Academic Essay: Impact of Islamic Science on Western Development
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This academic essay explores the significant influence of Islamic scholarship on the development of Western science, arguing that modern science in Europe may not have occurred without the adoption of fundamental concepts from the Islamic tradition. The essay begins by discussing the historical context of the Islamic Golden Age and its advancements in various fields. It then delves into specific examples, such as the contributions of Islamic scholars to mathematics, including the Hindu-Arabic numeral system, and medicine, highlighting the translation of Greek and Islamic texts. The paper emphasizes the importance of these contributions to the scientific revolution and the growth of capitalism in the West, ultimately concluding that Western science owes a considerable debt to Islamic scholars. It references various historical sources and provides evidence of the lasting impact of Islamic scientific traditions.

Running head: ACADEMIC WRITING
Academic Writing
Name of the Students
Name of the University
Author Note
Academic Writing
Name of the Students
Name of the University
Author Note
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1ACADEMIC WRITING
Introduction
The Nobel Prize is the most eminent and coveted global honour bestowed for outstanding
work in economics, chemistry, peace, literature, physics, or physiology and medicine. Since its
first establishment in 1895 to acknowledge those who had an outstanding contribution to benefit
mankind, western European countries have accomplished a disproportionate number of Novel
prizes laureates. In fact, 82 percent of Nobel prizes have been awarded to laureates from western
countries (The Washington Post 2013). However, as we delve into the historical origin of that
great knowledge and the development of advanced modern science, it should be done through an
eye of medieval Islamic scholars. In the Medieval age, Islamic scholars had a significant
influence which in turn became the fundamental material for a scientific revolution in western
civilisation. “In the broadest sense, the West's borrowings from the Middle East form practically
the whole basic fabric of civilisation” (Wickens 1976). The paper asserts that the Modem science
emerged in Europe may not have occurred without adopting the fundamental concepts of the
Greek scientific tradition that had been integrated and modified into the corpus Islamic tradition
during its great period of mass scholarship known as Golden Age. Even though much of the
Islamic contributions are unappreciated and credited, it had a vital role throughout the
progression of the European transformation. Some argue that the influence of Islamic science
and metaphysical works to Western culture was limited and the western scientific enterprise
undertook a significant cleavage from the Islamic influence. The paper further argues against this
by providing the evidence and vestigial traces of Islamic scientific tradition in various discipline
of today’s science such as mathematics and medicine.
Introduction
The Nobel Prize is the most eminent and coveted global honour bestowed for outstanding
work in economics, chemistry, peace, literature, physics, or physiology and medicine. Since its
first establishment in 1895 to acknowledge those who had an outstanding contribution to benefit
mankind, western European countries have accomplished a disproportionate number of Novel
prizes laureates. In fact, 82 percent of Nobel prizes have been awarded to laureates from western
countries (The Washington Post 2013). However, as we delve into the historical origin of that
great knowledge and the development of advanced modern science, it should be done through an
eye of medieval Islamic scholars. In the Medieval age, Islamic scholars had a significant
influence which in turn became the fundamental material for a scientific revolution in western
civilisation. “In the broadest sense, the West's borrowings from the Middle East form practically
the whole basic fabric of civilisation” (Wickens 1976). The paper asserts that the Modem science
emerged in Europe may not have occurred without adopting the fundamental concepts of the
Greek scientific tradition that had been integrated and modified into the corpus Islamic tradition
during its great period of mass scholarship known as Golden Age. Even though much of the
Islamic contributions are unappreciated and credited, it had a vital role throughout the
progression of the European transformation. Some argue that the influence of Islamic science
and metaphysical works to Western culture was limited and the western scientific enterprise
undertook a significant cleavage from the Islamic influence. The paper further argues against this
by providing the evidence and vestigial traces of Islamic scientific tradition in various discipline
of today’s science such as mathematics and medicine.

2ACADEMIC WRITING
Body
The Islamic golden age is referred to the era in the history of Islam. This era is dated
traditionally from the 8th century to the 14th century. In this mentioned era, the Islam world
evidenced a commendable and flourishing enhancement in science, economic as well as cultural
works. According to the Muslim tradition, this period is considered to have began during the
reign of the Abbasid Caliph, Harun al-Rashid. During his reign, scholars from different cultural
background are invited from different parts of the world in order to translate the classical
knowledge of the world into Arabic language. During this period several new inventions
associated with science and mathematics had taken place due to the glorious union of scholars
from all over the word. According to the Islamic tradition in 1258 AD, this period had ended due
to the death of the Abbasid Caliphate due to the Siege of Bagdad an Mughal invention (Bier
2004).
