Studying the history of Islam, it is difficult not to be surprised at the scientific and intellectual achievements of Muslims in the past. During the Golden Age, Muslims were at the forefront of almost all sciences - from medicine, mathematics to philosophy, art and physics - making new discoveries and developing existing ones. When we talk about the giants of Islamic science, names like Ibn Sina, Ibn al-Haytham, Ibn Khaldun come to mind. and al-Farabi.

One of these great personalities, who are considered to be the greatest scientists of all time, is the Persian Muslim polymath Abu Raikhan al-Biruni. He lived from 973 to 1048 and spent most of his life in Central Asia and the Indian subcontinent. During his illustrious career, al-Biruni became an expert in numerous fields of science, including history, physics, mathematics, astronomy, linguistics, comparative religious studies, and earth sciences. Despite the political problems that existed in the Muslim world during the period of his life, he managed to become one of the greatest scientists in the history of mankind.

early life

Al-Biruni was born in 973. in the province of Khorasan, located in northeastern Persia. Like many other children of that time, he began to study from an early age, studied Arabic and Persian languages, basic Islamic disciplines, and natural Sciences... At an early age, he began to show an interest in mathematics and astronomy, which were helped by the outstanding astronomers of the time.

When he was twenty-something years old, he left his home in search of knowledge. For three years, he traveled all over Persia, studying numerous sciences with scientists. In 998, he finally settled in Djurdjan (modern Gorgan), joining the local ruler Shams al-Maali Qaboos. For the next ten years, he lived in this small northern Iranian city, doing research, writing books and enriching his knowledge base.

During this time, he wrote a monumental work devoted to the analysis historical chronology ancient civilizations, along with the study of the development and fall of empires. This book predetermined his future as a scientist in numerous sciences. This book was more than just a work of history, as it brought together history, science, astronomy, and cultural studies to interpret past events. During his tenure in Jurjan, Al-Biruni became one of the most outstanding minds of his time.

Period of life in Ghazni

Al-Biruni was only able to bring some of his greatest works to life after moving to Ghazni, where he was under the patronage of Sultan Mahmud. At the time, Ghazni was big city located on the territory of modern Afghanistan. Mahmud's empire stretched far beyond the borders of modern Afghanistan, however, it was located within the borders of modern Iraq, Pakistan and India. In this powerful empire, al-Biruni had the necessary resources and capabilities to manifest his potential.

Al-Biruni was greatly benefited by the fact that Sultan Mahmud regularly organized military expeditions to India in order to protect his possessions in this territory. Mahmoud constantly took al-Biruni with him on all his military campaigns, which made it possible for the latter to regularly immerse himself in the linguistic, cultural and religious environment of India.

With the ability to easily adopt new ideas, al-Biruni in a short time managed to learn Sanskrit, which was the language of Hindu worship. This opened the door for him to the Indian literary heritage, which he studied and compared with writings from other parts of the world. He translated books from Sanskrit into Arabic and Persian, as well as translated works from Arabic into Sanskrit. He firmly believed that civilizations should strive to learn, not destroy each other.

Thanks to his ability to read ancient Hindu texts, al-Biruni was able to compile an encyclopedia of ancient Indian history, known as the Kitab Tarikh al-Hind - The Book of Indian History. In fact, much of what is known today about ancient India is taken directly from this work by al-Biruni. “Tarikh al-Hind” not only tells the reader about ancient India, but is also proof that al-Biruni was able to combine so many different sciences in order to have a complete understanding of the background of historical events. The book is the key to Indian philosophy, geography and culture - it was in these areas that al-Biruni plunged into a deeper understanding of Indian history. Thus, "Tarikh al-Hind" can rightfully be considered one of the world's first books on anthropology, devoted to the study of human societies and the peculiarities of their development.

Scientific discoveries

Being a connoisseur of Indian history, al-Biruni also managed to find time for scientific advances... During his travels, he had the opportunity to see various geographical phenomena with his own eyes and create theories about how they are interrelated. Analyzing Various types of soil particles in the Ganges River, from its source to the Bay of Bengal, al-Biruni formulated theories about erosion and the formation of landforms, especially noting the role of water in this process.

