CHAPTER 5 THE DEVELOPMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

The emergence of science in the Arab world ; the tradition of Islamic scholarship
 The 6th century - Islam began to establish in Arab world.
 The Arab world is surrounded by the two superpowers: Byzantine Empire and the Neo-Persian (Sassanian) Empire.
 The Byzantine Empire - Christian is based in Constantinople
 While Persia - Sassanian society - the worshippers of the sun god (Majusi) and follower of Zoroastrian teachings.
 Islam spread rapidly which eventually became a challenge to the two superpowers.
 The spread of Islam to the east and west also has an impact on the development of knowledge (science and technology).

The phenomenon of Islamic Science Emergence of the Early Age

 The basis of the emergence of Science in Islamic world can be deduced as a result of:
1. Science and knowledge culture from the races around the Arab world including Sumerian, Babylon, Egypt, Greece,
Persia, and India.
2. Inspiration from the Quran and al-Hadith
3. Intellectuality of scientists, philosophers, Islamic thinkers during the 500 years of the glory Islamic history (7-11 AD).
 This phenomenon enables achievement in various branches of science.

The continuity of science development

 Science across borders and civilizations.
 The following civilization affects the development of science in the Arab / Islamic world;
1. Mesopotamia - The Sumerians, including Ur (found around 4000 BCE), Uruk, and Babylon.
2. Ancient Egypt - Ancient Egyptian Civilization (ca 3000 BCE to 300 CE).
3. Greek Legation - The Greek civilization that shined in 600 BCE-529 CE.
4. Civilization around the Arabian Peninsula before the onset of Islam such as Mada'in Salih in Saudi Arabia and the
Ma'arib Dam in Yemen.

Mada’in salih, Madinah, arab Saudi

Mada'in Saleh (Arabic: ‫ مدائن صالح‬, City of Saleh a.s), also called Al-Hijr (sandy hill), is an ancient city located in the northern
region of Hijaz (currently Saudi Arabia), located about 25 km from the north city of Al-'Ula. In ancient times, the city was
inhabited by Thamud and Nabatea and was known as Hijr.

The Dam Of Ma’arib , Yaman

This dam was built by the ancient Yemeni architects who expertise in civil science. It is a giant dam that can hold water
between two mountains with an average capacity of millions of gallons a day. The water is used for necessities such as
cropping and daily use. With these dams, all villages, gardens and crops located on the lowlands can be protected from flood
hazards that often occur in the rainy season.
 The weakness experienced by Saba Kingdom leads to incapability of maintaining and repairing the dam. Ultimately, these
giant dams have been damaged and can no longer hold flood and reserve rain water especially the flood called "Sailul
Arim" (the great flood) described in the Holy Qur'an (surah Saba verse 16)
 Sailul Arim has caused life in Yemen to experience tremendous changes. The Yemeni people had to share the northern
part of the Arabian Peninsula, as the huge flood had hit and drowned their state. This is what caused the collapse of the
Kingdom of Saba 'and the rise of the Kingdom of Himyar.
Science period during Mesopotamian age
 Sumerian, including Ur (founded on 4000 BCE). Whereas Uruk and Babylon were founded in 600 BCE and was the largest
city of the time ruled by King Nebuchadnezzar II.
 Science and technology achievement:
 Ship Cruises
 Wheel Creation
 Standard Use Size in scales
 Hamurabi Code
 Interesting videos about Mesopotamia: https://bit.ly/2w4m3MX

MESOPOTAMIA CIVILIZATION

Hanging Gardens of Babylon

o Also known as the Semiramis Hanging Gardens and is one of the Seven Wonders of the
World.
o Built by King Nebuchadnezzar II (604-562 BC), son of Nabopolassar who had dominated
the Babylonian Empire and resulted in the end of Mesopotamian civilization under the
leadership of King Hammurabi (1792-1750 BC).
o Located about 50 kilometers south of Baghdad, Iraq on the east bank of the Euphrates
River

The primitive egypt

o Ancient Egypt (ca 3000 BCE to 300 CE) was founded by the Mesopotamians.
o Achievement of Science and Technology:
 365 day solar calendar
 Sun Clock (Sundial)
 Water Clock
 Medicine
 Papyrus as a writing material (paper)
 Number System
 Pyramid