While the middle age of the Islamic word is considered to be highly glorifying and
productive, in Europe the middle age was characterized by devastating phenomenon like war and
population decline. According to the historians, the middle age lasted in the history of Europe
from the 5th century to the 15th Century. It initiated with the fall of the Western Roman Empire
and merged with the renaissance period (Iqbal 2000). The middle age of Europe can be
segregated into three parts that includes the early, high and late middle age. The early middle age
of Europe is characterized by population decline, invention and movements. During the High
Middle Ages, that began after 1000, the population of Europe got enhanced greatly as
technological as well as agricultural innovations permitted trade to flourish. Along with that,
the Medieval Warm Period climate change allowed crop yields to enhance (Hilgendorf 2003).
Body
The Islamic golden age is referred to the era in the history of Islam. This era is dated
traditionally from the 8th century to the 14th century. In this mentioned era, the Islam world
evidenced a commendable and flourishing enhancement in science, economic as well as cultural
works. According to the Muslim tradition, this period is considered to have began during the
reign of the Abbasid Caliph, Harun al-Rashid. During his reign, scholars from different cultural
background are invited from different parts of the world in order to translate the classical
knowledge of the world into Arabic language. During this period several new inventions
associated with science and mathematics had taken place due to the glorious union of scholars
from all over the word. According to the Islamic tradition in 1258 AD, this period had ended due
to the death of the Abbasid Caliphate due to the Siege of Bagdad an Mughal invention (Bier
2004).
While the middle age of the Islamic word is considered to be highly glorifying and
productive, in Europe the middle age was characterized by devastating phenomenon like war and
population decline. According to the historians, the middle age lasted in the history of Europe
from the 5th century to the 15th Century. It initiated with the fall of the Western Roman Empire
and merged with the renaissance period (Iqbal 2000). The middle age of Europe can be
segregated into three parts that includes the early, high and late middle age. The early middle age
of Europe is characterized by population decline, invention and movements. During the High
Middle Ages, that began after 1000, the population of Europe got enhanced greatly as
technological as well as agricultural innovations permitted trade to flourish. Along with that,
the Medieval Warm Period climate change allowed crop yields to enhance (Hilgendorf 2003).

3ACADEMIC WRITING
The late Middle Age had evidenced a huge lot of difficulties as well as calamities including
diseases like famine, war and plague.
Mathematics
Mathematics plays a major role when it comes to proving scientific laws. Scholars
develop scientific laws that describes the scientific phenomenon. However, in order to prove the
law, mathematics is used as an tool. Thus mathematics can be considered to be an essential tool
for scientist whose purpose is to simplify science by quantification of the phenomenon. In a
nutshell, science without mathematic can never exist. The development of these ten symbols and
their use in a positional system entered the European World primarily from India.
When it comes to mathematics, the contribution of the islam-arabic word to the western
mathematics is huge (Haque, 2004). The modern system of notation, using ten different numerals
as well as a zero and using position to denote value, is the invention of Hindu mathematicians
and astronomers, attaining its present form by the seventh century. The Western numeric system
that i.e. 0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 has its origin in the Hindu-Arabic System. This base-ten system was
invented in India in the middle age period (Hehmeyer & Khan 2007). This system becomes well
known in the Western Europe due to the works of Islamic commentators whose work were
translated into Latin. The mentioned numeric system has highly facilitated the western arithmetic
especially when it comes to multiplication and division. The concepts of the nine digit system
had allowed the scholars to perform the mathematical tables that are required for surveying ,
navigation and maintenance of financial records (Forbes and Baker 2017). This rapid
advancement in mathematics has greatly contributed to the extensive exploration as well as
growth of capitalism that initiated the renaissance. According to researchers, the rapid financial
The late Middle Age had evidenced a huge lot of difficulties as well as calamities including
diseases like famine, war and plague.
Mathematics
Mathematics plays a major role when it comes to proving scientific laws. Scholars
develop scientific laws that describes the scientific phenomenon. However, in order to prove the
law, mathematics is used as an tool. Thus mathematics can be considered to be an essential tool
for scientist whose purpose is to simplify science by quantification of the phenomenon. In a
nutshell, science without mathematic can never exist. The development of these ten symbols and
their use in a positional system entered the European World primarily from India.
When it comes to mathematics, the contribution of the islam-arabic word to the western
mathematics is huge (Haque, 2004). The modern system of notation, using ten different numerals
as well as a zero and using position to denote value, is the invention of Hindu mathematicians
and astronomers, attaining its present form by the seventh century. The Western numeric system
that i.e. 0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 has its origin in the Hindu-Arabic System. This base-ten system was
invented in India in the middle age period (Hehmeyer & Khan 2007). This system becomes well
known in the Western Europe due to the works of Islamic commentators whose work were
translated into Latin. The mentioned numeric system has highly facilitated the western arithmetic
especially when it comes to multiplication and division. The concepts of the nine digit system
had allowed the scholars to perform the mathematical tables that are required for surveying ,
navigation and maintenance of financial records (Forbes and Baker 2017). This rapid
advancement in mathematics has greatly contributed to the extensive exploration as well as
growth of capitalism that initiated the renaissance. According to researchers, the rapid financial
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4ACADEMIC WRITING
growth that took place in the western world can be considered as the result of development of
science. Without the contribution of the mentioned of the Hindu Arabic numerals was not
possible. Researchers stated that, the development of the financial structure of the mentioned
nation could have taken much longer in case, the nine digit system was not intended by the
Islamic scholars. Thus, the role of Islamic scholars when it comes to the development of science
and technology in the western world cannot be ignored.
