KULLIYYAH OF MEDICINE

KUANTAN CAMPUS

Islamic Input for Medical Purposes

Rise & Fall Of A Civilisation

By:
Group 5
~Year 1, Block 2~

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RAAD MOHAMMAD A ALMALK 0827249
TOPIC 9: THE RISE AND DECLINE OF ISLAMIC CIVILIZATION

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No. Topics Pa
ge
01 How Islam encourages seeking of ilm 3
02 A rising star 5
03 Expansion of ilm during Abbasid era 9
04 Knowledge of sahabah and scholars 12
05 Ustaziatul Alam 17
06 Decline of an amazing civilisation 20
07 References 24

1. How Islam encourages seeking of knowledge

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 Islam calls us to seek knowledge in the broadest sense of the word. The Prophet (peace
be upon him) said: “Seeking knowledge is an obligation upon every Muslim.” [ Sunan Ibn
Mâjah ].Islam gives preference to a knowledgeable person over an ignorant one. Allah says:
“Say: ‘Are those equal, those who know and those who do not know?'” [ Sûrah al-Zumar : 9]

There are around 750 verses in the Qur'ân that encourage us to think about the
universe that surrounds us and all that has been created within it and placed at our disposal.
The study of the universe is indisputably the domain of the natural sciences.

Allah says the following:

“Behold! in the creation of the heavens and the Earth; in the alternation of the night
and the day; in the sailing of the ships through the ocean for the profit of mankind; in the rain
which Allah Sends down from the skies, and the life which He gives therewith to an earth that
is dead; in the beasts of all kinds that He scatters through the earth; in the change of the
winds, and the clouds which they trail like their slaves between the sky and the earth;- (Here)
indeed are Signs for a people who have sense.” [ Sûrah al-Baqarah : 164]

“Behold! in the creation of the heavens and the Earth, and the alternation of night
andday, there are indeed signs for people who have understanding.” [ Sûrah Al `Imrân : 190]
“And among His Signs is the creation of the heavens and the Earth, and the variations in your
languages and your colors: verily in that are Signs for those who know.” [ Sûrah Rûm : 22]

The first verse to be revealed to the Prophet (peace be upon him) was a verse
commanding him to read. For this reason, scholars have declared knowledge to be the first
obligation held upon a legally accountable person. The first thing that a person is required to
have knowledge of, of course, is Allah, His religion, and His revelation. However, this
obligation ultimately embraces all useful knowledge, since the first step in any area is to have
knowledge about it.

The new Muslims began to understand the importance of implementing Quran’s

guidance into their lives.  Then, just as now, literacy allowed the believers to look at the world
around them and  contemplate the wonders of creation, and the magnificence of The Creator. 
The believers read Quran to be come closer to God.  They seek knowledge in order to
strengthen their faith.  They implement that knowledge in order to worship God, with true
submission and certainty. 
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“And that those who have been given knowledge may know that it (this Quran) is the truth
from your Lord, so that they may believe therein, and their hearts may submit to it with
humility.  And verily, God is the Guide of those who believe, to the Straight Path.” (Quran
22:54)

In his traditions that were painstakingly recoded by Muslim scholars, Prophet

Muhammad encouraged his followers to seek knowledge.  He said that if someone followed a
path in pursuit of knowledge, God would make his path to Paradise easy. He also said that
knowledge was one of three good deeds that continued even after death.

Human beings have minds and intellect.  We also have the power of reasoning and the
free will to accept or reject knowledge.  God created human beings with the tools for
acquiring knowledge.  He  taught the father of humankind, Adam, the names of everything. 
Adam was taught language skills, and how to apply knowledge, make plans and decisions,
and achieve goals.  We, the children of Adam, have inherited these skills in order that we can
exist in the world and worship God in the best manner.

“He taught Adam all the names of everything.”  (Quran 2:31)

“And He gave you hearing, sight, and hearts, that you might give thanks (to God).”  (Quran
16:78)

The Islamic Empire for more than 1,000 years remained the most advanced
civilization in the world. The main reasons for this was that Islam stressed the importance and
respect of learning, forbade destruction, cultivated a respect for authority, discipline, and
tolerance for other religions. The teachings of Qur'an and Sunnah inspired many Muslims to
their accomplishments in science and medicine.

By the tenth century their zeal and enthusiasms for learning resulted in all essential
Greek medical and scientific writings being translated into Arabic in Damascus, Cairo, and
Baghdad. Arabic became the international language of learning and diplomacy. The center of
scientific knowledge and activity shifted eastward, and Baghdad emerged as the capitol of the
scientific world. The Muslims became scientific innovators with originality and productivity.

2. A Rising Star

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The process:

 Gestation (Hijra – The end of Abu Bakar’s khilafah

 Expansion/Universal Empire
 Decay (The Second half of khilafa Abbasiyyah)
 Invasion/Fall

The momentum to rise:

1) Inspiration from the Al-Quran

 Emphasizing of the importance of knowledge (96:1-5)
 Allah will raise up the ranks of those who believe and knowledge (58:11)
 Islam is called the straightway and should not be regarded as something static. The
instructions and guidance given in the Al-Quran are the methods which continuous
progress can be achieved (84:19), (19:36), (17:9)
 Islam cannot be obsolete (ancient).

