Astrofiqh Observatories in Malaysia: A Continuation of Islamic Astronomy from West Asia

Abstract

Abstrak
Balai cerap Astrofiqh dalam konteks Malaysia ialah balai cerap astronomi yang diurus tadbir oleh kerajaan dan berfungsi sebagai pusat penyelidikan, pendidikan ilmu falak dan penentuan ibadah umat Islam dan takwim di Malaysia. Kebanyakan elemen dan aplikasi falak dalam ibadah di dalam balai cerap tersebut berasaskan ilmu falak syarie yang dipindahkan daripada Asia Barat oleh para ulama Melayu. Ini menjadikan ia berbeza dengan balai cerap astronomi biasa. Kajian ini bertujuan untuk meninjau kewujudan balai cerap astrofiqh ini di Malaysia di sudut sejarah, perkembangan dan nilai-nilai yang menggambarkan bahawa ia adalah kesinambungan ilmu Falak Syarie daripada Asia Barat . Kajian ini juga melihat sepintas lalu beberapa nama penting dari kalangan alim ulama yang pernah menyumbang dalam kesinambungan ini di samping mengenal pasti beberapa peralatan falak yang terdapat di balai cerap tersebut sebagai bukti. Kajian perpustakaan, pengumpulan data, temu bual dan pemerhatian telah digunakan dalam kajian ini, di mana kitab turath dan moden telah dirujuk untuk mendapatkan bahan. Pemerhatian dan temu bual telah dibuat dengan cara lawatan terus ke balai cerap untuk memastikan kewujudan nilai-nilai yang boleh dianggap sebagai kesinambungan ilmu falak daripada Asia barat di balai cerap tersebut. Kajian ini mendapati bahawa Balai Cerap Astrofiqh di Malaysia adalah legasi ilmu falak dari Asia Barat yang telah dimulakan oleh ulama Melayu. Penglibatan mereka dalam bidang ini telah mengilhamkan kewujudan balai-balai cerap Astrofiqh tersebut sekali gus meninggalkan kesan dan nilai Asia Barat seperti penamaan dan peralatan falak tradisi yang masih dipelajari sehingga ke hari ini.

Kata Kunci: Observatori, Balai Cerap Astrofiqh, Ilmu Falak, Ulama Falak, Asia Barat

Abstract

In the Malaysian context, astrofiqh observatories are observatories administered by the government and function as centres for astronomic research and education and for the determination of Muslim time for worship and Islamic calendar in Malaysia. Many of the astronomic elements and its applications in Islamic worship as found in the observatories are based upon the science of Islamic astronomy which was transferred from West Asia by Malay Islamic scholars. This makes the observatories different from the conventional ones. This study intends to look at the existence of astrofiqh observatories in Malaysia from the perspective of their history, development and qualities which depict them as a continuation of Islamic astronomy from West Asia. This study also takes a cursory glance at some important names among Islamic scholars who contributed to the continuity of Islamic astronomy knowledge, in addition to identifying astronomic instruments available at the observatories as proof of the continuity. Library research, data gathering, interviews and observations were employed in this study, whereby classical (turath) and modern books were referred to obtain research materials. Observations and interviews were carried out through visits to the observatories to discover the existence of evidences which can be considered as a continuity of Islamic astronomy from West Asia. This study found that astrofiqh observatories in Malaysia are a legacy of Islamic astronomy which originated from West Asia and brought home by Malay Muslim astronomers. Their involvement in the study of astronomy inspired the birth of the astrofiqh observatories thereby leaving an impact and West Asian values such as in the names and traditional astronomic tools and instruments which continue to be studied until today.

Keywords: Observatory, Astrofiqh Observatory, Islamic Astronomy, Muslim Astronomer, West Asia