In yet another study, he identified fossils of ancient marine animals in the Himalayan mountains that separate India from the rest of the world. It seems unlikely that sea snails and other molluscs would travel thousands of miles inland and up the slopes of these mountains, so al-Biruni concluded that the Himalayan mountains must have once been under the ocean and ended up in the existing place millions later. years. This became direct scientific evidence of the modern understanding of plate tectonics - the movement and displacement of continents in time.

Al-Biruni also became the first explorer in the field of geology, collecting and analyzing hundreds of metals and precious stones. He gave a description of their properties, composition and indicated the places where they can be found. His writings on gemstones have served as the primary source for understanding these minerals for centuries.

Al-Biruni's remarkable career continued in the early 11th century. During this period, he conducted research on the following issues:

How the earth rotates on its axis

How wells and springs bring water to the surface

Combining statics and dynamics in the study of mechanics

Recording the latitude and longitude of thousands of cities, allowing him to determine the direction to Mecca for each city

The optical nature of shadows, especially their use for calculating prayer times

Separating Scientific Astronomy from Astrology Based on Superstition

For 75 years of his life, al-Biruni managed to radically change the understanding of numerous areas of science. By the time of his death in 1048, he was the author of over 100 books, many of which have not survived to this day. His intelligence and deep knowledge of various fields of science, as well as his ability to combine them into one whole for a better understanding of each of them, puts him on a par with the greatest Muslim scholars of all time. His life is proof of the ability of Muslim scholars of the past to expand the boundaries of knowledge and set new boundaries in the sciences. She also serves as a shining example of how the best scientists can transcend political problems, war and general instability, while continuing to bring revolutionary research to life and make remarkable discoveries.

Bibliography:

Ajram K. Miracle of Islamic Science. Cedar Rapids: Knowledge House Publishers, 1992.

Dallal Ahmad. Islam, Science and the Challenges of History. New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 2010.

Khan Muhammad. 100 famous Muslims. Leicestershire, UK: Cube Publishing Limited, 2008.

Morgan M. (2007) Forgotten history... Washington DC: National Geographic Society.

Translated by Azat Khurmatullin specially for

Famous philosopher, encyclopedic scientist, author research works in many disciplines (geography, astronomy, mathematics, mineralogy, philology, etc.) - Abu Reikhan Mohammed ibn Ahmed al-Biruni. Lived in the 10th - 11th century A.D.

Biography and getting started

Born in September or October 973 in the city of Kyat (now it is the city of Beruni in Uzbekistan). He was a student of the astronomer and mathematician Ibn Iraq. He often changed his place of residence: from Kyat he left for Rey, then - to Gurgan, then - to Gurganj and India. The last refuge for al-Biruni was Ghazna.

The first work was an essay in which the scientist collected all the calendar systems available in the world. There he also included a chronological tablet for all eras (from the reign of the biblical patriarchs).

Al-Biruni created a work describing the life, science and culture of the ancient Indians. It sets out the systems of philosophy, religion, the doctrine of the connection between the soul and the body. There is also a legend about the creation of the game of chess and its author.

The thinker was more interested in astronomy. Proof of this - 45 works devoted to this particular science. In general, the number of works by Biruni cannot be enumerated: the list of titles of works was written by his students on 60 pages in small print.

In his work on pharmacognosy, Biruni listed more than 4 and a half thousand plant names from different countries(Persia, Syria, India, the territories of the Turkic peoples, etc.) and separately explained the properties of each of them.

Curious facts

Biruni is primarily a man of science. The legend of his death is irrefutable evidence of this. He was aware that he was dying. Friends crowded in front of his bed. Saying goodbye to everyone, the scientist asked one of them about the "methods of counting unrighteous profits" and explained his interest simply: he did not want to leave the world as an ignoramus.

The treatise "Key to Astronomy" became a huge loss for science: it was either destroyed or hidden. In this work, Biruni laid out the foundations of astronomy and mathematics. Only the introduction remains of the entire book.

