Muslims Doing Apologia Astronomy

[umsami]

Thought I'd start a thread for any Muslims who may be doing Apologia Astronomy.  We've only just finished chapter one, but it's been going well.  I'm so glad that I bought the activity kit from CBD.  Makes my life so easy.

 

So for Chapter One:

I was surprised at how much about astronomy, creation of the universe, etc. is in the Qur'an.  Qur'an quotes to use in addition to (or in place of) Bible Quotes.

45:3-5

21:33

50:6

31:10

13:2

6:96

We changed the copywork to one of those quotes.

For the bit on the Astrolabe, I found this great video from the British Museum:

 

When talking about Copernicus, Galileo, etc., we talk about how 700-800 years prior, 71 Muslim scientists led by al-Khwarizmi convened by the order of the Caliph Al-Ma'mun and revealed that the Earth is a sphere.

So far, this is it.  Will add more with each chapter Insha'Allah (God willing). 

 

[umsami]

Oh, when talking about sun dials, you can also add the traditional ways to determine prayer regarding shadow lengths and such.  This link includes the four Sunni schools and also iShi'a references as far as I can tell.  (Posting some excerpts from the article below.)

In our house, we talk about how these methods are perhaps less precise than we use today....and pros/cons to that approach.  (I kind of work to dispel the haram police view of God that some Muslims my kids have encountered have...that He's just waiting for you to make a mistake (or be one second late with you prayers, etc.). (Complete opposite IMHO to the one we refer to as The Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate a gazillion times per day.)) 

https://www.al-islam.org/prayer-salat-according-five-islamic-schools-law-allamah-muhammad-jawad-maghniyyah/salat

"There is consensus among the schools, with the exception of the Maliki, that the time for the morning prayer begins at day-break (al fajral-sadiq) and lasts until sunrise

The four Sunni schools observe: The time of the zuhr prayer begins when the sun crosses the meridian and continues till the shadow of an object becomes as long as its height; and when the length of the shadow exceeds the height of the object, the time for the zuhr prayer comes to an end

 

The Shafi’i and the Hanbali schools (in accordance with the view of their respective Imams) state: The time for the maghrib prayer begins when the sun sets and ends when the reddish afterglow on the western horizon vanishes.

 

The Hanafis and the Shafi’is state: The time of ‘asr prayer begins when the length of an object’s shadow exceeds its height and continues upto sunset.

The Malikis say: For the ‘asr prayer there are two times, the first for ordinary circumstances and the second for exigencies. The former begins with an object’s shadow exceeding its height and lasts until the sun turns pale. The latter begins from when the sun turns pale and continues until sunset.

 

The Shafi’i and the Hanbali schools (in accordance with the view of their respective Imams) state: The time for the maghrib prayer begins when the sun sets and ends when the reddish afterglow on the western horizon vanishes."

[rdciftci]

Really happy to come across this thread. I've been looking for a solid science curriculum where I'm not going to have to edit out half the text, and was pleased to find the Apologia series. Just ordered Apologia Astronomy for my 7yo. I will find appropriate ayahs from the Qur'an to paste over the Biblical references for now, but will probably leave them as-is when she gets older. Glad to hear other Muslims are using the curriculum!