2) Expansion of Islamic land

 In its early years, Islam spread rapidly. Within a century, Islam had conquered
Persia, Palestine, Egypt and has swept across North Africa and into Spain. The
reasons for this expansion were partly a matter of conquest, especially on the
part of the Umayyad caliphs, who ruled from Damascus.

3) The role of the khalifah in emphasizing on the scholarly activities

 The Abbasid dynasty, which ruled from Baghdad from 750-1258 provided the
peak of Islamic civilization.
 Open intellectual environment of early Islam, gave rise to the wealth of its
civilization.
 In the 9th century, the collective sayings and interpretations of the early caliphs
were recorded in the hadith. The Abbasid’s greatest achievements were in the
area of philosophy, science, and mathematics.

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  They studied, preserved and translated the Greek classics. The Muslim world is
justifiably proud of its achievements in this regard. Muslim scholars provided
major contributions to math, algebra, trigonometry, chemistry, physics and
medicine.

‘Sparks’ from the Qur’an prompting to rise of a civilization

1) Brotherhood and Love (Al-Hujurat, 49:10)

 The believers are but a single brotherhood: so make peace and reconciliation
between your two(contending) brothers; and fear Allah. That he may receive
mercy

2) Sympathy and Mercifulness (Al-Maun, 107: 1-3)

 Seest thou one who denies the Judgment (to come)? Then such is the (man) who
repulses the orphan (with harshness), And encourages not the feeding of the
indigent.

3) Support and cooperation (Al-Maidah, 5:2)

 O ye who believe! Violate not the sanctity of the symbols of Allah, nor of the
sacred month, nor of the animals brought for sacrifice, nor the garlands that mark
out such animals, nor the people resorting to the sacred house, seeking of the
bounty and good pleasure of their Lord. But when ye are clear of the sacred
precincts and of pilgrim garb, ye may hunt and let not the hatred of some people
in (once) shutting you out of the Sacred Mosque lead you to transgression (and
hostility on your part). Help ye one another in righteousness and piety, but help ye
not one another in sin and rancour: fear Allah. for Allah is strict in punishment.

4) Solidarity and mutuality (At-Tawbah, 9: 103)

 Of their goods, take alms, that so thou mightest purify and sanctify them; and pray
on their behalf. Verily thy prayers are a source of security for them: And Allah is
One Who heareth and knoweth.

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5) Mutual consultation and advice (Al-Asr, 103:1-3)
 By (the Token of) Time (through the ages), By (the Token of) Time (through the
ages), Except such as have Faith, and do righteous deeds, and (join together) in
the mutual teaching of Truth, and of Patience and Constancy.

6) Purification and advancement (Al-Baqarah, 2: 222)

 They ask thee Concerning Women's courses. Say: They are A hurt and a pollution.
So keep away from women In their courses, and do not Approach them until They
are clean. But when they have Purifed themselves, Ye may approach them In any
manner, time, or place Ordained for you by Allah. For Allah loves those Who turn
to Him constantly And He loves those Who keep themselves pure and clean


Induction To The Rise Of Muslim Civilization

 Spiritual power
o A tremendous impulse was given to the Muslim community to explore life and
the world around them (life and world created for a purpose)
”Not for (idle) sport did We create the heavens and the earth and all that in
between.” (21:16)
o The Muslim spread the word of Allah (3:79)
o Islam- The way to save people and liberate them

 Ability to transform the ideals of the Quran to daily conduct: hard work,
perseverance, sincerity, honesty and patience
 Intellectual freedom, freeing human intellect from superstitions, teaching people
to think critically and creatively (prohibition of imitation without sound
evidence)
 Political freedom, equality between the ruler and the ruled
 Openness
o To learn from human experience
o To people of different races and ethnicities

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 o It was not the military power which enabled early Muslims to dominate half of
the then known world. It was their righteousness and their humaneness
o The Muslims intermarried freely with local people and became part of them
o
 The spirit of seeking knowledge
o Most of the rulers of Bani Ummayah and the first two centuries of Al-
Abbasiyyan dynasties were educated or scholars
o They encouraged learning and scientific enquiry and used to spend on it
generously (the House of Freedom)
o The establishment of hundreds of schools and universities such as al-
Nizamiyyah, al-Azhar and al-Qayrawan
o In addition to the generous spending on education and scholars, endowment
fund was well developed and played a significant role in developing
educational institutions

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 3. Expansion of Knowledge during Abbasid Era

Abbasid era is also known as Abbasid caliphate, or The Abbasids, or Bani Abbasiyah
Empire. It was arise after the fallen of Umayyad Era in 750 C.E. Abbasids was founded by the
Prophet Muhammad youngest uncle, Abbas Ibn Abd al-Mutallib. The early capital was
located in Harran, later than it was moved to Baghdad. Abbas Ibn Abd al-Mutallib (566-662)
was being considered the true successor of Muhammad. By winning the support of Shiites, he
took over the Umayyad empire starting the new era of Abbasids as the Islamic caliphate
empire. The expansion is knowledge during Abbasids era is so famous that the era was also
known as The Golden Age in Islamic history. This is the period when many muslim artists,
engineers, scholars, poets, philosophers, geographers and traders contributed to agriculture,
arts, economics, industry, law, literature, navigation, philosophy, sciences, sociology and
technology. Even with this development, earlier tradition from teaching of Prophet
Muhammad is preserved and teaching of Islam is applied in every field with adding of some
innovations of their own to fit the change of human lifestyle with the guideline from Quran
and Sunnahs.