In addition to his thirst for research, al-Biruni was also attracted by languages. He knew perfectly well:

1. Arabic (the works were created on it);
2. Persian;
3. Latin;
4. Hindi;
5. Greek;
6. Turkic;
7. Hebrew;
8. Sanskrit;
9. Syriac dialects.

This knowledge became the key to the successful translation of international terms.

It is interesting that in the work on trigonometry, modern scientists have discovered a number of theorems, the authorship of which belongs to Archimedes. In the works of Archimedes himself, they are not.

In his research, Biruni adhered to one principle: the whole theory should be tested by practice and proven by experience.

: 1-202. ... Excerpt from page 7:

ASTROLOGISTS OF THE FAR PAST

Knowledge is the most excellent of possessions. Everyone strives for it, but it itself does not come

The greatest scientific genius of the early Middle Ages, Biruni, was fluent in Arabic, Persian, Greek, Syrian, and also Sanskrit. Historians of science often call the entire first half of the 11th century the "era of Biruni". He can be attributed to one of the world's first encyclopedists, whose scientific feat could be repeated only by very few and much later. But Biruni also studied the science of the stars and was considered a great master of horary astrology. one of the most famous works is a unique treatise "Book of instructions on the basics of the art of astrology."

History knows many geniuses endowed with outstanding abilities in all areas. human activity... Such people make up the golden fund of humanity.

During the transition from the first to the second millennium, the East presented the world with a whole galaxy of thinkers, whose works are still included in the treasury of world culture. Al-Biruni stands out among the names of Ibn Sina, Ibn Rushd and Omar Khayyam. His figure is unique. Often, historians of science call the entire first half of the 11th century “the era of Biruni”. With good reason, it can be considered one of the world's first encyclopedists, whose scientific feat was only repeated by very few, and much later. His creative heritage includes more than 150 works on astronomy, mathematics, geography, mineralogy, chemistry, ethnography, philosophy, history, biology, medicine and astrology.

Biruni (Abu-Raikhan Muhammad ibn Ahmad il Biruni) was born on September 4, 973 in the city of Kit, one of the cities ancient state Khorezm (now the city of Biruni, Republic of Uzbekistan). We know practically nothing about his childhood and adolescence. It is only known that he received an excellent mathematical and philosophical education. Biruni was fluent in Arabic, Persian, Greek, Syriac and Sanskrit.

The main part of his life was spent at the courts of the rulers of various states. Initially, he lived at the courts of the rulers of Kyat and Kurgan, and then in Khorezm at the court of Shah Mamun, where he created and headed one of the first scientific institutions in the world - the Academy of Mamun, which became the largest spider center in Central Asia. O high level This Academy is evidenced by the fact that such world-famous scientists as Abu-Ali-ibn Sina, better known by the nickname Avicenna and the founder of algebra, Muhammad ibn Musa al Khorezmi, worked in it.

In 1017, Khorezm was conquered by Sultan Mahmud Ghaznavid, and at his invitation Biruni lived in Ghazni at his court. As a scientist, he took part in several of Mahmud's campaigns to India, and lived in this country for several years. In 1030, he completed the fundamental work that was the result of his travels in India "Explaining the teachings belonging to the Indians, acceptable by reason or rejected", better known as "India". In it, he gave a detailed scientific description of the life, culture, history and philosophy of the Hindus.

Biruni is the brightest representative of the sign of Virgo, along with the Sun and the Ascendant, there are also Mercury and the Ascending Lunar Node.

In the entire zodiac, Virgo is the only sign where her ruler, Mercury, is both in the abode and in his exaltation. That is, a person in whose horoscope Mercury falls into this sign, as a rule, is distinguished by high intelligence, orderliness in the acquisition of information, excellent logic, as well as the ability to notice little things and classify them.

But here Mercury is highlighted because falls within the same degree as the Ascending Node, i.e. all its qualities are amplified many times over and are directly related to the evolutionary growth of man.

Moreover, the characteristic of this 25 degree of Virgo directly indicates great mental activity, and most importantly - good luck and luck, because this is the royal degree.

