THE start of a new year is a useful reminder that not everyone is operating on the same system. Some communities, mainly to be found in the wilder parts of Wales, shun the Gregorian calendar that is used almost universally around the world. Being steadfastly anti-Catholic, these Welsh traditionalists still refuse to acknowledge the tinkering of a 16th century Pope and prefer to stick with the system devised by the pagan Julius Caesar.
Calendars have always been contentious. In 1582, when Pope Gregory XIII introduced his refinement to the old ways, the resentment was massive. At least it is proof that the Catholic Church hasn’t always been the sinister anti-scientific force that supporters of Galileo accuse it of being.
There is another religion that is seen, in its Golden Age at least, as being very much more accommodating to scientific inquiry. Islam received this progressive stamp of approval a thousand years ago, along with the hardware to prove it. Scientific paraphernalia of all eras abound and treatises were forever being written or at least translated from the ancient Greeks. Most importantly, a new calendar was developed.
Year 1 (622 AD) marked the time when the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) left Mecca to start a new community in Medina. In the intervening 1435 lunar years - or 1392 solar years in the standard Gregorian calendar - the sighting of the moon has become no less significant. Instruments of astronomy have been a vital part of the science of Islam. In the absence of the graven images that are essential to most other religions, practical objects have often been beautified to an exceptional degree.
In the modern world’s ceaseless quest for new technology, it is easy to overlook the more aesthetic side of progress. Few would doubt the contribution of Muslim scientists. A more original viewpoint is how the new technology of centuries past was created with beauty in mind, how inseparable the two have been and how well Islamic aesthetics work with the practical needs of astronomers and other scientists.
ETHICS IN SCIENCE
Islamic art is inspired by observation of the world around us. Science is committed to doing the same but with a different end in mind and the challenge is harnessing the power of science to serve the needs of mankind rather than the other way round. Ethics in science has become one of the modern world’s most important discussions. Ensuring respect for human values and dignity means that society needs to keep a watchful eye on scientific progress. Every breakthrough in history has usually met with some resistance. Without the patronage of open-minded, forward-thinking rulers, there would have been no innovation.
It must also be said that the societies responsible for many of the greatest discoveries were often diverse. From Spain in the West to India and Southeast Asia in the East, Muslims worked with those of other faiths towards a common goal.
Countless objects from the Islamic world used to be filled with a sense of aesthetics that raises them above their original purpose. Probably the most well-known of these is the astrolabe. Old examples of these celestial instruments continue to turn up at auction. A few weeks ago, one from the Ottoman empire fetched an unprecedented price above RM5 million at Sotheby’s in London. It was by no means the most ornamental piece of astronomical equipment to come to auction but it is very nearly unique. There is only one other such item dedicated to an Ottoman sultan.
The ruler in question is Sultan Bayezid II, initiator of a new era of modestly decorated astrolabes. This reflected a tendency for scientific items to be made by astronomers themselves rather than by professional craftsmen. The only other Imperial Ottoman example was made the previous year in a more Persian tradition and is more ornately decorated. It is preserved not in the Topkapi Saray but in the Museum of Islamic Art in Cairo, an institution that has suffered repeated collateral bombing damage in recent years.
The interest of Bayezid II in astronomy is well-known. The institutions of court astronomers-astrologers and mosque timekeepers were well established in his time. The sultan studied mathematics and astronomy, and numerous astronomers dedicated their work to him. With the sultan’s love of the subject being so practical, it is no wonder that this should be a functional, working astrolabe, conceived with actual use in mind.
With their combination of elegance, simplicity and usefulness, astrolabes embody all the qualities of Islamic art. This was a combination that also proved irresistible to Western scholars and scientists all those centuries ago.
The care and attention and creativity that went into astrolabes applied to other items that don’t have such an obvious scientific purpose. The albarello became a standard utensil for apothecaries throughout Europe, having first been devised in the Islamic world. This ceramic storage jar, with its distinctive, easy-to-handle shape, is an example of straightforward technology that helped to further the cause of medicine. They also feature occasional references to astronomy or more precisely to astrology, which was as much a pseudo science in the old Islamic world as it is in a modern tabloid newspaper.
SCIENTIFIC INSPIRATION
As important as actual objects are the ideas behind them. There are many manuscripts that represent the thinking of great minds, especially astronomers, from the past. Fortunately, a number of them have illustrations to make them look lively as well as being items to contemplate. For the greatest scientific inspiration, however, we must look towards the Quran. This has been the main source of enquiry for countless generations and contains many references to the physical heavens. The word of God points believers towards finding knowledge and solving the mysteries of existence. It remains the supreme form of guidance and, as with so many of the objects on display, it is a book of sublime beauty whose appearance can be admired by viewers of all faiths.
On the cover
A 16th century Ottoman astrolabe sold recently at Sotheby’s in London for more than RM5 million. Picture courtesy of Sotheby’s