Contributions of Islamic scholars to the scientific
Enterprise:
Who are Great scholars in Islam?
Contributions of Islamic scholars to the scientific
Enterprise:
Consequently, there were individuals who lived scholarly and pious lives, such as Ibn Sina, Al- Khwarizmi, and Al-Bruni, who in addition to excellence in the study of religious texts also excelled in mathematics, geography, astronomy, physics, chemistry, and medicine.
This paper presents a discussion regarding the role that Muslim scholars played in the
development of scientific thinking in the Middle Ages. It argues that the Muslims were
not just the preservers of the ancient and Greek knowledge, but that they contributed
original works to the different fields of science. They were inspired by the Islamic view
of nature that is, mankind had a duty to ‘study nature in order to discover God and to
use nature for the benefit of mankind’. This knowledge was transferred too Western
Europe and subsequently played an important role in revitalizing a climate of learning
and exploration in Europe, leading to the Renaissance in the sixteenth and seventeenth
centuries.
Muslim scholars, scientific thinking, Islamic view of nature, knowledge transfer, Western science.
INTRODUCTION
Over the last 50 years there has been renewed interest in Islamic countries in examining the
relationship between Islam and science in the spectrum of its history. After gaining independence
most of the Islamic countries have been struggling to come to terms with their religious beliefs
and the Western concepts of science and education. The education systems adopted by the most of
the Islamic countries have been based on ‘so-called secular Western education’. Consequently a
cultural dichotomy is observed in their societies between a traditional Islamic education on the
one hand restricted to religious groups, and a secular Western education.
Many Muslims scholars in the Golden Age of Islam studied nature in the context of the Quran.
The Quran depicted the relationship between nature and man, and this inspired the Muslim
scholars to study natural phenomena, in order to understand God. Islam’s contribution to the
scientific enterprise was complex and rich and it spanned over three continents and nearly a
millennium of time.
THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF ISLAMIC SCHOLARS:
The Islamic Empire consisted of a society that was multicultural in terms of languages, customs,
traditions and religion. As Muslims went forth from Arabia to conquer the countries surrounding
them, they encompassed vast lands with peoples of different faiths and cultures. Thus, the Islamic
Empire not only consisted of Muslims from three continents, Arabs, Persians, Turks, Africans,
Indians and other Asians, but also Jews, Christians and other faiths.
Medicine
Muslims gained access to the Greek medical knowledge of Hippocrates, Discords, and Galen
through the translations of their works in the seventh and eighth centuries.
Chemistry, Pharmacology and Pharmacy
In chemistry, the works of Jaber ibn Haiyan and Al-Razi formed the basis of modern science.
Jaber, known as Geber in Latin, described in his describes the many chemical and pharmacology, and pharmacy.
Mathematical Sciences
The mathematical sciences as practiced in the Islamic world during this period consisted of mathematics, algebra, and geometry as well as mathematical geography, astronomy and optics. Muslims derived their theory of numbers.
Astronomy
Muslim scholars considered astronomy as one of the mathematical sciences. Muslims came across
ancient astronomical manuscripts and translated them into Arabic. They then undertook
observations to verify the calculations in these scientific works.
Physics
Muslim scholars also considered physics as one of the science subjects. They can undertake observations to verify the calculations through some scientific formulas.
