Intellectual Contributions of Islam

One of the biggest in the Old World is the Muslim community which numbers about 20 million people. Muslims’ intellectual contributions have become an influential factor in the lives of most European countries.

Muslim world introduced many agricultural products grown in the western Europe now. Muslims grew rice, pomegranates, and dates. They introduced sericulture and began production of cotton in Spain. Peach, orange, apricot and lemon trees were imported in Europe by Muslim soldiers. Irrigated agriculture has been used by the Arabs in Europe. Also, Muslims taught Europeans techniques of rising water, irrigation and drainage of the soil. Arabs distributed a system of irrigation canals, and the distribution of water in Europe controlled by the public. Also, Muslims made significant contributions in various fields of science. Muslims gave Arabic numerals for humans. Among the achievements of Islamic scholars in the field of mathematics, especially are algebra and algorithms connected with the name of the eminent mathematician Muhammad al-Khwarizmi. Muslims had many advances in medicine, such as the cauterization of the wound or the use of anesthesia in surgery. They found that epidemics arise from infection through contact and air. Al-Razi was the first to diagnose measles and smallpox, to associate these illness and others with human contamination. In addition, he contributed to psychotherapy and warned patients to change physicians. This scientist wrote a famous medical encyclopedia in Arabic.

Many terms, such as “chemistry”, “algebra”, “algorithm”, “alcohol”, “soda”, “candy” and many other daily words, comes from the Arabic. Today, inventions and innovations made by Muslims in various fields of science is a matter of pride. Also, a father of modern sociology was Muslim.

In homes, universities, in philosophy, religion and science, in all our life – people should be grateful to Muslims insight, scientific perseverance and creativity.