In Surah An-Nahl (16:16), the Quran declares: "And landmarks. And by the stars they are guided."
This mention of stars as navigation guides is remarkable because it precedes by many centuries the great discoveries of astronomical navigation.
Since antiquity, Arab and Polynesian sailors used stars to navigate at sea. The position of the North Star, for example, allows determining latitude. Navigators also used the astrolabe, an instrument invented by Muslim scholars, to measure the height of stars above the horizon and determine their position.
Astronomical navigation reached its peak with the sextant in the 18th century, allowing sailors to determine their exact position at sea by measuring the angle between stars and the horizon. Today, despite GPS, navigation by the stars remains an essential skill for sailors and astronauts.
The fact that the Quran, revealed in the Arabian desert, mentions navigation by the stars as a sign of divine power is particularly significant. Stars serve not only as physical landmarks but also as symbols of spiritual guidance.