Based on a wide variety of previously unstudied sources, these articles explain how science was applied to three aspects of Islamic ritual in the Middle Ages: the regulation of the lunar calendar; the organisation of the times of the five daily prayers; and the determination of the sacred direction (qibla) towards the Kaaba in Mecca. Simple procedures of folk astronomy were used by the scholars of religious law who determined popular practice; more complicated mathematical methods were provided by the scientists - and this proved a powerful incentive for the development of scientific analysis and research. Some of these procedures were to have far-reaching consequences. For example, the astronomical alignment of the Kaaba - known to various medieval writers, but long forgotten - led to the adoption of similar alignments for the qibla, and the final articles show how these were calculated, whether from astronomical observation or geographical computation, and their impact on the orientation of religious and secular architecture across the Islamic world. Câest Ă partir dâune grande diversitĂ© de sources inexplorĂ©es que ces articles expliquent comment la science avait Ă©tĂ© appliquĂ©e a trois aspects du rituel islamique au Moyen Age: la rĂ©gulation du calendrier lunaire; lâorganisation des heures assignĂ©es aux cinq priĂšres quotidiennes; et lâĂ©tablissement de la direction sacrĂ©e (qibla) vers la Kaaba de la Mecque. Des procĂ©dĂ©s simples dâastronomie populaire Ă©taient utilisĂ©s par les Ă©rudits en droit religieux qui dĂ©cidaient de la pratique populaire; des mĂ©thodes mathĂ©matiques plus complexes Ă©taient offertes par les hommes de science - ce qui, en effet, sâavĂšra ĂÂȘtre une motivation puissante dans le dĂ©veloppement de lâanalyse et de la recherche scientifique. Certains de ces procĂ©dĂ©s eurent des consequences dâune grande portĂ©e par la suite. Lâalignement astronomique de la Kaaba - pour ne reprendre quâun exemple connu
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Based on a wide variety of previously unstudied sources, these articles explain how science was applied to three aspects of Islamic ritual in the Middle Ages: the regulation of the lunar calendar; the organisation of the times of the five daily prayers; and the determination of the sacred direction (qibla) towards the Kaaba in Mecca.
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Contents: Preface: General Survey: Science in the service of religion: the case of Islam; Lunar Crescent Visibility and the Regulation of the Islamic Calendar: Some early Islamic tables for determining lunar crescent visibility; Ibn Yunus on lunar crescent visibility; Lunar crescent visibility predictions in medieval Islamic ephemerides; Astronomical Timekeeping and the Regulation of the Times of Islamic Prayer: Mikat: astronomical timekeeping; Universal solutions in Islamic astronomy; Universal solutions to problems of spherical astronomy from Mamluk Egypt and Syria; Mizwala; The Sacred Direction in Islam: Kibla: sacred direction; Makka: as the centre of the world; Matlaâ: astronomical rising-points; On the orientation of the Kaâba; Astronomical alignments in medieval Islamic religious architecture; The earliest Islamic mathematical methods and tables for finding the direction of Mecca; Addenda; Indexes.
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Produktdetaljer
ISBN
9780860783572
Publisert
1993-11-25
Utgiver
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Vekt
453 gr
HĂžyde
224 mm
Bredde
150 mm
AldersnivÄ
UP, P, 05, 06
SprÄk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Innbundet
Antall sider
352
Forfatter