Question:.

Answer: Introduction:
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The world civilizational development owed its success to Muslim's contribution to science and technology. What is taught in the West that it originated in the Greco-Roman environment is wrong. They stress on the history before 300 BC and after 1500 AC and forgets or overlooks the period in between these two. This is referred to as 'History's Black Hole' by Morowitz. They claim that the European Renaissance came as a 'Phoenix' from the ashes. In fact, this period (700-1500 AC) is the golden era of Islamic science and 'Dark Ages' for Europe which continued for more than thousand years, due to anti-intellectualism of the Church dogma. Burning of the great library of Alexandria in 390 AC by the fundamentalist Christians resulting in the loss of a vast amount of classical heritage. Vanini's tongue was torn out of his mouth and he was burnt alive for his belief in the theory of evolution. Hypatia, the renowned commentator on Plato, was put to death for her intellectual audacity. Copernicus tried to demonstrate that the earth movers and revolves, not the sun/heavens. He was denounced by Martin Luther King as an 'upstart astrologer' and Calvin severely condemned him. He had to end his life in utter disgrace. Brunu, because of advancing Copernicus theory was seized, imprisoned and burnt while his 'fire made slow to increase the torture'. Galileo, for supporting the Copernican theory, was thrown in dungeon, tortured and pressed to recant as, 'I Galileo, being in my seventieth year, being a prisoner on my knees before your Eminences, having before my eyes the Holy Gospel, abjure, curse, and detest the error and the heresy of the movements of the Earth'. Not content with his mere recantation, the Holy Inquisition sent him into exile for the rest of his life. This was done to all the scientists in the name of Holy Inquisition by the Christian Churches and fanatics in the European 'Middle Ages'. Far from obstructing the scientific research on original line, Islam opened the doors to research, rather, obligated it. For fulfilling their religious duty, the Muslims advanced the prevailing science and technology to the furthest possible level. o Canon Isaac Taylor said: 'Islam has done more for civilization than Christianity'. The European Renaissance is a direct by-product of Islamic science as said by Bosworth Smith: o 'During the darkest period of European history, the Arabs for five hundred years held up the torch of learning to humanity.' o Arthur Leonard rightly found out the reason behind the non-recognition of this Islamic science by the West: 'Islam in fact has accomplished a great feat. It has left a mark on the pages of human history, which is so indelible that it can never be effacedonly when the world grows wiser will that be acknowledged in full.' Earlier, people could not think in abstract, rather looked at the natural elements, the subjectmatter of science, as sacred objects, possessing supernatural powers and subjected those to be worshipped as gods and goddesses. o For the first time, Islam said that these are subservient to human beings and the human beings are the master of everything.

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3. Inquisition and Persecution of the Scientists by the Church:

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5. Foundation of Physical Science by Islam and the Muslims:

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( o The Qur'an indicated the ways in which to reduce the nature to human service; that is through contemplation, observation and experimentation. The following words are mentioned in the Qur'an: :It indicates to correct idea of different things and their different features :It indicates to the knowledge of how to utilize those properly : The ways by which the things come into existence :It is the knowledge to make the right use of things in everyday life o The Qur'an made nature's exploration as God's glorification. Men can best serve the Creator by contemplation, not by lip-service: ) - , - ( o Use of reason made obligatory: Islam obligates that every thing is to be reasoned and investigated. There is no place for mystery or miracle. The Prophet said: 'The first thing was created was reason. God has not created anything better than reason.' Truly a man may have performed prayers, fasts, charity, and pilgrimages and all other good deeds, but he will not be rewarded save in proportion to the sense he uses'. Guizot acknowledged it in 'History of European Civilization', 'Islam stands almost alone among the religions in discountenancing the reliance on tradition without argument. It demands that its votaries should undertake the investigation of the great work of their faith.' Education made compulsory: Before Islam, knowledge was monopolized by a few priests and theologians, to retain power in their hands. Islam made education compulsory for all: ( .) And a great emphasis has been given to it and a great virtue attached to it: , o Searching knowledge in Islam is to be from cradle to grave and any distance is to be covered for seeking any knowledge. o As in Islam, knowledge is to be sought indiscriminately by male and female, boys and girls, slaves and masters, it created an unprecedented thirst for seeking knowledge in the Muslim world, that Dr Campbell, a renowned British Scientist said in Arabian Medicine: 'When Europe was lying torpid in the depth of intellectual obscurity and gloom in the dark ages, culture and civilization were spread in the Islamic states under the high patronage of the Caliphs of Baghdad and Cordova, and at a time when the Barons and Ladies of Medieval Europe could not even sign their names, almost every adolescent boy and girl in Islam could read and write freely and with ease.' o Thus, education was greatly encouraged and made available. Professor Frank Blackmore of the university of Kansas said: In every country that was conquered, the first duty of o So wherever the Muslims went they made great intellectual revolution and upheaval, instead of slaughtering the natives like the Israelites, and made the people enlightened in stead of forcing them into slavery and keeping them ignorant. 'An educated mind can not be enslaved', o In this way, great centers of learning like Damascus, Cordova, Granada, Baghdad, and Cairo came into existence.