KULLIYYAH OF ISLAMIC REVEALED KNOWLEDGE

AND HUMAN SCIENCES

INSTRUCTOR NAME :
DR NORILLAH BINTI ABDULLAH

PREPARED BY :
QASDINA BINTI KAMARULZAMAN ( 2015734 )
LINA EMIRA BINTI AHMAD ADNI ( 2117978 )
LUQMAN HAKIM BIN MOHD RIZAL (2114513)
MUHAMMAD FAIZ ILMI BIN SHAHRIL ( 2119119 )

SESSION :
SEMESTER 2, 2022/2023

ASSIGNMENT 1

TOPICS :

1. Describe the Golden Age of Islam. How it inspired the great achievements made by

the Muslim. Compare that with the Dark Ages.

1.0 Introduction

1.1 Golden Age Of Islam

The Golden Age of Islam was the outcome of a complex interplay of historical, cultural, and

geopolitical circumstances. It emerged from the early efforts of the Islamic civilisation in the

7th and 8th centuries CE to build a new religious and political identity. Following the death

of Prophet Muhammad in 632 CE, the Islamic ummah suffered a period of political and

social turbulence as it attempted to establish a successor to the Prophet. The leadership finally

fell to the first four caliphs, who managed the Islamic empire's expansion through military

conquests in the Arabian Peninsula, North Africa, and the Middle East. This rapid expansion

brought a diverse array of cultures, ideas, and technologies into contact with Islamic

islamization, leading to a period of intellectual and artistic exchange.The early Muslim

empire also fostered a climate of religious tolerance, which allowed people of different faiths

and backgrounds to co-exists and contribute to the growth of Islamic culture. The Islamic

Golden Age truly started with the rise of the Abbasid Dynasty in the 8th century. The

Abbasids moved the current capital of the Islamic empire from Damascus to Baghdad, which

became a center of learning, culture and trading.Under the Abbasids,the Islamic empire

became the hub of intellectual exchange, attracting scholars and thinkers from all over the

world.

1.2 Dark Ages

In historiography the phrase the ‘Dark Ages’ or ‘Dark Age’ is most commonly known in

relation to the European Early Middle Ages (from about 476 C.E. to about 1000 C.E.).

Europe experienced a substantial fall in population, economic activity, and cultural

development throughout this period. The word "Dark Ages" connotes a period of stagnation

and backwards.The fall of the Western Roman Empire in the fifth century AD marked the end

of a period of relative peace and prosperity in Europe. For much of the continent, the empire
served as a central authority and shared culture, and its demise resulted in political

fragmentation and economic chaos. The loss of trade and agriculture resulted in a decrease in

population, and the absence of a strong central government allowed numerous kingdoms and

feudal systems to form. These kingdoms frequently lacked the administrative and military

resources to maintain order, and local power struggles and invasions by foreign forces

worsened the region's instability.

2.0 Factors of The Islamic Golden Age

2.1 Cultural factors

The 8th through 14th centuries are known as the Islamic Golden Age, a time when Islam and

Arabic culture spread over North Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, and Southern Europe.

During this time, there was a tremendous flowering in the arts, trade, and science.

Muhammad, the prophet of Islam, was also an inspiring and extremely successful leader and

military commander. He is recognised by non-Muslims for inventing the religion and by

Muslims as being Allah's final messenger. By 632, he had unified Arabia under his control.

The Islamic Empire, ruled by the Umayyad Caliphate, stretched from Spain and Morocco to

India and Central Asia by the year 750. His successors, known as caliphs, carried on his

ambition of establishing the religion and capturing additional territory. Most of the time, the

caliphs of this era held the belief that an Islamic civilization should advance in knowledge

and technology, and that science, philosophy, and culture should grow alongside and as a part

of Islam.

2.2 Economic factors

According to research,the economy of the Islamic Golden Age worked efficiently and

financial activities were codified by the Islamic law while. Manufacturers and merchants

supported a thriving urban economy while peasants stilled the land as their ancestors used to
do centuries before them(Bentley & Ziegler, 2000, as cited in Renima et al., 2016).It is also

stated that governments encouraged agricultural trade and manufacturers since the Umayyad

and Abbasid empires created a zone of trade exchange and communications stretched from

India to Siberia (Bentley & Ziegler, 2000, as cited in Renima et al., 2016).

