How Muslims believed earth was spherical long before anybody mentions it.

[JuliaL]

These are very interesting things you're mentioning. It's a shame but I've never paid attention to ancient Hindu works in astronomy. A casual search on this topic indicates that Hindus knew well about Greek astronomical worls and used them in their own. Speaking of Arabs, your version makes sence since it's known that they had trade connections with India and exchanged knowledge, too. For example Arabic numbers originate from India if I remember correctly.

I just ran across the Indian astronomer connection while looking for a way to counter the really goofy argument of AtlasS2, that Erastothenes didn't recognize a spherical earth and was measuring a circumference of the earth as a circle because nobody reported it as ball shaped (or some such nonsense.) Then trying to grab credit for his favorite desert warlord (but divinely inspired don't forget.)
I really am interested in seeing if he just disappears and I hope he doesn't. I find it horribly fascinating how theist "reasoning" works. They seem to throw up any bizarre argument and the ones that gain traction become dogma. I expect that effect is amplified in areas of the world where, when you say the right thing, 90% of the population is nodding and smiling and when you say the wrong thing 10% of the population is glaring darkly in your direction and fingering the edge of their neck striking knives. I expect that reduces open and honest discourse.