The Islamic Golden Age

The Islamic Golden Age was a time of flourishing within Islamic history, from the 8th to the 13th century, when many advancements were made and the Islamic world thrived. In this article, I'll be taking you on a brief walk through the rich Islamic Golden Age where so many great Muslims made astounding discoveries and achievements.

The Abbasid Caliphate (the third Islamic leader to succeed Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)) and the caliphs established their capital in Baghdad. In the centuries that followed, the Islamic world prospered and groundbreaking advancements to medicine as well as astrology were made...

Medicine:

One of the many examples is the great medieval doctor Al-Nafis who discovered that the heart had two valves and that blood passed through the lungs to travel from one side the heart to the other. This was to his advocation of dissection as the most trustworthy way to uncover more about anatomy. Famous for providing the first description of the pulmonary circulation, Al-Nafis' perceptions of the circulatory system, the nervous system, and the bone structure were recorded in the great medical encyclopedia, Al Shamil.

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) commanded that the sick and injured should be treated not avoided. Unlike western hospitals at the time, Islamic hospitals explored the use of antiseptics such as alcohol or rose-water in cleaning and treating wounds effectively. They recognised the importance of cleanliness when it comes to medicine as early as the 800s. Islamic hospitals were places where Muslim doctors were familiar with the use of many anaesthetics such as opium which was used during long surgeries. They were places were cleanliness was put first and Muslim physicians were advanced in their medical knowledge. But the Islamic Golden Age didn't only shape medicine; Astrology and Mathematics were also fields where discoveries were made.

Astrology:

One of the examples of great astronomy scholars is Al-Sufi who published his famous Book of Fixed Stars in 964, describing his work. This anatomical text highlights the 48 constellations of stars that were recognized by the Greek mathematician Ptolemy, adding his criticisms and corrections of these models. The drawings of the constellations and a table of stars showing their locations and magnitude are included in his book, stepping deeply into astronomy to influence the western world at the time.

Mathematics:

Known as the father of algebra, Al-Khawarizmi redefined Mathematics by introducing Hindu-Arabic numerals as well as the concept of algebra. His book, 'Hisab Al jabr w'al-muqabala' (The Compendious Book on Calculation by Restoration and Reduction) provides an exhaustive account of solving for the positive roots of polynomial equations up to the second degree.

In the 10th century, Sutayta Al-Mahmali excelled in many fields such as Arabic literature, hadith, and mathematics. She was an expert in arithmetics and successoral calculations which are both important practical branches of mathematics. In addition to this, she also invented difficult solutions to algebraic equations. She was famous for her great strength in mathematics and her clever way of solving calculations.

Education and culture:

Another great woman in the Islamic Golden Age was Fatima al-Fihri who established the Quarawiyin mosque in 859 which had what could be the oldest university in the world to where students from all over the world travelled to study Islamic studies, astronomy, languages and science. An important consequence of this was the use of Arabic numbers in Europe due to the university of Quarawiyin.

Overall, the Islamic Golden Age served as a stepping stone to the great advancements in fields such as Medicine and Astrology. The discoveries made in this period in the Islamic world, some of which I mentioned, were crucial and have shaped some of the aspects of the world we live in today. The great scholars and physicians at the time were influenced by the Qur'an and the teachings of the prophets so I'd like to end with one of my favourite Hadiths...

'Allah loves someone who when works, he performs it in perfect manner'

Here, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) highlights the importance of making a supreme effort in our studies or professions. The Qur'an, the Hadith and great figures like Al-Khawarizmi inspire many of us in our daily lives to work harder so we can please Allah and contribute to the great advancements to many fields that are still happening at this moment. Do you have a favourite hadith or a figure in Islamic history who inspires you to work harder in mind? Let us know!!