Who are Great scholars in Islam?

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.