The Role of Arab Muslim Scholars in Astronomic Geography

Abstract

Muslims were interested in astronomic geography، which became the basis for the Arab geography، a branch of geography based mostly on the mathematical methods in order to connect astronomic geography to prayer، fasting and pilgrimage . Muslim scholars drew this kind of geography from the Indian doctrine of mathematic geography through Persia and from the Greek doctrine through Serians. One of those who has been affected by the book of Betlimous and followed the astronomic approach in their writings of geography Muhammad bin Musa al-Khwarizmi who is unique in some of his researches in which he did not imitate anyone and his amendment of Betlimous' astronomical tables. His book Image of the Earth is the most famous book in astronomic geography and the most influential for the coming geographists.