The earth's sphericity
كروية الأرض عند أهل الهيئة
The astronomers' earth in al-Mas'udi's report: a sphere hung at heaven's centre like a yolk in the egg, a point against the sky's circle, drawing heavy bodies as the magnet draws iron, split by the equator — its circumference 9,000 farsakhs at 25 farsakhs the degree, ninety degrees from equator to each pole 1.
At a glance
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Astronomy and timekeepingGeography and cartography
Overview
Al-Masudi relates from the astronomers that the heaven is like a sphere that turns with its stars. 1
The earth in their view
They say that the earth is a sphere fixed at the centre of the heaven, like a centre point. Its size, compared with the heaven, is like the size of a point in a circle. It lies within the sphere of the heavens like a speck in an egg. They say that it draws the weight in bodies, as a magnet draws iron. 1
The measurements
The earth, in their view, is divided into two halves by the equator. Its circumference at the equator is nine thousand leagues, in three hundred and sixty degrees, each degree being twenty-five leagues. Between the equator and each pole there are ninety degrees. 1
This is a transmission from the astronomers as al-Masudi relates it, and not a judgement on it.
People and things also explored
The seven climates· Al-Biruni, Muhammad ibn Ahmad· al-Khwarizmi· Qibla-finding by stars, winds, mountains and rivers· The moon's night-litany· The planets' reign and the world's cycles· Joining the Red Sea to the Mediterranean· Abu al-Wafa' al-Buzjani, Muhammad ibn Muhammad
Sources
- Muruj al-Dhahab — al-Masʼudi, p. 518-519
Cite this page
islam.museum contributors. “The earth's sphericity”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/concept/kurawiyyat-al-ard/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Accessed 2026-10-17.