Islamic Civilization and Islamic Civilization and Muslim Culture: Muslim Culture:
An Empire of Faith and KnowledgeAn Empire of Faith and Knowledge
Dr. Safei-Eldin A. HamedDepartment of Landscape Architecture
Texas Tech University
1. Islam and Knowledge
2. Arab Contributions to Western Civilization
3. Ibn Khaldun: Father of the Social Sciences
4. Calligraphy’s Majestic Expression
5. Paradise on Earth: Historical gardens of the Middle East
Islamic Civilization and Muslim Culture
6. The Pilgrimage (Hajj) by: Mostafa Mahmoud
Happy Valentine's DayHappy Valentine's Day
•• EthicsEthics instead of sciences•• AestheticsAesthetics instead of arts•• LoveLove instead of rituals
1. The status of knowledge and Islam
2. Position towards Pre-Islamic Knowledge
3. Mathematics, Geometry, and Computing Machines
4. Astronomy, Physics, Optics, and Observatory
5. Medical Sciences
Islam and Knowledge
6. Natural History (Geology, Flora, Fauna, Botany, Agriculture) and Geography
8. Chemistry
9. Technology
10. Architecture, City Planning, and Landscape Architecture
10. The Islamic Influence Upon the West
Islam and Knowledge
Arab Contributions to Western Civilization
• When?8th Century→13th Century
• Who?Multi-ethnic
• What language?Commerce, culture, diplomacy, and science. The Qur’an and Arabic Poetry
Arab Contributions to Western Civilization
• Status of knowledge in Islam• Status of Baghdad• Beit-al-Hikmah 830 A.D.• Universities and libraries in Damascus,
Fez, Cairo, Cordoba, Palermo
Arab Contributions to Western Civilization
• Recovery of ancient knowledgeGreek, Persian, Sanskrit and Syriac.
• Arabic translations of classic worksAristotle, Plato, Hippocrates, Enclid, Archimeds, Patolemy
• Translation → Assimilation →Development and Genaration
• Arab centers in Spain and Sicily as the foundation of Europe’s Renaissance
Arab Contributions to Western Civilization
• House of Translation was founded by al-Mamun (813-833)
• “To proceed from the known to the unknown, to form an exact notion of phenomena’s, to work thereafter from effects to causes, and to accept only what had been demonstrated by experiments””
Arab Contributions to Western Civilization
• Geography• Social Science• Art• Architecture• Literature
• Philosophy• Medicine• Mathematics• Astronomy• Music
1. God, Man, and Nature
2. The lost knowledge of how to interpret nature
3. Attracting people of many races and creeds
4. Arabic as the universal language of culture, diplomacy, and sciences
5. Muslim rulers support of scientists
6. The universities and academies (Damascus, Baghdad, Cairo, Fez, Marrakesh, Seville, Cordoba, Toledo, Basra, Kufa, and Granada)
Medieval Arab Medicine
7. Prophetic tradition of medicine
8. Hakim: The Muslim physician who blends the knowledge of theology, medicine, and philosophy
9. Islamic medicine and philanthropy
10. Medical service to poor.
11. Organizing and accrediting the physicians
12. Deep interest in psychology & Public health
Medieval Arab Medicine
13. Pioneers of Medicine in the Islamic EmpireAl-Razi, 865- 925
Ibn Sina (Avicenna), 980-1037, Canon of medicine
Az- Zuhrawi (Albucasis), died 1013
Ibn Rushd (Averroes)
Jaber ibn Hayyan
Medieval Arab Medicine
Ibn-Khaldun as a scholar, courtier, administrator, and as an author
Kitab Al-Ibar (A History of the World) and its introduction (Mugaddama)
Born in Tunis from Andulosian refugee family
Traveled and lived in many countries and taught at Al-Azhár
Ibn-Khaldun: Father of Social Sciences (1332-1406)
The Mugaddama includes:1. Historiography2. Errors of historians3. Causes of errors
God, Humankind, and Social Organizations
The Life of Nations = asabiyya + deen
= patriotism + religion
The five stages of a state (dynasty)
Ibn-Khaldun: Father of Social Sciences (1332-1406)
First thinker to treat economics as a special discipline
Basic principles of sociology
Ibn-Khaldun on the issues of labor, production, competition, monopoly, population growth, moral and spiritual values, taxes, and the function of the state.
Ibn-Khalduns’ views on the good qualities of a ruler
Ibn-Khaldun: Father of Social Sciences (1332-1406)
Characteristics of Arabic calligraphyFlowing, geometric, expressive, aesthetic, and mystic
Origins of the Arabic languageWest Aramaic dialect
Development of the written Arabic as a creative art.
Calligraphy’s Majestic ExpressionFrom “Arab World Notebook”
Kinds of Arabic script
1. Kufic
2. Thulth
3. Diwani
4. Ruqa
5. Farsi
6. Naskh
Calligraphy’s Majestic ExpressionFrom “Arab World Notebook”
Great Calligraphers
Beauty and Meaning
Language of the Qur’an
The Training of Calligraphers
Arabic Calligraphy Today
Calligraphy’s Majestic ExpressionFrom “Arab World Notebook”
• Philosophy• Major interest of the Muslim intellectuals.
An unending search for the truth.• Al-Kindy (801-873) - 361 works• Ibn-Rushd (Averres)• Ibn-Maymun (1177-1204)Linguist, physician, theologian, leader of
Cairo Jewish community
Mathematics• Arabic numerals• Decimal systems and the zero from India• Algebra• Ibn al-Haytham (965-1040)
He is called also “Alhazen” and is known for his advanced work in optics.
• Al-Tusi (1201-1274) from Persia who developed trigonometry as a science
•
Medicine• Ar-Razi (865-925)• Ibn-Sina (Avicenna), (980-1037)• Az-Zahrawi (Albucasis) (d. 1013)• 1st hospital 872 in Baghdad• Philanthropy and medical centers• Public hygiene• Organized profession
Astronomy• Al-Khwarizmi (780-850)
Astronomical tables in Arabic• The Astrolabe• Al-Battani in the 10th Century Iraz• Umar Al-Khayyam in the 12th Century Persia,
who developed an accurate calendar• Islamic Calendar• Daily prayers
Geography• Travelers: Nomads, pilgrims, scholars,
craftsmen, mobile armies, merchants, and sailors and caravans
• Al-Idrisi (1100-1166) Moroccan in Palermo and world map and the Book of Roger Encyclopedia
• Al-Maqdisi, Al-Istakhri, and Yaqut:The Arab, the Persian, and the Greek•
Social Sciences• Ibn-Battuta (1304-1377) : “Never, so far as possible, cover
any road a second time”.• He traveled for thirty years a journey of 75,000
through the Muslim Empire. He wrote a book of travel and practiced as a judge in different .
• Al-Wazzan (1495- ?) from Spain• Ibn-Khaldun (1332-1406) from Tunis
His books “History of the World” and Al-Muqaddamah.
• He is considered the founder of sociology”•