Medicine
In this age of technological development, Europe being a developed nation is highly
advanced in medicine. The European Medicine Agency has been created by the European
government in order to determine whether the medicine scientists are developing can be
considered as advanced therapy medical product or not. Currently the healthcare system of
Europe is considerd to be oe of the best medical systems across the world. During the medial
period, Western Europe was composed of a mixture of existing ideas from spiritual influences,
antiquity, social consensus and shamanistic complex (Knysh 2016). During the early middle age
the medical knowledge of the Western Roman empire was based completely on the text of
foreign scholars of Greece, India and Rome. The western medical system was not at all well
developed and as a result individuals suffering from fatal diseases used to place their hopes
simply at church with the expectation that God will heal their sickness. The medicine of the
nation gained development during the renaissance period. The chief reason behind the
development of the medicine of the mentioned nation is the translation of Islamic and Greek
texts from Arabic (Turner and Nasir 2016). Some of the mentionworthy Arabic texts associated
with medicine which have greatly changed the healthcare sector of Europe includes De
Gradibus by Alkindus and Al-Tasrif by Abulcasis.
growth that took place in the western world can be considered as the result of development of
science. Without the contribution of the mentioned of the Hindu Arabic numerals was not
possible. Researchers stated that, the development of the financial structure of the mentioned
nation could have taken much longer in case, the nine digit system was not intended by the
Islamic scholars. Thus, the role of Islamic scholars when it comes to the development of science
and technology in the western world cannot be ignored.
Medicine
In this age of technological development, Europe being a developed nation is highly
advanced in medicine. The European Medicine Agency has been created by the European
government in order to determine whether the medicine scientists are developing can be
considered as advanced therapy medical product or not. Currently the healthcare system of
Europe is considerd to be oe of the best medical systems across the world. During the medial
period, Western Europe was composed of a mixture of existing ideas from spiritual influences,
antiquity, social consensus and shamanistic complex (Knysh 2016). During the early middle age
the medical knowledge of the Western Roman empire was based completely on the text of
foreign scholars of Greece, India and Rome. The western medical system was not at all well
developed and as a result individuals suffering from fatal diseases used to place their hopes
simply at church with the expectation that God will heal their sickness. The medicine of the
nation gained development during the renaissance period. The chief reason behind the
development of the medicine of the mentioned nation is the translation of Islamic and Greek
texts from Arabic (Turner and Nasir 2016). Some of the mentionworthy Arabic texts associated
with medicine which have greatly changed the healthcare sector of Europe includes De
Gradibus by Alkindus and Al-Tasrif by Abulcasis.

5ACADEMIC WRITING
The early middle period is considered to be the Dark age in the eastern period off history.
The period is called dark age due to the demographic, cultural, and economic deterioration
occurred in Western Europe following the decline of the Roman Empire. While there was utter
turbulence in the Western World, during the same period the world evidenced great advancement
in medicine by the Islamic scholars. Islamic medicine preserved, systematized as well as
developed the medical knowledge of classical antiquity, that incorporate the major traditions
of Hippocrates, Galen and Dioscorides. Name of some of the major contributors to the
advancement of Islamic medicine includes Muhammad al-Bukhari, Ali ibn Mousa al-Ridha, Ali
ibn Sahl Rabban al-Tabari and Muhammad bin Sa'id al-Tamimi (Lee 2018). The cannon of
Medicine written by Islamic author Avicenna is still considered as a crucial resource for
medicine in Europe and is taught in majority of medical schools.
Conclusion
The paper asserts that the Modem science emerged in Europe may not have occurred
without adopting the fundamental concepts of the Greek scientific tradition that had been
integrated and modified into the corpus Islamic tradition during its great period of mass
scholarship known as Golden Age. From the above discussion it can be concluded that the
western world woes a lot to the Islamic scholars. The efficient science and technologies that are
being enjoyed by the western population can be considered as the result of the knowledge that
had been borrowed from the Eastern world. Considering the fact that Mathematics is an integral
part of science, the knowledge of mathematics gained from the Islamic scholar has highly
contributed to the development of science and technology. The chief reason behind the
development of the medicine of the mentioned nation is the translation of Islamic and Greek
The early middle period is considered to be the Dark age in the eastern period off history.
