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 Few centuries before Jesus the outstanding Greek civilizationcame to
exist, bringing into the world such knowledgeable minds as Aristotle, Euclid,
Socrates, Galen and Ptolemy. Their contributions to philosophy, mathematics,
geography, astronomy and medicine became the corner stone of modern science.
Then the Romans ceased control and subsequently
Christianity arisen bringing together the calendar, as we know it – BC and AD.
The Romans gave in to the invasion of barbarian tribes (Anglo-Saxons, Franks,
Vandals), the forefathers of today's Europe. Devastated, the empire fell.
Following its collapse, approximately from the late 5th century, began the
period of the so called dark ages. It lasted until late 15th century when Columbus discovered America marking the rise of the Renaissance, otherwise known as the
Revival.
Much has been written about the period of Antiquity,
praising the Greco-Roman scientific and cultural achievements. The libraries
are full of writings on the Renaissance, praising the brilliancy of that age.
But there is almost nothing on the ten centuries in between. The European
history bears records of mainly the ruling dynasties, religion, the feudal
system, giving little attention to the development of science in that time. The
image that Europe went from the splendor of Greece straight into darkness and
then suddenly back into brightness has been dominating the scholastic thought
for years. Devoid of any logic, this statement provokes reasonable doubts about
the missing link of ten centuries long.
To explain this mysticism, one might want to take a
closer look at the history of other parts of the world and especially the
civilizations that existed in close geographic proximity to the European
continent. It's absolutely astonishing that the period of the dark ages in
north Europe coincides, and exactly, with the apogee of the Muslim civilizationin
the East and south Europe. Islamic civilizationeffectively came into being in
622 A.D. when Prophet Mohammed and his companions fled from hostile Mecca to Medina (Yathrib) where they found refuge and established the first Islamic state.
By the year 750 A.D. Islam spread and covered lands and
countries from Spain to the boarders of China. Along with Islam came new a new
spirit of learning resulting scientific discoveries, and technology inventions.
The importance of learning had been recognized by the Muslims as means of sharing
creativity between nations thus contributing to their effective communication.
The Prophet Mohammed urged his followers to seek knowledge recognizing the
genuine achievements of the Chinese, Indians, Africans..etc.. Great thinkers as
Al-Biruni, Al-Khwarizmi, Al-Idrissi, Al-Khindi, Ibn Sina, Al-Razi, Ibn Khaldun,
Al-Khazin, Ibn al-Haytham, Al-Farabi, Al-Ghazali, al-Jazari and hundreds more,
came various backgrounds.
Non-Muslim like Ishaq Ibn Hunayn and Hunayn Ibn Ishaq –
Nestorian Christian scientists of the Abbasid court, or the astronomer Thabit
Ibn Qurrah – a Sabean, or Hasadai Ibn Shaprut and Ibn Maimon –Jews from Muslim
Spain and many more thrived and had respectable and influential positions in
the Muslim societies. The Muslim civilization become the first and by far the
most multiethnic example of humanity. With equal dedication, Arabs, Turks,
Persians, Berbers and Kurds were seeking solutions to numerous societal
problems in science, medicine, engineering, agriculture, .etc.. Their efforts
resulted in spectacular architecture, creative art, libraries, hospitals,
universities, geographic discoveries such as mapping of the world,
observatories and basics of astronomy and much more – all were as George Sarton
said:
"The miracle of Arabic science, using the word
miracle as a symbol of our inability to explain achievements which were almost
incredible…unparalleled in the history of the world." George Sarton
Due to the politics of the time, scientists to follow
failed to acknowledge the crucial timing and the enormous contribution of the
Muslim civilization to the development of modern science and technology. They
advocated the presumption that Europe owes all its advances to ancient Greece. However, there are undeniable facts that during the Spanish re-conquest of Muslim
settlements, Toledo in 1085 in particular, vast amounts of Muslim works were
found and translated. Furthermore, the two centuries of the Crusades were not
only filled with war and bloodshed, but also provided cultural interaction. All
together, it makes it difficult to believe that the dark ages were really as
dark as portrayed.
Without the enormous amounts of borrowings from the
Muslim civilization, we would be without the Arabic numerals which we use daily
for our calculations and mathematics, there would be a sufficient lack of
agriculture, domestication of animals for food, clothing and transportation;
spinning and weaving; building; drainage and irrigation; water wheels and
windmills; metal-working and tools and basic weapons; sailing ships;
astronomical observation; clocks, paper, writing and the keeping of records;
laws and civic life; coinage; abstract thought and most of our religious ideas
and symbols. And as Wickens concludes,
"There is virtually no evidence for any of these
basic things and processes and ideas being actually invented in the West."
Wickens
This article was originally a review by the author, Camilla
Sayf, dated Sat 05 July, 2003, on the publication Introduction to Muslim
Science, by FSTC Limited (Foundation for Science Technology and Civilization).
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