Greek as the successor of science legacy of Mesopotamian Civilization

The legacy of the Greek

Civilization has a tremendous The appearance of Significant and Important
impact on Islam especially philosophers and scientist Achievements
during the expanding of Islam

 A result of curiosity  Institution's Construction: Academy,

 Scientific based reasoning and
observation methods.
 Science is defined as 'an
organized body of thought'
the Lyceum and the Museum.
 Water is the essence of natural
phenomena
 Embryology
 Mathematics - a very important element
in science
 Geometry
 Idea of element (Water, Air, Land, and
Fire)
 Astronomy - The work of Ptolemy
"Almagest“ is among the famous
GREEK CIVILIZATION PEAKED AT 600 BCE-529 CE

The knowledge transmission from the Ancient Civilization to the Arab world
 The development of Islam in Arabia - its location adjacent to ancient civilizations that prior in the achievement of science
and technology.
 The knowledge such as the arts, literature, science and technology of these ancient civilizations, has been transferred to
Arab / Muslim populations through lawmakers‘ (hukuma’), and experienced and influential people.
 Society names the sciences derived from previous civilizations as' ulum alawa'il ("sciences of the ancients").
 These sciences develop and become more civilized by blending them with Islamic principles.

‘Ulum al-awa'il (sciences of the ancients)

• Also called Old Wisdom
• Islam expanded -> to the cities previously the city of civilization before Islam such as Greek, Persian, Indian, Egypt etc.
• Alexandria / Alexandria in Egypt
• Edessa in Turkey
• Jundishapur / Gondeshapur in Persia (Iran)
• The officials among Muslims who dominate these cities began to reform and to re-establish the tradition of science.
• Greek science was later developed by Muslim

Islam as an inspiration in the development of Science & knowledge

 The rise of Islam and the birth of the Muslim Intellectuals are the consequences of;
 intellectual activity is driven by incentives and motivation by Prophet Muhammad S.A.W to seek / gain knowledge
in various disciplines including science and philosophy.
 intellectual and cultural transformation among Arabs.
 Integration of Science: Religion, Rationale and Experiment.
 "There is no contradiction between religion and science".

Translation as a source of knowledge

o Achieving the peak during the era of the Caliph al- Ma'mun (813-33 CE) and subsequent caliphs.
o High fees for translators. Paid in gold, especially the works from Greek.
o Among the great masters of this era were Hunayn ibn Ishaq, Qusta bin Luqa, Thabit ibn Qurrah, Yahya ibn Masawayh etc.
o Establishment of libraries on the 2nd- 4th Hijrah / 8 - 10 M libraries known as Bayt al-Hikmah, Khizanat al-Hikmah, Dar al-
Hikmah, Dar al- 'ilm, Dar al- Kutub, Khizanat al-Kutub and Bayt al- Pole.

THE CENTER FOR SCIENCE DEVELOPMENT – FACILITATE THE DEVELOPMENT OF SCIENCE IN ISLAMIC WORLD

 There are many well-known centers of knowledge in Islam.

 Discussions are focused on four major centers, namely Baghdad, Dimashq, Cairo, and Cordova.
 These four cities are known as the fastest-growing center of knowledge in various disciplines.

1. BAGHDAD
 Baghdad emerged as a great cultural center under the Caliphate of Abu Ja'far al- Mansur (136-158H / 754-775M), the
2nd caliph of the Abbasid empire.
 Followed by three generations of successors especially the Caliph Muhammad al- Mahdi (775-785M), Harun al-Rashid
(170-193H / 786-809M) and Abdullah al- Ma'mun (198-218H / 813-833M) (John Freely, 2009)

The Specialty Of Baghdad As The Centre For Science Developement

 The 900-1100M is the golden age and the peak advancement of Islamic civilization especially in science and technology.
 Medical science begins soon after the end of the Greek-based translation period, which is also reinforced with Persian
and Indian science.
 At this time, Islamic science figures appear in various fields (SaidinWan Ismail, tth.)

