Author: Abu Raef
The Role of Muslims in the Formation and Development of Science (part 85)
Western Testimony Regarding Thought and Intellect
One of the most important areas of Islamic civilization’s influence on Western civilization is in the realm of thought and intellect. Since Islamic civilization is based on a form of thinking that is pure and free from superstition, innovation (bid‘ah), and corruption, it has been able to exert a deep and vast influence on Western civilization in this regard. There is no doubt that thought is one of the foundations of faith in this religion and one of the essential pillars upon which Islamic civilization is built; because thought reflects the “observable book of Allah,” meaning the entirety of existence and the universe of creation. The “written book” (the Noble Qur’an) repeatedly invites humanity to reflect and ponder upon that “observable book.”
It is astonishing that after all this emphasis, there are still those who deny Islam and Islamic civilization’s concern for contemplation and the use of reason!
Therefore, in response to such denials, we present the statements of several fair-minded Westerners:
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Étienne Deni (1) says:
“The merit of introducing freedom of opinion (freedom of thought) to Europe—which should not be confused with irreligion—belongs to the Muslim philosopher Ibn Rushd (Averroes), who lived in Al-Andalus (1120–1198 CE). The free-thinkers of medieval Europe were fascinated with his commentaries on Aristotle’s works, and these commentaries clearly had the influence of Islam. It can rightfully be said that the intellectual movement born from this admiration for Ibn Rushd was the root of modern logical thought, and in addition, it was one of the foundations of religious reform.” (2)
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Sigrid Hunke says:
“A roaring flood of Arabic intellectual products and the materials of truth and knowledge—which Arab hands had refined, organized, and presented in the most excellent manner—swept across all of Europe. In the academic centers of Europe, there was not a single scholar who did not stretch out his hand toward these Arabic treasures to take from them whatever he desired, and to drink from them as a thirsty person drink from pure water.
No book was published in Europe at that time unless its pages had been nourished by these Arabic sources—drawing inspiration from them, with their influence clearly visible in its vocabulary, content, and thought.” (3)
She further says: “This astonishing and rapid leap on the ladder of civilization (which the children of the desert began from nothing) deserves deep contemplation in the history of human thought. Their successive scientific achievements—which made them leaders of the civilized world—were unparalleled, to the extent that they cannot be compared with any other case, compelling us to ask: how did such a thing happen?!” (4)
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Mosieu Sediot says:
“Islamic society never suffered from the intellectual rigidity, stagnation of thought, spiritual dryness, and hostility toward science and scholars that occurred in Europe. History testifies that thirty-two thousand scholars were burned alive in Europe!” (5)
He continues: “The history of Islam has never witnessed such a horrific injustice against intellectual freedom. Rather, Muslims were the sole bearers of knowledge during those dark ages. And no religion has governed society as Islam did while simultaneously granting complete freedom to those who held differing beliefs.” (6)
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Carra de Vaue says: “The Arabs elevated rational life and scientific research to their greatest heights at a time when the Christian world was struggling with all its might to emerge from the chains of barbarism. They reached the peak of their activity in the 9th and 10th centuries, and from the 12th century onward, Morocco and the Middle East became the qiblah (spiritual and intellectual direction) for every knowledge-seeking Westerner. During this time, the sons of Europe began translating Arabic works, just as the Arabs had translated Greek works before them.” (7)
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Maurice Bucai (author of The Bible, The Qur’an, and Science) says:
“We know that Islam considers knowledge and religion as two companions, and the cultivation of science was from the beginning a part of religious instruction. Applying this principle led to a remarkable scientific advancement during the era of the great Islamic civilization, which the West benefited from before its own Renaissance.” (8)
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Banikar (former Indian ambassador to Egypt) states:
“The impact of Islam on the Hindu faith during that period (the Islamic era) was profound. The concept of worshiping one God in Hinduism was taken from Islam. The intellectual and religious leaders of that era, although they referred to their gods by various names, called people to the worship of a single God, and asserted that He alone is worthy of worship and the One from whom salvation and happiness should be sought. This influence is clearly seen in religious movements and callings that emerged in Islamic India, such as the ‘(Bhagti) movement’ and the ‘(Kabir) movement’.”(9)
After reviewing more aspects of Islamic civilization, the French historian Sedio concludes: “Indeed, the influence of the Arabs is evident in all branches of modern European civilization.” (10)
Alongside these acknowledgments, we also mention the words of Prince Charles (the Crown Prince of Britain) in a speech delivered at the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies under the title “Islam and the West.” He said:
“If in the West there is widespread misunderstanding about the nature of Islam, there is, equally, considerable ignorance about the debt that our culture and civilization owe to the Islamic world.
