Islamic Ever Leading World in Science and Art

Waterloo, Ontario - Now a growing number of people know that Europe's first university was founded in Spain by the Muslims. But how many of us - whether academically inclined or not - know that the black robes university professors from kaftans, beyond the traditional robes worn by Arab men since ancient times?

Six centuries before Chrisopher Columbus sailed west to prove the earth is round - just for the "hindered" by the New World - Muslim mathematicians of Kufa in Iraq not only know that the planet is a globe, but also have calculated the circumference of the circle with amazing accuracy. No wonder crusaders across Europe to the Holy Land to liberate it from the "infidel" Muslims, returned to his homeland to bring many new lessons in civilization, in addition to practical inventions and scientific insight.

From the 8th century until the 10th, Baghdad evolved as the most civilized cities of the world. University was attended by 6,000 students from around the world, and taking donations an equivalent to millions of dollars. all the streets is layered on Baghdad, complete with a covered drain, and bathed in light.

For several centuries (about 700 AD to 1100 AD), Arab, not Latin, which is the universal language of science. During the golden age of Islam, many Christians are learning Arabic and studying at Muslim universities.

Aristotle and Plato were rediscovered by Muslim scholars who translated many Greek manuscripts into Arabic. They are the originators of modern chemistry, meteorology, mathematics, sociology, and geography. The surgeon was first Muslim who dissected the human body.

Muslims during this period, famous for having a passion won numerous intelligentsia and science achievement; the first telescope was made known to a Muslim caliph.

Without the Arabic numeral system, which included decimals and zeros, science and business would be impossible.

Most of the ingredients are soft cotton on now - including muslin, damask, and kambrik - developed by agricultural experts and Muslim artisans. And bearing testimony to Muslim metallurgy, Damascus swords and Toledo are still highly prized. Sugar, coffee, rice, cherries, citrus, and a variety of delicious foods and spices to Europe, and finally, dining table of the West because of Muslims.

One of the greatest contributions of Islam to the Western world is the art of papermaking, adapted and developed from techniques pioneered by the Chinese. Without good quality, affordable paper, the spread of printing and availability of books for universal education can not happen.

In addition, the obligation of every Muslim to perform Hajj, or pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in their lives, has brought together scholars from the countries the most distant ones. Therefore, the rapid spread of science and new discoveries easily disseminated and exchanged until far into the entire Muslim world.

While Europe is still in the Dark Ages, the Muslims had established a civilization is very advanced and sophisticated that historians have, until now, can not provide a satisfactory explanation. Belgian-born American writer May Sarton, referring to Islam, said: "The creation of a new civilization of international and encyclopaedic magnitude, in less than two centuries, is something that we can describe but can not be explained with certainty ... It was the most creative movements in the Middle Ages until the 13th century. "

Islam encourages independent thinking and develop a rational experimental method, which became the basis of modern science and philosophy. Before the Prophet Muhammad, people do not dare to conduct experiments for fear of reprisal by the devil. Muhammad was wrong to destroy a lot of superstitions and elemental fears and helped prepare human society for the great potential of science.

In one Hadith about the most memorable, the apostle affirms that "the ink of the scholar is more sacred than the blood of the martyr." He taught Muslims that ignorance is the greatest poverty, that a mind without education is like a brave man without arms, and that knowledge brings people - regardless of sex, age, race, or religion - to the highest level of human accomplishment.

The greatest medieval Jewish covenant was written by Maimonides is not in the Hebrew language, but Arabic. And, another example of engagement at that time, a Christian is the head of a college in Damascus.

Islam also developed its own distinct architecture, whose influence can be traced to India, China, Africa, and Russia. While the Tartars brought culture and art of Islam to Russia, the Turks took it to the Balkans, Austria, Poland, and South Germany. Traditional Bavarian clothing, rugs Hungarian, and Prussian helmets still relies leave traces the origins of Islam in its design.

Europe was, admittedly, slow in recognizing Islamic culture as the source of the Renaissance. But through the influence of Islam, especially in Sicily and Spain, European civilization was transformed.

Nowadays, it seems to Eastern and Western civilization, or the Muslim world and the non-Muslim, has been reversed. But, perhaps, it may be more a matter terlupakannya former glory-glory in the pursuit of material agendas and politics today. Rediscovery and renewal of respect for the achievement of the Muslims will benefit all of humanity, giving us the opportunity to see - and hopefully resolve - conflicts today in a broader spectrum of human history.

# # #

* Mohamed Elmasry is a professor of electronics and computer engineering at the University of Waterloo and president of the Canadian Islamic Congress. This abridged article is distributed by the Common Ground News Service (CGNews) and can be accessed at www.commongroundnews.org. Text can be found in www.metimes.com.

Sources: Middle East Times, June 26, 2007, www.metimes.com
Copyright has been obtained.