The period is called dark age due to the demographic, cultural, and economic deterioration
occurred in Western Europe following the decline of the Roman Empire. While there was utter
turbulence in the Western World, during the same period the world evidenced great advancement
in medicine by the Islamic scholars. Islamic medicine preserved, systematized as well as
developed the medical knowledge of classical antiquity, that incorporate the major traditions
of Hippocrates, Galen and Dioscorides. Name of some of the major contributors to the
advancement of Islamic medicine includes Muhammad al-Bukhari, Ali ibn Mousa al-Ridha, Ali
ibn Sahl Rabban al-Tabari and Muhammad bin Sa'id al-Tamimi (Lee 2018). The cannon of
Medicine written by Islamic author Avicenna is still considered as a crucial resource for
medicine in Europe and is taught in majority of medical schools.
Conclusion
The paper asserts that the Modem science emerged in Europe may not have occurred
without adopting the fundamental concepts of the Greek scientific tradition that had been
integrated and modified into the corpus Islamic tradition during its great period of mass
scholarship known as Golden Age. From the above discussion it can be concluded that the
western world woes a lot to the Islamic scholars. The efficient science and technologies that are
being enjoyed by the western population can be considered as the result of the knowledge that
had been borrowed from the Eastern world. Considering the fact that Mathematics is an integral
part of science, the knowledge of mathematics gained from the Islamic scholar has highly
contributed to the development of science and technology. The chief reason behind the
development of the medicine of the mentioned nation is the translation of Islamic and Greek

6ACADEMIC WRITING
texts from Arabic. Thus we must appreciate the scholars who have given great influence in
development in western science
texts from Arabic. Thus we must appreciate the scholars who have given great influence in
development in western science
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7ACADEMIC WRITING
Reference list
Bier, C 2004, 'Patterns in Time and Space: Technologies of Transfer and the Cultural
Transmission of Mathematical Knowledge across the Indian Ocean', Ars Orientalis, vol. 34, pp.
172-94.
Forbes, M. and Baker, W., 2017. Moral Values and Market Attitudes. In Markets, Morals, and
Religion (pp. 43-50). Routledge.
Haque, A 2004, 'Psychology from Islamic Perspective: Contributions of Early Muslim Scholars
and Challenges to Contemporary Muslim Psychologists', Journal of Religion and Health, vol.
43, no. 4, pp. 357-77.
Hehmeyer, I & Khan, A 2007, 'Islam’s forgotten contributions to medical science', Canadian
Medical Association Journal, vol. 176, no. 10, p. 1467.
Hilgendorf, E 2003, 'Islamic Education: History and Tendency', Peabody Journal of Education,
vol. 78, no. 2, pp. 63-75.
Iqbal, M 2000, 'Islam and Modern Science: Formulating the Questions', Islamic Studies, vol. 39,
no. 4, pp. 517-70.
Knysh, A., 2016. Islam in historical perspective. Routledge.
Lee, R.D., 2018. Overcoming tradition and modernity: The search for Islamic authenticity.
Routledge.
Turner, B.S. and Nasir, K.M., 2016. State, science and economy in traditional societies: some
problems in Weberian sociology of science. In The Sociology of Islam (pp. 65-86). Routledge.
Reference list
Bier, C 2004, 'Patterns in Time and Space: Technologies of Transfer and the Cultural
Transmission of Mathematical Knowledge across the Indian Ocean', Ars Orientalis, vol. 34, pp.
172-94.
Forbes, M. and Baker, W., 2017. Moral Values and Market Attitudes. In Markets, Morals, and
Religion (pp. 43-50). Routledge.
Haque, A 2004, 'Psychology from Islamic Perspective: Contributions of Early Muslim Scholars
and Challenges to Contemporary Muslim Psychologists', Journal of Religion and Health, vol.
43, no. 4, pp. 357-77.
Hehmeyer, I & Khan, A 2007, 'Islam’s forgotten contributions to medical science', Canadian
Medical Association Journal, vol. 176, no. 10, p. 1467.
Hilgendorf, E 2003, 'Islamic Education: History and Tendency', Peabody Journal of Education,
vol. 78, no. 2, pp. 63-75.
Iqbal, M 2000, 'Islam and Modern Science: Formulating the Questions', Islamic Studies, vol. 39,
no. 4, pp. 517-70.
Knysh, A., 2016. Islam in historical perspective. Routledge.
Lee, R.D., 2018. Overcoming tradition and modernity: The search for Islamic authenticity.
Routledge.
Turner, B.S. and Nasir, K.M., 2016. State, science and economy in traditional societies: some
problems in Weberian sociology of science. In The Sociology of Islam (pp. 65-86). Routledge.
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