Islam, cultural and civilization

[SMKolins]

While Muhammad revealed the Qur'an at God's bidding, the values and forces unleashed took hundreds of years to reach deep into the heart of the masses of people in order to transform it from a cultural of tribalism and traditions and camels to a vast system of science, art, engineering, medicine who's key figures and works would become the standard for hundreds of years. What was the Dark Ages in Europe was to the Moslems a period of unrivaled achievement in all the marks of civilization.

"When Western Europe was at its lowest intellectual peak, from the 5th to the 15th centuries, Islamic civilisation was rising rapidly. A thirst for knowledge, including science, was encouraged by the religious leaders of early Islam. The works of the ancients, including Aristotle, Socrates, Ptolemy, Galen, Pythagoras and Euclid were collected, safeguarded and translated into Arabic. The chemical properties of alkalis and acids were discovered by Islamic scientists. The process of distillation was formulated and used to produce petrol from crude oil. Islamic scientists contributed to algebra, algorithms, trigonometry, geometry, chemistry, cosmology, astronomy, medicine and optics. Islamic scholars developed the concepts of modern hospitals, universities, observatories and civil systems. The concept of zero reached medieval Europe through the Arab nations who had probably learned of it from ancient Hindu and Chinese cultures. Prior to this Europe struggled with a system of Roman numerals, in which large numbers would consist of huge strings of letters. Once zero was incorporated, numbers took on the more manageable decimal system that we use today."

"There was no shortage of wealthy sponsors to fund the work, nor institutions to house the translations. In the 9th century, the House of Wisdom was established in Baghdad. In the 10th century, Cairo established a huge library, with 40 rooms and thousands of texts devoted to the ancient sciences. By the 11th century, Muslim rulers had established large institutions in all the major cities to preserve their treasury of knowledge."

[SMKolins]

Islam perhaps peaked in terms of a civilization approximately 800-1000AD. The Abbasids Caliphate dynasty ruled from Damascus (and later(?) Baghdad,) from the Atlantic to the Indian Oceans and this was not mere soldiering. And in the heart of both time and place across this region you have the counter-Caliphate of the Fatimids, who created the city of Cairo who were Shi' to the Sunni Abbasids. You can read about the Fatimids here and here. And of the Abbasids here and here.

After this period no region rivaled their achievements but there was a curious kind of flowering that happened afterwards. You may note a commonality in the rise of the mysticism of Islam called Sufism(from here):



They all arise shortly after this period - all that 11-13th century timing.... Before you could have schools of thought you had to have remarkble individuals. And of all the figures to look upon I would draw your attention to a multi-dimensional figure of Rumi, who was himself somewhat inspired by the work of Attar.

[SMKolins]

Reviewing the achievements of Moslem civilization must be an exploration for the West. While we are familiar enough with European history to list names like Galileo, Tycho, Kepler, Descartes, Newton and similar names in fields of painting and misoc, and more obscure fields of engineering and so on. Not hearing any among the Moslem civilization seems to echo the period as known in the west before such luminaries as above came to be - the Dark Ages. But nothing could be further from the truth. The period of the close of the first millenium since Jesus walked the planet was a period every bit, if not more profound, than that of the Renaisance and the Age of Enlightenment. But we have no names to speak of and this is not the place for a protracted examination. But it can be a place for the introduction of the idea by looking at just one stellar figure, "Ibn Sina" or as known across other continents "Avicenna" - the best doctor in the land by 17, wrote his own encyclopedia, and a medical text the standard, once translated, in Europe for hundreds of years after him.

Abu Ali al-Hussain Ibn Abdallah Ibn Sina was born in 980 A.D. at Afshana near Bukhara. The young Bu Ali received his early education in Bukhara, and by the age of ten had become well versed in the study of the Qur'an and various sciences. He started studying philosophy by reading various Greek, Muslim and other books on this subject and learnt logic and some other subjects from Abu Abdallah Natili, a famous philosopher of the time. While still young, he attained such a degree of expertise in medicine that his renown spread far and wide. At the age of 17, he was fortunate in curing Nooh Ibn Mansoor, the King of Bukhhara, of an illness in which all the well-known physicians had given up hope. On his recovery, the King wished to reward him, but the young physician only desired permission to use his uniquely stocked library.

