the concept of critical historiography in the islamic world of the ...

320 AHMED ZEKI VELlDI TOGAN
Arabic astronomy see C. Schoy, EI(1) 11,831, under Kawkab. B. Tucker-,
mann, Planetary, Lunar and Solar Positions (Philadelphia, 1964).
(2) According to the modern explanation, astronomical obsema-
tion and research, the sun is about 333,000 times the mass of the earth.
Its diameter is 109 times larger than that of the earth and its volume is more
than one million times that of the earth. See "Earth" in the EB (1973),
VII, 846-853 and 'Sun' in ibid, XXI, 414-418. For "al-Shams", the "sun"
see C. Schoy, EI (1) IV, 308-309. "Planets" in EB, XVII, 1 156-1 159;
P.L. Whipple, Earth, Moon andplanets, (1963) ; "Die mittleren Bewegungen
der planeten in Tafelwerk des Khwarizmi", in Viertel jahresschrift der
Naturforschenden Gesellschaft Zurich (1 96 l), 106, 2 13-23 1.
(AA) Abii Nay Mansiir ibn 'Ali ibn 'Irfiq (d. ca. 42711036); see
Julio Samso' Moya, Estudios Sobre, Abii Nqr Maqiir bin 'Ah bin 'Irrfq,
(1969), pp. XI+ 161 (Review by Farida Abii-Haider in the BSOAS, XXXVI
Pt. I (1972), 145-146); "author of the most complete Arabic version of the
Spherics of Menelaus of Alexandria"; al-Zirekli, QA, VIII, 240 in which,
the date of his death is given as ca. 42511034. 'U.R. Kahhda, MM, XIII,
17, mentions some of his works still in MS. Not in the El (1) and al-Qifti.
He was a teacher of al-Biriini at one time. See Rasrf'il Abi Nqr ilrf' al-
Biriini by Abii Na~r Man~iir 'Ali ibn 'Iraq, containingfifteen tracts based
on the Bankipore Ms (136711948). The first part of the book of Sr.
Samso' "deals with the life of the astronomer, his relationship with al-
Bi~ni, his works and his importance in the history of Islamic trigonometry".
He was "also one of the discoverers of the theorem of the sine, a very
important discovery in the field of Islamic Trigonometry," (Farida Abii-
Haider in op. cit). George Sarton, IHS, I, 668; Zabihollah Safa' 'AbwiiZ
wa Athir Abii Raybrfn Biriini (Tehran, 1973), 119-129. See NDN, I, 83
(under Ibn Miskawaih) which states that he attended the court of Khwirazmshah
with Ibn Sina, al-Biriini, Miskawaih and others. In a short introduction
to the Rmrf'il of Abii Nay to al-Bifini, it has been stated (pp.
8-9) that he was a student of the famous astronomer Abii'l-Wafa' al-Biizjani
and he was a mawl5' (client) of the Caliph al-Qadir Billah. Abii
Na~r has been mentioned by Ni@mi 'Ariidi Samarqandi in his Chahcfr
Maqrfla and by Ibn al-Athir in his al-Kimil. See Julio Samso' Moya,
"Contribution a un analysis de la terminologia matematico-astronomica
de Abii Na~r Mansfir 'Ali bin 'Iraq", Pensamiento (1969), 25, pp. 235-
248 ; al-Biriini, T&did/Determination, Eng. trans. Jamil 'Ali, 1 16- 128
where his book al-Mrfjisti aZ-Shrfhi and his Risrfla to al-Bi~ni (see above)
are referred to.