The scientist of abbasiyyah age

 Among them were Ibn Rushd, Ibn al- Jazzar, Jabir ibn Hayyan, and Ibn Sina who were under the rule of Caliph Harun al-
Rashid and his son Abdullah al-Ma'mun.
 According to historian al-Mas'udi, Khalifah al-Mansur was the first caliph to have a translation of a foreign language into
Arabic including Aristotle and old books from Classical Greek, Greek Byzantine, Pahlavi, Neo-Persian, and Syriac.
 Al-Mansur was also the first caliph who supported astrologers and acted upon astrological prognostics (John Freely,
 2009).
Baitul Hikmah
 Means the 'Wisdom House'. It is the name of a public library founded by Caliph Harun al-Rashid.
 It is believed to be the most complete, efficient, and most systematic first ever library.
 The purpose of Baitul Hikmah was to promote the collection, translation, and compilation of old manuscripts as well as
the new works of Islamic and non-Muslim scholars.
 Baitul Hikmah was placed under the auspices of the caliph himself because of his love for the knowledge while its
expenditure was fully borne by the government.
 Baitul Hikmah reached its peak advancement during the era of Caliph al-Makmun where he directly involved in the
intellectual activities of the Baitul Hikmah.

Intellectual activities in Baitul hikmah

1) Collection and compilation of manuscripts
2) Validating the translation from the past civilization
3) Translation activities
4) Copying of books

Baitul hikmah as the gathering centre for Islamic and non-muslim scholars
 The incentives and facilities available at Baitul Hikmah make Baghdad as the center of attention and attraction of Islamic
and non-Muslim scholars.
 Many Muslim philosophers and scientists, Jews, Christians and others came to Baitul Hikmah. For example, Hunayn bin
Ishaq was rewarded with gold which weighed equals to the translated book by the caliph.
 Among the science and philosophers who served in Baitul Hikmah were Ishaq bin Hunayn, Yuhanna bin Masawaih,
Muhammad bin Musa al-Khawarizmi, Said bin Harun, Thabit bin Qurrah, and Umar bin Farakkhan.
 In addition to being a hub of gathering for the scientists from various religions, races and nation, there is a binding,
compilating, and loan book service as well as a course of study.

The Role of Baitul Hikmah

1. Produce skilled translators and experts in various fields
2. Strengthen the authentication of the translation material from the original author
3. Involving the palace in scientific activities
4. Assemble translators from different races and religions
5. Become a cultural exchange agent and technology transfer
6. Fostering translation to the masses
7. Functioned as the best library
8. Createad a culture of library

2. DIMASHQ/DAMSYIK
 After the reign of Khulafa 'al-Rasyidin ended, the ruling of the Islamic kingdom was held by the Umayyad (40- 132H /
661-750M).
 The central government moved from Medina to Damascus.
 In the context of science and technology, this era is seen as a wider era of connectivity with Greek, Roman, Indian, and
Chinese civilizations.
 At this time, Muslims are introduced with more advanced science and technology such as shipbuilding technology, naval
tools, and agricultural techniques.
 The development of Islamic countries in this period involves the conquest of knowledge centers of various civilizations.
 Science and philosophy are derived from Byzantine and Persia. Likewise with science from India and China.
 This era is also the beginning of translation works from other languages to Arabic in line with the ruling of Caliph's al-
Walid bin Abdul Malik (705-715M) which makes Arabic as the official language of the Umawiyyah Government.
 The leader of the Ayubiyyah government has succeeded in making Damascus as a center of education. This is evidenced
by the establishment of Madrasah al-Shauhiyyah in 1239M as the center of teaching of four law schools (Hanafi, Maliki,
Shafi'i & Hambali).
 During the leadership of Salahuddin al-Ayyubi, the Ayyubiyya Empire had established 20 schools, 100 baths, and a
number of gathering places of the Sufi in Damascus.
3. KAHERAH
o Cairo emerged as the center of Islamic culture shortly after its establishment in 965M as the new capital of the Fatimid
government.
o The Fatimid Kingdom in Egypt emerged as the most powerful Islamic state in the world.
o The symbol of pride of the Fatimid Dynasty is the al-Azhar Mosque executed by Mu'izz caliphate in 972M and became a
continuing Islamic university until now (John Freely, 2009).
o During the caliphate of al-Aziz (976- 996M), the functiom of al-Azhar mosque was enhanced from solely a place of
worship to a university.
o At the time of Caliph al-Hakim (996- 1021M), an academy called 'Dar al- Hikmah' was founded which comparable to the
institutions of science in Cordova, Baghdad and others.

