BİRİNCİ FEN · İKİNCİ BÂB · DOKUZUNCU FASIL · Altıncı Madde
Sixth Section
The small light source indicates the nature and attributes of the moon, its mass, and the distance of its orbit.
O esteemed one! Know that astronomers (experts in astrology) are unanimously agreed upon the following:
The moon's nature is balanced with coldness and moisture and is considered to be of a feminine nature. It has been named "mid-latitude" (sa‘d-i mutavassıt) by being related to the night. The main attributes of the moon have been found to be weakness, frailty, protection, ignorance, disgrace, haste, thievery, reporting, proofs, mobility, and sound; and it has been observed that in children falling upon the wombs with the fortune of these attributes, those qualities manifest. It has been observed that the moon governs Monday and Thursday night, and the first hours of those days are attributed to it. Regarding the mass of the moon, and concerning the distances of its oblique and common orbits, observers, mathematicians, and geometers are unanimously agreed upon the following:
The outer convex surface of the moon's common orbit sphere has been measured as approximately eighty-seven thousand five hundred twenty-four (87,524) furlongs from the center of the universe. The distance of its inner convex surface from the center of the universe is approximately eighty-two thousand five hundred forty-six (82,546) furlongs. The thickness of the common orbit sphere has been found to be approximately four thousand nine hundred seventy-eight (4,978) furlongs. The distance of its oblique orbit's outer convex surface from the center of the universe is approximately eighty-two thousand five hundred forty-six (82,546) furlongs. And the distance of this orbit’s inner convex surface from that center is approximately forty-three thousand one hundred ninety-eight (43,198) furlongs. If the radius of the Earth is subtracted from these measured distances – which is one thousand two hundred seventy-two (1,272) furlongs – then the true distance between the sky and the earth to the moon's orbit would remain forty-one thousand nine hundred twenty-six (41,926) furlongs. This is approximately thirty-two times the height of the Earth’s radius.
All objects formed, deteriorated, and transformed on Earth are found within this interval. This is the place of elements and compositions (anâsır ve mevâlîd), this is the atmosphere, the celestial void. This is the realm of forms and appearances (sûret ve şehâdet), this narrow world-house.
Regarding the thickness of the moon's oblique orbit, it has been found to be approximately thirty-nine thousand three hundred forty-eight (39,348) furlongs. The body of the lunar sphere is approximately one fortieth of the mass of the Earth. Until now, everything we have explained under various headings regarding the distances and bodies of the stars and orbits; has been determined by observers using the method of fourfold proportion. The truth of this information has been proven with numerous proofs based on the subtleties of the science of calculation, geometric methods, and rational experiments. And those who are skilled in the matter attest to it being as described here.
Within the known information pertaining to general Islamic knowledge that we explained in the First Book, we mentioned the distances of the places and celestial bodies as a five-hundred-year journey. Our intention in saying this is not to state the precise number measured between these celestial bodies. Therefore, what we said there should be understood as measures. Perhaps it was an exaggeration, a metaphor, spoken to express the magnitude of those distances. For Allah’s power is infinite. He alone knows best the quantity and distance of that which exists in His dominion.
[507]. *Kamer*: The name of the moon on its first and second nights is “hilâl,” and from then until the end of the month, it is called "kamar." Ibn Asim Abu Bakr, *Kitabu’l-Envâ wa’l-Ezmine wa Ma’rifat A’yâni’l-Kevakib*, p. 48-49.
[508]. Muhak, Mahak, Mihak: 1-New moon; (new moon). In the conjunction position (ictimâ‘), the portion of the moon facing us is without light. The phase in which the lunar course is completely dark. 2-The last three nights of every Arabic month.
[509]. İstikbâl: Opposition, a position where the Earth, the sun, and any planet are on a straight line. An angle of declination of 180 degrees; the angular distance between two planets is 180 degrees.
[510]. Ictimâ‘ (Mukãrin; vaz-ı ictimâ‘, conjunction): A position of conjunction. The Earth is at one end, with the Earth, sun, and any planet on a straight line. An angle of declination of 0 degrees.
O esteemed one! Know that astronomers have said: One of the seven planets mentioned above is also the moon (Kamer), which is the first of nine orbits relative to the center of the universe.
By Allah’s eternal decree, these two movements occur in such a manner that the moon's node with the western direction and the movement of the center of the epicycle sphere, respectively, move eastward; so that the luminous sun always remains between them as an intermediary. And due to this mediation, it necessarily follows that the center of the moon’s epicycle orbit is located on its own place at the two quarter (terbî‘) times. At the time of opposition (istikbâl) and conjunction (ictimâ‘), the moon always resides on its own node. In this case, the center of the moon's epicycle orbit rises twice above the node and descends twice to its place in each of its average revolutions. Surely all these changes and occurrences are by “the will of Allah, the Mighty and All-Knowing.” (Yasin, 36/38).
It is known that astronomers have said: Among the changing positions of the moon relative to the sun, there is a state called *muhāk* (mahāak-mihāk). That is, it is deprived of light from its surface facing us. It is not as if the earth has entered between the sun and the moon, causing an eclipse; for the earth's entry between the sun and the moon (*haylūlet al-arz*) is an eclipse (*husūf*), not *muhāk*.
The term *kamer* refers to the name given to the moon during its first and second nights, and it remains "kamer" until the end of the lunar month.
It must be known that astronomical scholars have stated: Among the changing positions of the moon relative to the sun, there is a state called *muhāk* (mahāak-mihāk). That is, it is deprived of light from its surface facing us. It is not as if the earth has entered between the sun and the moon, causing an eclipse; for the earth's entry between the sun and the moon (*haylūlet al-arz*) is an eclipse (*husūf*), not *muhāk*.
The term *kamer* refers to the name given to the moon during its first and second nights, and it remains "kamer" until the end of the lunar month.
It must be known that astronomical scholars have stated: Among the changing positions of the moon relative to the sun, there is a state called *muhāk* (mahāak-mihāk). That is, it is deprived of light from its surface facing us. It is not as if the earth has entered between the sun and the moon, causing an eclipse; for the earth's entry between the sun and the moon (*haylūlet al-arz*) is an eclipse (*husūf*), not *muhāk*.
The term *kamer* refers to the name given to the moon during its first and second nights, and it remains "kamer" until the end of the lunar month.