Muslim Scholars Knew Earth Was Round

The Early Understanding of Earth’s Sphericity

Long before the first human set foot on the moon and gazed back at our planet, Muslim scholars had already grasped the concept that the Earth is round. While many people today still believe in a flat Earth, several Arab scientists worked to prove otherwise, long before Galileo came to similar conclusions.

The idea of Earth’s shape has been a topic of discussion since ancient times. The ancient Egyptians saw the Earth as a flat piece of land illuminated by the sun, or “god Ra,” who traveled across the sky daily. Similarly, in Greece, Homer and Hesiod described the Earth as a flat circular disc surrounded by an ocean. However, around 330 BC, Greek philosophers began to shift their views and started considering the possibility of a spherical Earth. Aristotle provided evidence that challenged the flat Earth theory, and this belief eventually spread to the Muslim world, where scholars were convinced that the Earth was far from flat.

Pioneers of Geographical Knowledge

Muslim scholars were among the earliest to recognize the Earth’s sphericity. Influenced by Greek philosophers, they conducted various studies to support this idea. One of the most notable figures in this field was the Persian scholar Abi Rayhan Muhammad ibn Ahmad Al Biruni. Living during the early 11th century, he was one of the first to estimate the radius and circumference of the Earth.

According to James S. Aber, Al Biruni “regarded the Earth as a sphere and computed its circumference close to modern values.” Historical records suggest that Al Biruni was in what is now Pakistan when he calculated the Earth’s radius. He estimated the Earth’s radius to be about 6,339 km, which gives the Earth’s circumference as approximately 39,830 km. This was more accurate than Eratosthenes’ calculation of around 39,690 km. His estimation was only a few kilometers off from the current known radius of the Earth, as determined by modern science.

Alternative Theories on Earth’s Shape

Before focusing on the Earth’s radius, some Muslim scholars proposed different ideas about its shape. A book titled “Nature Science and Sustainable Technology Research Progress” (Nova Publishers, 2008) mentions a 9th-century Persian geographer, Ibn Khordadbeh, who argued that the Earth was not flat. In his work “Book of Roads and Kingdoms,” he described the Earth as having an “egg-like shape.” However, this was later mistranslated as “elliptical,” a term that describes a shape that does not exist naturally.

Ibn Khordadbeh’s ideas were influenced by the Quran, but other scholars had their own theories. Ibn Hazm, an Andalusian polymath, stated that “the Sun is always vertical to a particular spot on Earth,” a realization that came 500 years before Galileo. This shows how advanced the understanding of Earth’s geography was among Muslim scholars.

The Persistence of Flat Earth Beliefs

Despite the extensive knowledge and calculations made by Muslim scholars, there are still theories that attempt to challenge the scientific consensus that the Earth is round. Some people continue to believe that our planet is a flat piece of land, with members of “Flat Earth” societies promoting these ideas. These beliefs, though outdated, persist in certain circles, highlighting the importance of continued education and scientific literacy.