Abu-Rayhan Al-Biruni; (973 – 1048)

        Yesterday, Google celebrated the birthday of the great Muslim scientist of the medieval Islamic era. Abo Rayhan Muhammad Ahmad Al-Bairuni أبو ريحان محمد أحمد البيرونى was born on 5 September 973 in Kath, Khwarazm; known today as the region of Uzbekistan. He was a traveler, philosopher, astronomer, mathematician, chemist, geologist, historian and translator of the Indian culture. He was the first one to say that the earth goes round its axis. He wrote about 146 books. He was given many titles like the “Founder of Indology” and the “First Anthropologist” and “Al-Usadth الأستاذ = The Master”. He died on 13 December, 1048.

       Al-Biruni spent his first years studying Islamic studies, theology, languages and grammar, mathematics and astronomy, medics and other sciences. He was a hard-working student. At the age of twenty-five, he moved and wrote his first important book; “Chronology of Ancient Nations الآثار الباقية عن القرون الخالية” where he discussed historical and scientific chronology. In 1017, he moved to the court of Mahmoud Ghazni and was made the court astrologer. He accompanied Mahmud in his invasions into India. Al-Biruni lived in India for some years where he became acquainted with everything related to India. He then, wrote his famous book “The Book of India’s History كتاب تاريخ الهند“. About 65 percent of Al-Biruni’s books were devoted to Mathematics, Astronomy and related topics.

      In Physics, Al-Biruni contributed to the introduction of the scientific method to mechanics. In Geography, he devised his own method of determining the radius of the earth. He also, succeeded in measuring the specific gravity of a certain number of metals and minerals. He was a pioneer in the study of comparative religion. He studied Zoroastrianism  الزرادشتية, Judaism اليهودية , Hinduism الهندوسية , Christianity المسيحية , Buddhism البوذية , Islam الإسلام , and other religions.He treated them objectively trying to understand them on their own terms.

       Al-Biruni wrote an encyclopedic work on India called “History of India تاريخ الهند“, also known as “Indica,” or simply “India” in which he explored nearly every aspect of Indian life, including religion, history, geography الجغرافيا , geology الجيولوجيا , science العلوم , and mathematics الرياضيات . He explores religion within a rich cultural context.

       Although he preferred Arabic to Persian in scientific writing, his Persian version of the “Al-Tafhim التفهيم” is one of the most important of the early works of science in the Persian language , and is a rich source for Persian prose and lexicography. The book covers the Quadrivium in a detailed and skilled fashion.

• Here is a documentary from Al-Jazeera  about this great scientist;

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhBUqffHOI8&feature=related

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Peace  ســلام /Salam/