The Islamic Empire consisted of a society that was multicultural in terms of languages, customs, traditions and religion. As Muslims went forth from Arabia to conquer the countries surrounding them, they encompassed vast lands with peoples of different faiths and cultures. Thus the Islamic Empire not only consisted of Muslims from three continents, Arabs, Persians, Turks, Africans, Indians and other Asians, but also Jews, Christians and other faiths. Therefore scholars from all faiths worked under the umbrella of Islam to produce a unique culture of knowledge and learning. In the paragraphs that follow each major known field of science is considered and examined for the contributions made by scholars from the Islamic world.
Medicine
The translations of Hippocrates, Dioscorides, and Galen’s works in the seventh and eighth century allowed Muslims to access their Greek medical knowledge. The various branches of the healing arts that emerged were a result of Muslim activities. Every known branch of science was impacted by the translation movement in Latin Europe throughout the twelfth century, but medicine was particularly touched (Meyers, 1964).
Ibn Sina (980–1037) and Al-Razi (865–925) were two Muslim doctors who rose to prominence in Europe at this time. Ibn Sina devoted his entire life to the study of philosophy, medicine, and other scientific disciplines. Avicenna, who was well-known throughout mediaeval Europe, founded free clinics and created cures for illnesses utilising herbs, hot baths, and even major surgery. . Up to the introduction of modern science, medical schools across Europe used his famous book The Canon of Medicine, which was translated into Latin in the eleventh century (Beshore, 1998; Meyers, 1964). All of the Greek medical knowledge was included in the Canon of Medicine, along with Arabic interpretations and contributions. Galen’s theories of blood circulation were refuted by Ibn An-Nafs, who also advanced a theory of pulmonarycirculation or lower circulation and a notion of blood flow between the heart and lungs. Muslims established hospitals in 15 that were significantly superior to those that had previously existed in antiquity or in regions outside the Islamic Empire by using their clinical and surgical expertise. The first hospital was constructed in Damascus in the ninth century. It had separate wards for men and women, as well as specialised wards for internal ailments, surgery, orthopaedics, and other illnesses.
Chemistry, Pharmacology and Pharmacy
The foundation of contemporary science was laid by the writings of Jaber ibn Haiyan and Al-Razi. While Al-Razi in his book Secret of Secrets revealed the chemical processes and experiments he carried out, Jaber in his works described the synthesis of several chemical substances. Muslim chemists created formulas for goods with both industrial and military uses, and the inorganic acids they discovered through chemical investigations had useful industrial uses. Muslims made significant advancements in pharmacology and pharmacy, creating processes for making syrups and juleps and founding apothecaries. The precise descriptions of the flora in the regions along the Mediterranean coast between Spain and Syria were included in Ibn al-Baytar’s book Al-Jami’fi al-Tibb, which also carefully compared this information to that of earlier ages.
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Mathematics
The mathematical sciences as they were used during this time in the Islamic world included mathematics, algebra, geometry, astronomy, and optics. Muslims used translations of Greek literature like Books VII through IX of Euclid’s Elements and Nicomachus of Gerasa’s Introduction to the Science of Numbers to develop their theory of numbers (‘ilm al-a’dad) in arithmetic. They imported numerals from China and probably India (Hindu) and disseminated their use far. The notion of zero, or sifr, was created by Mohammad Bin Ahmed in the tenth century, and it helped enhance astronomy, geography, and the ability to anticipate the motion of the planets. Islamic mathematics acquired both the Indian (Hindu) decimal system and the Babylonian sexagecimal system, which served as the foundation for its numerical methods.
The foundations for contemporary mathematics and its application to science and engineering were built by Muslim thinkers. Along with translating Greek classics, Thabit bin Qurrah also elaborated on and argued against Al-arqam al-gubariyah, which stands for 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, and 9, was created by Western Muslims in the ninth century to replace Arabic numerals. It is based on a number of angles equal to the weight of each symbol. This information was then spread throughout Europe through the translation of mathematical treatises in Spain. The earliest book on algebra was written by Al-Khwarizmi; the Arabic word for “algebra” is “aljabr.” The study of cubic equations by Umar Khayyam led to the recognition of algebra as a discipline unto itself.
Spherical trigonometry was developed methodically by Al-Battani, with significant ramifications for astronomy, geography, and expedition beyond the known world. Arabic geometry incorporated the works of Apollonius and Archimedes as well as the concepts and techniques from Euclid’s Elements. Ibn al-Haytham, a scientist who made significant contributions to the fields of mathematics, physics, and astronomy in the second half of the tenth century, developed the “Alhazen’s problem” (965–1041), which incorporated theories of vision and astronomy. John Peckham and Johannes Kepler both used his Kitab al-Manazir and Witelo’s Optics. Al-Haytham’s original Arabic texts and Latin translations were both used by Roger Bacon.
