Born Tārūdānt, (Morocco), circa 1627

Died Damascus, (Syria), 1683

Rudānī, also known as al‐Maghribī, was a 17th‐century scholar who lived in the Ottoman territories and was known for his work on astronomical instruments. In addition to astronomy, he was a poet and also wrote on mathematics, hadith (traditions of the Prophet), Qurʾān interpretation, and grammar. There is no information about Rudānī's elementary education or about his family background. He received his education in the madrasas (schools) of Morocco and Algeria. Then he traveled to the east, visiting Egypt, Damascus, and Istanbul and receiving education from eminent scholars along the way. Eventually, Rudānī moved to the Ḥijāz in Arabia, where he became one of the most respected scholars in the area, and was appointed governor. But due to a conflict, he was exiled to Damascus.

In the field of astronomy, Rudānī wrote works on instruments, timekeeping, and the qibla (direction to Mecca). He sought practical solutions and ways to simplify the calculations. With these purposes in mind, Rudānī invented a sphere, called al‐jayb al‐jāmiʿa, which was a spherical device in which another sphere (painted blue) with a different axis was attached to it. This second sphere was divided into two parts in which the zodiacal signs with their sections and regions were drawn. The purpose of this device was to facilitate timekeeping with the use of this one instrument. The device, easily constructed, was a universal instrument (i. e., it could be used for different longitudes and latitudes). Unfortunately, there is no existing sample of this device, but Rudānī wrote a book describing it, in Arabic, entitled al‐Nāfiʿa fīʿamal al‐jāmiʿa. It was written in Medina in 1662 and contains 45 parts and a conclusion. Rudānī's best‐known work in the field of astronomy is Bahja al‐ṭullāb fī al‐ʿamal bi‐ʾl‐asṭurlāb, a book written in Arabic on how to make and use an astrolabe. There are 13 extant copies of this particular work. Interestingly, Rudānī also wrote three other works on the same subject. Other astronomical works by Rudānī include one on prayer times and another on the calendar in rhyme.