Expansion of knowledge in Abbasids era was also very successful due to the born of
many great scholars such as Jabir Ibn Hayyan( Chemistry ), Al- Battani( Astronomy ),Ibn
Sina
(Medicine),Al-Khawarizmi( Mathematics ) and a lot more scholars that came out with a great
discoveries and books. These scholars had published a lot of books and articles about their
researches and studies that lead to the expansion of knowledge. They were not also famous in
Arabic countries but also to the others empire such Persian, Greeks, and Romans. Abbasids
caliphate had ruled over more than 35 countries that exist today. Some of the famous
countries they conquered were Greece, Italy, Russia, France and Turkey. These conquests
over many countries allowed them to synchronize with the knowledge of other culture. Hence,
the increase in the collection of ideas, discoveries and information make the expansion of
knowledge become a lot bigger.

Main Factor of the Expansion of Knowledge:

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 There are many factors that contribute to the great expansion of knowledge during
Abbasids era. However, the only reason that makes the expansion became extraordinarily
successful is the establishment of Baitu al-Hikmah translated as House of Wisdom. This
establishment became the great foundation of Islam Golden Era. The main function of al-
Hikmah was to gather all knowledge of all over the world and to translate it into Arabic. This
translation movement was done by the help of many scholars either muslim or non-muslim. It
also collected many classical antiquities that could have been lost at that time and translate
into Arabic. Moreover, the knowledgeable collections were not only translated into Arabic but
also into other languages such as Sindhi, Latin, Hebrew, Turkish and Persian. As many
scholars assembled, many discussions occurred among scholars all over the world about
religions, sciences and philosophy. In short, a lot of ideas came out to be studied. Hence,
many discoveries will be made.
In addition, the translation movement made the availability for the community in
Abbasids era to read a lot of books and articles. This exposure will lead into creating a
informative and productive society. Hence, the practicality of knowledge will be more
effective. These make many technology had been improved during the Abbasids era such as
papermaking (originated from China), cash cropping introduction (crops which grown for
profits) and monotery economy creation (market that only use gold value/dinar).

In conclusion, establishment of Baitu al-Hikmah had become the major contribution

towards the expansion of knowledge during the Abbasid era. It provided a source of
knowledge toward many scholars by collecting and translating knowledge from all over the
world. The Translation Movement made by Baitu al-Hikmah was leaded by caliph Harun ar-
Rashid also known in the west as Universal Civilization. In order to accomplish the
Translation Movement, diverse people from the Chinese, the Indians, the people of the
Middle East, North Africa and Black Africa, and white European were all gather together.

Expansion

One of the best caliphs in Abbasids era was Khalifah Harun ar-Rashid. During his reign,
Islam achieved age of great intellectual achievement. After establishing Baitu al-Hikmah, he
had introduced many Greek scholars into Europe world and Arabic world by promoting the
work of translating their philosophy and science discoveries into many languages. This period
had seen a lot of recoveries and preservations to the work of Alexandrian (Greek)
mathematical, geometric and astronomical knowledge. At first, this knowledge was learnt to
accommodate obligatory of Muslim life such as prayer’s time, Kiblah and fasting time. Later

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then, it was applied into industrial and agriculture activities such as rotating cropping, stock
supply and buildings. During Abbasids era, medicine was also known as the most advance
medicine in Islamic medieval age. With more than 800 great doctors, many discoveries had
been made. A lot of people from all over the world come to Baghdad to learn medicine. One
of great medical scholars during this period is Ibn Sina. The west knew him as Avicenna. His
greatest two books, The Canon of Medicine and The book of Healing, are still being used in
many universities until today. Also in chemistry, Jabbir Ibn Khaiyyan is considered as Father
of Chemistry. The works of all this scholars remain until today and had influenced many great
scientists all over the world.

Expansion of knowledge also occurs in development of technology. Abbasids era had

introducing the papermaking technique, which previously discovered by Chinese and kept
secret. Islam believes the all knowledge is Allah’s. So, human kinds have no rights to not
share a good knowledge. Another thing that help Abbasids era in expansion of knowledge,
was the great innovative industrial works on the uses of hydropower, tidal waves, wind
power, steam power and fossil fuels (such as petroleum and natural gas). These innovations
helped in strengthening the Abbasids military. Hence, allow them to increase their conquest
and rule many provinces that had covered 1/3 of the world. Also as an example of a very great
Islamic Caliphate, all this innovations can be seen applied through every province. Every
people live in a great achievement of industrial development.

