The Moslems played a very important role in the development of human civilization especially that of western Europe. Unfortunately, historians have either underestimated or ignored this fact altogether due to religious prejudice. Because Islamic education was founded on a very strong scientific and literary spirit, it ushered the Islamic world into what is generally known as the Golden Age that lasted for over five hundred years, marked by outstanding scholarship in almost every branch of knowledge.
Between AD 700 and 1200, a great Moselm civilization led the world in the power, order, and extent of its government, in retirement of manners, in living standards, social welfare, legislation, and scholarship in diverse fields as art, literature, medicine, jurisprudence, theology and philosophy. The emergence of the European civilization during the later years of the Middle Ages is heavily, indebted to the Moslems. This was only made possible because of "their ability to assimilate the best in the intellectual culture of the people with whom they came in contact and to apply this heritage to their own practical needs (Wilds and Lottich, 1966:143 - 144).
The following are some of the notable success of the Moslems:
1. The pioneered in the study and development of science that enabled them come up with many scientific inventions. They transformed ancient alchemy into chemistry and discovered many new chemical substances such as; alcohol, potash, nitrate of silver, nitric acid and sulfuric acid. Chemistry was applied in many fields such as the development of metallurgy and ceramics that enabled them manufacture very beautiful objects out of gold, silver, copper, bronze, iron and steel.
2. They enhanced the study of mathematics by building on the Greek and Hindu foundations. The Roman numbers were replaced by the figures borrowed from Hindus. They were the first to use the zero and the decimal notation and gave the digits the value of position. They developed Algebra which began in India especially in trigonometry by inventing the sine, the tangent, and the cotangent. They applied mathematics to the study of physics and astronomy. For example, they measured the size of the earth, used mathematical calculations to control physical forces such as in hydraulics, invented the pendulum clock. They taught geography using globes and studied astronomy in observatories at a time when Christian scholars and navigators taught that the earth was flat.
3. They developed medical science started by the Greeks by intensifying the study of diseases, diet, drugs and various phases of physiology and hygiene. They made syrups and trained surgeons who ended up using anesthesia and performed complicated operations. They studied anatomy by dissection. It is important to note that while Moslems in Spain were engaged in these healing arts, the diseased and crippled in Christian Europe were seeking miraculous cures.
4. In agriculture, the Arabs practised the scientific breeding of cattle and horses as well as the science of grafting in horticulture that enabled them produce new varieties of fruits and flowers. Their knowledge in chemistry led them into the use of fertilizers and crop rotation.
5. During the 9th and 10th centuries, Muslim scholars compiled, preserved and improved on the works of Greeks and Romans which were later taken to Europe through libraries, research centers, and bureaus in the course of their travels or their flight from the East to Spain through North Africa. The Hellenistic and classical literature that they carried with them led to a new intellectual and cultural life that thrived in Spanish cities of Granada, Seville, Toledo and Cordova.
6. Contributed to the establishment of higher and scientific learning in universities and institutions of scientific research. The first international conference on science was held in Bagdad in the 8th century and by the 10th century, fully fledged universities were established at Cordova and Cairo almost 200 years before the establishment of Christian universities in Europe. The Moslems had no problem employing Jewish and Christian instructors in their universities since they judged teachers by their credentials and not religion.
7. The Moslems spent a lot of resources in the building of libraries. Islamic leaders mostly the caliphs and emirs sent emissaries to different parts of the world to collect manuscripts that were developed into voluminous libraries of books that were carefully copied and bound. The students were in turn allowed to use those libraries for free while others gained free access to the private collections of wealthy men. It is estimated that 70 libraries were established in Spain alone.
8. A combination of art and applied science enabled the Moselms advance in architecture as seen in the construction of beautiful mosques, palaces, tombs and cities in Spain such as Cordova, Seville and Toledo. The streets in these cities were well paved and lighted by public lamps at the time when the rest of European cities were still in mad and darkness.
9. They engaged in the sciences of business and trade and made beginnings in the field economic theory.
10. Boasted of outstanding scholars who made major contributions in different fields of knowledge. For example Ibn-Rushd or Averroes (1126-1198) who taught at Cordova, and became a leading Arabic Aristotelian philosopher. His works were translated and copied by scholars in the medieval Christian universities. Another outstanding scholar was Ibn-Sina or Avicenna (980-1057) of Persia became famous in Europe as a physician and interpreter of Aristotle. He also authored the system of medicine. He influenced a group of learned men the "Brothers of sincerity who published the Encyclopedia that was almost a complete scheme for higher education directed towards a rational Moslem theology.
developed into voluminous libraries of books that were carefully copied and bound. The students were in turn allowed to use those libraries for free while others gained free access to the private collections of wealthy men. It is estimated that 70 libraries were established in Spain alone.
8. A combination of art and applied science enabled the Moselms advance in architecture as seen in the construction of beautiful mosques, palaces, tombs and cities in Spain such as Cordova, Seville and Toledo. The streets in these cities were well paved and lighted by public lamps at the time when the rest of European cities were still in mad and darkness.
9. They engaged in the sciences of business and trade and made beginnings in the field economic theory.
10. Boasted of outstanding scholars who made major contributions in different fields of knowledge. For example Ibn-Rushd or Averroes (1126-1198) who taught at Cordova, and became a leading Arabic Aristotelian philosopher. His works were translated and copied by scholars in the medieval Christian universities. Another outstanding scholar was Ibn-Sina or Avicenna (980-1057) of Persia became famous in Europe as a physician and interpreter of Aristotle. He also authored the system of medicine. He influenced a group of learned men the "Brothers of sincerity" who published the Encyclopedia that was almost a complete scheme for higher education directed towards a rational Moslem theology.
These and many other achievements made the Moslems stand above the rest in the intellectual activity. It should also be noted that these achievements were being recorded at a time when Christian Europe was going through a period of deep slumber - Dark Ages. The Moslems should therefore be accorded the credit for leading Europe out of medieval ism because the peak of their intellectual and scientific accomplishments came at a time when the rest of Europe was experiencing total darkness with regard to human civilization
marto answered the question on March 19, 2019 at 09:03