Abu Rayhan Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Biruni

Abu Rayhan Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Biruni was a Persian scholar and polymath who lived during the Islamic Golden Age. He was born in Kath, Khwarezm (now in Uzbekistan) in 973 CE, and showed remarkable intelligence and talent from an early age. He mastered various branches of Islamic sciences such as jurisprudence, hadith, theology, ethics and mysticism. He also studied many other fields of knowledge such as mathematics, astronomy, physics, chemistry, geography, history, chronology and linguistics. He was fluent in several languages such as Persian, Arabic, Sanskrit, Hebrew and Syriac. Al-Biruni traveled extensively to different regions and countries, such as Iran, Iraq, India, Afghanistan and Central Asia, to seek knowledge and teach his students. He visited many eminent scholars and rulers of his time, such as Ibn Sina (Avicenna), Abu Nasr Mansur ibn Ali ibn Iraq, Mahmud of Ghazni and Mas'ud I of Ghazni. He also served as a royal astronomer and astrologer for the Ghaznavid kings. He was given the titles of Al-Ustadh (The Master), Al-Muhaqqiq (The Verifier) and Al-Musannif (The Author). Al-Biruni was a prolific writer and authored over 100 books and treatises on various subjects. His most famous works include Al-Athar al-Baqiya 'an al-Qurun al-Khaliya (The Remaining Signs of Past Centuries), a comprehensive book on chronology and history; Kitab al-Tafhim li Awa'il Sina'at al-Tanjim (The Book of Instruction on the Principles of the Art of Astrology), a manual on astronomy and astrology; Kitab fi Tahqiq ma li-l-Hind (The Book on the Verification of What Pertains to India), a detailed account of Indian culture and sciences; Kitab al-Saydanah fi al-Tibb (The Book of Pharmacy in Medicine), a book on pharmacology and medicine; Kitab al-Jamahir fi Ma'rifat al-Jawahir (The Book of Gems in Knowing the Precious Stones), a book on mineralogy and gemology; Kitab al-Qanun al-Mas'udi fi al-Hay'a wa'l-Nujum (The Mas'udic Canon on Astronomy and the Stars), a book on astronomy and mathematics; Kitab Sharh al-Asma' al-Hindiyah li'l-Nujum (The Book of Explanation of the Indian Names for the Stars), a book on Indian astronomy; Kitab al-Shifa' fi Tarikh al-Hijrah (The Book of Healing in the History of Migration), a book on Islamic calendar; Kitab Isti'ab al-Wujuh al-Mumkinah fi San'at al-Asturlabi (The Book of Exhausting All Possible Faces in the Construction of Astrolabe), a book on astrolabe; Kitab fi Fada'il Bayt Allah al-Haram (The Book on the Virtues of the Sacred House of God), a book on the Kaaba and Mecca; and others. His books are considered as classics of Arabic and Persian literature and Islamic thought, and have been translated into many languages. Al-Biruni was a pioneer in many fields of science and art. He was the first to use trigonometric methods to solve geometric problems; he calculated the radius and circumference of the earth with remarkable accuracy; he devised a method to determine the direction of Mecca from any point on the earth; he invented several astronomical instruments and devices; he performed experiments to test his hypotheses and recorded his observations; he classified minerals and gems according to their physical properties; he described various plants and animals and their medicinal uses; he studied the Hindu scriptures and philosophy and compared them with Islam; he collected and analyzed historical data from various sources and cultures; he advocated for rationalism and empirical evidence against dogmatism and blind imitation. Al-Biruni was revered as one of the greatest scholars and scientists of his time and of all time. He was given the titles of Imam al-Hukama (Leader of the Wise), Hakim Bimaristan (Physician of the Hospital) and Ustad Jami' al-Funun (Master of All Sciences). He influenced many later scholars and thinkers in both the Islamic world and Europe. His works were translated into Arabic, Persian, Turkish, Hebrew, Latin and other languages. He died in 1048 CE at the age of 75 in Ghazni (now in Afghanistan). His exact burial place is unknown.²