Achievements: Arts

Justice is what Islam is all about!

When Muslims conquered other nations, they treated the people with tolerance, kindness and respect. They were very different from the rest of the world because they did not persecute others based on their religion.  The non- Muslims during this era, were known as Dhimmis in an Islamic state and had certain responsibilities to their conquerors. For example, they had to pay the Jizya, or the tax for not believing in Islam as well as additional taxes on land-holdings known as Kharaj. They were not able to sell pork or wine in public nor could they build new places of worship, restore old ones or perform any act that was not according to the laws of Shari'ah. However, the Muslims were still very tolerant and kind to their conquered people especially the "People of the Book" who were the Jews and Christians since these three religions are closely related. Justice and kindness is... what Islam is all about!!!

The Qu'ran: A Guidance for all of Mankind

When the Qu'ran was revealed to Muhammad (SAW) by Angel Jibra'eel, it was the last book of Allah (SWT). The Qu'ran was meant to be the guide to all. It contains stories of the prophets and messengers, directives to followers and good news for believers and bad news for disbelievers. The stories of the prophets are put into the Qu'ran as an example to the Muslims, so they may understand the hardships and struggles they went through with their families and people. The Qu'ran has 30 juz and 114 surahs. The Qu'ran is not of false sayings, rather the light of the truth. In Surah Baqarah ayah 2, it mentions, 

" This is the Book ( the Qu'ran) whereof there is no doubt, a guidance to those who are Al- Muttaqun..." 

This Qu'ran is what kept the Muslims together under the rule of Islam, whether they were of different sects ( Sunnis or Shias) and it was the Kalaam of Allah (SWT) that unified them and made them stronger. 

Islam: The Religion of Rights!

With this blissful religion of Islam, it brings forth many rights and responsibilities of every individual. To the ones who were always the lowest on the social pyramid and had little or no voice in society, with Islam, it was now their time to shine like the stars!!! They were given the highest of honor, although they were always treated like dirt in previous generations. You know who I'm talking about, the women, slaves and orphans! Now with the beauty of Islam, they were raised in society, given a voice and were just as the rest of the people in the community.

Astronomical Invention, Helpful to Many!: The Astrolabe

The great inventor, Muhammad Al Fazari created the astrolabe. The astrolabe is an astronomical "computer" that solves problems relating to time and the position of the sun and stars. The most popular astrolabe, Planispheric astrolabe, in which the sphere is placed on the plane of the equator.An ancient astrolabe was made of brass and was about 6 inches diameter and much smaller. The astrolabe was used to show how the sky looks at a specific place and time. This is done by illustrating the sky on the front part of the astrolabe and marking it so positions in the sky are easy to find. You must change the components to a date and time. When it's ready, whole sky, invisible too is presented on the face of this useful tool. Normal uses of the astrolabe is finding the date or time and outer space events. It could also be used as a navigational instrument.

Achievements: Commerce

During the Islamic Golden Age, the travel to distant lands were very crucial for the people of the Arabian peninsula. Paper use was spread from China into the Muslim world. Parchment was harder to make and paper was less probable to break than papyrus. Paper could easily take up ink and was perfect for making copies of the Qu'ran, the holy book of Islam.

As it became difficult to have money being sent across dangerous regions, the check was created. The concept of check is derived from the Arabic word, saqq, which means a written pledge to pay for goods when sent to different regions, rather than having paper money being sent. Thus, trade became more convenient for the businesses of the Muslims.

Achievements: Sciences

During the golden age of Islam, the Muslims scholars achieved such great and vast accomplishments that would highly inspire the rest of the world in the future. Among the many achievements that they are accounted for, some of them are the decimal system, the concept of zero and the development of trigonometry in its modern form. In addition,  in this time for the Empire, there were many advances in optics and astronomy. 


Rosanna Gorini writes:
"According to the majority of the historians al-Haytham was the pioneer of the modern scientific method. With his book he changed the meaning of the term optics and established experiments as the norm of proof in the field. His investigations are based not on abstract theories, but on experimental evidences and his experiments were systematic and repeatable."

The Motto of the Muslims!

As the Islamic Empire was stretching across the many lands and the Muslim states were experiencing a golden age full of peace and prosperity, this was their motto that was inculcated in their minds and hearts by the will of Allah (SWT)! 

Quote about the Importance of Knowledge

"The ink of a scholar is more holy than the blood of a martyr."
~Anonymous 

Achievements: Islamic Art & Calligraphy

The Islamic Golden Age for the arts lasted from 750 to the 16th century, far longer than the entire golden age itself. This was when illuminated manuscripts, ceramics, glasswork, textiles, and woodwork became very prominent in the Islamic Empire. In addition, the art of calligraphy developed due to the belief in the religion of Islam, which is not allowing the paintings of humans. Thus, this artistic practice of writing flourished just as the rest of the arts of the golden age. 

A Great Saying said by One of the Greatest Sahabah (RA)

Some more!

Aren't these of such beautiful style and luxury?!?

Beautiful Architecture of the Islamic Golden Age

During the golden age of Islam, the caliphs of this era would request the construction of such luxurious and grand buildings such as palaces in the picture below:

Alhambra Palace in Granada, Spain

Achievements: Medicine

During the medieval Islamic world, medicine was a central study for many Muslims since they were very much concerned with reactions to different circumstances and situations where medical knowledge and practice was needed. With this, a flowering of knowledge and intellect later influenced the Western world with the medical practice and education.

Arguably, many of the medical achievements during this era were based on the initiatives made by the Egyptians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, and Hebrews. However, the Muslims during this time corrected the fallacies made by the previous scientists and discovered other concepts as well. Making the Greek tradition for the rest of the medieval world was crucial so many Islamic scholars ordered and made more systematic the vast but inconsistent Greco-Roman knowledge of medicine by publishing encyclopedias and summaries.

In addition to the blossoming of medical knowledge during the golden age of Islam, hospitals were built and running in major cities in the Islamic empire such as in Cairo, the Qalawun hospital. It was sufficiently staffed with physicians,  pharmacists and nurses.

The picture below is the description of the eye according to Hunain in Ishaq,  from a manuscript dated circa 1200.

The Time Period of the Islamic Golden Age

The beautiful religion of Islam began in the Arabian Peninsula in the early 7th century after the coming of Prophet Muhammad (SAW). It spread throughout the Middle East and then into North Africa, Spain and Sicily. As Islam stretched across the many lands, it created an expanding empire under the religion of Islam. The Islamic Empire expanded greatly in a relatively short period of time due to the strength and discipline of the Arab armies, the use of a common language known as Arabic and the justice and toleration of the conquered people under their rule.   
As time progressed,  because the Islamic civilization became so expansive and successful, they experienced a golden age of peace and prosperity under the Abbasid Dynasty from mid 8th century to mid 13th century. During this era, the Islamic Empire brought forth many intellectual and cultural achievements, later highly influencing the Western world.

Quote about the Golden Age of Islam

"During all the first part of the Middle Ages, no other people made as important a contribution to human progress as did the Arabs, if we take this term to mean all those whose mother-tongue was Arabic, and not merely those living in the Arabian Peninsula. For centuries, Arabic was the language of learning, culture and intellectual progress for the whole of the civilized world with the exception of the Far East. From the IXth to the XIIth century there were more philosophical, medical, historical, religious, astronomical, and geographical works written in Arabic than in any other human tongue." 

~ Phillip Hitti in 'Short History of the Arabs'