Simerg’s series on “Books by Ismaili Authors” continues with Mohamed Bhanji’s highly educational and informative “Luminaries of the Islamic Golden Age,” published as an e-book in 2025. We value the insights of Ismaili authors worldwide and invite you to share your work in this ongoing series by submitting responses to our questions — please see the details HERE. For any queries, please email Malik at mmerchant@simerg.com.
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Simerg: What is behind the naming of the title Luminaries of the Islamic Golden Age?
Mohamed Bhanji: The title emphasizes the brilliance of Muslim scholars as luminaries who sharpened the cutting edge of knowledge during the Islamic Golden Age — a period when science, philosophy, and culture flourished, laying the foundations for our modern world.
Simerg: Why would you want me or my family members to read the book and what will we learn?
Bhanji: The e-book reconnects readers with nearly thirty luminaries of the Islamic Golden Age, offering insights into a remarkable intellectual tradition.
Families will discover how these polymaths advanced knowledge — and why their lessons in curiosity, resilience, and ethics remain timeless and profoundly relevant in the age of AI.
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“This e-book is a curated synthesis of a series of posts I originally shared on LinkedIn, thoughtfully expanded with appropriate content from additional sources. My hope is that it offers a window into a rich and too-often-forgotten intellectual tradition — and that it helps lift the veil on what Aga Khan IV called “this amnesia [that] has left a six hundred-year gap in the history of human thought.” — Mohamed Bhanji, author of Luminaries of the Islamic Golden Age.
AN EXCERPT FROM LUMINARIES OF THE ISLAMIC GOLDEN AGE
How did Al-Biruni (773-1050) calculate the Earth’s diameter?
- He climbed a tall mountain (most likely in present-day Pakistan).
- He measured the angle of the dip of the horizon from the peak using an astrolabe.
- Knowing the height of the mountain and the angle, he applied trigonometric formulas to estimate the Earth’s radius.
Story continues below
Al-Biruni’s results:
- He estimated Earth’s radius to be about 6,339.6 km, which is very close to the modern value of about 6,371 km.
- That gives a diameter of approximately 12,679 km, again impressively close to the modern value of 12,742 km.
Significance:
- Al-Biruni’s method did not require knowledge of the Earth’s full circumference or travel between distant locations.
- His use of pure geometry and careful observation was incredibly innovative for the time.
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Simerg: What inspired you to write the book?
Bhanji: Mawlana Shah Karim, His Late Highness Aga Khan IV, insightfully observed:
“The Islamic field of thought and knowledge included and added to much of the information on which all civilizations are founded. And yet this fact is seldom acknowledged today, be it in the West or in the Muslim world, and this amnesia has left a six-hundred-year gap in the history of human thought.”
These words inspired me to embark on a journey into the rich yet often forgotten history of the Muslim intellectual tradition.
Simerg: How can one purchase the book or access it?
Bhanji: Readers can read it for free online as a flipbook at bit.ly/liga-ebook or download it for free as a PDF file HERE.
Date posted: January 6, 2025.
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Mohamed Bhanji is a volunteer educator/tour guide at the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto, with a passion for sharing stories about the artistic, intellectual, and scientific contributions of Muslim civilizations to our shared world heritage. Bhanji leads visitors through the Museum’s architectural design and permanent collection of Islamic Art, emphasizing the significance of Islamic architecture. Previously, Bhanji served as Special Advisor to the Chief Commercial Officer at VIA Rail Canada from February 1984 to September 2021, leading strategic initiatives, including the Traveller Touch-Points Transformation program, and establishing partnerships in the travel sector. Academic credentials include a Master’s degree and a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from Loughborough University, England.
