The islamic contributions to the world of science and education

THE ISLAM CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE MORDERN WORLD OF SCIENCE .CULTURE AND EDUCATION

PART 1 Golden age of Islam

By

Prof, dr,dr,med.vet,Ghulam mohyuddin wani

First of all may I acknowledge the authors from whose website free materials have been used?

Islam started with word IQRA WHICH MEANS Read ,These were the first words of the Quran revealed unto Hazrate Mohammad [pbuh],One wonders when the beginning of a new form of life and religion cane into existence how come Muslims remained off the mainstream in this era of modernization and cultural development. The following statements of Quran make it essential for its believers to seek knowledge and education even if they have to travel to Far East or China. These are the words of the HAZRAT-E-MOHAMMAD, the prophet of God. The philosophy of Iqra is a binding force for a Muslim to know and let others know this world and here-in-after, the only way to understand Quran is have thru full knowledge of science and technology. Any one confronting the modern ways of science is not a true Muslim as it is the golden age of Islam which is the beginning of modern science and technology, this paper shall give a resume of the golden age its rise and fall. The internal upheavals of the Muslims itself were responsible for their decline.

1.     Holy Prophet [saw] infused the spirit of acquiring knowledge among his followers and said ,Seek knowledge even if it is to be found in a place as far off as china, One can imagine and argue with those who day out and day in preach about sullah and quranic verses whose full meaning is not known to these so called Ulmah of this Muslim ferternity.The first modern university in this world had its humble beginning during the life of Prophet Mohammad[saw]At the battle of Badr which was won by the Muslims inspire of very less numbers 70 people of the enemies, the educated folk of Mecca were   taken as prisoners, On seeing them tied with ropes ,he ordered all to be freed and asked his people to provide them same food and shelter as available to them, Then he passed the first revolutionary doctrine of  first Islamic university establishment. He declared that each prisoner who teaches ten Muslim children how to read and write shall feel himself free man. This was the beginning of modern university culture in the world .See the respect bestowed to the literate who became to be recognized as teachers, There is no parallel system or religion in this world before the prophet Muhammad [saw]who started with word read and insisted on its followers to gain knowledge and make investigations. This distinction of Muslim culture made them to gain eminence and still we find little

Parallels to their golden age achetechture, science, medicine and mathematics

The first university established by Hazrate Mohammad had all teachers as non-Muslims so people denoting modern science and scientists as kafirs is not only misplaced and miles away from the truth of Islam, Islam and Quran are two portal of knowledge which stresses on seeking knowledge and use methods of research and investigation .Every verse in Quran insists on thinking and investigation, Thus the beginning of knowledge and its sustenance through research and investigation became the nature of Islamists in their glorious days of past. Once they disdained from it their fall and illiteracy became their cause of ruin, A brief review of the Islamic rise and fall reminds us till they acquired knowledge and kept themselves abreast with science and technology they prospered and decline begin with their insights and indulgence in extravagance ,wealth and evil ways of devil.

Harun al-Rashid  ruled Islamic age is known as the Golden AgeIt  was a period of intellectual activity in all fields: science, technology,  literature  biography, history, linguistics. Scholars,  collected the sayings and actions of the Prophet  this invented morfern citation and bibliograghy. This led to such memorable works as Sirat Rasul Allah, the "Life of the Messenger of God," by Ibn Ishaq, later revised by Ibn Hisham; one of the earliest Arabic historical works,  such as al-Tabari's Annals is one of the oldest form of modern education and science documentation. .

Science and technology

Mathematics, astronomy, medicine, and chemistry and variety of other sciences are the remennts of this age of science and technology.. They collected and corrected previous astronomical data, built the world's first observatory, and developed the astrolabe, an instrument that was once called "a mathematical jewel." In medicine they experimented with diet, drugs, surgery, and anatomy, and in chemistry, an outgrowth of alchemy, isolated and studied a wide variety of minerals and compounds. Important advances in agriculture were also made in the Golden Age.

'Irrigation and water conservation and use

Abbasids preserved and improved the ancient network of wells Muslim scholars also made important and original contributions to, underground canals, and waterwheels, introduced new breeds of livestock, hastened the spread of cotton, and, from the Chinese, learned the art of making paper, a key to the revival of learning in Europe in th

AGRICULTURE

The Golden Age, transformed the diet by introducing such plants as plums, artichokes, apricots, cauliflower, celery, fennel, squash, pumpkins, and eggplant, as well as rice

sorghum,  These and many other inventions in science of agriculture are ascribed to them .

To be continued