How Did The Spread Of Islam Affect
The World?
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.
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 synthesis of Eastern and Western ideas and
of new thought with old, brought about great advances in medicine, mathematics,
physics, astronomy, geography, architecture, art, literature, and history.
Many crucial systems such as algebra, the Arabic numerals, and also
the concept of the zero (vital to the advancement of mathematics), were
transmitted to medieval Europe from Islam. Sophisticated instruments
which were to make possible the European voyages of discovery were developed,
including the astrolabe, the quadrant and good navigational maps.
The Muslim
community expanded rapidly after the Prophet's death. Within a few decades,
the territory under Muslim rule had extended onto three continents--Asia,
Africa and Europe. Over the next few centuries this Empire continued
to expand and Islam gradually became the chosen faith of the majority
of its inhabitants. 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. Islam also repeatedly instructs human
beings to use their powers of intelligence and observation.
As Muslim
civilization developed, it absorbed the heritage of ancient civilizations
like Egypt, Persia and Greece, whose learning was preserved in the libraries
and with the scholars of its cities. Some Muslim scholars turned their
attention to these centers of learning and sought to acquaint themselves
with the knowledge taught and cultivated in them. They, therefore, set
about with a concerted effort to translate the philosophical and scientific
works available to them, not only from the Greek and Syriac languages
(the languages of eastern Christian scholars), but also from Pahlavi,
the scholarly language of pre-Islamic Persia, and even from Sanskrit,
an ancient Indian language.
Most of the
important philosophical and scientific works of Aristotle; much of Plato
and the Pythagorean school; and the major works of Greek astronomy,
mathematics and medicine such as the Almagest of Ptolemy, the Elements
of Euclid, and the works of Hippocrates and Galen, were all rendered
into Arabic. Furthermore, important works of astronomy, mathematics
and medicine were translated from Pahlavi and Sanskrit. As a result,
Arabic became the most important scientific language of the world for
many centuries and the depository of much of the wisdom and the sciences
of antiquity.
The achievement
of scholars working in the Islamic tradition went far beyond translation
and preservation of ancient learning. These scholars built upon and
developed the ancient heritage before passing it on to the West.