In the horoscope of Biruni, the sign of Virgo is also Ascending, which focuses the attention of the individual on the exact sciences. In fact, the beginnings of modern mathematics are inextricably linked with his name. It was he who brought from India the numbers that are now used by the entire civilization, which later received the name "Arab". Possessing deep knowledge in this area, he predetermined its future development, in particular, he expanded the concept of number, created the theory of cubic equations, made a significant contribution to spherical trigonometry and the creation of trigonometric tables. Let us also recall that the founder of algebra, Muhammad ibn Musa al Khwarizmi, was his immediate Disciple!

The Supreme Virgo is an encyclopedist, which undoubtedly was Biruni. However, he is not only an encyclopedist-theoretician, but also both a practitioner and an empiricist. In his writings, he emphasized the need for careful verification of knowledge by experience and observation, opposing experimental knowledge to speculative. He developed astronomical methods of geodetic measurements, improved the basic astronomical instruments. Al-Biruni made his own observations on the wall quadrant with a radius of 7.5 m built by al Nasawi in Rhea, performing them with an accuracy of 2 ". This quadrant for accurate observations of the sun and planets for 400 years was the largest and most accurate in the world. also the angle of inclination of the ecliptic to the equator, calculated the radius of the Earth, described the change in the color of the Moon at lunar eclipses and the solar corona at solar eclipses... Many astronomical measurements carried out by him remained unsurpassed in accuracy for several centuries. He developed an accurate method for determining the radius of the Earth, proceeding from its spherical, rather than flat shape.
Biruni's interest in astronomy is not accidental. The ruler of the first house, Proserpine, is on the cusp of the 11th house in conjunction with Saturn, one of the significators of this house. Biruni made an outstanding contribution to the development of astronomy, and is rightfully considered one of the largest astronomers in the world. More than a third of his vast scientific heritage (62 works!) Is associated with this science. In 1036-1037 he completed work on his main work on astronomy, widely known among astronomers of the world - the Canon of Masud. In it, he subjected to some criticism the geocentric system of Ptolemy, prevailing in science at that time, and for the first time in the Middle East and Central Asia expressed the idea that the earth moves around the sun. The book contains trigonometric methods for measuring geographic longitudes, as well as methods trigonometric methods distance measurements, 600 years ahead of the discoveries of European scientists.
Biruni was also an outstanding astrologer. 23 of his astronomical works are directly related to this science. His ability to foresee events was legendary during his lifetime. According to one of these legends, Sultan Mahmud Ghaznevi once decided to test his astrological art. He invited him to the palace and asked him to predict which of the four doors of the reception room, located on the second floor, he would go out. Biruni wrote the answer and put it under the carpet in front of the Sultan's eyes. After that, the sultan ordered to cut through the fifth door and went out into it. Immediately returning and taking out a sheet from under the carpet, Mahmoud read: “He will not go out through any of these four doors. Another door will be knocked down, and he will come out through it. " Caught up in a rigged trap, the sultan ordered to throw Biruni out of the window. And so they did, but at the level of the first floor, an awning was pulled up, which saved his life. When Biruni was again brought to the sultan, he exclaimed: "But you did not foresee this journey, did you?" “I foresaw” - answered Biruni and asked to bring his own horoscope as proof. The prediction for this day was: “I will be thrown out from high place however, I will reach the ground unharmed and rise well. " The enraged sultan ordered Biruni to be imprisoned in a fortress, in which he served six months and during his time he wrote the essay "Science of the Stars".

It was thanks to his fame as an astrologer, and not only a theoretician, but also as a master of horary astrology, that in 1017 the Afghan sultan Mahmud Ghaznevi, under threat of invasion, demanded the extradition of Biruni from the Shah of Khorezm. The great scientist was forced to move to Ghazni, where he spent 17 years under de facto house arrest.

His natal chart also indicates the possibility of arrest. On the cusp of the XII house is the Cross of Destiny in conjunction with Mars and Venus! Mars, the lesser evil, also has a negative aphetical status.

