-Biruni, Astronomy, planetary motions, rotation of the earth,

solar and lunar system, trigonometry.

INTRODUCTION

The Muslim astronomers honestly approved their obligation to Greek writers. Indeed, they were

the leading astronomers of the world. The first major Muslim work of astronomy was Zij al-Sindh

by al-Khwarizmi in 830 (Dallal 1999). The work covers tables for the motions of the sun, the moon

and the five planets known at the time. The work is noteworthy as it introduced Ptolemaic concepts

into Islamic sciences. In 850, Al-Farghani wrote Kitab fi Jawani (meaning "A compendium of the

science of the stars"). The book primarily gave a summary of Ptolemic cosmography (Dallal 2010).

They accepted the fundamental features of the Ptolemaic system of the universe with some

modifications made by Persian scholar Al-Beruni (September 973 - December 1048).