How Islamic Scholarship Impacted the World and Empowered Women
By
Fariha Sikondari, New Age Islam
18
September 2023
This
article is about the impact that Islamic scholarship had on the world during
the Islamic Golden Age. Middle Temple Library in London, UK, recently explored
this theme in the exhibition, ‘Islam, Astronomy & Arabic Print’,
which I co-curated with Jake Hearn. It was a successful exhibition which
generated a lot of public interest.
Due to its
proximity to Europe, the Ottoman empire had a significant impact on European
culture during the Renaissance. However, the exhibition does not focus on
culture and arts. Rather, it looks at how European scholars and thinkers
interacted with the Muslim world to acquire knowledge in the fields of science,
mathematics, astronomy and Arabic language. Since the latest developments in
all fields of knowledge could only be found from Muslim sources at that time.
Specialist
Arabic printing houses were established in Oxford, London and various cities in
Europe during the Renaissance. The Arabic printing press was a response to the
requirements of Orientalist scholarship which had developed significantly in
16th century Europe. Orientalist scholarship involved mastering the Arabic
language in order to transmit knowledge to Europe. Middle Temple library has
several early printed books containing Arabic script ranging from legal books
to fiction. These books show the difficulty of capturing Arabic characters in
print.
Alongside
the early printed books, Europe also took an interest in translating the Quran.
Initially, Qurans had been translated for political reasons to counter
religious doctrine as a response to the Islamic empires which had been
dominating the world from the 8th century up until the Renaissance. Some of the
early translations contained biased and prejudiced stereotypes, and offensive
depictions of Prophet Muhammad. Unfortunately, this is quite similar to what is
happening today in Europe.
However,
with the rise of Orientalist scholarship, there was a gradual change in
approach to translating the Quran. In 1734, George Sale, a lawyer and member of
Inner Temple, had the intention to create a translation of the Quran that was
free from bias. To assist him in this endeavour, he consulted various authentic
Ottoman sources to write detailed commentary to accompany the verses. It was
regarded as a fairly accurate version and was well received by both Muslims and
non-Muslims.
The
Quran, commonly called the Alcoran of Mohammed translated by George Sale (1734)
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Also in the
exhibition, we look at Quran verses relating to science and astronomy. Numerous
verses of the Quran mention the celestial bodies and encourage the reader to
contemplate why they exist and contemplate their function in the universe.
Contemplation is an act of worship in Islam as it can bring a person closer to
God. In observing the universe, the early Muslim scholars endeavoured to
understand the design of the universe and in so doing, ultimately understand
God. The field of Astronomy was seen as the height of scholarly pursuits as it
was a way to truly know God.
As the
early Muslim astronomers and scientists were polymaths, most of them had a
grounding in theology and the Islamic religious sciences, which include Tafsir
(explanation of Quran), Hadith (sayings of Prophet Muhammad) and Islamic Law.
As such, they were well versed in these Quranic verses.
Several
verses refer to being exact in measurements and refer to calculations of
celestial bodies. As Muslims believe that the Quran is a source of knowledge
and wisdom, this no doubt inspired the study of advanced mathematics, algebra
and trigonometry, and also the creation of various tools to accurately measure
the movement of celestial bodies, such as astrolabes and quadrants.
Cases
Containing Quranic Verses
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Islamic
scholarship began in the 7th century when Prophet Muhammad started teaching the
Islamic religious sciences to his followers. Over time, Islamic scholarship
expanded to include various subjects such as medicine, mathematics, science,
astronomy, philosophy, Arabic grammar and geography, amongst other subjects.
The Quran places an emphasis on pursuing knowledge and as a result Islamic
scholarship spread throughout the Muslim world during the Islamic Golden Age.
The Islamic Golden Age saw the development of various public institutions which benefitted the Muslim world as well as the rest of the world. These included madrasas, schools, universities, hospitals, observatories and the first public library. Many of these institutions were funded by Muslim women as they were able to become patrons due to the changes in law.
Since Islamic law recognises the
rights of women, it enabled them to claim their inheritance, which they were
previously prohibited from doing in pre-Islamic times. Islam honours women and
protects their rights; this revolutionary principle empowered women.
One of the
earliest institutions was the University of al-Qarawiyyin in Fez, Morocco,
founded in the 9th century, by Fatima al-Fihri. Fatima al-Fihri was a visionary
and after the death of her father, she used her inheritance to establish the
institution to provide education to the masses. It began as a madrasa and is
now the oldest university in the world. It still operates today and contains
over 4,000 manuscripts.
The Major
cities of the Muslim world attracted scholars, scientists, thinkers and writers
from across the globe, both Muslim and non-Muslim, since they were able to live
there peacefully and thrive in the intellectual environment and attend the
institutions. Cordoba in Spain, Andalusia, contained the second largest library
in the Muslim world. It rivalled Baghdad, which was the centre of early Islamic
empires. In the 10th century, Lubna of Cordoba, managed the library of Cordoba
and wrote and translated manuscripts. She was also a mathematician and
intellectual, known for her abilities in grammar, science, geometry and
algebra.
John
Greaves, Savilian professor of astronomy at the University of Oxford, was one
of those European scholars who travelled to the Levant to acquire several
Arabic, Persian and Greek manuscripts. In 1652 he translated Astronomica
Quaedam ex Traditione Shah Cholgii Persae which was originally in Persian and
attributed to Mahmud Shah Khulji, a 15th century Sultan of Malwa, which is now
central India. Shah Khulji established a number of educational establishments
within his kingdom. Astronomica Quaedam contains detailed scientific content as
well as diagrams of the planets and the moon. It is a result of a culmination
of the previous works of Muslim astronomers from the past, and was influenced
by the works of Nasir al-Din al-Tusi, who developed a mathematical planetary
model in his Tusi Couple, in the 13th century.
Astronomica
Quaedam ex Traditione Shah Cholgii Persae translated by John Greaves (1652)
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Astronomy
in the Muslim world progressed by developing and expanding upon earlier
theories from predecessors. Europe looked to the Muslim world for these
developments and often used the works as textbooks in their universities. The
later works of the European Renaissance astronomer, Copernicus, contains the
Tusi Couple. This advanced planetary model helped him to discover that the
earth orbited the sun. It was previously believed that the earth was at the
centre of the universe.
Islamic
scholarship still continues to this day and flourishes within Islamic
educational institutions such as the renowned Al-Azhar University in Cairo,
Egypt, which was established in the 10th century. We can learn a lot from the
model of the Islamic Golden Age, particularly how to live peacefully in
coexistence with people of different cultures, religions and ethnicities, and
also to empower women to live with dignity and have their rights protected.
Note: A shorter version of the article was first
published on Muslim Heritage.
All images are supplied by the author.
The exhibition ran from May - 11th September 2023 at Middle Temple Library. It is now an Online Exhibition. It can be viewed online. Tip: click on the social media icon in the right-hand corner of the text cards to see the corresponding images. A promotional video about the Quran is below:
URL: https://newageislam.com/debating-islam/islamic-scholarship-world-empowered-women/d/130697
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