It should be noted that the horoscope of Biruni is interpreted by us in the Porfiry system, it was in this system that the natural birth charts were interpreted at that time. This has its reasons, since the system of houses, where the sectors between the main corner points are divided equally, indicates the involvement of a person in a certain rigid system of relationships. The society of the Middle Ages was what it was, which sharply distinguishes it from the New European time, where a person (to a certain extent, of course) is his legislator. In the horoscope built according to this system, the cusp of the XII house falls into the destructive 10 degrees of Leo, which again indicates the negative problems associated with this house.

In the XII house, secrets and isolation are in the junction of Almuten VIII (Mars) and IX houses
lunar color change during lunar eclipses and the solar corona during solar eclipses. Many astronomical measurements carried out by him remained unsurpassed in accuracy for several centuries. He developed an accurate method for determining the radius of the Earth, proceeding from its spherical, rather than flat shape.

Biruni's interest in astronomy is not accidental. The ruler of the first house, Proserpine, is on the cusp of the 11th house in conjunction with Saturn, one of the significators of this house. Biruni made an outstanding contribution to the development of astronomy, and is rightfully considered one of the largest astronomers in the world. More than a third of his vast scientific heritage (62 works!) Is associated with this science. In 1036-1037 he completed work on his main work on astronomy, widely known among astronomers of the world - the Canon of Masud. In it, he subjected to some criticism the geocentric system of Ptolemy, prevailing in science at that time, and for the first time in the Middle East and Central Asia expressed the idea that the earth moves around the sun. The book contains trigonometric methods for measuring geographic longitudes, and also outlines the methods of trigonometric methods for measuring distances, 600 years ahead of the discoveries of European scientists.

Biruni was also an outstanding astrologer. 23 of his astronomical works are directly related to this science. His ability to foresee events was legendary during his lifetime. According to one of these legends, Sultan Mahmud Gaz-nevi once decided to test his astrological art. He invited him to the palace and asked him to predict which of the four doors of the reception room, located on the second floor, he would go out. Biruni wrote the answer and put it under the carpet in front of the Sultan's eyes. After that, the sultan ordered to cut through the fifth door and went out into it. Immediately returning and taking out a sheet from under the carpet, Mahmoud read: “He will not go out through any of these four doors. Another door will be knocked down, and wow
(Venus). This is a clear indication that a person will receive secret, esoteric information in distant wanderings, which was completely lost in Biruni. It was he, practically the first, who got access to the sacred knowledge of the ancient Hindus.

The Sun - the ruler of the 12th house - is in the 1st house of the personality, which means that he must manifest all this information layer of intimate knowledge, open for humanity, and this coincides with his evolutionary task, because the Ascending Lunar Node is also there.
At that time, it was almost impossible to get involved in Indian scientific knowledge - knowledge of Vedic mathematics, astrology, Sanskrit itself, the "divine language", according to the teachings of the Vedas, "mlechham", not to Hindus, "to cattle in the form of a man," had not previously been transmitted. Even seven centuries later, British scientists in India faced enormous difficulties in similar studies.

Let's return once more to the astrological works of al-Biruni. One of his most famous works is a unique treatise "Book of instructions on the basics of the art of astrology." Interestingly, this work was practically the only astrological treatise published throughout Soviet history, and in an academic edition (See Biruni, Abu Raikhan. Selected works. Vol. VI. Tashkent: Fan, 1975).
In the introduction to this book, Biruni briefly outlined his path to astrology: “... I started with geometry, then moved on to arithmetic and numbers, then to the structure of the Universe, and then to the judgments of the stars, for only he is worthy of the title of astrologer who fully studied these four sciences ”.

In this treatise by Biruni, a short but encyclopedically complete presentation of the very foundations of astrology, with the necessary sections in the accompanying disciplines necessary in the work of an astrologer. This work has not lost its relevance so far, and can be recommended to anyone who wants to master the basics of classical astrology.

In conclusion, we note that the fate of this outstanding scientist was largely of a mystery nature. He lived at the end of the 10th, beginning of the 11th centuries. According to the Avestan teachings, it was at this time that humanity transitioned to the Virgo microcycle within the 12,000-year cycle taken into account by the Avestan system.

