By Moomtaz Emrith
(Windsor, ON, Canada)
An artist conception of a busy work session at the “House of Wisdom” during the ‘Golden Age of Islam’ in Baghdad City
In the history of Islam, the period dubbed as the “Golden Age of Islam,” is reckoned among the glorious eras in human history – not only of Islam but of humanity as well. In fact, Islam, a religion, that was born among the nomadic Arab tribes of Arabia, through the unlettered Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him) in 610 A.D., literally took the world by storm with his new faith in one God (Allah), as also preached before him, by the Prophets Abraham, Moses and Jesus (peace be upon them all). The preaching of Prophet Muhammed (pbuh) of the new monotheistic faith literally shook the belligerent desert Arab tribes and, under the Prophet’s (PBUH) guidance and leadership, the ‘new’ religion soon rose not only as a dominating religious force in Arabia but also, as a military and political power. It would not only impact the entire Middle East but, under its sway, the Arab tribesmen soon emerged also as a powerful military force that would literally, not only rewrite the history of the Middle East, but also, in the process, help change the very course of civilization. Islam would become a major dominating force that would, before long, be knocking at the doors of France, at Poitiers, while completely holding sway in southern Spain, which they called Al-Andalus and which they would rule unchallenged for over seven centuries.
Indeed, it was through the Arab’s hold in southern Spain that “knowledge” in modern science spread over the continent and, eventually, ushered in the “Age of Enlightenment” and the “Renaissance” that would deeply impact and change the course of Western civilization as we know it. The Golden Age of Islam, in Baghdad, lasted from the 8th to the 14th centuries – that is, till the sacking of the City of Baghdad in 1258 A.D. by the Mongol hordes. The era known as the Golden Age of Islam was one event that eventually helped change the course of history in not only in the Middle East but also in Western Europe.
The Golden Age of Islam truly began during the Caliphate of the Abbassid dynasty, who had taken over after their victory over the Ummeyyads and then would go on to build the City of Baghdad into one of the largest cities in its day, that would become a cultural and religious hub of Islamic learning under Caliph Harun al-Rashid and his son, Al-Mamun, both great
A statue of Muhammed Musa Al-Khwarizmi in Uzbekistan. He invented “ALGEBRA” which he detailed in his book “Kitab al-Jabr wa-al-Muqabala” and is justly hailed as ‘the father of Algebra’
patrons of knowledge and education. Al-Mamun founded the House of Wisdom (Bayt al-Hikma), which became a unique hub of learning, promoting knowledge through the translations of the old classics of ancient Greece, Rome, Syria, China and India into Arabic – which would literally revolutionize learning in the Muslim world. The studies of philosophy and the sciences as well as astronomy flourished. At the House of Wisdom, scholars, irrespective of their faiths, were welcome to join in as full partners and contribute to the works. These scholars were not all always Muslim by faith. Some were Jews and Christians – and they all worked together. The City of Baghdad became a real Centre of high learning where scholars from different denominations came together and worked together. All their works were compiled and collected and stored in libraries in the City of Baghdad, which boasted to be among the largest in the world then.
The Arabs, who had learned from the Chinese, the art of making paper, put that knowledge to good use and collected all their works in volumes and volumes of books. Baghdad was then the intellectual capital of the world.
(Photo: Google)
Abu Ali Hussein ibn Abdullah ibn Sina, known in the West as “AVICENNA”, was an eminent philosopher and a great master of Islamic medicine. His encyclopaedic book on medicine “Canon of Medicine” was a standard text book used in the Arab world and in Europe for centuries
Some of the best-known scholars and scientists of Islam helped produce works of great historical and educational value, which would open the way to the Age of Enlightenment. In fact, their works would see significant advances in Algebra, Calculus, Geometry, Chemistry, Medicine and Astronomy among others, thanks to the pioneering works of the gifted (Muslim) scientists and scholars. Also, should be mentioned advances made in the fields of the arts, philosophy, sciences, and Mathematics (see the photos of some of those pioneer scholars and polymaths) who helped make remarkable advances in their respective fields which were, among others, the arts, ceramics, metal works, textiles, woodwork and calligraphy. Indeed, the contributions of the Muslim scholars would revolutionize society.
