Seminar on Islamic Education Paper Islam And Astronomy - By Hengky Kusniar

SEMINAR ON ISLAMIC EDUCATION PAPER

ISLAM AND ASTRONOMY

 

A.    Definition of Astronomy

Humans have long been 'acquainted' with the sky. There is even a relic in the form of an old painting in La Pileta, Spain, which is around 35,000 years old. The painting is interpreted as a picture of the sun. A long journey taken by humans to reach the era of modern astronomy. Now, the aspect of knowledge about the heavens is collected in the branches of astronomical science. Astronomy is understood as a branch of science that is developed based on observation. Sky objects studied in astronomy include the solar system, such as comets, moons, meteors, suns, planets and asteroids, can also be in the scope of galaxies, stars and clusters of stars.

Whereas in the short Encyclopedia of astronomy and related science states that astronomy is knowledge of celestial bodies and the universe, is one of the oldest branches of exkta knowledge. The astronomical unit is the medium distance between the sun and the earth, 150 million kilometers. This unit is used as a unit of length for measurements in the solar system. The year of astronomy is the amount of time that the earth needs around the sun, expressed in days, hours, minutes and seconds. Different from civil time, or kelender, which is expressed by integers. From various meanings, then came the classification of science that took the objects of the sky and stars. Namely astronomy and science of astrology. Astronomy studies celestial objects in general. Whereas astrology is the science of studying celestial bodies with the aim of knowing the influence of celestial objects on human life, or better known as astrology.

B.     The development of astronomy 

Throughout human history, human views of the universe have changed according to the level of knowledge in each era. In the past, humans in general understood the universe to be limited to what they could see, sometimes even added with takhayuk which was fantastic. According to them, Earth is the center of the solar system. Various natural symptoms, such as the occurrence of eclipses, the fall of meteors, the existence of tailed stars, and so on are considered as things that are wrong.

Like Aristotle (384 - 322 BC) which states that the center of the universe is earth. Whereas the earth is calm, not moving and not rotating. All the movements of celestial bodies circle the earth. The trajectory of each celestial body is circular. While the eclipse event is no longer considered as a giant that eats the moon, but as a natural event. In addition, Claudius Ptolemy (140 AD) also expressed similar opinions about the solar system. Namely the earth as the center of the solar system. The second opinion of the scientist came to be known as the geocentric theory. The trajectory of celestial bodies is a circle inside the celestial sphere. While the sky is the place of true stars, so they are on the wall of the celestial ball.

Although in the previous century, which is around the third century BC there was a scientist named Aristarchus. He states that the center of the solar system is not the earth as Aristotle said in the later times, but the sun is the center of the solar system (Heliocentric). However, the social conditions that have not been able to accept that, eventually this opinion faded and eventually was replaced by a geocentric theory that survived almost XVIII century.

After surviving for quite a long time, finally there was an opinion which clearly denied Ptolemy's geocentric theory. He was Nicholas Copernicus (1473-1543) through his book entitled "Revolutionibus Orbium Celestium" stating that the sun is the center of a system of circulation of celestial bodies, known as the heliocentric theory. After Copernicus expressed his opinion, many scientists supported, such as Galileo Galillei (1564 - 1642 AD). he also succeeded in making a teledkop that could clearly see the relif of the surface of the moon, sun stains, saturn with its beautiful ring, and planet Jupiter with 4 satellites. Besides Galileo, there was also Johannes Kepler (1571 - 1630) who also agreed with Copernicus and Galileo. He is also famous for the Kepler I, II, and III Law.

C.     The Development of Astronomy in Islam

The study of astronomy in Islam is commonly known as the term Falak Science. But there was an upheaval in distinguishing between astrology and astronomy. D.G. Fories and A.G. Dickstehour said in his book "History of Science and Technology" that the emergence of new astronomy had eliminated astrology. But astronomy has helped a lot in the advancement of the science of stronomy in the middle ages, helping to open up astronomical observations, improving the tools used by astronomers, from which to depart astronomy gained a position in the history of science.

While Ali Muhammad Ridlo said in his book "Asrul Islam Ad Dzhahabi": Astronomy is not astrology. Falak is science, but astrology is not science. Astronomy discusses the family of the solar system, including the earth we live in today. And also discusses the path of the planets, the distance between each planet, the slope of its journey, and the distance from the sun. All of these are scientific discussions based on observation, observatories and other astronomical tools. This is different from the astrology that connects human beings with the problem of happiness or misfortune. In astrology, people try to know things unseen.