This is the sacred cycle of the Earth, associated with the dominion of a certain sign of the Zodiac over the Earth's pole (not to be confused with the cycle of precession). In turn, it is also divisible by 12, and each millennium passes under a certain zodiac sign. The last 1000 years are the coincidence of the great and small eras of Virgo. It was associated with the era of fragmentation, tk. its ruler Proserpina, the planet of analysis, trifles, fragmentation and transmutation, at this time a technocratic and scientistic civilization was born and developed globally.

Biruni lived at the very beginning of this era, symbolically associated with the 1st degree of Virgo, where he had Pluto. It is indicative that, being an outstanding astrologer, he at the same time acts as a critic of astrological science, and this cautious criticism, subsequently by modern scientists, was brought to the point of absurdity, to a complete denial of astrology.

But recently we have entered a new era, and in this new time the art of astrology should receive its rebirth.

www.zoroastrian.ru/node/1196

The sage al-Biruni owns the words:

“... bodily pleasures to the one who experiences them leave behind suffering and lead to illnesses. And this is in contrast to the pleasure that the soul experiences when it learns something, for such pleasure, having begun, grows all the time, without stopping at any limit. "

Al-Biruni's achievements are enormous, we note the most important:

Made one of the first scientific globes on which settlements, so that it was possible to determine their coordinates;
- designed several instruments to determine geographic latitude, which he described in "Geodesy": the latitude of Bukhara, according to his data, 39 ° 20 ", according to modern - 39 ° 48"; latitude of Chardzhou is 39 ° 12 "and 39 ° 08", respectively;
- Trigonometric method determined the radius of the Earth, having received approximately 6403 km (according to modern data - 6371 km);
- determined the angle of inclination of the ecliptic to the equator, establishing its secular changes. Discrepancies between his data (1020) and modern ones are 45 "";
- estimated the distance to the Moon as 664 Earth radii;
- compiled a catalog of 1029 stars, the positions of which he calculated anew from earlier Arab Zijs;
- considered the Sun and stars as fireballs, the Moon and planets as dark bodies reflecting light; claimed that the stars are hundreds of times larger than the Earth and are similar to the Sun;
- noticed the existence of binary stars;
- created a spherical astrolabe, which made it possible to track the rising and setting of stars, their movement at different latitudes and solve big number tasks.

Al-Biruni learned to determine impregnable distances, and his method is still used today. Let's consider this method.

To determineTo keep the width of the sun ravine, al-Biruni proposes to build two right triangle ABC and ACD with common AC side. The observer at point A with the help of an astrolabe measures the angle BAC and builds the same one - CAM. The point on the segment AM is fixed with a milestone. After that, continuing the direction of the direct aircraft in smilestone, finds point D, which lies at the intersection of BC andAM. Now measures DC, this distance is equal to the desired BC distance.

Al-Biruni managed to measure the radius of the Earth during a trip to India. Angle "loweredand Ihorizon "a he determined with the help of an astrolabe, and the height of the mountain from which he made measurements - with the help of an altimeter he had constructed. Let h = AD - the height of the mountain, AB and AM - tangents to the surface of the Earth, OD - the radius of the Earth, CMB - the visible horizon.

The figure shows that R = (R + h) cosa,

The merit of al-Biruni is the determination of the specific gravity (density) of precious stones and metals. To measure the volume, he constructed a casting vessel. RevThe measurements were highly accurate (compare al-Biruni's data and modern ones in g / cm3):

Gold: 19.05 & 19.32
- silver: 10.43 and 10.50;
- copper: 8.70 and 8.94;
- iron: 7.87 and 7.85;
- tin: 7.32 and 7.31.

Biruni found out that specific weights cold and hot, fresh and salt water are different, and measured them. In Europe, similar measurements were taken during the Renaissance, after Galileo built a hydrostatic balance.

When compared with modern data, Biruni's results turn out to be very accurate. The Russian consul in America N. Khanykov in 1857 found al-Khazini's manuscript entitled "The Book of the Scales of Wisdom." This book contains extracts from Biruni's book "On the relationship between metals and precious stones in volume ”, containing a description of the Biruni device and the results obtained by him. Al-Hazini continued the research begun by Biruni with the help of a specially designed balance, which he called "the balance of wisdom."

