Eighth to the Sixteenth Century - Rashid Islamic Center

Facets of the Islam and Science Relationship • 591375) was essentially identical to that of Copernicus (1473–1543).Since then many other historians of science have conclusively shownthat Copernicus essentially used the work of Muslim astronomers,although the route of this transmission still remains unclear (Kennedy1983). “The question therefore is not whether, but when, where, andin what form he [Copernicus] learned of Maragha theory” (Saliba1994, 255). The work of these historians of science on the Maraghaschool has revolutionized our understanding of the nature of Islamicscientific tradition.In addition to its useful religious functions, astronomy also servedastrologers, who were generally condemned for their claim to havethe knowledge of future events. This claim was in contradiction tothe QurāĀnic teaching that only God has knowledge of the future (Q.27:64). The claims by astrologers, therefore, amounted to claiming ashare in God’s knowledge. In addition to the QurāĀn, many sayingsof the Prophet also condemned regarding the stars and theirmovements as sources of one’s fortunes or misfortunes, and these ledMuslim scholars to develop extensive criticism of astrology. DespiteThe madrassah of Ulugh Beg (d. 1449) in Samarqand, whereastronomers and mathematicians of the fifteenth century madesignificant discoveries.