Spherical Earth
By the 9th century, many Muslims in Al-Andalus believed that the Earth was flat, contrary to the beliefs of Ancient Greek geographers such as Ptolemy and Eratosthenes. But scholars like Ibn Hazm began supporting the Ancient Greek view that the Earth was a sphere, he is known to have started his debate by stating verses from the Quran: "He makes the Night overlap the Day, and the Day overlap the Night" (Zumar;5)- the word "to make overlap" here, in Arabic kawwara ( كَوَّرَ ), is derived from kura( كُرَة ), which means "ball" or "sphere" -. And after detailed studies using celestial globes he concluded proof, and the now astronomer Ibn Hazm stated publicly stated that: "the Sun is always vertical to a particular spot on Earth". Ibn Hazm proof inspired generations later on including the geographer al-Idrisi, who depicted the world as a globe.
Read more about this topic: Ibn Hazm
Famous quotes containing the word earth:
“I must remind you that our credulity is not to be measured by the truth of the things we believe. When men believed that the earth was flat, they were not credulous: they were using their common sense, and, if asked to prove that the earth was flat, would have said simply, “Look at it.” Those who refuse to believe that it is round are exercising a wholesome skepticism.”
—George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950)