The theory of parallels, which is a collection of theorems whose proofs rely on Euclidean postulates, was also a product of Muslim mathematicians. Muslim academics helped construct a viable method of numeration that included zero and led to the solution of equations. They also contributed to the use of logic in the formation of mathematical ideas and relationships. Through Sicily and Spain, this understanding and methodology was gradually introduced throughout Europe.
Philosophy
The contributions of Muslim philosophers like Allama Mohammad Iqbal, al-Farabi, Ibn Sina, al-Ghazali, and Ibn Khaldun to the global philosophical canon are the most significant facts in this literature. These philosophers were initially influenced by the Greek thinkers whose works they translated into Arabic, but the true Islamic philosophy emerged after they grasped the actual meaning of the Holy Quran’s teachings. In the numerous disciplines of epistemology, psychology, metaphysics, and philosophy of religion, they produced honourable original contributions. When it came to the nature of the Soul or Mind, the Greek genius had two trends: it thought of it as a ‘Entelechy’ or a simple function of the Body rather than as anything separate from it, and it thought of it as a compound entity in the Platonic manner. While the Muslim mind gave the Soul a variety of abilities, it generally believed that it was a distinct “Simple Substance” that existed apart from the body.
Prof. H.D. Lewis and his followers are modern Western philosophers who have The core stance of the Muslim philosophers Al-Kindi, Al-Farabi, Ibn Sina, and Imam Fakhr al-Din al-Razi, who all shared this dualistic position, is what the modern anti-Ryleans owe more inspiration to. Their perspective of the world was based on this dualistic position. The Muslim conception of “Intellect,” which was influenced by Greek thought, was their most important teaching. Al-Kindi separated “Intellect” into two categories: primary and secondary, with the former being equivalent to Aristotle’s “active intellect” and secondary intelligence being further divided into three categories: “in potency,” “acquired intellect,” and “in potency.” The doctrine’s full epistemic ramifications were brought home by Al-Farabi and Ibn Sina.
The Space-Time Relativity theory, which had its basic explanation in al-Ghazali’s (d. 1111) literature, was first developed by the Muslim mind. Al-Ghazali was the first to establish the relative nature of both Space and Time in respect of objects by a modern semantic analysis of the terms “Was” and “Will be.” According to Jalal ud-Din Dawani (830/1427-908/1502) and Fakhr ud-Din Ibrahim al-Hamadani al-Iraqi (b. 686/1287), there are many levels of space and time depending on the type of item or creature. The world-famous European mathematician Sir Isaac Newton was still in favour of the idea of absolute Space and Time, and as a result, the West continued to hold to the Newtonian view of the ‘fixed’ Universe. Albert Einstein (b. 1879), a renowned European physicist, revolutionised how the West understood the relative nature of Space and Time. Modern science, however, only has a limited understanding of relativity and has not yet looked into the “multi-relativity” that Muslim thinkers had predicted centuries earlier.
Both in philosophy and science. It has yet to uncover some more, more significant Space-Time relativity dimensions, which could further revolutionise the way science views the world and point modern physics towards as-yet-unrecognized spiritual components of existence. Muslim philosophers have made priceless and honourable contributions to the field of philosophy, particularly those whose ideas have had a significant influence on some relatively modern Western schools of thought.
Conclusion
The term “Golden Age of Islam” refers to a time of rapid development in the Islamic world’s culture, economy, and sciences, which spanned the eighth through thirteenth century. Muslim academics achieved important advancements in the sciences, mathematics, and philosophy during this time, which had a big impact on the rise of Western civilisation.
The process of translation, in which Muslim academics translated works from Greek, Roman, and Persian sources into Arabic, was one of the major causes that contributed to the Golden Age of Islam. As a result, knowledge that had been forgotten or lost in the West was preserved and spread.
Muslim astronomers developed novel theories and equipment for studying the cosmos, making significant contributions to the field. They developed algebra and the idea of zero, among other important mathematical breakthroughs. Muslim doctors made important medical discoveries and penned authoritative treatises on anatomy, physiology, and pharmacology.
Muslim philosophers made important philosophical advancements in logic and metaphysics, and their
ideas had a considerable influence on the growth of Western philosophy.
Overall, the Golden Age of Islam was a time of extraordinary intellectual and cultural advancement, and the influence of Muslim philosophers, mathematicians, and scientists is still felt today. Their legacy is a tribute to the strength of human curiosity and the quest for knowledge, and it serves as a reminder of the crucial part that collaboration and cross-cultural interchange can play in promoting human progress
