Al-Khazin was one of the scientists brought to the court in Ray, Iran by the ruler of the Buyid dynasty, Adhad ad-Dowleh, who ruled from 949 to 983. In 959/960, Khazin was required by the vizier of Ray, who was appointed by ad-Dowleh, to measure the obliquity of the ecliptic.
One of Al-Khazin's works Zij al-Safa'ih ("Tables of the Disks of the Astrolabe") was described by his successors as the best work in the field and they make many references to it.[2] The work describes some astronomical instruments, in particular an astrolabe fitted with plates inscribed with tables, and a commentary on the use of these. A copy of this instrument was made, but it vanished in Germany during World War II. A photograph of this copy was taken and examined by the historian David King in 1980.[3]
Al-Khazin also wrote a commentary on the Roman polymathPtolemy's Almagest in which he gives 19 propositions relating to statements by Ptolemy, and proposed a different model of the cosmos.[4]
Rashed, Roshdi (1996). Les Mathématiques Infinitésimales du IXe au XIe Siècle 1: Fondateurs et commentateurs: Banū Mūsā, Ibn Qurra, Ibn Sīnān, al-Khāzin, al-Qūhī, Ibn al-Samḥ, Ibn Hūd. London: Islamic Heritage Foundation. pp. 737–778, 779–833 (Texte et Traduction: Abū Ja‘far al-Khāzin, Transcrit du commentaire du premier livre de l’Almageste Min al-sharḥ li-al-maqāla al-ülā min al-Majisṭī). ISBN1-873992-18-1.