Compared to today, developed country is very stingy to let other developing and poor
country to have the latest technology. Islam discoveries were so great that even the western
people know. And yes, we can be proud for them to know it. And we say the western so great
because they use what we own. And they replied “it is true Islam found great stuffs, but it is
us who know how to use it now”. This is lessons for us, we have to learn, to research, to
discover and most importantly, to apply. During Abbasids era, knowledge was not just been
discovered, but also applied in many fields of human life.

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4.Knowledge of Sahabah and Scholars

In numerous places in the Qur'an, Allah praises and shows His pleasure for the
Companions of the Prophet (Saw) and also for those who follow in their footsteps. 
Forexample, Allahsays,

"And the first to embrace Islam of the Muhaajirun and the Ansaar and also those who
followed them exactly (in faith)!  Allah is well-pleased with them as they are well-pleased
with Him.  He has prepared for them Gardens under which rivers flow (Paradise) to dwell
therein forever.  That is the supreme success".  (at-Tawbah, 100)

Throughout history, the sahaba and muslim scholars have contributed a lot of
knowledge in many fields that provide great help to the development of Islamic knowledge.
In astronomy the Muslims integrated the astronomical traditions of the Indians, Persians, the
ancient Near East and especially the Greeks into a synthesis which began to chart a new
chapter in the history of astronomy from the 8th century onward. The Almagest of Ptolemy,
whose very name in English reveals the Arabic origin of its Latin translation, was thoroughly
studied and its planetary theory criticized by several astronomers of both the eastern and
western lands of Islam leading to the major critique of the theory by Nasir al-Din al-Tusi and
his students, especially Qutb alDin al-Shirazi, in the 13th century. The Muslims also observed
the heavens carefully and discovered many new stars.

The book on stars of 'Abd al-Rahman al-Sufi was in fact translated into Spanish by
Alfonso X el Sabio and had a deep influence upon stellar toponymy in European languages.
Many star names in English such as Aldabaran still recall their Arabic origin. The Muslims
carried out many fresh observations which were contained in astronomical tables called zij.
One of the acutest of these observers was al-Battani whose work was followed by numerous
others. The zij of al-Ma'mun observed in Baghdad, the Hakimite zij of Cairo, the Toledan
Tables of alZarqali and his associates, the ll-Khanid zij of Nasir al-Din al-Tusi observed in
Maraghah, and the zij of Ulugh-Beg from Samarqand are among the most famous Islamic
astronomical tables. They wielded a great deal of influence upon Western astronomy up to the
time of Tycho Brahe. The Muslims were in fact the first to create an astronomical observatory

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as a scientific institution, this being the observatory of Maraghah in Persia established by al-
Tusi. This was indirectly the model for the later European observatories.
Many astronomical instruments were developed by Muslims to carry out observation,
the most famous being the astrolabe. There existed even mechanical astrolabes perfected by
Ibn Samh which must be considered as the ancestor of the mechanical clock. Astronomical
observations also had practical applications including not only finding the direction of
Makkah for prayers, but also devising almanacs (the word itself being of Arabic origin). The
Muslims also applied their astronomical knowledge to questions of time-keeping and the
calendar. The most exact solar calendar existing to this day is the Jalali calendar devised
under the direction of 'Umar Khayyam in the 12th century and still in use in Persia and
Afghanistan.

Muslim scholars also have many contributions in medical sciences, The hadiths of the
Prophet contain many instructions concerning health including dietary habits; these sayings
became the foundation of what came to be known later as "Prophetic medicine" (al-tibb al-
nabawi). Because of the great attention paid in Islam to the need to take care of the body and
to hygiene, early in Islamic history Muslims began to cultivate the field of medicine turning
once again to all the knowledge that was available to them from Greek, Persian and Indian
sources. At first the great physicians among Muslims were mostly Christian but by the 9th
century Islamic medicine, properly speaking, was born with the appearance of the major
compendium, Rhazes Anatomy Smallpox Antiseptic Psychosomatic Medicine The Paradise
of Wisdom (Firdaws al-hikmah ) by 'Ali ibn Rabban al-Tabari, who synthesized the
Hippocratic and Galenic traditions of medicine with those of India and Persia. His student,
Muhammad ibn Zakariyya' al-Razi (the Latin Rhazes), was one of the greatest of physicians
who emphasized clinical medicine and observation. He was a master of prognosis and
psychosomatic medicine and also of anatomy. He was the first to identify and treat smallpox,
to use alcohol as an antiseptic and make medical use of mercury as a purgative. His Kitab al-
hawi (Continens) is the longest work ever written in Islamic medicine and he was recognized
as a medical authority in the West up to the 18th century.

