AN
INTRODUCTION TO THE SCIENCE OF SACRED ASTRONOMY [ILM AL-FALAK]
Delivered by
Hafiz
Dr Usama Hasan (Lecturer at the Greenwich Royal Observatory)*
Dr
Steven Bell (HM Nautical Almanac Office (HMNAO)*
and others.
Date:
Saturday 8th September 2007
Time:
10am - 5pm
Venue:
The Muslim World League,4th Floor,46 Goodge Street, London W1T 4LX
(on the
corner of Charlotte Street)
1.
Synopsis
2.
About the Teachers
3.
FAQ
4.
Book
5.
About us
1. Synopsis
Each year
the Muslim community is in disarray over the start and end
of Ramadan,
i.e. sighting of the moon (hilal). Blame can be attributed
to
intolerence of valid theological differences and uncompromising
positions
according to sectarian politics from people's countries of
origin.
However, a lot of the time both camps are highly ignorant of
Astronomy in
general. Muslims in the past had been leaders in this
science,
known as Ilm al-Falak, but this is not the case today.
Nowadays, to
find a Muslim astronomer is like trying to find ET in
our galaxy.
As part of
trying to resolve these issues, an honest, cool headed
and holistic
approach is required. Hence this course will cover
the
following areas: Moon Sighting Fundamentals, Astronomy in the
Quran and
Sunnah, Determining Prayer and Qibla Times from the
Movement of
the Sun, Moon and Stars, Navigation according to the
Stars, plus
other related topics.
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2.
About the Teachers
Hafiz Dr.
Usama Hasan(Cambridge, London)*
Hafiz Dr.
Usama b. Suhaib b. 'Abdul Ghaffar Hasan holds an MA in Theoretical
Physics and
a PhD in Artificial Intelligence from the Universities of Cambridge
and London
respectively. He is a Hafiz (preserver) of the Qur'an (its letters,
but not its
limits) and has an ijazah for the Hadith collections of Bukhari and
Muslim
through his father (Shaykh Shuaib Hassan) and grandfather. He has
served as
voluntary imam, khatib and Arabic teacher at various mosques in
London and
Cambridge for the last 18 years. His published translations from
Arabic into
English include Imam al-Ajurri's Character of the People of the Quran,
The Concise
Legacy and Tolerance Within Islam, both by Imam Ibn Taymiyyah, and
The
Prophet's Prayer Described by the late Shaykh al-Albani. After five years
working as a
neural networks / data mining consultant in UK industry (including
the
development of an Automatic Number-Plate Recognition System that is deployed
on some UK
motorways and A-roads), Dr. Usama is currently Senior Lecturer
in Computing
Science at Middlesex University (London), Visiting Associate
Professor at
the National University of Science & Technology (Islamabad,
Pakistan)
and a Lecturer at the Greenwich Royal Observatory as well as Director
of UK
Islamic Astronomy Group.
Dr Steven
Bell (HM Nautical Almanac Office (HMNAO))*
Dr Steven
Bell is a senior member of HMNAO which is responsible for producing the
annual
volumes of The Astronomical Almanac, The Nautical Almanac, Astronomical
Phenomena,
The Star Almanac and The UK Air Almanac in the United Kingdom. Several
of these
publications are produced in collaboration with our colleagues at the US Naval
Observatory.
HMNAO also produces astronomical data suitable for a wide range of users,
including
professional and amateur astronomers, mariners, aviators, surveyors, the armed
forces,
lawyers, religious groups, architects, schools, diary and calendar publishers,
photographers and film crews. Dr Steven Bell is Project leader of the Crescent
Moon
Watch
Project at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory
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3. FAQs
·
When and where is it?
·
Who are the teachers?
·
What will you
cover i.e. course outline?
·
How much is it and how
do I pay?
·
My questions have
not been answered?
·
How do I book?
When and where is it?
Date:
Saturday 8th September 2007
Time:
10am - 5pm
Venue:
The Muslim World League,4th Floor,46 Goodge Street,London W1T 4LX
(on the corner of Charlotte Street)
Who are the teachers?
Hafiz Dr Usama Hasan (Lecturer at the Greenwich Royal Observatory)*
Dr Steven Bell (HM Nautical Almanac Office (HMNAO))*
What will you cover i.e. course outline?
We aim to cover the following areas:
Moon Sighting Fundamentals
Astronomy in the Quran and Sunnah
Determining Prayer and Qibla Times from the Movement of the Sun Moon
and Stars
Determining the Hilal (crescent) of Ramadan
Navigation according to the Stars.
And other related topics
How much is
it and how do I pay?
Cost per person is £10 CASH on the day excluding lunch.
Notes will be provided however students will have to bring their own
stationary.
There will be no discounts irrespective of status [students or
professionals or unemployed].
There will be no refunds irrespective of the situation.
My
questions have not been answered?
Will there be segregation? Yes and brothers and sisters will sit at
each other side of the lecture room.
Can I record the event? No
Will refreshments be provided? Yes, tea, coffee, biscuits but NO
LUNCH. Bring your own or eat at
the plenty of eateries close to the venue.
If you have any more questions please contact:
Tel: 07956 983 609
E-mail:
courses@islamiccircles.org
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4. Book
How do I book?
Before you book, please READ the FAQ and if
you are happy with the conditions outlined
Then to proceed with the booking please provide the following:
DEADLINE FOR BOOKING: WEDNESDAY 5th
SEPTEMBER 2007
Once we have received the information you be sent a confirmation
e-mail and thus you will have successfully enrolled onto the course.
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5.
About us
Islamic Circles are the compliers and editors of
the UK Islamic Events
& Notices mailing list. We are a community-based
initiative that has been
running at the Froud Centre in London since
January 2001. We hold Islamic
lectures and Arabic classes on a weekly basis,
and also organise a wide
range of projects and activities, including short
courses, seminars and
workshops on issues relevant to the Muslim
community, along with charity
fundraisers, social gatherings, and matrimonial
events.
If you have any more questions please contact:
Tel: 07956 983 609
E-mail:
info@islamiccircles.org
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