Throughout the world, much of our daily lives are influenced by Islamic contributions.

The methods of
algebra, astronomy, and a banking system we know today were created by the Muslims and modified later on.
Books, medicines, games, and a new genre of music were made by Muslims through learning the simplest form
from other countries and adapting it to their own and spreading the knowledge all over the world.
The Muslims had many contributions to the world and in the modern day as well. However, when one
asks what the best, most impactful Islamic contribution is, it is a challenge to only give one answer. On the
contrary, there are few selected contributions that have stuck out from the rest. The house of wisdom, herbal
medicines, and pharmacies and music of Muslim are the most important contributions to our modern world
The house of wisdom was ​founded in Baghdad by al-Mu’am in 830 CE. Scholars translated Greek, Persian, and
Indian texts on mathematics, astronomy, and logic. They preserve Greek classics and opened the House of Wisdom for the
public. This house that consisted of many books filled with information found from different parts of the world would be
how information was able to be kept and stored to this day and age. Books with numerous topics could be found there and
probably was one of the methods the Muslims were able to record and keep their knowledge on algebra, astronomy, and
zoology from being lost. The history of the creation of the physical book itself and the calligraphy on it were kept and
stored inside the House of Wisdom. Much of the contributions that Islam had on the modern world wouldn’t have been
here if no for the House of Wisdom here information about their studies and research were recorded.
Not only did the Islamic world contribute to the advancement of knowledge to the modern world, they also were
the ones that began experimenting on treatments using different practices and antiseptics. These advanced knowledge and
uses of herbal medicines created by sedatives, such as hashish, and pharmacies were developed and enlarged in Baghdad.
Today, we use these medicines in drug stores as the Muslims had in their pharmacies. Without the contributions of health
Islam had, there wouldn’t be a developed knowledge of the welfare of people nor the beginning to a deeper understanding
about our own bodies and organisms around us that impact our health.
While Islam has shown that they had major contributions to the modern world on intelligence and being in a well
state, they have also contributed to the music world. Muslim Spain had combined different music styles from all over the
world to create their own unique variation of music. They created instruments, such as the oud, rebab, ney, and darbuka,
which were the origins of many modern day instrument such as the violin, guitar, oboe, trumpet, harp, and multiple
percussion instruments. Many people would strongly disagree that this contribution of the Islamic world was of any
importance. However, this art form has been incorporated with many world cultures, which is a large part of our society
today. Not only is music important to world cultures, music is a form of forever-evolving communication, a form of
expression that cannot be done with words. Music unifies all and creates enjoyment and enlightenment in the soul. When
Muslim Spain had formed their own variant of music, they’ve brought a new form of joy and language to the modern
world.
There were many great contributions that Islam had made on the modern world and many would argue that there
are better contributions than the ones above. However, these contributions have brought and still do bring a power of
knowledge, health and wellbeing, and happiness and joy. Without these contributions, we would’ve lost the brain, the
heart, and soul that makes the modern world. In summation, the Islamic world has greatly impacted and influenced how
our modern world and society functions in education, safety, and many world cultures.
http://www.musicthinktank.com/blog/7-reasons-why-music-is-important-to-world-cultures.html
Algebra:
- Muslim scholars further develop Ancient Greek mathematics.
- They created “magic boxes” for fun.
- Al Khwarizmi introduced algebra to civilization.
- Algebra comes from “al jabr” (the bring together of separate parts).

Astronomy:
- Astronomers had believed that the Earth was the center of the universe.
- Muslim astronomers studies Ptolemy's findings and corrected many mistakes.
- Adapted by the Greeks, the astrolabe helped astronomers make new discoveries
- Several astronomers began be living that the earth rotated on its own axis and revolved around the sun.

Banking System:
- Banking system helped bring in the word “check” from the Arabic word “sack”.
- There were central banks with branch offices and an elaborate system with checks and letter.
- International trade had expanded and more good were marketed throughout the empire.