The greatest of all Muslim physicians, however, was Ibn Sina who was called "the
prince of physicians" in the West. He synthesized Islamic medicine in his major masterpiece,
al-Qanun fi'l tibb (The Canon of Medicine), which is the most famous of all medical books in
history. It was the final authority in medical matters in Europe for nearly six centuries and is

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still taught wherever Islamic medicine has survived to this day in such lands as Pakistan and
India. Ibn Sina discovered many drugs and identified and treated several ailments such as
meningitis but his greatest contribution was in the philosophy of medicine. He created a
system of medicine within which medical practice could be carried out and in which physical
and psychological factors, drugs and diet are combined.

After Ibn Sina, Islamic medicine divided into several branches. In the Arab world
Egypt remained a major center for the study of medicine, especially ophthalmology which
reached its peak at the court of al-Hakim. Cairo possessed excellent hospitals which also drew
physicians from other lands including Ibn Butlan, author of the famous Calendar of Health,
and Ibn Nafis who discovered the lesser or pulmonary circulation of the blood long before
Michael Servetus, who is usually credited with the discovery.

Even after the Mongol invasion, medical studies continued as can be seen in the work
of Rashid al-Din Fadlallah, and for the first time there appeared translations of Chinese
medicine and interest in acupuncture among Muslims. The Islamic medical tradition was
revived in the Safavid period when several diseases such as whooping cough were diagnosed
and treated for the first time and much attention was paid to pharmacology. Many Persian
doctors such as 'Ayn al-Mulk of Shiraz also travelled to India at this time to usher in the
golden age of Islamic medicine in the subcontinent and to plant the seed of the Islamic
medical tradition which continues to flourish to this day in the soil of that land.

Islamic medical authorities were also always concerned with the significance of
pharmacology and many important works such as the Canon have whole books devoted to the
subject. The Muslims became heir not only to the pharmacological knowledge of the Greeks
as contained in the works of Dioscorides, but also the vast herbal pharmacopias of the
Persians and Indians. They also studied the medical effects of many drugs, especially herbs,
themselves. The greatest contributions in this field came from Maghribi scientists such as Ibn
Juljul, Ibn al-Salt and the most original of Muslim pharmacologists, the 12th century scientist,
al-Ghafiqi, whose Book of Simple Drugs provides the best descriptions of the medical
properties of plants known to Muslims. Islamic medicine combined the use of drugs for
medical purposes with dietary considerations and a whole lifestyle derived from the teachings

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of Islam to create a synthesis which has not died out to this day despite the introduction of
modern medicine into most of the Islamic world.

As for mathematics proper, like astronomy, it received its direct impetus from the
Quran not only because of the mathematical structure related to the text of the Sacred Book,
but also because the laws of inheritance delineated in the Quran require rather complicated
mathematical solutions. Here again Muslims began by integrating Greek and Indian
mathematics. The first great Muslim mathematician, al-Khwarazmi, who lived in the 9th
century, wrote a treatise on arithmetic whose Latin translation brought what is known as
Arabic numerals to the West. To this day guarismo, derived from his name, means figure or
digit in Spanish while algorithm is still used in English. Al-Khwarazmi is also the author of
the first book on algebra. This science was developed by Muslims on the basis of earlier
Greek and Indian works of a rudimentary nature. The very name algebra comes from the first
part of the name of the book of al-Khwarazmi, entitled Kirah al-jahr wa'l-muqabalah. Abu
Kamil al-Shuja' discussed algebraic equations with five unknowns. The science was further
developed by such figures as al-Karaji until it reached its peak with Khayyam who classified
by kind and class algebraic equations up to the third degree.

The Muslims also excelled in geometry as reflected in their art. The brothers Banu
Musa who lived in the 9th century may be said to be the first outstanding Muslim geometers
while their contemporary Thabit ibn Qurrah used the method of exhaustion, giving a glimpse
of what was to become integral calculus. Many Muslim mathematicians such as Khayyam and
al-Tusi also dealt with the fifth postulate of Euclid and the problems which follow if one tries
to prove this postulate within the confines of Eucledian geometry.

Likewise in geography, Muslims were able to extend their horizons far beyond the
world of Ptolemy. As a result of travel over land and by sea and the facile exchange of ideas
made possible by the unified structure of the Islamic world and the hajj which enables
pilgrims from all over the Islamic world to gather and exchange ideas in addition to visiting
the House of God, a vast amount of knowledge of areas from the Pacific to the Atlantic was
assembled. The Muslim geographers starting with al-Khwarazmi, who laid the foundation of
this science among Muslims in the 9th century, began to study the geography of practically
the whole globe minus the Americas, dividing the earth into the traditional seven climes each
of which they studied carefully from both a geographical and climactic point of view. They
also began to draw maps some of which reveal with remarkable accuracy many features such

15
as the origin of the Nile, not discovered in the West until much later. The foremost among
Muslim geographers was Abu 'Abdallah al-Idrisi, who worked at the court of Roger II in
Sicily and who dedicated his famous book, Kitab al-rujari (The Book of Roger) to him. His
maps are among the great achievements of Islamic science. It was in fact with the help of
Muslim geographers and navigators that Magellan crossed the Cape of Good Hope into the
Indian Ocean. Even Columbus made use of their knowledge in his discovery of America.

