Islam has made many contributions to world history, both in its rise and development of a bright and complex culture. More specifically Islam has contributed to the world of modern science, medicine, literature and visual arts, greatly influencing other cultures along the way. Along with contributions to science and intellect, Islam has also contributed to world trade. Each contribution from the Islamic nation has helped shape the world today, moreover Islam has helped advance existing ideas and also created new ones necessary for understand the world.
Islam has greatly assisted in shaping modern ideas, and has been rich and sturdy enough to be still a great influence today, making it a key contributor to world history. Islam is the Muslim religion that believes in the prophecies of Muhammad, the messenger of Allah. The rise of the religion of Islam happened over the period 600 – 900 CE. , where “two Arab dynasties, the Umayyads succeeded by the Abbasids, built a vast empire stretching thousands of miles”1. The vastness of their empire encouraged many states to share a single religion, which was Islamic.
As the Islamic religious civilization developed it found “influences from Christian theology, Roman and Jewish law, Greek philosophy, as well as Persian and Indian literature and sciences”2. Islam has become a strong religious idea with strict traditions and one way to view the world, which still hold true for many people practicing the Islamic religion today. Islam has contributed to world history through the influence of a very thorough religion as well as on an intellectual and scientific basis.
As the Islamic civilization began to develop, the “Abbasid caliphs established an institute for advanced study, to which they invited scholars from across the Islamic world as well as Byzantuim”3. Scholars translated immense amounts of legal documents, philosophical, and literary works from other civilizations such as the Syco-Aramic, Greek, Pahlavi and Sanskrit, all into Arabic. In addition to the translation of many works and findings of so many other ancient civilizations, they were able to expand and make further discoveries in areas such as science.
A man named Muhammad Ibn Musa al-Kharwarizmi “laid the foundations for the conversion of algebra into a science”4, by using Arabic numbers, 0 – 9, a system borrowed from India. As well as introduced “algebraic equations for the determination of unknown quantities, expressed through letters, as is still done today”5. Another man named Abu Bakr Ibn Bajja “developed the impetus theory of motion (applied force on thrown objects)”6. By translating and further developing the ideas of other nations, the Islamic has not only made advancements in areas like science, but has also been influenced by surrounding cultures.
Islam also contributed greatly in the medical field by making advancements in many areas such as ophthalmology. A physician named Abu Ali al-Hasan Ibn al-Haytham progressed the theory of light reflecting off objects opposed to from the eye. There were many contributions to medicine that stared in the early Islamic community that are still present in the world today. The Islamic philosopher Ibn Sina wrote a comprehensive handbook of medicine, with chapters on anatomy, body fluids, disease, diagnosis, surgery, therapy and drugs. Sina also specialized medical fields such as ophthalmology, obstetrics, pediatrics and pharmacology.
Along with these advancements is a historical first, Abu al-Hasan Ali Ibn al-Nafis, a physician, discovered the pulmonary circulatory system. So along with the contributions in religion and science, Islam also greatly contributed to medicine. Along with contributions to the medical field, Islam has contributed many forms or literature such as poems, essays and written stories, as well as visual arts. Written works produced by the Islamic people has greatly contributed to the world of literature, being described as following, “even today, one admires the refined taste, elegance, and wit which people of cosmopolitan Islamic urbanity possessed. 7 Islamic law allowed expression through literature but did not allow expression through painting or sculpture, many art forms such as painting were confined to the perimeters of one’s home. Although unlike prohibited art such as painting, architecture of Islamic mosques and palaces were greatly recognized. “Religious and palace architectures were perhaps the most direct forms in which the identity of Islamic culture was expressed. They are still admired today for their variation and richness. ”8 In areas such as science, literature and art, Islam has made many contributions to world history.
As well as contributing to world history through intellect and science, Islam was also known for its involvement in global trade. The Islamic merchants in Egypt set up a vast network of trading. They set up “the regional production and distribution of raw materials, such as textile fibres (wood, flax, cotton and silk), chemicals for dyeing and tanning, metal ingots for making utensils and jewelry, and pitch for caulking ship’s planks. The contracted with craftspeople for the production of soap, glassware, candles, and perfume. 9 Islam was known for their vast networks to ensure successful trading goods as well as their connection to other nations to promote trading on a larger scale. The ancient Islamic civilization has built itself up strong enough to withstand history and time, making it a notable contributor to world history. Islam has contributed to many contemporary ideas such in the field of science, medicine, literature, architecture and visual arts, as well as having important involvement in global trade. Islam has developed a study religious idea that still holds many followers today. Overall Islam has greatly influenced the world and has helped shape the direction of history, which is remarkable.
Endnotes
1Peter von Sivers, Charles A. Desnoyers & George B. Stow (New York: Oxford University Press, 2012), 303. 2Peter von Sivers, Charles A. Desnoyers & George B. Stow (New York: Oxford University Press, 2012), 306. 3Peter von Sivers, Charles A. Desnoyers & George B. Stow (New York: Oxford University Press, 2012), 309. 4Peter von Sivers, Charles A. Desnoyers & George B. Stow (New York: Oxford University Press, 2012), 329. 5Peter von Sivers, Charles A. Desnoyers & George B. Stow (New York: Oxford University Press, 2012), 329. 6Peter von Sivers, Charles A. Desnoyers & George B. Stow (New York: Oxford University Press, 2012), 329. 7Peter von Sivers, Charles A. Desnoyers & George B. Stow (New York: Oxford University Press, 2012), 332. 8Peter von Sivers, Charles A. Desnoyers & George B. Stow (New York: Oxford University Press, 2012), 333. 9Peter von Sivers, Charles A. Desnoyers & George B. Stow (New York: Oxford University Press, 2012), 326. Bibliography Sivers, Peter von, Desnoyers Charles A. and George B. Stow. Patterns in World History: Combined Volumes. Oxford University Press, 2012.
