Who is Al-Biruni?

A Lifetime in Pursuit of Science

Where and How Did He Grow Up?

Al-Bīrūnī was born in 973 in the city of Kāth, in what is now Uzbekistan. His full name was Abū Rayḥān Muḥammad ibn Aḥmad al-Bīrūnī. He lost his father at an early age and had little knowledge of his lineage or family, but he was intensely curious. As a result, he became friends with books from childhood. He was neither wealthy nor noble, but his curiosity and diligence led him to wisdom.

What Fields Did He Work In?

Al-Bīrūnī was a true “science explorer”! He produced works in numerous fields including astronomy, mathematics, geography, history, medicine, geology, linguistics, and pharmacology. It is known that during his lifetime he conducted research in more than seventy scientific disciplines. He did not content himself with reading alone; he made observations, designed experiments, and recorded his findings meticulously. Thanks to his observations:

• The idea that the Earth might be rotating was developed.
• The circumference of the Earth was calculated with remarkable accuracy.
• It was understood that the Moon’s light is reflected from the Sun.
• The direction of the qibla was calculated correctly.

Journey to India

Al-Bīrūnī lived for many years in Ghazna, where he had the opportunity to learn about Indian culture. He met Indian scholars, learned Sanskrit, and carefully studied their traditions. Based on this knowledge, he wrote the work titled Tahkīku mâ li’l-Hind. This book became one of the first scientific research texts written about India.

🔭 The Power of Observation

He began studying the sky at the age of just seventeen. He climbed mountains, set up large circles of measurement, and observed the movements of stars, the Moon, and the Sun. When his eyes grew tired from looking directly at the Sun, he continued his observations by studying its reflection on water. For him, science was patience and determination.

(Generated by artificial intelligence)

How Many Books Did He Write?

Throughout his life, Al-Bīrūnī authored more than 150 works. Some of these include:

• el-Âs̱ârü’l-bâḳıye: On calendars and time calculations.
• el-Ḳānûnü’l-Mesʿûdî: An encyclopedia of astronomy.
• Kitâbü’s-Saydele: On plants, medicines, and pharmacology.
• el-Cemâhir: On precious stones and minerals.

References:

• Bīrūnī, Abū Rayḥān. el-Âs̱ârü’l-bâḳıye ʿani’l-ḳurûni’l-ḫâliye. Ed. C. E. Sachau. Leipzig, 1923.
• Bīrūnī, Abū Rayḥān. Tahkīku mâ li’l-Hind min maḳūletin maḳbûletin fi’l-ʿaḳl ev merẕûle. Ed. C. E. Sachau. Hyderabad, 1958.
• Sayılı, Aydın. Beyrunî’ye Armağan. Ankara: Türk Tarih Kurumu Yayınları, 1974.
• Nasr, Seyyed Hossein. Science and Civilization in Islam. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1987.
• Kennedy, E. S. “Al-Bīrūnī (or Berūnī).” Dictionary of Scientific Biography, Vol. II, 147–158. 1970.