Scientific Analysis of
“Revealing Victory Over Rejection
of Movement of Earth”
‫وفزنیبمدرردرحتکزنیم‬
‫اکاسیسنئزجتہی‬
Contents
1. Introduction
1.1.
1.2.
Ahmed Raza Barelvi and Rotation of the Earth
Medieval Islamic world’s attitude towards earth and sun
2. Quranic Interpretation about movement of heavenly bodies
2.1.
Sun orbits and rotates as well –NASA
3. Fauz-e-Mubeen dar Rad-e-Harkat-e-Zameen (Revealing
Victory Over Rejection of Movement of Earth)
3.1.
Ahmed Raza’s methodology towards science in his book
4. Scientific Analysis of Statements of Ahmed Raza Khan
(one-by-one)
4.1.
4.2.
4.3.
4.4.
4.5.
4.6.
Rejection of Gravity by Ahmed Raza Barelvi.
Rejection of Acceleration due to gravity and free fall motion
mechanics by Ahmed Raza Barelvi.
Rejection of Atmospheric Pressure and Weight of the Air by Ahmed
Raza Barelvi.
Rejection of variation in weight due to gravitation by Ahmed Raza
Barelvi.
Rejection of pressure of water in depth of ocean by Ahmed Raza
Barelvi.
Rejection of Centripetal and Centrifugal Forces by Ahmed Raza
Barelvi.
Introduction
Throughout the history, ‘The center of the universe’ is immensely discussed
topic with diverse judgments. Along with other subjects, That are ‘Shape of The
Earth’ and ‘Movement of The Earth’. The history constitutes many theories
regarding the center of universe, Some of popular theories are geocentric (Earth
as center of universe/ Earth is stationary) [1] , heliocentric (Sun as center/ sun is
stationary) [2] and acentric theory (undetermined center of the universe/ Earth
and moon both are moving )[3]. Scientists along with religious scholars were
have different opinions and were divided on this matter. But according to
modern scientists and scholars acentric theory is best defined theory as well as
it complies with the teachings of Islam.
Ahmed Raza Barelvi and Rotation of the Earth
All over the history many religious scholars tried to take part in this complex
discussion. One of them is Ahmed Raza Barelvi, He wrote a whole book on this
hot topic and sided with geocentric (Earth as center of universe/ Earth is
stationary) [1] model of the universe [4]. In his book, He rejected rotation and
motion of the earth as well as other proved physical phenomena including
centripetal force, centrifugal force, weight of air, acceleration due to gravity,
newton’s law of gravitation, weight, variation in ‘g’ and many more [4].
Hence, He is one of most followed clerics of subcontinent, Unfortunately people
blindly accept his rulings but not accept the fact which is supported by modern
science and also supported by majority of muslim scientists and scholars.
In this paper we will scientifically analyze his book “Fauz-e-Mubeen” and will
check out the errors, and will give the rectification along with it.
Medieval Islamic world’s attitude towards earth and sun
In the 10th century, Ahmed ibn Mohammad Al-Sijzi concluded that the Earth
rotates around its axis [5]. Islamic astronomers began to criticize the geocentric
model, including Ibn al-Haytham in his book Al-Shukūk 'alā Baṭalamiyūs ,"Doubts
Concerning Ptolemy (geocentric Model )". Who branded stationary earth an
impossibility[6] .
An illustration from al-Biruni's
astronomical works explains the different
phases of the Moon with respect to the
position of the Sun.
Al-Biruni discussed the possibility of the Earth rotated about its own axis and
orbited the Sun, He was aware that if the Earth rotated on its axis, it would
match with his astronomical observations.[7]
In the 12th century, non-heliocentric alternatives to the geocentric system were
developed by some Islamic astronomers, such as Nur ad-Din al-Bitruji, who
considered the geocentric model mathematical, and not physical. His system
spread throughout most of Europe in the 13th century, with debates and
refutations of his ideas continued to the 16th century.[8]
The Maragha school of astronomy in Ilkhanid-era Persia further developed
"non-geocentric" planetary models involving Earth's rotation [9]. Notable
astronomers of this school are Muayyad-din Al-Urdi (d. 1266) Najm al-Din alQazwini al-Katibi (d. 1277), and Nasir al-Din al-Tusi (d. 1274) .