(Photo: Google)
Mariam al-Asturlabi – a rare Muslim woman scientist from Aleppo, Syria. She perfected the astrolabe which, among others, helps Muslims find the position of the stars and also figure out the direction of the Qibla (Ka’aba, Mecca)) towards which Muslims turn during their daily prayers to Allah.
However, good times do not always last forever. In 1258 A.D., the Mongol leader, Halagu Khan, the grandson of Ghengiz Khan, showed up at the gates of Baghdad and demanded the surrender of the Caliph, who refused. The barbarian Halagu Khan got terribly upset and ignoring the fact that Baghdad was then the most enlightened city in the world, ordered the sack of the city and his army then broke out into an orgy of destruction, killing indiscriminately, burning, among others, the libraries of the House of Wisdom and throwing all its valuable books into the Tigris River. Indeed, one could say, all hell had broken loose in the City of Baghdad. The Caliph was captured and brought before Mongol chief, who again, demanded his submission.
Dr. Abu-Ali al-Husayn ibn Al-Zahrawi, also known as Albucasis), (906-1013 A.D.) – was a pioneer Islamic surgeon. He is said to have invented some 200 surgical instruments.
The Caliph again refused. The Mongol conqueror then condemned him to death. However, it was in the Mongol tradition that a Mongol ‘king’ would not personally kill another king (Caliph). Halagu Khan, therefore, had the then Caliph of Islam, Al-Musta’sim, wrapped in a huge carpet and trampled to death by his soldiers’ horses. It was the end of an era for Islam — but not of Islam.
The glory and pride that Baghdad was to the Muslim world, was gone and the peerless collection of books, either burned or thrown into the river, were lost forever. It was said the waters of the river ran black with ink. What a terrible time it was, indeed, for the Muslims! What a calamity for the City of Baghdad! Years of research, hard work, and the painstaking collection and translations of peerless works were lost forever. The most glorious period of Islamic civilization, which was
(Photo: Google)
Hasan ibn al-Hatham (965-1040 A.D.) medieval scientist, mathematician and astronomer, is reckoned as “the father of Optics” for his pioneering work in the field.
termed ‘the Golden Age of Islam’, literally went down the drain at the hands of the Mongol hordes, who not only ended the glittering ‘Golden Age of Islam’ but also set back Islam, as a domineering intellectual, religious and cultural force.
What a setback was the sack of Baghdad for Islam! Indeed, it seemed it would be years before Islam, as a cultural and intellectual force, would recoup and rise again. But recoup it did and sooner than it was thought. As a matter of fact, less than fifty years after the sack of Baghdad, there would rise in Asia, three major Islamic empires each as powerful and glittering as the other and each would have a lasting influence in the political and cultural history of the region. They were: the Safavid Empire in Iran, the Mughal Empire in India, and the Ottoman Empire in West Asia. The first was Shi’a while the last two were Sunni. The Ottoman Empire would be longest ruling dynasty in history: from the fourteenth to the.
Ismail Al-Jazari (1136-1206 A.D.) was an inventor and mechanical engineer from Turkey. He delved into Robotics and is justly hailed as “the Father of Robotics”
nineteenth centuries. And, in many ways, each would help rewrite the history of the regions in their own ways.
It was, therefore, not surprising that, years later, renowned Indian poet and philosopher, Muhammed Iqbal, who wrote in Urdu and Persian, would reflect on the end of the ‘Golden Age of Islam’ that scarred the cultural growth of Islam in the 13th century, to observe:
“Islam zinda hota hai har Karbala ke baad!”
“(After every Karbala, Islam rises again!”)