Bookmaking:
- In the rule of the Abbasids, captured Chinese soldiers were skilled in paper making.
- Books became more popular and contributed to more kinds of learning.
- Designs and calligraphy were used to design books and became a symbol of status.

Calligraphy:
- Calligraphy is the art of elegant handwriting.
- It was used by Muslims when creating the Qur’an as only calligraphy was worthy of the word of God.
- It was also used to decorate textiles, ceramics, and metal work and was admired for its beauty.

Chess:
- Muslims were introduced chess by the Persians that imported them from India.
- The difficulty and intellectual challenge was popular and Caliph's play against champions.
- The Muslims adapted and improved and game and was later introduced to the Europeans.

Geometric and Floral Designs:

- Muslim art was mostly abstract (to avoid worshippers from not praying to Allah).
- Interlacements and arabesques were very common in everyday objects during the Golden Age of Muslims.
- Designs signified unity.
- Paintings of humans and animals were found in bathhouses, women’s apartments, homes of ruling classes.

Herbal medicines and Pharmacies:

- Muslim doctors experimented with disease treatments with coriander and sedatives such as hashish.
- Doctor AL-Zahrawi from Spain began using antiseptics and other practices.
- There were advances in herbal medicine and pharmacies were developed in Baghdad.
- Pharmacies filled in medicine as like the present day drug stores and prescriptions were carefully supervised.

House of Wisdom:
 - The House of Wisdom was founded in Baghdad by al-Mu’am in 830 CE.
- Scholars translated Arabic, Greek, Persian, and Indian texts on mathematics, astronomy, and logic.
- The work preserved Greek classics and opened a new way of thinking.
- The House of Wisdom’s library was open to the public with books consisting of law, poetry, history, and was a
model for other libraries.

Irrigation Technique and Underground Walls:

- Muslims utilized underground wells and irrigation techniques due to the scarce supply of water in the Islam
Empire.
- Dams, reservoirs, aqueducts were installed and Muslims had perfected the water wheel.
- Umayyad and Abbasid rulers preserved and improved underground wells that were placed as deep as 50 fee to
prevent evaporation.

Libraries of Cordoba:
- An independent Muslim kingdom was established by the Umayyads in Spain in the 8th century.
- The capital city Córdoba was known as the city of bibliophiles.
- Library clerks hand-copied books while calligraphers and bookbinders created texts and designs.
- Al-Hakam’s library was said to contain over 40,00 books with 44-volume catalogs.
- The people of Córdoba collected books and symbolized important figures in the city.

Music of Muslim Spain:

- Muslim Spain combined many music styles from all over the world.
- Europe’s first music conservatory was created in Cordoba by Ziryad.
- Musicians created new music styles and patterns to entertain royalty.
- There were competitions on producing the best music in the 11th century.
- Instruments: oud (ancestor of guitar), rebab (resembles a violin), ney (wood flute), darbuka (goblet-shaped drum)
- origins of oboe, trumpet, violin, guitar, harp, percussion instruments

Polo:
- Polo, a game played on horseback so with two teams of four, was introduced to Muslims by the Persians.
- The game was favorite in wealthy classes and the Muslims adapted and improved the game, then introducing it to
the Europeans.

The City of Baghdad:

- Present-day capital of Iraq, Baghdad was chosen by Caliph al-Mansure to be the center of his empire.
- Baghdad lied between two rivers and great trade routes.
- The city had concentric circles surrounded by deep moat and citizens lived outside the walls.
- The outer circle was used for defense, the middle for housing the army, and innermost walls were where Caliph’s
family resided in.
- Caliph’s palace was the hub of the city, Caliph living in the center of his empire.

Zoology:
- Muslim’s lifestyle and economy was dependent on animals.
- Scholar Al-Jahiz was the greatest contribution to zoology and famous for the ​Book of Animals​.
- The ​Book of Animals​ contained many anecdotes and scientific theories and information.
- Al-Damiri in the 14th century used Al-Jahiz’s information to write the encyclopedia, ​The lives of the Animalsˆ.