OCTOBER 29, 2017: DAILY SUN
The Middle Ages or Medieval period is the most significant period of human civilisation. The foundation of today’s ICT-based electromechanical civilisation created throughout this period. Scientific innovation, invention, discoveries openness in thinking started in this period. This is widely thought that the Middle Ages or Medieval period lasted from the 5th to the 15th century. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and merged into the Renaissance which is considered as the age of discovery in Europe. Some Western historians have subdivided the Middle Ages into the Early, High, and Late.
The Islamic and Muslim civilisation emerged, flourished, spread throughout the Medieval period. The Muslims were the most enlightened in this period and they also did enlighten the contemporary whole world which was also known as the Golden Age of Islam. They had a significant contribution in various branches of knowledge, such as physics, chemistry, mathematics astronomy, medicine, optics, engineering and even aviation. But unfortunately the Western world have been able to establish a generalised view that the Middle Ages is the dark age, barbarian age, age of backward thinking, feudalism, superstition, age of religious fanaticism etc. This is also very unfortunate as well as an act of ultimate stupidity that many people compare many unruly, inhumane, ferocious and stupid acts with the acts of Medieval period by saying that, this is an act of Medieval period, this is a Medieval barbarism, this is an attitude of Middle Ages etc.
But what was the actual condition of this world during 5th to 15th century? As we know that before the start of medieval period, civilisation was not as global as it is today. Almost whole world was engulfed with anarchy, superstition, cruelty, ignorance and various crimes. There had been some civilisations scattered, such as Roman, Persian, Byzantine, Chinese, Indian and those were not existed at the same period. So a significant portion of the world was under complete darkness by all consideration.
Many non-Muslims would find it hard to believe that there was a time in the Middle Ages when Islamic cities in the Middle East, such as Cairo, Baghdad, Cordoba and Damascus, were the center of civilisation while Europe was living in the “Dark Ages”. As a matter of fact, Muslim countries then considered Europe to be chaotic, unorganised and backward in terms of intellects, moral and ethical values. During the Medieval times the Western society were deeply divided by classes, such as loyalty, novelty and clergy. Most of the people would live in the jungle, rural areas in an agro-based economy. That is why the period before the 1100s was called the “Dark Ages” applicable only in Christian Europe as the Europeans failed to benefit from Muslims’ scientific discoveries.
On the other hand after the emergence in the Arabian Peninsula in the 7th century Islam spread only within 150 years under the dynamic leadership and resolute mission and vision. They defeated Byzantine and Sasanian counterparts morally, politically and militarily with comparatively more peaceful wary. As Islam spread and became more decentralised, it gave rise to a series of dazzling and often competitive dynasties in Spain, North Africa, all around Mediterranean and Central Asia. Each of these dynastic states put on display the Muslim talent for achieving highest levels of artistry in location far from the political and cultural heartland. The beauty of Islam derived from the Quran and the sayings of prophets widely and speedily accepted by ordinary people of contemporary known world.
Throughout the Middle Ages all the Islamic discoveries were used by the Europeans as the raw material for the Scientific Revolution. The vast contrast in intellectual activity between Islamic and Western world, during the medieval period could be demonstrated by just one example. In the ninth century, the library of the monastery of St. Gall was the largest in Europe. It boasted 36 volumes. At the same time, Cordoba’s library contained over 500,000! Moreover, studying at colleges was first applied by Muslims. Universities first appeared in Muslims countries in the late 600s and the early 700s, while leading colleges, like Oxford and the University of Paris, were founded in the thirteenth century.
Europe and the Islamic lands had some more points of contact during the Middle Ages. The main points of transmission of Islamic knowledge to Europe lay in Sicily and in Spain, particularly in Toledo. During the 11th and 12th centuries, many Christian scholars travelled to Muslim lands to learn sciences. Notable examples include Leonardo Fibonacci (1170–1250), Adelard of Bath (1080–1152) and Constantine the African (1017–1087). From the 11th to the 14th centuries, numerous European students attended Muslim centers of higher learning to study medicine, philosophy, mathematics, cosmography and other subjects.
The translation of Al-Khwarizmi’s work greatly influenced mathematics, notably Algorithm in Europe which was used as references by Newton and Descartes. As Professor Victor J. Katz writes: “Most early algebra works in Europe in fact recognised that the first algebra works in that continent were translations of the work of Al-Khwarizmi and other Islamic authors”. On the other hand Ibn-Sina’s The Canon of Medicine (1025) which was translated into Latin and then disseminated in manuscript and printed form throughout Europe. It remained a standard medical textbook in Europe until the early modern period and during the 15th and 16th centuries alone. Some other notable Muslim scholars, such as Ibn-Rushd, Al Farabi, Al Kindi, Ibn Hazm, Al Biruni, Jabir Ibn Aayyan and many more had a huge contribution to modern science and technology. George Sarton, the father of the history of science, wrote: “Rhazes was the greatest physician of Islam and the Medieval Ages.” It is tragic how Muslims’ contributions go by unacknowledged by Europe, where Pulitzer Prize winner American historian David Levering Lewis says- “Renaissance could not have occurred in Europe without the Islamic discoveries”.
So this is very much an intentionally managed propaganda to undermine a particular civilisation covering up their contributions to the modern world as well as to hide the ignorance, illiteracy, stupidity, cruelty, and stupid activities of some particular areas during that period. This is also an effort to undermine the heritage of the most advanced and modern civilisation in human history
At the advent of latest revelation of Islam in the earlier of 7th century human civilisation started and globalised society was created based on knowledge and spiritualism. All restrictions, superstitions, ignorance disappeared. Even very ordinary people could participate in knowledge sharing and gathering. During the Medieval period the Muslim conquerors had no colonial and looting attitude. Their main intention was the publicity of Islam, rescue of the oppressed people, rooting out of racism and social classes, establishing equity and justice, educating people with high moral, ethical and spiritual values. All of those happened all over the known world during the Middle Ages. So what should the justified evaluation of the Middle Ages?
© Copyright: Reserved by the writer (Noore Alam Siddiqui)
