The Role of Muslims in the Formation and Development of Science (Part Two)
Stages of the Growth and Expansion of Fundamental Sciences Among Muslims
The development and establishment of fundamental sciences among Muslims occurred in three significant stages. These stages played a crucial role in building the scientific civilization of Muslims, solidifying the foundations of science within Muslim societies, and spreading knowledge to other societies, particularly Western ones. The three stages are as follows:
1. The Stage of Translation and Transfer of Sciences from Various Societies into Arabic:
This was the first stage in the growth and formation of fundamental and predominantly empirical sciences among Muslims. Spanning from the 7th to the 9th century CE, Muslims translated essential works of earlier civilizations, especially Greek texts, into Arabic. They expanded upon these works, wrote annotations, and provided explanations. The sources they relied upon for translating and transferring these sciences included the civilizations and cultures of the Babylonians, Egyptians, Chinese, Indians, and Phoenicians (Canaanites). This knowledge reached Islamic territories through conquests and trade exchanges.
The intellectual wealth of Indian and Persian civilizations in writing systems, along with Greek contributions in geometry, profoundly impacted Islamic civilization. This stage also proved highly beneficial for Western societies, addressing many of their scientific challenges. It began during the reign of Abu Ja’far al-Mansur, the Abbasid Caliph, and continued until the end of the caliphate of Amin Abbasid. During this period, the focus was on translating medical and mathematical works. Harun al-Rashid sent delegations of Muslims to various regions and allocated significant funds for this purpose. For example, Yuhanna ibn Masawayh, a skilled physician at the Abbasid court, translated ancient medical texts.
Although the translation movement began during the Umayyad period, with Khalid ibn Yazid ibn Mu’awiya—known as the “Wise Man of the Umayyads”—among the first to emphasize this endeavor, the official commencement and significant funding of the project took place under Caliph Abu Ja’far al-Mansur.
Dr. Ali Al-Daffa writes: “The translation movement reached its peak during the era of Abu Ja’far al-Mansur. He invited specialized scholars in mathematics, astronomy, physics, chemistry, philosophy, medicine, pharmacology, botany, zoology, and geology from all over the world to translate books in all fields. With remarkable generosity, he spent vast sums on translations. As a result, his court amassed a rich and abundant library containing numerous books. This endeavor sparked widespread enthusiasm among people to read and study these works, gradually leading them toward authorship and translation.”
The success of this translation movement and the establishment of various schools dedicated to translating scientific works can be attributed to the open-mindedness and ambitious vision of the Islamic caliphs. They provided an inclusive environment for all scholars and thinkers, regardless of their religion, sect, or ideology, allowing them to contribute freely. This tolerance and broad-mindedness laid the foundation for a remarkable civilization unparalleled in history.
Even the Abbasid and Umayyad caliphs sent representatives to Constantinople and other European cities to collect Greek books, which were neglected and disregarded there, and bring them to Muslim lands. At times, the Umayyad and Abbasid caliphs accepted scientific books and manuscripts from Jewish, Christian, Sabian, and Zoroastrian scholars as part of the jizya (tax).
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