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Links to the Ismaili Authors’ Series (in chronological sequence, oldest article first)
- “Justice Bertha Wilson Pushes the Boundaries of Humanity” by Shamas Nanji (featured on February 10, 2021, series start date)
- “Little One, You Are The Universe” by Zeni Shariff (February 25, 2021)
- “Memoirs of a Muhindi” by Mansoor Ladha (March 6, 2021, and see also 15 and 21 by the same author)
- “To Be One With God: Seven Journeys to the Meaning of Life” by Shafeen Ali (March 25, 2021)
- “Invisible Birthmarks” by Alnasir Rajan (April 13, 2021)
- “IN THE NAME OF JUSTICE – Portrait of a ‘Cowboy’ Judge” by Azmina Suleman (April 28, 2021)
- “RSVP Rice and Stew Very Plenty” by Nazlin Rahemtulla (May 28, 2021)
- “Coughdrops” by Nargis Fazal (June 12, 2021)
- “The Roots and the Trees” by Nizar Sultan (June 25, 2021)
- “Faith and Ethics: The Vision of the Ismaili Imamat” by M. Ali Lakhani (July 4, 2021)
- “Nairobi Days by Shelina_Shariff Zia (July 21, 2021)
- “Shine Brighter” by Shairoz Lakhani (December 8, 2021)
- “This is My Life” by Naznin Rahemtulla Hébert (February 26, 2022)
- “Humanizing Medicine – Making Health Tangible” by Dr. Azim Jiwani (March 9, 2022)
- “A Portrait in Pluralism: Aga Khan’s Shia Ismaili Muslims” by Mansoor Ladha (June 8, 2022, and see also 3 and 21 by the same author)
- “Malaria Memoirs: My Life Journey as a Public Health Doctor in Tanzania” by Dr Zul Premji (June 30, 2022)
- “Monkey Tales and Other Short Stories” by Mahmoud Hirji (September 10, 2022)
- “Bloom! A Story of Diversity and Understanding” by Shamim Murji (October 27, 2022)
- “Cooking with Mom” by Rozina Ramji (November 7, 2022)
- “SPARK: Journey from Success to Significance” by Azim Jamal (July 17, 2023)
- “Off the Cuff” by Mansoor Ladha (August 3, 2023, and see also 3 and 15 by the same author)
- “Mehndi Boy” by Zain Bandali (November 18, 2023)
- “All the Russ Without the Fuss” by Reeshma Haji (March 2, 2024)
- “al-Risalah al-Bahirah (The Epistle on the Radiance)” by Abu Ya’qub al-Sijistani, translated by Boustan Hirji (April 3, 2024)
- “Namirembe Road” by Salim Rahemtulla (August 3, 2024)
- “Swim or Climb: Max’s Swimming Dilemma” by Maya Shariff (October 4, 2024)
- “Aga Khan: Bridge Between East & West” by Mansoor Ladha (November 14, 2024)
- “Passage to East Africa” by Shenaz Shamji (April 3, 2025)
- “No Man’s Land” by Amin Gulgee (April 22, 2025)
- “Recreation Club Institute: History and Illustrated Glimpses of Service Holders” by Chhotubhai Khanderia (August 20, 2025)
- “Luminaries of the Islamic Golden Age” by Mohamed Bhanji (January 6, 2026).
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Before departing this website please take a moment to review Simerg’s Table of Contents for links to hundreds of thought provoking pieces on a vast array of subjects including faith and culture, history and philosophy, and arts and letters to name a few. Also visit Simerg’s sister websites Barakah, dedicated to His Highness the Aga Khan, and Simergphotos. Simerg’s editor Malik Merchant may be reached via email at mmerchant@simerg.com. You can also stay updated by following Malik on Facebook, X, and LinkedIn.
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Mohamed Bhanji’s “Luminaries of the Islamic Golden Age” is a deeply researched and thoughtfully synthesized work that brings into sharp focus the scientific, intellectual, and civilizational achievements of Muslim scholars during one of history’s most transformative eras. Driven by intellectual curiosity and a genuine passion to retrace the roots of scientific inquiry within Islamic civilization, Mohamed compellingly demonstrates how foundational discoveries in mathematics, medicine, astronomy, and philosophy were developed by Muslim scholars and later built upon by scientists in the West.
As Malik rightly underscores through Simerg’s Ismaili Authors Series, this platform celebrates authors whose work contributes meaningfully to knowledge and understanding. In that spirit, Mohamed Bhanji himself stands out as one of the luminaries among Ismaili authors profiled on Simerg. His work not only educates but also restores rightful historical context, reminding readers of a shared intellectual heritage that continues to shape the modern world.