Compared to the Dark Age, it experienced economic decline, which led to a decrease in the

production of goods and foods. A study found that despite technological advancements, the

demands of growing populations cannot be fulfilled (Hunt & Murray, 1999). Furthermore,

citizens experienced social hierarchy privilege, with lords such as kings, princesses, and

knights offering exclusive rights and authority over recently acquired agricultural property in

exchange for a reduction in the amount of labour services due or an increase in the crop

share. (Hunt & Murray, 1999). This led to the surrounding forest being swept away by

growing rural communities, bringing more of it under agricultural cultivation.

2.3 Political Factors

Ever since the time of the Prophet Muhammad P.B.U.H., the usage of precisely defined legal

frameworks can be seen in the Islamic state. Islam places a strong emphasis on social justice

and equality. Just like the time when The Prophet drafted a kind of Constitution in Medina to

define the rights and responsibilities of diverse ethnic and religious communities (Sonn &

Williamsburg 2004: 18, as cited in Renima et al., 2016). This has brought peace to Islam and

has supported their base political views up to the golden age of Islam and even until now. In

the early Islamic state of Rashidun Caliphate, the notions of "Shura" (consultation) and

community participation were strengthened by drawing on this tradition of establishing

"constitutional" rights and obligations (Renima et al., 2016). The concept of undifferentiated

political religious community that came from the prophet was passed on very well to early

caliphs. Even though they did not have the prophet's ability of being given revelation, they
still managed to create law based around the revealed knowledge and execute it beautifully as

people considered their efforts as great as how the prophet used to do. (Lapidus, I. M.,

1992).We can see that Islam or the Arabs learns and improves from their past self who used

to be tribal and divided. History is a “mirror of princes”, It is where the secret of political

power could be learnt and employed to the best of advantages. (Sarwar and Ghulam, (1986).

The existence of political power in Islam influences its success especially in its golden age.

3.0 Contribution of the Islamic Golden Age

In the contribution of arts during Islamic Golden Age,it could be seen through the structure of

mosques and buildings. According to study, it creates a uniquely Islamic visual design where

the buildings are open, bright, colourful, and magnificent, rich in arabesques and calligraphy

and geometric designs. It is also stated that rich designs and decorations, and beautiful

calligraphy, book illustrations, miniature painting, and illuminated manuscripts (Essa et al.,

2012). Apart from that,it is clear that Islamic civilization was ahead of other civilizations in

the decoration of arts and materials. Research suggests that the Muslim world was probably

the only Middle Ages civilisation that produced highly artistic works of rock crystal and glass

(Essa et al., 2012).

Additionally, it is stated that when it comes to Muslim art, the connoisseur finds the best

examples of Islamic miniature painting in the Persian, Mughal, and Turkish miniatures since

the detail is meticulously and exquisitely rendered (Essa et al., 2012). There is much wealth

that comes in the making with the use of brilliant colours,gold,and precious stones.

Literature also plays an important part in contributing to a large cultural impact. It is noted

that Arabic literature served as the primary source of outside influence on the Christian world

during the Middle Ages and Renaissance in the West, when literature was an important field

of influence by Islamic civilisation (Essa et al., 2012). It is stated that Islam was nearly
entirely revealed to Europe through Arabic literature, and that all civilizations, including the

West, have benefited from the accomplishments of the Islamic civilization. Islam also had a

significant cultural influence on Christendom (Essa et al., 2012). The Islamic Golden Age

also contributed to the field of medicine. This motivated scholars from all over the world to

visit the Muslim world, where the top medical schools are recognised for their expertise in

medicine or pharmaceuticals. Based on a study, it has been discovered that Muslims saw

chemistry and botany as complementary rather than independent fields of study (Essa et al.,

2012). Apart from that, Andalusian Muslim scholars such as Ibn Rushd, or Averroes also

influenced the West in philosophy. It is discovered that they not only excelled as a judge,

doctor, and creator of a thorough medical encyclopaedia, but also had a profound

philosophical influence on the West (Essa et al., 2012).