In the book Al Islam Fiatratihi wa Nidlohimi, Anwar Ar rifa'i states that in 155 H / 737 AD the Arabs began to translate a book by Hermes namely "Miftah an Nujum". During the Abbasid period, the 3rd century Hijriyah, astronomy began to make significant progress. The activity of translating works into Arabic began to be active. Among these works is the Book of Siddhantha Barahmagupta from an Indian traveler who was handed over to the Al Manshur government and translated by Muhammad Al Fazari. Siddhantha Aryabhrata was translated by Ya'qub ibn Thariq. While the Almagest of Ptolomeus was translated by Hunain ibn Ishaq. In addition, there are still several works translated, namely The Sphere in Movement by Antolycus, Aratus's Ascentions of The Signs, and Hipparchus's Introduction to Asrronomiy. These works are not merely translated, but are then followed up with ongoing new research so as to produce new theories.From here then came the figure of celibacy among the most influential Muslims, namely Abu Ja'faar bin Musa al-Khawarizmi (780 847 AD), through several inventions, namely the discovery of zeros (0), so that a decimal fraction system was created as the most important key in the development of reckoning, the first compilation of trigonometric tables lists the logarithms that are still developing today, and the discovery of the zodiac slope of 23.5 degrees above the equator. As for the works of al - Khawarizmi, among others, al-Mukhtashar fi Hisab al-Jabr wa al-Muqabalah which greatly influenced the thinking of European scholars, until it was translated into Latin by Chester in 1140 AD, and Surah al-Ardl. 

D.    Islamic figures in the islamic astronomy

At the time of Kholifah Al Makmun produced data based on Shindhind's book called "Tables of Macmun" and by Europeans to know it as "Astronomos". In subsequent developments, many falak figures appeared, including:

1.      Abu Ma’syar Al Falaky (788 - 885 AD), was a astronomer from Khurasan. He found the rising and falling tides of the sea as a result of the moon's position on the earth. His works include al-Madkhal al-Kabir, Ahkam wal-wal-Kawakib Sinni, Itsbat al-Ulum, and Haiat al-Falak. \

2.      Ibn Jabir al-Baattany (858 - 929 AD), known as AlBatenius. His work is to improve the calculations in Ptolemy's book in the title of Tabril al-Magesty, in addition to his own work entitled Tamhid al-Mustafa li Ma'na al-Mamar.

3.      Abul Raihan Al Biruni (973 - 1048 AD), scholar from paris. Received the title Ustad fi al-Ulum (master teacher) because in addition to astrologers, he also mastered various disciplines such as Mathematics, geography, and physics. His work included Al-Atsar Baqiyyat min al-Qurun al-Khaliyat, and his phenomenal book entitled Al-Qonun al-Masudi fi al-Haiat wa al-Nujumi. According to Prof. Ahmad Baiquni, al-Birunilah who first denied Ptolemy's theory, was also seen as a heliocentric theory.

4.      Abu Abbas Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Kathir al-Farghani, leading astronomer at the time of Kholifah Al Makmun. In the West he is better known as Al Farganus. His works include, Jawami 'al-Ilm al-Nujum wa al-Harakat al-Samawiyyat, Usul ilm al-Nujum, Al-Madhkhal ila ilm al-Haiat al-Falak, Futsuluts al-Tsalasain. Everything has been translated into Latin by Hispalamsis from Seville and Gerard from Cremona in 1493.

5.      Maslamah Abul Qosim al-Majriti (950 - 1007 AD), he succeeded in changing the Persian year to the Hijri year by placing the stars according to the beginning of the Hijri year.

6.      Ali bin Yunus (d. 1009 AD), produced a work entitled Zaij al-Kabir al-Hakimi, which contains astronomical data on the sun, moon and comets, and changes in the equenox point.

7.      Abu Ali al-Hasan bin al-Haytam (965 - 1039 AD), his work entitled Kitab al-Manadhir which was later translated into Latin as "Optics" in 1572

8.      Abu Ja'far Muhammad bin Muhammad bin al-hasan Nashiruddin at-Thusi 1201 - 1274 AD), his works include, Al-Mutawaaith bain al-Handasah wa al-Haiah, At-Tadzkir fi ilm al-Haiat, Zubdah al be careful.

9.      Muhammad Thurgay Ulughbeck (1394 - 1449 AD), he managed to build an observatory, and his monumental work was in the form of the Ulugh Beik Schedule (zij Shulthoni). Then Nicholas Copernicus appeared with his Heliocentric 

E.    Astronomy Phenomenon Relate with the Quran

Long before the Big Bang theory existed, the Qur'an had already mentioned the beginning of the creation of the universe. Even though at that time, there was no telescope to observe space. Astronomy has not developed as it is today. In the Qur'an Al-Anbiya 'verse 30, Allah SWT says: "And did the unbelievers not know that the heavens and the earth were both united, then we separated the two. And we make everything that lives comes from water. Then why aren't they also believers? "

The word ratq in the verse is interpreted as a solid used to refer to two different substances that form a unit. The phrase we separate between the two is the translation of the Arabic word fataqa, and means that something came into being through the event of separation or solving the structure of ratq. In that verse, heaven and earth are the subject of the fatq adjective. The two then separate (fataqa) from each other. Everything, including heaven and earth which was not yet created, is also contained in the single point which is still in this ratq state. This single point exploded very fiercely, causing the material it contained for fataqa (separate), and in this series of events, the building and order of the whole universe was formed. Then there is the phrase "And from water we make everything that lives". We know that everything that is animate, including single-celled plants must contain water and also need water. The existence of water is an indication of the existence of life on a planet. Without water, life is impossible.