Fakhr al-Din al-Razi (1149–1209) rejects the notion of the Earth's centrality
within the universe. [10]
Ala al-Dīn Ali ibn Muhammed (1403 – 16 December 1474), known as Ali Qushji
developed astronomical physics independent from natural philosophy, and
provided empirical evidence for the Earth's rotation.[11]
Abd Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Husayn Birjandi (died 1528) an astronomer,
mathematician and physicist provided theory about rotation of the earth. [12]
A work of al-Birjandi's, Sharh al-Tadhkirah,
a manuscript copy
Quranic Interpretation about movement of heavenly bodies
“And it is He who created the night
and the day and the sun and the
moon; all [heavenly bodies] in an orbit
are swimming.” [Al-Quran 21-33][13]
The Quran does not explicitly say that the Sun revolves around the earth. It says
that all move within defined orbits including sun. This is also confirmed and
accepted by modern scientists.
Sun orbits and rotates as well -NASA
“The Sun, and everything that orbits it, is located in the Milky Way galaxy. From
there, the Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way Galaxy, bringing the planets,
asteroids, comets and other objects along with it.
The Sun rotates as it orbits the center of the Milky Way. The Sun spins around
once about every 25 days.” – Text from NASA’s Official Website [14].
Fauz-e-Mubeen dar Rad-e-Harkat-e-Zameen (Revealing Victory Over
Rejection of Movement of Earth)
Around 1919 , Ahmed Raza Barelvi In his treatise “Fauz-e-Mubeen” has not only
said that earth is static, but also criticized the ideas of renowned scientists like
Galileo, Kepler, Newton and Albert Einstein, And rejected proved physical
phenomena including gravity,centripetal force, centrifugal force, weight of air,
acceleration due to gravity, newton’s law of gravitation, weight, variation in ‘g’
and many more [4].
Ahmed Raza’s methodology towards science in his book
In his book, He handled scientific topics with very unscientific approach and
rejected many proved physical laws, facts and theories of many renowned
scientists, without giving any proofs nor he done experiments in support to his
rejection. To reject a theory, There is scientific method which has steps to
follow, Which requires other rival theory or supporting experiments [15][16].
But Ahmed Raza Khan just rejected theories on only hypothetical basis.
Scientific Analysis of Statements of Ahmed Raza Khan
(one-by-one)
1) Rejection of Gravity by Ahmed Raza Barelvi.
2) Rejection of Acceleration due to gravity and free fall motion
mechanics by Ahmed Raza Barelvi.
Continued…
Theory of acceleration due to gravity and fall motion mechanics .
Although the force of gravitation varies in accordance with the variations of the
matter of the object (body) but the absolute gravitation for example the effect
of the gravity of the earth is equal on all the objects, may they be smaller or
bigger. If it were to be so, all the bodies, lighter or heavier, which are at equal
distance from the earth, would have come down on the earth within a same
moment and same time having been no inclination of their own. They would
have its effect equal on all of them. It is just as the earth pulled down a matter
(body) of one part with its one part of the power and the matter of ten parts
with ten parts of its power. Necessarily, the conclusion is that there is one part
of the power against one part of body opposite to it. Hence, there would not
have been any difference in the effect in the real sense. But the difference is
there. The heavy body comes down quickly and the lighter one comes late. The
reason of it is that the atmosphere that comes in their way resists them. It is
overcome in no time by the heavy bodies and so it resists them. It is overcome
in no time by the heavy bodies and so it resists it less. It is less affected by the
lighter bodies and so it resists it more and it will come late on the ground. This
can be tested with a vacuum pump (air-pump) by which the air from a pot is
removed and when a rupee coin and a piece of paper equal to the area of the
rupee are left loose in that vessel with the same speed, both of them come
down and settle down on the base of the vessel at one and the same time. This
is the conclusion of what has been written in the last four pages.
Statement of Ahmed Raza Barelvi on this theory :
Firstly, Can you call him wise who says something and does not understand its
meaning? The thing that has got more weight, overcomes the resistance of the
atmosphere at the earliest possible. What is the meaning of the more weight?
Isn’t it that it lowers down (leans) more? But this is due to its own nature and it
is that is named the natural declination (lowering down) of which a while ago
you had opposed to. And if the earth causes it to decline more, it is only the
difference of the effect of the gravity. If it was not more on the body, how could
it bent (declined) more.
Secondly, the effect of the intensity of the weight is not this much only that it
should be inclined to the resistance more intensely and to overcome it but its
main effect to decline more and more. The triumph over the resistance is
achieved due to this tendency of lowering down. If the mountain has remained
hanging in the air and it is not piercing the air an inch even, then this would be
called your foolishness that you accepted the subsidiary (dependent) as the
absolute (original) and you neglected and discarded the absolute totally. To
exercise more and more effect on the resistance was dependent on declining
more and more. But declining more and more is not dependent on being there
anything to be resisted or not. That is only the effect of the excessive weight of
its own (by nature). So, when the air is pulled out of the vessel, only the weight
will remain and there will not be anything to resist it, and thus the rupee coin
will come down earlier and even it is possible That it should come down earlier
than before because now the resistance of the air is not there which was before
it to cause hindrance to it while coming down. The men of judgement and sense
should see how totally this statement is! And they hove put the basis of their
statement on their observation. So this is the state of their observation.