On his father's death, Bu Ali left Bukhara and traveled to Jurjan where Khawarizm Shah welcomed him. There, he met his famous contemporary Abu Raihan al-Biruni. Later he moved to Ray and then to Hamadan, where he wrote his famous book Al-Qanun fi al-Tibb. Here he treated Shams al-Daulah, the King of Hamadan, for severe colic. From Hamadan he moved to Isphahan, where he completed many of his monumental writings. Nevertheless, he continued traveling and the excessive mental exertion as well as political turmoil spoilt his health. Finally, he returned to Hamadan where he died in 1037 A.D.

He was the most famous physician, philosopher, encyclopedist, mathematician and astronomer of his time. His major contribution to medical science was his famous book al-Qanun, known as the "Canon" in the West. The Qanun fi al-Tibb is an immense encyclopedia of medicine extending over a million words. It surveyed the entire medical knowledge available from ancient and Muslim sources. Due to its systematic approach, "formal perfection as well as its intrinsic value, the Qanun superseded Razi's Hawi, Ali Ibn Abbas's Maliki, and even the works of Galen, and remained supreme for six centuries". In addition to bringing together the then available knowledge, the book is rich with the author's original contribution. His important original contribution includes such advances as recognition of the contagious nature of phthisis and tuberculosis; distribution of diseases by water and soil, and interaction between psychology and health. In addition to describing pharmacological methods, the book described 760 drugs and became the most authentic materia medica of the era. He was also the first to describe meningitis and made rich contributions to anatomy, gynaecology and child health.

His philosophical encyclopedia Kitab al-Shifa was a monumental work, embodying a vast field of knowledge from philosophy to science. He classified the entire field as follows: theoretical knowledge: physics, mathematics and metaphysics; and practical knowledge: ethics, economics and politics. His philosophy synthesizes Aristotelian tradition, Neoplatonic influences and Muslim theology.

Ibn Sina also contributed to mathematics, physics, music and other fields. He explained the "casting out of nines" and its application to the verification of squares and cubes. He made several astronomical observations, and devised a contrivance similar to the vernier, to increase the precision of instrumental readings. In physics, his contribution comprised the study of different forms of energy, heat, light and mechanical, and such concepts as force, vacuum and infinity. He made the important observation that if the. perception of light is due to the emission of some sort of particles by the luminous source, the speed of light must be finite. He propounded an interconnection between time and motion, and also made investigations on specific gravity and used an air thermometer.

In the field of music, his contribution was an improvement over Farabi's work and was far ahead of knowledge prevailing elsewhere on the subject. Doubling with the fourth and fifth was a 'great' step towards the harmonic system and doubling with the third' seems to have also been allowed. Ibn Sina observed that in the series of consonances represented by ( n + 1 ) /n, the ear is unable to distinguish them when n = 45. In the field of chemistry, he did not believe in the possibility of chemical transmutation because, in his opinion, the metals differed in a fundamental sense. These views were radically opposed to those prevailing at the time. His treatise on minerals was one of the "main" sources of geology of the Christian encyclopedists of the thirteenth century. Besides Shifa his well-known treatises in philosophy are al-Najat and Isharat.

Multitudes of websites are devoted to studying him, his life, and his publications.

[SMKolins]

While I've mentioned Rumi, perhaps a short section about him is appropriate. I urge you to read at least alittle bit of people like Rumi and Ibn Sina and graple with the fact that such as these represent among the best of people established under Islam rather than what you hear bandied about in the news.

From the above link:

"Rumi's major work is Masnavi-ye Manavi (Spiritual Couplets), a six-volume poem regarded by many Sufis as second in importance only to the holy Qur'an. In fact, the Masnawi is often called the "Qur'an-e Farsi" (The Qur'an in Persian). It is considered by many to be one of the greatest works of mystical poetry. Rumi's other major work is the Diwan-e Shams-e Tabriz-i (The Works of Shams of Tabriz - named in honor of Rumi's great friend and inspiration, the dervish Shams), comprising some 40,000 verses. Both works are among the most significant in all of Persian literature....