This is one truth in the verses of the Qur'an. When we compare the explanation of the verse with various scientific discoveries, we will understand that both of them really correspond to each other. Furthermore in the Qur'an Surat az-Zariyat [51]: 47) Allah SWT. "And the heavens We built with (Our) power and indeed We really expanded them." The word sky is used with the meaning of the universe. The Qur'an states that the universe is expanding or expanding. This is what conclusions reached by contemporary science.

 

1.   Orbit

When referring to the Sun and the Moon in the Qur'an, it is emphasized that each moves in a definite orbit."And He has created the night and day, the sun and the moon. Each of them is circulating in the orbit." (Qur'an, 21:33) It is stated in another verse also, that the Sun is not static but moves in a definite orbit: "And the sun runs in its circulation. Thus is the decree of the Mighty, the Knower. 36:38). these facts are communicated in the Qur'an which have been discovered by astronomical observations in our time. According to astronomers' calculations, the Sun travels at enormous speeds of 720,000 kilometers per hour towards the Vega star in a certain orbit called Solar Apex. This means that the sun travels around 17,280,000 kilometers per day. Along with the Sun, and all planets and satellites in the gravitational system of the Sun also travel the same distance. In addition, all stars in the universe are in the same planned movement.

Like many other comets in the universe, Halley's Comet, seen above, also moves in the planned orbit. It has a certain orbit and moves in this orbit in perfect harmony with other celestial bodies. All celestial bodies including planets, satellites from these planets, stars, and even galaxies have their own orbits that have been determined with very complicated calculations. The One who establishes this perfect order and defends it is God, Who created the whole universe. The fact that the entire universe is full of paths and orbits like this, is written in the Qur'an as follows: "By the heavens which have paths (orbit)" (Qur'an, 51: 7)

 

2.   Bumi Berbentuk Bulat

"He created the heavens and the earth with the right (purpose); He closed the night over the day and closed the day over the night ..." (Qur'an, 39: 5) The information mentioned in the verse about day and night that closes with each other contains precise information about the shape of the earth. This statement is only true if the earth is round. This means that in the Qur'an, which was revealed in the 7th century, it has been hinted at the round shape of the planet Earth.

But keep in mind that astronomy at that time understood the earth differently. At that time, the earth was believed to be in the form of a flat field, and all scientific calculations and explanations were based on this belief. On the contrary, the verses of the Qur'an contain information that we have only been able to understand in the past century. Because the Qur'an is the word of God, it is not surprising that the right words are used in the verses when explaining the universe.

3.   Atmosfer

In the Qur'an, Allah directs our attention to the very interesting nature of the heavens: "And we made the heavens a preserved roof, while they turned away from all the signs (of Allah's power) that were in them." (Qur'an, 21:32) The nature of the sky has been proven by 20th century scientific research. The atmosphere surrounding the earth plays a very important role for the life. By destroying a number of meteors, large or small as they approach the earth, the atmosphere prevents them from falling to earth and endangering living things. The atmosphere also filters out rays from space that endanger life. Interestingly, the atmosphere only allows us to be penetrated by harmless and useful rays, such as visible light, peripheral ultraviolet light, and radio waves. All of this radiation is vital for life. Edge ultraviolet light, which only partially penetrates the atmosphere, is very important for plant photosynthesis and for the survival of all living things. Most of the strong ultraviolet rays emitted by the sun are held by the atmospheric ozone layer and only a small and important part of the ultraviolet spectrum reaches the earth.

 

F.      Conclusion

From the explanation that has been conveyed, it can be concluded that astronomy and Islam are closely related. All celestial phenomena have been explained in the Qur'an. In addition, the history of deepening astronomy is experts from the Muslim religion.

G.    Reference

·         Yunli Shi (10 January 2002), "The Korean Adaptation of the Chinese-Islamic Astronomical Tables", Archive for History of Exact Sciences, 57 (1): 25–60 [26],

·         Stirone, Shannon. "How Islamic scholarship birthed modern astronomy". Astronomy.com. Retrieved 24 July 2018.

·         Lebling, Robert W. (September–October 2010). "Arabic in the Sky". aramcoworld.com. Saudi Aramco World. pp. 24–33. Retrieved 11 November 2016.

Share this post