The life and works of one of the most influential astronomers of the Muslim world will be appraised at the next public lecture to be staged by Mohamed Bin Hamad Al Thani Centre for Muslim Contribution to Civilisation (CMCC) at Hamad Bin Khalifa University’s (HBKU) College of Islamic Studies (CIS), titled ‘Ibrahim Al-Zarqali’s Contribution to Astronomy’.
The public lecture will take place from 12.30pm to 2.30pm on October 22 at the Auditorium, Minaretein (College of Islamic Studies) Building, Education City. The colloquium will be held in Arabic and English.
Delivered by professors Emilia Calvo Labarta and Rosa Comes from the Faculty of Philology at the University of Barcelona, the lecture will consider Arzachel’s – as al-Zarqali was known to the Latin world – invention of the water clock, as well as his perfection of the astrolabe and correction of Ptolemy and Al-Khwarizmi’s geographical data.
The event will also look at how Copernicus’s heliocentricism employed al-Zarqali’s model of the sun’s motion. Proceedings will conclude with a brief question-and-answer session.
Dr Aisha al-Mannai, director of the CMCC at CIS, said: “We’re looking forward to holding another public event that resonates with our commitment to creating awareness among the public and academia about Muslim scholars and scientists who made groundbreaking discoveries in various fields and contributed significantly to the forward march of human civilisation.
“The fact that one of the moon’s craters carries the name Abu Ishaq al-Zarqali should tell you that his contribution to astronomy has echoed through the ages. It’s by no means an exaggeration to say that this important Muslim astronomer has left an indelible mark on modern science. There’s no time like the present to celebrate his remarkable life and achievements.”
CMCC abides by the mandate to increase language accessibility of major works in the Muslim world, a press statement from HBKU notes.
CIS, as its hosting institution, regularly organises public lectures and conferences to promote a deeper understanding of the various aspects of Islam among the wider community.
For more information, one can visit hbku.edu.qa