Before NASA: The Muslim Pioneers of Astronomy
About this lecture
In this lecture, delivered in the context of the historic Artemis 2 moon mission, the speaker offers a sweeping overview of Muslim contributions to astronomy — from Al-Khawarizmi's *Zij al-Sindhind* and Al-Biruni's calculation of the Earth's radius, to Ibn al-Haytham's challenges to Ptolemy and al-Tusi's landmark observatory at Maragha. The lecture also addresses the longstanding debate among Muslim scholars over whether the Quran teaches that the Earth is stationary, arguing clearly that the Quran is a book of guidance rather than a scientific textbook, and that authentic Islamic scholarship has always allowed science and faith to coexist without conflict.
