So called Islamic science - to faqi

Submitted by Bader S (United Arab Emirates), Mar 10, 2006 at 10:08

The Islamic Golden Age is not a historical misconception as some are led to believe. The historians and researchers that support such a label did not arrive at their conclusion by comparing one area of the world with another.
If we are to do this then we can see that the Western civilization of today will appear great when it is compared with sub-Saharan Africa.

If you can pull yourself away from Bernard Lewis and his likes for a bit and read the contents of the following pages you might find that what you wrote is inaccurate and in some instance incorrect.
http://www-history.mcs.standrews.ac.uk/HistTopics/Arabic_mathematics.html -- Arabic Mathematics
http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/Mathematicians/Yunus.html -- Astronomy
http://www.ms.uky.edu/~carl/ma330/project2/al-khwa21.html -- Al Kharazmi (Muslim)
http://www.psigate.ac.uk/newsite/reference/plambeck/chem1/p01013.htm -- Islam's contribution to Chemistry
www.myinternet.com.au/edu/english/documents/Arabic_Literature/Arabic_Issues/AI01_a_is_for_arabs.doc -- listing Arab contributions


It is true that Muslim scholars, scientists, astronomers, etc did use, integrate, improve, and develop ideas from other civilizations. It is also true that the West did the same with Islamic ideas. There are numerous examples of Western inventions that depended on the foundational work of great Muslim mathematicians and scientists.

History has shown those who are willing to learn that civilizations come and go. Dominant civilizations do not remain dominant forever. And while it is true that Muslim contribution during this period of domination by Western Civilization has been insignificant, it is also true that Western contribution during the period when the Islamic Civilization was dominant was also insignificant.

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