Remember the fallacy of their thinking as it is the clarion call of their more
falsehood to follow which are totally devoid of the truth and the reasoning. And
you would be interested and will enjoy to laugh at their follies. In Chapter II, By
the Grace of Allah, in our view the really of the thing is that every heavy body
has got its own heaviness and natural tendency to lean (declination) to the
lowest depth and it achieves more in its purpose when it (the weight) is more
and that is but natural as much it is lighter, it will lean less, if the atmosphere
(air) were not to come in its way and confront it and if at all it confronted it, it
will pierce through it less, then it is evident that there is a common reason
behind coming down of the heavy bodies speedily and that is the tendency of
theirs to coming down may there be any resistant in their way or not. And it is
their inclination to pierce more intensively through the medium confronting
them because of their own excessive weight. To think contrary, taking it for
granted, even if air is pulled out from the vessel, even then the rupee coin will
come down earlier certainly. May it be that you may not observe the difference
if the distance is only a few lingers.
3) Rejection of Atmospheric Pressure and Weight of the Air by
Ahmed Raza Barelvi.
Theory of Atmospheric Pressure and Weight of Air.
The sphere of the Earth consists to the water, earth and the atmosphere, all
together. All these components are heavy. The air (atmosphere) is upto the 45
miles surrounding the sphere and it is so much heavy that on a space of on inch
square its load (burden) is equal to the weight of 15 pounds. On each and every
man of an average height the weight is about Three hundred ninety two
maunds. The weight of the air from the surf ace of the earth to the 37 miles
height is 144984,000,000,000 maunds. These are the speculations of the
modem astronomy. In our view the components are four. Two of them are Fire
and the air, light and rare, which falls on flight. The other two are water and the
earth, the heavy and tempting to lower down (i.e. to decline). The modem
astronomy has tendered this reason on the heaviness of the air that if you take
a bottle and take out the air from inside it with an air-pump and weigh it, you
will find it to be so light. A six inch mixture bottle, having its air taken out,
weights lighter by two grains that is equal to 1/1/3 rattis. So, it is evident that in
the condition of the moderate temperature the weight of six cubic feet air is
two grains. The condition of the moderate air is for this only that if the air is
more hot it will get lighter and the weight will decrease.
Statement of Ahmed Raza Barelvi on this theory :
These contentions sound doubtful. It is nothing but their nonsense and
misunderstanding. This is not the weight of the air. This is the weight of the
other parts components) like the earthly (dust) parts, the vapour, smoke etc.
which are mixed with the air nearest to the earth. This reasoning of theirs is
nothing but a falsification of their own claim, what is the need of the refutation
of the claim when every person by its own consciousness arid conscience knows
that he doesn’t feel the burden on his head for a Mastic or so even though he
has got the burden of the air on his head equal to 392 maunds. What to talk of a
man whereas the elephant with such a heavy burden on his body does not feel
it at all. Hasn’t he got the life and sense of feeling? They hove given two
answers to this. The first one that the man, too, has air in his body. The air
inside pushes it out and the air outside presses him and thus the equality is
achieved. And the burden is not felt. If there were not the external air, the
internal air would have torn off the body of the man and would have come out.
Thus the external air granted the profit of safely rather than the harm.
4) Rejection of variation in weight due to gravitation by Ahmed
Raza Barelvi.
Theory of variation in weight due to gravitation.
The weight gets its existence due to the gravity and due to its variations it
decreases and increases. If there were not the attraction on a body in
reality or being from all the sides equal, there may not be its effect; will
there be any weight in the body? If we go to the center of the earth then
all the parts of the earth will pull us with equal power and the effect of the
attraction would vanish away and we would be weightless.
Statement of Ahmed Raza Barelvi on this theory :
This idea of weightlessness is totally and wholly the clear falsification of that the
body has no weight on its own and it gets existence due to the gravitation.
5) Rejection of pressure of water in depth of ocean by Ahmed Raza
Barelvi.
Statement of Ahmed Raza Barelvi on Water Pressure in depth.
if it were to dive into the sea and thousands of meters reach the bottom of the
sea even then the pressure will not be felt although the whole water is on the
head; on the sides only a nominal one and nothing on the feet. The reason is not
this but it is that we have pointed at just before that a heavy body is inclined to
push up anything confronting it. And the modern astronomy even admits it.
