Abu Abdallah Mohammad ibn Jabir Al-Battani  Born: about 850 in
Harran (near Urfa), Mesopotamia (now Turkey) Died: 929 in Qasr
al-Jiss, Iraq  Al-Battani is sometimes known by a latinised
version of his name, variants being Albategnius, Albategni or
Albatenius. His full name was Abu Abdallah Mohammad ibn Jabir
ibn Sinan al-Raqqi al-Harrani al-Sabi al-Battani.  Al-Battani
was born in Harran, called Carrhae in earlier times by the
Romans, which lies on the Balikh River, 38 km southeast of Urfa.
His family had been members of the Sabian sect, a religious sect
of star worshippers from Harran. Being worshipers of the stars
meant that the Sabians had a strong motivation for the study of
astronomy and they produced many outstanding astronomers and
mathematicians such as Thabit ibn Qurra. In fact Thabit was also
born in Harran and would have still have been living there at
the time that al-Battani was born. Al-Battani, unlike Thabit,
was not a believer in the Sabian religion, however, for "Abu
Abdallah Mohammad" indica