Influence

Rumi's importance transcends national and ethnic borders. Speakers of the Persian language in Iran, Afghanistan and Tajikistan see him as one of their most significant classical poets and an influence to many poets through history. He has also had a great influence on Turkish literature throughout the centuries. His poetry forms the basis of much classical Iranian and Afghan music. Contemporary classical interpretations of his poetry are made by Muhammad Reza Shajarian (Iran), Shahram Nazeri (Iran) and Ustad Mohammad Hashem Cheshti (Afghanistan). To many modern Westerners, his teachings are one of the best introductions to the philosophy and practice of Sufism. Pakistan's National Poet, Muhammad Iqbal (November 9, 1877-April 21, 1938) was also inspired by Rumi's works and considered him to be his spiritual leader and addressed him as Pir Rumi in his poems (pir literally means old, but in sufi/mystic context, it means guide, teacher, master, guru.)"


There are many websites about Rumi, many books published about him and his influence around the world.

[Fahad1]

The Muslims of Medival times have played a great role in architecture, astronomy and medicine and their contribution in mathematics and philosophy and Science was tremendous.

Unfortunately the Western Society has been kept away from the truth of Medival times and they are only aware of Newton, Einstine, or others.
And you might not be knowing that their were many Muslim Thinkers, and Scientists whose original names were changed into Western names.

Avicenna the most famous and recognized name in the Western world whose real name is Ali Ibn Sina and his full name is "Abu 'Ali al-Husayn ibn 'Abd Allah ibn Sina" and he was an Iranian Physician the most famous and influential Scientist of his time.

Geber whose real name was Jabir Ibn Haiyan who is known as the father of chemistry.

I'll attach some e-books for you and I hope that members and moderators of this forum will read those books.

[SMKolins]

all too true. There is a curious blind spot with western civilization that thinks we brought ourselves up by our boot straps, and yes, in particular, many highly renown Moslem scholars and scientists and philosophers did much to serve the cause of all civilization and are known only by obscured names. Ibn Sinna, as I noted above, was a prodigy easily equalling the most famous names of western science.

But for two of the four or six or so great civilizations of the world to be related and reconsiled will require generations of work encouraged by a force that itself forged each of these civilizations - for the civilization of the Moslem world was itself born of diverse and antagonistic elements, just and as early Christianity was, and early Judaism as it crossed back and forth through these regions, and Hinduism and Buddhist in fields further east.

[Fahad1]

Thank you for this useful information.

Let me correct you that Muhammad(pbuh) didnot reveal Qur'an ,he was a last and the final Messenger of Allah(God) who recieved the divine messeges in fragments from God in the period of 23 years and at the demise of Prophet Muhammad(pbuh) ,the divine messege revealed to him concluded as "Qur'an" which became a source of guidance for the entire mankind.

Prophet Muhammad(pbuh) was an uneducated man who didnot knew how to read and write and God intentionally sent a last messenger like this to challenge the proud and arrogant Residents of Makkah who were champions in Arabic Poetry and Literature, they had the feeling that nobody could challenge them.
God revealed its final book Qur'an in Arabic which had poetic approach and shocked these proud residents of Makkah who claimed themselves to be champion of Arabic poetry. Even the residents of Makkah admitted that such poetic and Arabic dialect of Qur'an couldnot be from a common man.

[SMKolins]

Let me offer that I never meant to impugn that Muhammad was the author of the Qur'an - I accept full and complete that God was the author. By revelator, I refer to the role of Prophet. No prophet has ever said just their own words save when God's message did not reach them.

God has often chosen odd people to reveal His Message for humanity - a murderer, a person from a town of ill repute about who's father there is some question, and as you say, an illiterate man whose wealth came from a woman. These are among the things that trip up social expectations of prominence even today where people think certain social norms convey spiritual achievement when infact if anything they designate the true poverty of such a lifestyle.