By Morteza Beheshti (Director General - Islamic Thought Foundation)

Introduction:

At the threshold of the 3rd millennium, the year 2001 has been named as "The Year of Dialogue among Civilizations". It has been internationally decided that during this year, the numerous civilizations would initiate dialogues, free from domination and colonial principles. In an atmosphere, devoid of animosity and prejudice, the civilizations are expected to challenge one another and to engage in debate. I, too, avail myself of the opportunity to present an article entitled, "The Role of Islam in Strengthening and Expansion of Culture in the Human Community" to the avid readers of the "Mahjubah" magazine such that these dialogues do not fail to involve more and more people, from all walks of life.

In this article, I will try to discuss the cultural achievements of the Islamic World and the effects that they have had on the non-Muslim world. I will present my case briefly and without being verbose or causing impatience among the respected readers, with the hope of shedding more light on the glory and the past heritage of the Islamic world, especially in today's times, in which the whole world, including the Muslim world is dominated by Western and European sciences. The purpose of this discussion is to encourage us to make a firm decision to open the path of happiness for posterity through being inspired by Islam's Divine teachings.

Since the advent of Islam, Muslims decided to expand culture, bring about the advancement of human civilization and expand the circle of education and training. This resolve was rooted in the fact that Islam backed the promotion of knowledge and culture and there was a need to truly understand the ideological, legal and moral principles which are based on precise and subtle foundations.

Because they were preoccupied with conquests and the resultant problems, Muslims did not have the opportunity to compile, systematize and promote Islamic sciences in the 2nd century after Hegira as one would have expected. But after calmness returned to the Muslim community and economic prosperity reigned in the vast Islamic world of that era, the people found more and more opportunity to spend ceaseless and indefatigable efforts to promote knowledge of culture. Within a short period the wave of Islamic knowledge covered the whole Muslim world which included Spain, all of the North African countries, and Asian countries up to India.

The majority of Muslims were able to read and write. Regarding cultural development of the people then, Joseph Maccup writes in his book on the achievements of Muslims in Spain that even the lowest classes among the people were eager to read books, and that the laborers would rather spend all their earnings on books than on improving their ragged clothes or their meager meals. Maccup adds that there was a laborer whose library, even the scholars would eagerly visit.

The Islamic civilization was so effective in promoting literature and knowledge that a number of scholars, authors and orators emerged from the palaces of the Caliphs to the Mosques. In all places, associations and circles would be held to pursue literary and scholarly research based on the principle that the pursuit of knowledge was mandatory for the youth, the old, the female slaves, the male slaves and women.

As a result, over 500 branches of human knowledge were recognized. Dr. Gustav Le Bon, the French scholar, writes in his book on Islamic and Arab civilizations thus:

"The seriousness with which the Muslims pursued the sciences is truly amazing, because their first measure, after the conquest of each city, was to establish a Mosque and a School."

Benjamin Tudell, who died in 1173 CE, writes:

"In Alexandria, I saw twenty schools that were active. Moreover, in addition to public schools, there were universities that had been established in Baghdad, Cairo, Cordova, etc., which had laboratories, a planetarium and huge libraries. For instance, there were seventy public libraries in Andalusia."

In Cordova, in the library of Al-Hakem II, there were 600,000 volumes, some 44 of which served as catalogues of the books at the library, whereas some 400 years later Charles the Wise who established the state library in Paris was able only to collect 900 volumes, one-third of which were religious books.

At any rate, when Europe was going through the frightening darkness of the Middle Ages, and the literacy rate among the people in Europe was not even one percent, the Islamic countries were the centers of knowledge, education and training. At the time when books and libraries did not mean much to the Europeans, and when all the monasteries in Europe possessed only 500 books, all of which were religious books, the Islamic countries had innumerable books and overflowing libraries. In the Baytul-Hikmah's Library in Baghdad, there were 4 million books. In the Royal Library of Cairo there were 1 million books. The Library of Tripoli, in today's Lebanon, had 3 million books and only in Spain between 70,000 to 80,000 books were produced each year.

In the latter part of the Middle Ages during which Europe was afflicted with ignorance and the people were living in utter misery, the European kings and distinguished personalities would come to Muslim countries to receive medical treatment, and European students would travel to Islamic universities to seek knowledge. The Islamic lands then prided themselves in having such universities as those in Cairo, Baghdad, Constantinople, Cordova and Alexandria which had the most advanced equipment for research and experiment of the time.

In Islamic universities, all branches of knowledge and science were taught, and all the amenities for students such as clothing, housing, books, health-care, and even paper and pens were provided free of charge. Most universities had a ba

hat a physician would visit each day and give prescriptions to patients. The warehouses of the schools were filled with foodstuff, beverages and medicine. One must be cognizant of the fact that all of this development and expansion of knowledge an science was taking place during the early part of the 13th Century CE.

Of course, one must mention here that in places like Cairo, Tehran, Damascus, Mosul and Baghdad, there are still greater books of invaluable content. So far these valuable and priceless books have not been catalogued and only a few of them have been published or commented upon. Even the catalogue of the Scoreal Library in Spain, which includes a great part of Islamic books, and treatise in the Maghreb is still incomplete.

Alfred Guilaume, a Professor at the Durham University, writes that it was the religion of Islam and the great Islamic Empire that synthesized the sciences and industries of different nations and presented it in a complete and beautiful form to the world of science and industries.

Reminiscences about this phase of the Islamic civilization, even in the most cursory manner, would reveal a great truth, which is: The sciences of the Orient rained over the arid soil of Europe and made it fertile, and undoubtedly in the not so remote future, the world will get to further understand the significance of Islamic sciences. But the discussion on how the Islamic countries came to be backward, or the European societies emerged to be advanced, would not be within the scope of this article, and would require a more opportune moment.

Through this article, we have attempted to familiarize our readers with the civilized and advanced background of the Islamic societies that will encourage and inspire even the most accomplished scholars of today to avail of the treasures of all kinds of ethical, moral, spiritual, academic, literary, scientific and social education that Islam has offered to humanity ever since its revelation.