Monument to al-Biruni in Tehran by Olga ampel

Monument to al-Biruni adorning the southwestern entrance of Lale Park in Tehran (Iran)

According to the information, the posthumous list of his works, compiled by his students, took 60 finely scribbled pages. Al-Biruni received a broad mathematical and philosophical education. His teacher in the ancient capital of the Khorezmshahs Kyat was the outstanding mathematician and astronomer Ibn Iraq. After the capture of Kyat by the emir of Gurganj in 995 and the transfer of the capital of Khorezm to Gurganj, al-Biruni left for Rei, where he worked for al-Khojandi. Then he worked in Gurgan at the court of Shams al-Ma'ali Qaboos, to whom he dedicated the Chronology around 1000, then returned to Khorezm and worked in Gurganj at the court of the Khorezmshahs Ali and Mamun II. Since 1017, after the conquest of Khorezm by Sultan Mahmud Ghaznevi, he was forced to move to Ghazna, where he worked at the court of Sultan Mahmud and his successors Masud and Maudud. Al-Biruni participated in Mahmud's campaigns to India, where he lived for several years.

He was dying in full consciousness and, having said goodbye to all his friends, asked the latter: "What did you tell me once about the methods of counting unrighteous profits?" "How can you think about it in such a state?" - he exclaimed in amazement. "Oh you! - said Biruni barely audible. “I think that leaving this world knowing the answer to this question is better than leaving it as an ignoramus ...”

Buried in the city of Ganja in the south of Afghanistan

- Central Asian scientist-encyclopedist. Born on the outskirts of the city of Kyat, the capital of the ancient state of Khorezm (now part of Uzbekistan). Living under the dominance of the Muslim religion, which was hostile to science, he boldly opposed the religious worldview. Biruni believed that in nature everything exists and changes according to the laws of nature itself, and not by divine command. To comprehend these laws is possible only with the help. For his advanced views, Biruni was persecuted and three times forced to leave his homeland and live in exile.

Scientific works

Biruni cover various fields of knowledge: astronomy and geography, mathematics and physics, geology and mineralogy, chemistry and botany, history and ethnography, philosophy and philology. The main works (over 40) are devoted to mathematics and astronomy, which had a huge practical significance for the economic life of Khorezm - for irrigated agriculture and trade travel. The most important tasks of astronomy were the improvement of the calendar and methods of orientation to the heavenly bodies. It was necessary to be able to determine the positions of the Sun, Moon, stars in the sky as accurately as possible, and also to measure with the greatest possible accuracy the so-called basic astronomical constants - the inclination of the ecliptic to the equator, the length of the solar and stellar years, etc. And this, in turn, required development mathematics, in particular plane and spherical trigonometry, on the one hand, and the improvement of instruments for accurate observation, on the other.

The results and achievements of Biruni in all these areas remained unsurpassed for several centuries: this is the largest wall quadrant - a goniometric instrument that made it possible to measure the position of the Sun with an accuracy of 2 ′; the most accurate determination of the inclination of the ecliptic to the equator and the secular change in this value; a new method for determining the radius of the Earth - by the degree of lowering the horizon when observing from a mountain. Biruni almost accurately determined the radius of the Earth (more than 6000 km), based on the idea of ​​its spherical shape.

Biruni adopted and developed the progressive ideas of ancient Greek and ancient Indian for some common problems astronomy: he asserted the same fiery nature of the Sun and stars, in contrast to dark bodies - planets; mobility of stars and their huge sizes in comparison with the Earth; the idea of ​​gravitation. Biruni expressed reasonable doubts about the validity of the geocentric system of the world of Ptolemy.
In the very first work "Chronology of ancient peoples" (1000), Biruni collected and described all the calendar systems known in his time that were used by various peoples of the world. His astronomical research can be found in the "Book of Interpretation of the Basic Principles of Astronomy" and in other scientific works.