One of the major achievements of Islamic civilization is architecture which combines

technology Treatises on natural and art. The great masterpieces of Islamic architecture from
the Cordoba Mosque and the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem to the Taj Mahal in India,
scientists were often display this perfect wedding between the artistic illustrated with detailed
principles of Islam and remarkable technological know-how. Much of the outstanding
medieval facilitate teaching of the architecture of the West is in fact indebted to the
techniques of Islamic architecture. When one views the Notre Dame in Paris or some other
Gothic cathedral, one is reminded of the building techniques which travelled from Muslim
Cordoba northward. Gothic arches as well as interior courtyards of so many medieval and
Renaissance European structures remind the viewer of the Islamic architectural examples
from which they originally drew. In fact the great medieval European architectural tradition is
one of the elements of Western civilization most directly linked with the Islamic world, while
the presence of Islamic architecture can also be directly experienced in the Moorish style
found not only in Spain and Latin America, but in the southwestern United States as well.

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 5. Ustaziatul Alam

Among the reasons for the rapid and peaceful spread of Islam was the simplicity of its
doctrine.  Islam calls for faith in only one God worthy of worship. It also repeatedly instructs
man to use his powers of intelligence and observation. ‘Ilm start to expand not only in
religious matters, but also in scientific and philosophy. They start built madrasah specifically
for education. Previously, they had mosque as centre of education.

Masjid and madarasah

Every place, from the mosque to the hospital, the observatory, to the madrassa was a
place of learning. Scholars also addressed gatherings of people in their own homes. Al-
Ghazali, Al-Farabi, and Ibn Sinna, amongst many more, after teaching in public schools,
retired to their private libraries and studies, and continued teaching `those fortunate enough to
be invited.

The mosque played a very great part in the spread of education in Islam. From the
start, the mosque, was the centre of the Islamic community, a place for prayer, meditation,
religious instruction, political discussion, and a school. And anywhere Islam took hold,
mosques were established, and basic instruction began. Once established, such mosques could
develop into well known places of learning, often with hundreds, sometimes with thousands
of students, and frequently contained important libraries.

The basic format of mosque education was the study circle, better known in Islam as
`Halaqat al-ilm' or in brief: Halaqa. Halaqa, spelled Halka in the new edition of the
Encyclopaedia of Islam, is defined as `a gathering of people seated in a circle,’ or, `gathering
of students around a teacher. Visiting scholars were allowed to sit beside the lecturer as a
mark of respect, and in many Halaqat a special section was always reserved for visitors.
During the halaqats, whilst teachers exercised authority, students were still allowed, in fact,
encouraged to discuss and even challenge and correct the teacher, often in heated exchanges.
Disputations, unrestricted, in all fields of knowledge were known to take place on Friday in
the study circles held around the mosques, and `no holds were barred.’
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 The madrasa was the final stage in the development of the Muslim college, combining
the teaching function of the masjid with the lodging function of the khan. This follows a
tradition long established by prophet Muhammad whose mosque was connected to a building
which served as a school and as a hostel for poor students and out-of-towners.

Universities

Within a few years, great civilizations and universities were flourishing, for according
to the Prophet, 'seeking knowledge is an obligation for every Muslim man and woman'. The
outcome is shown in the spread of Islamic universities; Al-Zaytunah in Tunis, and Al-Azhar
in Cairo go back more than 1000 years and are the oldest existing universities in the world.
Indeed, they were the models for the first European universities, such as Bologna, Heidelberg,
and the Sorbonne. Even the familiar academic cap and gown originated at Al-Azhar
University. The renown of such places attracted large numbers of students. The universities of
Granada, Seville and Cordoba were held in the highest estimation by the scholars of Asia,
Africa and Europe, and in the ninth century. Indeed, until now, in most parts of the Islamic
world, the word Jamia means at once both mosque and school, even when they are separate
buildings, most often distant from each other. Finally, `Jamia’, the word for university in
Arabic derives from Jami, mosque. No similar derivation exists in any other language or
culture; no better association between Islam and higher learning than this.

Translation

The Islamic empires, in the early 6th centuries, were the inheritors of the scientific
tradition of late antiquity. They preserved it, elaborated it, and finally, passed it to Europe.
This time period, which was Europe's dark ages, were, for Muslim scholars, a time of
philosophical and scientific discovery and development. The Arabs at the time not only
assimilated the ancient wisdom of Persia, and the classical heritage of Greece, but adapted
their own distinctive needs and ways of thinking. Muslim scholars studied the ancient
civilizations from Greece and Rome to China and India. The works of Aristotle, Ptolemy,
Euclid and others were translated into Arabic. Muslim scholars and scientists then added their
own creative ideas, discoveries and inventions, and finally transmitted this new knowledge to
Europe, leading directly to the Renaissance. Many scientific and medical treatises, having

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been translated into Latin, were standard text and reference books as late as the 17th and 18th
centuries in Europe.    