Hence, the diver has to use his power against the water to go into the depth of
the sea and he rises up to the surface with utmost ease. What is the sense in
this that whosoever raises one, presses him too? The air which is lighter than
the human body would have, had it the heaviness, crushed the man under its
burden of hundreds of maunds weight. You, too, have just admitted that it has
weight near the earth, then it should be fell a little, at least.
6)
7) Rejection of Centripetal and Centrifugal Forces by Ahmed Raza
Barelvi.
Theory of Centripetal and Centrifugal Forces
Whenever a body revolves in a circular shape, There is a repulsion (centrifugal
force) at center. Turn a stone around yourself having tied it to a rope. It will
tend to loose itself and go away. As much you revolve it fast that much more it
will want to loosen itself and will use more force to get loose. If it gets loose, it
will go the straight way and as much forcefully you had revolved it, with that
much force it will fall away at that much more distance. This is the repulsion
(centrifugal force) of the stone against the centre.
Statement of Ahmed Raza Barelvi on this theory :
Here, the repulsion (centrifugal force) is without any proof and the analogy of
the stone is unagreeable. It is only the effect of your force of hand that you see
its power against the opposite. As a matter of fact neither the stone has any
repulsion against a man or the center, nor it has attraction for them. It is not at
all the repulsion of the stone in respect of the types of the coercive motion. For
the purpose of research, we would like to exclude all the forces that, in
proportion to the motion, affect the body as a coercive agent.
References
[1]
[2]
[3]
[4]
[5]
[6]
Lawson, Russell M. (2004). Science in the Ancient World: An Encyclopedia. pp.
29–30.
Dreyer (1953), A History of Astronomy from Thales to Kepler, New York,
pp.135–48.
Poincaré, Henri (1904–1906). "The Principles of Mathematical Physics".
Congress of arts and science. pp. 604–622.
Ahmed Raza, “ Fauz-e-mubeen dar rad-e-harkat-ezameen”, Available online at
URL : http://books.nafseislam.com
Alessandro Bausani (1973). "Cosmology and Religion in Islam". Scientia/Rivista
di Scienza. 108.
Hoskin, Michael (March 13, 1999). The Cambridge Concise History of
Astronomy. Cambridge University Press. p. 60.
[7]
[8]
[9]
[10]
[11]
[12]
[13]
[14]
[15]
[16]
[17]
[18]
[19]
G. Wiet, V. Elisseeff, P. Wolff, J. Naudu (1975). History of Mankind, Vol 3: The
Great medieval Civilisations, p. 649.
Samsó, Julio (1970–80). "Al-Bitruji Al-Ishbili, Abu Ishaq". Dictionary of Scientific
Biography. New York, Charles Scribner's Sons publications.
Al-katibi, “Hikmat al-ain”, p. 78. available online at URL :
https://archive.org/details/Hikmat3ayn
Adi Setia (2004), "Fakhr Al-Din Al-Razi on Physics and the Nature of the Physical
World: A Preliminary Survey", Islam & Science.
Ragep, F. Jamil (2001a), "Tusi and Copernicus: The Earth's Motion
in Context", Science in Context, Cambridge University Press, pp. 145–163.
Kusuba, Takanori (2007). "Birjandī: ʿAbd al‐ʿAlī ibn Muḥammad ibn Ḥusayn
al‐Birjandī". In Thomas Hockey; et al. (eds.). The Biographical Encyclopedia of
Astronomers.
Verse 33, Surah Al-Anbiya, Al-Quran Al Majeed, Available online at URL :
https://quran.com/21/33
Orbit and Rotation, 2019, “Solar system exploration”, available online at :
https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/solar-system/sun/in-depth/
Nicholas Maxwell, Emeritus reader, Department of Science and Technology
Studies University College, London WC1, available online at URL :
https://www.theguardian.com/global/2016/mar/06/letters-the-nature-ofscience
Issac Newton (1726), Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica
[Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy].
Moeen-e-Mubeen Bahr Daur Shas o Sakoon-e-Zameen,
p. 10, available online at
URL
:
http://books.nafseislam.com/details.php?book_id=2446&book=moeen-emubeen-bahr-daur-shas-o-sakoon-e-zameen
Ron kurtus, (Jan 2018), ” Gravitational Force between peoples”,
available
online
at
URL
:
https://www.school-forchampions.com/science/gravitation_force_people.htm#.XtpfZdUzbZ4