During the Golden Age, Muslim theologians worked on developing a systematic approach to

kalam. They developed a technique for investigating theological issues that included logical

reasoning, textual analysis, and discussion. This approach was influenced by the Greek

intellectual tradition, which Muslim scholars had access to through translations of Greek

works into Arabic. During the Golden Age, Muslim theologians also made significant

contributions to the creation of Islamic law, or Sharia. They attempted to clarify and

understand the legal principles described in the Quran and Hadith.In contrast, there was low

growth in theology during the Dark Ages in Europe. Christianity was the dominant religion,

and doctrinal disagreements were mostly limited to the Church. There was limited

opportunity for dissent or other viewpoints, and theological debate was frequently focused on

problems of authority and orthodoxy rather than intellectual inquiry. During Europe's Dark

Ages, theological arguments were frequently marked by dogmatism and intolerance.

Dissenters were frequently punished, and there was limited tolerance for other points of view

or interpretations of religious teaching.

During the Abbasid Caliphate, the Islamic Empire greatly contributed to advancements in

many fields, including literature, philosophy, science, medicine, mathematics, and art. They

built on previous civilizations' knowledge, such as the Greeks, Persians, and Indians, and

established new methods of inquiry and scientific discovery. During this time, important

centres of learning were established, such as Baghdad's House of Wisdom, where

intellectuals from all over the Islamic world could exchange ideas and collaborate on research

projects. In mathematics figure such Al-Khawarizmi credited invented the concept of algebra

and algebraic equations ,which had a significant impact on the development of modern

mathematics. In the context of astronomy, many Muslim scientists made huge discoveries

such as accurate star maps and developing a new astronomical instrument. Most prominent

figure known during that time was Al-Biruni . In Europe, however, there was little

development in science and mathematics during the Dark Ages. Monastic societies were

mostly responsible for the preservation and transmission of knowledge from the ancient

world, focusing on copying and preserving manuscripts rather than producing new

discoveries or breakthroughs.

4.0 The Decline of the Islamic Golden Age

Numerous external invasions have struck at the core of Islam, causing a previously

unheard-of multi-cultural and multi-ethnic civilisation to slowly come to an end. For instance,

the Crusades' invasions in the 11th and 12th centuries CE imposed pressure on countries that

were primarily Islamic. But in the 13th century, a much larger threat arrived from the East.

Genghis Khan founded a strong dynasty among the Mongols of central Asia in 1206 CE. The

majority of the Eurasian continent, including China in the east and a sizable portion of the

former Islamic caliphate in the west, was subjugated by the Mongol Empire. Some historians
consider the destruction of Baghdad and the House of Wisdom by the Mongol ruler Hulagu

Khan in 1258 CE to mark the end of the Islamic Golden Age. Later Mongol rulers, like Timur

or Tamerlane, carried out that bloody mission in several other towns, killed hundreds of

thousands of people, and permanently damaged Mesopotamia's ancient irrigation networks

and vital economic infrastructure. This had an adverse effect on people's quality of life over

the whole region and gradually led to the loss of many advancements made in civilization in

earlier times. With a battle against the Emirate of Granada that began in 1482 CE and

finished with Granada's total conquest in early 1492 CE, the Catholics farther to the West

completed the Christian Reconquista in the Iberian Peninsula, which also marked the end of

the Islamic Golden Age, according to certain historians. There is disagreement over the

precise causes of the decline, but it has been suggested that political mismanagement and the

suppression of ijtihad (independent reasoning) in favour of institutionalised taqleed

(imitation) in the 12th century CE contributed to it. These events were in addition to

invasions by the Mongols and crusaders and the destruction of libraries and madrasas. It is

truly sad for the Muslim world to fall from the golden age to the decline of Islamic

civilization civilization. With that being said, we as Muslims of today’s world must not only

learn of our greatest achievements but also to realise our shortcomings.

5.0 Conclusion

To put it simply, the Islamic Golden Age was a period of remarkable intellectual and cultural

achievement during which Muslim intellectuals made major contributions to disciplines such

as mathematics, science, medicine, philosophy, and art. In contrast, the European Dark Ages

were marked by a drop in population, economic activity, and cultural achievement, as well as

limited development in mathematics, science, and philosophy. Muslim academics'

achievements throughout the Golden Age of Islam are still honoured and studied today as a
monument to the strength of intellectual curiosity, scientific research, and cultural

achievement.

References

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Golden Age: A Story of the Triumph of the Islamic Civilization.
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https://doi.org/10.5860/choice.37-1027
3. Lapidus, I. M. (1992). The Golden Age: The Political Concepts of Islam. The
Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 524, 13–25.
http://www.jstor.org/stable/1046702
4. Sarwar, Ghulam . (1986). [Review of CLASSICAL ARAB ISLAM: THE
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