The efforts of the Umayyids were clear in their dedication to science and encouraging
translation. The best example was Khaled Ibn Yazid, the wise man of the Umayyids, who
collaborated with Monk Marianus in translating numerous Greek books. So did Masarjaweih
during Marwan Ibn Al Hakam's (64 A.H,/683 A.D.) who translated the ii medical books of
Ahrun Ibn A 'ayun, Sarjoun Ibn Mansour and Shawthun, Al Hajjaj's physician.  

    The Umayyids presented methods of work and established the institutions to
consolidate Islam and to spread Arabic in the new Islamic societies. They opened Arabic
schools to teach writing. Distinguished figures of thought and literature were summoned to
hold their seminars and debates in the presence of Caliphs. They also took care of libraries
and maintained foreign schools at Naseibin and Harran without intervention, helping them to
continue their translation activities.

Within a few years, great civilizations and universities were flourishing, for according
to the Prophet, 'seeking knowledge is an obligation for every Muslim man and woman'.
Sophisticated instruments which were to make possible the European voyages of discovery
were developed, including the astrolabe, the quadrant and good navigational maps.

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 6. Decline of a wonderful civilisation

‘Extinguishers’ prompting to the decline of civilization

The denial of revelation of the Lord and the disobedience of the prophet
Following the bidding of every insolent tyrant and transgressors who made mischief in
the land and did not reform themselves such as the people of Ad and Thamud
Rejoicing over scientific knowledge and turning away from the revelations
Insufferable intellectuals and material arrogance intermingled with the heedless of
Allah’s severe punishment( the fatal error judgments’ of Pharaoh and Qarun)
Oppressor defrauding people of their possessions and injustice particularly against the
poor and the weak (the deadly error committed by Madyan and the people of Shua’ib)
Committing abominable of offences and indulgence in lust (the sins that ruined the
people of Lut)
The widespread corruption, committing evil in public without the least attempt to
forbid each other these wrong doings. Such offences committed by the people of
Israel
(Al-Maidah, 5: 79)
Nor did they (usually) forbid one another the iniquities which they committed: evil
indeed were the deeds which they did.
Not only the denial of the blessings of Allah and rejection of doing righteous
deeds as a sign of gratitude but also using these blessings to disobey Allah
(Al-Nahl, 16: 112)
Allah sets forth a Parable: a city enjoying security and quiet, abundantly supplied
with sustenance from every place: Yet was it ungrateful for the favours of Allah. so
Allah made it taste of hunger and terror (in extremes) (closing in on it) like a garment
(from every side), because of the (evil) which (its people) wrought.
Luxury and insolent thanklessness for the blessing bestowed by Allah
(Al-Qasas, 28: 58)

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 And how many populations We destroyed, which exulted in their life (of ease and
plenty)! now those habitations of theirs, after them, are deserted,- All but a
(miserable) few! and We are their heirs!

Muslims have once in the world’s history been respected for their enthusiasm of
knowledge as well their compassion to practise their religion in the whole possible aspects.
This has brought Arabs and a person around them from scratch to a position where world is at
their feet. All the giant empires known such as Persian, Byzantine, Rome, held high regards
to them, thus, many people were attracted to the true beauty of Islam. Nevertheless,
civilizations rise and decay, empires rise and fall. They may at times be coeval, but have
different dynamics. Empire building entails hegemony of a people over others, expressed in
the person of the ruler, often with manipulated religious trappings. Civilization is the
flourishing of excellence of a civic idea, supported by peaceful flowering of the arts and
pursuit of knowledge in which many ethnicities and religions may participate.

The glory days of the Islamic civilization spanned more than a thousand years. The
Islamic civilization was an evolving continuum while many Muslim Empires rose, fell and
preyed on each other. Muslim intellectuals have been searching for the reasons of decline of
the Islamic Civilizations for at least the last three centuries. The decline, which set in after a
combination of internal and external circumstances and conditions, caused a decrease in the
demand for science and technology.

There are various factors contribute to the consequent degradation of Muslim’s

empires, which, among all are: The geographical location and the geography of the region,
natural disasters, coping with overextension, sustained crusade and the cultural barrier,
western military intervention to thwart modernization, the capitulations, the loss of
international trade, the Mongols, the Crusades, and the Nomads.

However, the most popular view for the civilisation decay seems to be that the
Muslims have veered away from the teachings of Islam. The second conventional view is that
the start with the ascendance of the West. It led to eventual Western colonialism of Muslim
lands and its materialistic hegemony stifled the Islamic Civilizations. at the outset been
creative and dynamic in dealing with issues, it began to struggle to respond to the challenges
and rapid changes it faced from the 12th century onwards, towards the end of the Abbassid

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rule; despite a brief respite with the new Ottoman rule, the decline apparently continued until
its eventual collapse and subsequent stagnation in the 20th century.

Contrary to the popular belief that Islamic civilizations declined because of the rise of
the West, a case can be made that it was partly the decline of the Islamic civilization that gave
impetus to the unchallenged rise of the West. The golden age of Islam, particularly the
scientific pursuits that required greater stability in the Arab heartland, declined by the 12th
century and came to end in 1258 after the brutal Mongol invasion. Though the Mongol
conquers adopted Islam within fifty years, their ruling methods were tribal. With the vast
destruction of manuscripts and libraries, gradually a majority of Ulama’ (religious jurists and
scholars) came to the view that the Islamic civilization had reached its apogee and all the
interpretations (Ijtihad) needed have been accomplished.

