Book Review : The Lost History
The Enduring
Legacy of Muslim Scientists, Thinkers, and Artists
By Michael
Hamilton Morgan
Foreword by
His Majesty King Abdullah of Jordan
“Even if you must go all
the way to China,” said the Prophet, “seek
knowledge”. This was the theme of Muslim
(Submission) during the golden age lasted for 500
years. There was split in Muslim, those who
believed and followed ‘only way to God is by
Revelation’ and those who believed and followed
‘only way to God is by Reason’.
A famous Caliph of 8th
century C.E established what known as the ‘House of
Wisdom’ which seeded the greatest invention,
discoveries in all known fields of human knowledge –
Physics, Mathematics, Astrology, Astronomy,
Chemistry, Architecture, Poetry, Philosophy,
Medicine and list goes on. This golden age at 8tgh
century C.E, Baghdad being the center of Islam
intellect would one day lay the seeds of European
renaissance and enlightenment. Unfortunately much
of the contribution from Islam is lost for every in
history. The foundation laid by Islam intellects
and buildings were built by Europeans and later to
become as Europe single handedly achieved the wealth
of knowledge know to mankind.
Theory of relativity was
known to Islam scholars a thousand years before
Einstein. Islamic scholars flew gliders eight
hundred years before Wright Brothers.
I am working to compile a
long list of Islamic inventions and discoveries and
dates vs. the same achieved (or rather used) by
European counterparts.
In an era when the
relationship between Islam and the West seems
fraught with misunderstanding, how many of us
realize that Muslim intellectual achievement was
once the envy of the world? In magnificent centers
of learning, from Damascus to Baghdad and Cairo,
mathematicians a thousand years ago developed
algebra, algorithms, and trigonometry – the
foundations upon which modern technology is built.
Inventors devised the crankshaft and early versions
of the torpedo and the parachute. Physicians’
techniques ranged from orthodontia to asthma care to
tracheotomy. And Muslim astronomers calculated our
planet’s diameter and circumference to a remarkable
degree of accuracy – at the time when Europeans
thought the earth was flat!!!
Their contribution to
modern knowledge are almost beyond counting. How
many of us know the names of ibn al-Haytham, ibn
Sina, al-Tusi, al-Khwarizmi, Omar Khayyam? These
very men paved the way for Newton, Copernicus,
Einstein, and many others
[MS dictionary does not
know them. Newton, Einstein are valid words in
English Dictionary where as ibn al-Haytham, ibn Sina
are underlined RED]
The Lost History – A book
from National Geographic http://gancys.spaces.live.com/Blog/cns!CE84229D91D3E867!580.entry