Knowledge Development During The Fatimid Dynasty

o The success of the Fatimid Dynasty began since the transfer from Abu Tamim Ma'add al-Mu'izz li Dinillah (952-975M). It
reached its peak during the reign of al- Mansur Nizar al-Aziz (975-996M).
o Success can be seen in the field of religion with high tolerance, education with university development and libraries.
o From the aspect of culture and civilization, the city of Cairo became the architectural proof with al-Azhar mosque and
the arts as well as textile, woven, ceramics, and binding products.

AL-AZHAR university
o Originally, it was built as the al-Azhar Mosque.
o A well known Egyptian university of higher education and worldrenowned as a center of scholarship and education.
o It was built in 969M and is the second university to be established after the al-Qarawiyin university which is still
operating until now.
o The al-Azhar University is built by the Fatimid Kingdom (909- 1171M) which makes Cairo as the center of government.

4. CORDOVA
♪ After Islam was founded in Andalus / Spain, East Jews began to enter Andalus because Cordova has became their main
♪ focus and it was the center of economic, political, social and scientific activities.
♪ The tolerance of Islamic government towards Christians led to the assimilation of Christians with Arab / Islamic culture.
♪ The use of the Arabic term has become a habit to them and Arabic language studies take over Latin language studies.

CORDOVA PRIVILEGES as THE CENTER OF intellectual ACTIVITIES

♪ The supremacy of Islam in Andalus for almost eight centuries has had an enormous impact on the development of
intellectual activity in various fields not only to the Andalus community, but also to the rest of the western and world
societies.
♪ Cordova as the capital of Andalus at its peak has emerged as a city of great science. It became the focus of scholars and
students from all the corners of the world.
♪ Educational institutions grow extensively throughout Andalus.
♪ All major cities have a distinctive university while a small town has a school.
♪ The mosque also serves as a learning center.
♪ It was recorded that during the reign of al- Hakam II, there were a thousand universities equipped with a good library
throughout Andalus (Kabir Ahmad Khan, 1982).
♪ Thus, Cordova emerged as Europe's premier center of study and culture for Muslims, Christians, and Jews.
♪ Its students came from within and outside the country. They studied various fields of knowledge at any of the
universities in Cordova.
♪ The University of Cordova emerged as one of the most famous institutions of higher learning during that time which also
comparable to the al-Azhar University in Egypt and the University of Nizamiyyah in Baghdad.

Scientific Development by Early Muslim Scientist (Field & main figures)

Four main fields:
• Medicine
• Astronomy
• Mathematics / Algebra / Number System
• Engineering technology
Four
MEDICAL SCIENCES FIELD

Medicine during the ancient Egypt civilisation

 During this time, patients will visit the temple to receive treatment from medical practitioners as well as to seek help
from God to obtain healing.
 Inside the temple, there is a medical area with the size of a outpatient clinic (modern day) where a priest who is also a
physician or called as a priest-physician will act as a 'dentist' and 'pharmacist' (Dr. Saiyid Karim , 2006).

Medical resources from Greek and Persia

Medical figures of the early age

 Medical Figure of The Ancient Egypt:
Imhotep - Personal physician to Fir'aun Djoser and architect of pyramid construction in Sakkara.
 Medical Figures of The Greek:
◦ Hippocrates - the Greek 'Father of Medicine'
◦ Galen
 The writing of these two figures was studied by Islamic scientists after they have been translated from Greek to Arabic .

Muslim medical figures

o Hunayn Ibn Ishaq 2
o Al-Razi
o Ibn Sina
o Jabir bin Hayyan
o Ibn Rusyd
o Ibn Zuhr
o Ibn Khatimah
o Ibn Ridwan
o Ibn Khaldun

1 3
ACROSS THE BORDER: THE EARLY SCIENTIFIC DEVELOPMENT ASTRONOMY

ASTRONOMY
o Astronomy is a starrelated science involving positions, movements, arrangements and interpretations related to the
stars.
o This knowledge has been recognized by the Arabs since the advent of Islam.