Due to the widespread destruction of Islamic lands, particularly the Baghdad Caliphate
at the hands of Mongols was widely believed to be retribution from God for the deviances. In
effect a consensus emerged that the “gates of Ijtehad, (interpretation) were closed”. Ibn
Taymiyyah (1263-1326) condemned many of the interpretations that accrued after the
caliphate of the first four caliphs, but he advocated fresh interpretation for the current times.
He was imprisoned for such deviance and died heartbroken. By the time of Ibn Khaldun
(1332-1406), the Muslim Empire of Spain was in headlong decline and was finally obliterated
in 1492. To add, North Africa's Islamic civilization collapsed after exhausting its resources in
internal fighting and suffering devastation from the invasion of the Arab Bedouin tribes of
Banu Sulaym and Banu Hilal.

Despite that, the advent of the wider use of gun-powder gave impetus to the expansion
of the new Muslim powers especially the Safvids in Iran, Mughals in India and the Ottoman
Turks in Asia Minor, Balkans and North Africa. They had quite liberal and tolerant rulers
ushering an era of conquest, expansion and great civilizations. They reached their zenith in
16th and 17th centuries. By the beginning of 18th century these great empires were spent and
in decline. The European colonization of the Muslim lands started in mid 18th century.

Furthemore, a situation famously called the Black Death ravaged much of the Islamic
world in the mid-14th century. Plague epidemics kept returning to the Islamic world up to the
19th century. There was apparently an increasing lack of tolerance of intellectual debate and
freedom of thought,with some seminaries systematically forbidding speculative metaphysics,

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while polemic debates in this field appear to have been abandoned after the 14th century.
Institutions of science comprising Islamic universities, libraries (including the House of
Wisdom), observatories, and hospitals, were later destroyed by foreign invaders like the
Crusaders and particularly the Mongols, and were rarely promoted again in the devastated
regions.Not only was not new publishing equipment accepted but also wide illiteracy
overwhelmed the devastated lands, especially in Mesopotamia. Meanwhile in Persia, due to
the Mongol invasions and the plague, the average life expectancy of the scholarly class in
Persia had declined from 72 years in 1209 to 57 years by 1242, according to a source.

On top of all, the great Muslim tradition of scholarship in philosophy and sciences
were in decline by the dawn of the 13th century. About this time the Europeans had started
translations of the knowledge accrued and built upon by the Muslim scholars. Though in the
15th and 16th centuries Europe was still in religious straight-jacket, it had started a gradual
pushing back against the stranglehold of the unitary Catholic Church. The freedom of thought
gradually gained ground in the 18th century, and has come to be known as the ‘Age of
Reason’. With this came the unleashing of sciences, leading to better technology and the start
of colonial expansion. By the mid 19th century the ‘Industrial Revolution’ had taken hold,
particularly the war technology and exploration leading to world dominance and colonialism.
The colonialism and the ascendance of the West were in part caused by the weakness in
Islamic societies.

Lastly, all of those aforementioned pathologic stimuli had exacerbated the already
falling Islamic empire especially in terms of knowledge seeking motives. This in turn bring an
end to the once very glorious and mesmerising beauty of an empire that, one can hope to be
like. In the words of George Sarton inThe Incubation of Western Culture in the Middle East',
he pointed out:

"The achievements of the Arabic speaking peoples between the ninth and twelfth centuries are
so great as to baffle our understanding. The decadence of Islam and of Arabic is almost as
puzzling in its speed and completeness as their phenomenal rise. Scholars will forever try to
explain it as they try to explain the decadence and fall of Rome. Such questions are
exceedingly complex and it is impossible to answer them in a simple way."

Thus, yet, the unresolved puzzles and mysteries, in order to find the best possible
remedies and solutions to the Ummah, still remain a quest for us to rebuild and regain our

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former strength. Indeed, it is a tall order which lies in the on the shoulders of each of us to
reignite the spirit of true Islam to the world. Bring Islam back to its place where it should be
treated, by especially perhaps going back to the basics, the teachings of Al-Qur’an and As-
Sunnah, therefore, reinforcing our knowledge enthusiasm as well as rejuvenating our religious
obedience.

7. References

 http://www.pre-renaissance.com/intro.html

 http://www.islamic-dictionary.com/how-did-islam-spread.php

 http://www.islamset.com/islam/civil/conque.html

 http://www.muslimbridges.org/index.php?

option=com_content&view=article&id=235:brief-history-the-spread-of-

islam&catid=25:spread-of-islam&Itemid=105

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_Golden_Age#End_of_the_Golden_Age

 http://www.countercurrents.org/beg-250706.htm

 http://www.history-science-technology.com/Articles/articles%208.htm

 http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2007/01/decline-of-islamic-civilization.html

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