Spain under Muslim rule did not merely collect and preserve the intellectual heritage of Greek and Roman civilizations; rather, it interpreted, expanded, and made great contributions in many fields of human knowledge: sciences, astronomy, mathematics, algebra (itself an Arabic term), law, history, medicine, pharmacology, optics, agriculture, and architecture.
In the 10th century, Cordoba was the most civilized city in Europe. Many of the characteristics that Europe prides itself on today have their origins in Islamic Spain: diplomacy, free trade, open borders, scientific research methods, anthropology, etiquette, evolution in clothing, alternative medicine, and hospitals—all emerged from that great city.”
Beyond this, Islam can teach us how to achieve understanding and coexistence in a unified world—something that Christianity has lost and grown weak in. Within the essence of Islam lies a comprehensive worldview: Islam does not separate man from nature, religion from science, nor reason from matter. This profound sense of unity and preservation of the sanctity and spirituality of the world around us is a lesson that can once again be learned from Islam. (11)
To study the influence of Islamic civilization on Western civilization in the field of thought and intellect, one can refer to the following sources:
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Chapter Six of the book “Histoire Générale des Arabes” (General History of the Arabs) by Sedio, titled “Description of Arab Civilization”;
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Chapter Five of “La Civilisation des Arabes” (The Civilization of the Arabs) by Gustave Le Bon;
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The book “Shams al-Arab Tastau‘ ‘ala al-Gharb” (The Sun of the Arabs Shines on the West) by Sigrid Hunke, which generally discusses the impact of Islamic civilization on Western civilization;
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As well as the list of sources compiled in the book “Introduction to the History of Science” by George Sarton.
These acknowledgments, along with much of what has been mentioned previously, clearly indicate the authenticity, prosperity, and superiority of Islamic civilization—its universality and dynamism, its realism and openness, and the immense contribution it made to the course of human civilization, forming the very foundation upon which modern Western civilization was built.
Perhaps now the time has come to remember these truths and use them for our own revival. (12)
To be continued…
Previous Part
References:
- Étienne Dinet (1861–1929), French orientalist, painter, and world-renowned author.
- Dinet, Étienne, Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, p. 260, translated by Dr. Abdul Halim Mahmoud and Dr. Muhammad Abdul Halim, no date, no place.
- Shams al-Arab Tastau‘ ala al-Gharb (The Sun of the Arabs Shines on the West), p. 305.
- , p. 354.
- Shamsi Basha, Hassan, Hakadha Kanu Yawm Kuna (This is How They Were When We Were), p. 83, First Edition, Dar al-Manarah, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
- , p. 83.
- Mada Qaddama al-Muslimun lil-‘Alam? (What Did Muslims Contribute to the World?), p. 735.
- , quoted from Al-Islam Yatahadda (Islam Challenges) by Wahiduddin Khan, p. 14.
- , p. 736.
- Sedio, Mosieu, Histoire Générale des Arabes (General History of the Arabs), p. 402, Arabic translation by Adel Zu’aiter, no date, no place.
- Mada Qaddama al-Muslimun lil-‘Alam? (What Did Muslims Contribute to the World?), p. 737.
