Islamic Civilization, A Brief Introduction
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Transcript of Islamic Civilization, A Brief Introduction
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history. The reach of this civilization’s commerce extended from Latin America to China, and
everywhere in between.
If the Islamic civilization was driven more than anything, it was by invention. Its architects
designed buildings that defied the 'then laws' of gravity. The continent's mathematicians created the
algebra and algorithms that would soon be the core knowledge of mankind, as it eventually enable
the building of computers, and the creation of encryption. Medical men examined the human body,
and created new cures for so called fatal uncurable diseases of the time. Its astronomers looked into
the heavens, named the stars, and paved the way for space travel and exploration.
Its writers created thousands of stories. Uncountable works of literature emphasizing on
stories of courage, romance and magic., of poets who wrote of love, when others before them were
too steeped in fear to think of such things.
At such time, the entire European Civilization were cowering in fear, lost, and blasphemy;
while most of Asia were having civil unrest, of civil war, ignorance and barbaric slaughters. These
other nations were afraid of ideas, while The Islamic civilization thrived on them, and kept them
alive. When censors threatened to wipe out knowledge from past civilizations, this civilization kept
the knowledge alive, and passed it on to others.
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Islamic Civilization Principles and Culture – An Exposure
Around the Mediterrean Sea and Black Sea lies the infamous Ottoman Empire, which is
often considered the very peak of Islamic Civilization. It is of this period of time, that the culture of
Islamic Civilization could actually be researched and studied on. Such inconveniences was caused
that upon the death of Muhammad S.A.W, the age of the 4 Caliphs were instable due to
governmental reformation attempts.
Beneath the authoritative reign of the Magnificent Ottoman Empire, there were many
cultures living together in state of harmony. Beneath the wing of the empire, these citizens
composed of myriad ethnic and religious groups, among the Ottoman elite eventually formed a
unique yet specific melding of various cultures. Under of which such a case brings a difficulty to
properly define the boundaries of the Empire; apart from regional lands and capitals.
The Islamic Civilization, of which is more perceived, though rather wrongly as the Ottoman
Culture; comprises mostly of Ottomans, Persian, Byzantine Greek and Islamic. Such a union is
perfectly evident within their architecture developments. Somewhere upon the Tulip Era, its cultural
attributes, -ironically highly affecting its architecture; is being influenced by highly ornamented
styles perpuated and popularized by Western Europe. The theologians define Islam as belief in and
practice of its creed that "there is no God, if not God Himself." In a more elaborate form Islam is
defined as: “The Belief in One God, in His Angels, in His Revealed Books, in His messengers and
prophets, in the Last Day and Resurrection, and in the determination of good and evil by God.”
Therefore Islamic law during the time of Islamic Civilization particularly enforced during
the time of the 4 Caliphs and Ottoman empire; does make a distinction among different non-Muslim
communities. It divides them into what might be called: 'developed' and 'primitive'; or, simply, to
those who believe in One God and follow Divine laws revealed to the founders of their religions,
and those who do not operate on the basis of revealed law (such as idolaters, pagans, atheists,
animists, etc.). Everyone however - both developed and primitive - is a subject who enjoys equal
protection with regard to liberty of conscience and life.
One of the most characteristic features of Islamic Civilization Laws and Principles is the
award of judicial, social and cultural autonomy to these communities. As a result, they are routinelyreferred to as the dhimmis, in the technical terminology of the law. The word dhimma means a
compact which a believer agrees to respect and the violation of which makes him liable to dham
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(blame). The other meaning of the word; also refers to guarantee of safety (aman). Legally, the term
refers to certain rights which must be protected by the state. The people whose rights are protected
are known as dhimmis or protected subjects.
Apart from that, the nature of judicial autonomy under Islamic law during the Islamic
Civilization period; instead of imposing Qur'anic laws on everybody, Islam permits and even
encourages every group (Jewish, Christian, Magian or other) to establish its own tribunals presided
over by its own judges. Each group should seek to apply its laws to all branches of human affairs.
Thus, the judicial autonomy at that time was intended to encompass not only individual, but also on
private matters, such as involving personal status, but also for all the affairs of life: civil, penal,
religious and any others. As far as issues of social and cultural autonomy are concerned, the
safeguard of the rights of non-Muslims within the lands of the Islamic Civilization grants them theliberty of practising customs entirely opposed to those of Islam. For instance, manufacture,
importation, sale and consumption of alcoholic drinks is permitted to non-Muslims. The same is
true of games of chance, marriage with close relatives, contract entailing interest, etc.
To establish liberty of conscience in the world was one of the aims and objectives of the
Prophet Muhammad. Therefore; it was believed by the rulers of that time, that the concept of 'holy
war' in Islam is not eligible for the purpose of imposing Islam on non-Muslims or compelling
anyone to become Muslim. The spirit of Jihad; meant one of sacrifice to ensure that the word of
God and the practices entailed by that word are not extinguished and were readily available for
those who wish to follow the Divine Word and concomitant practices. Waging war for any other
reason then was condemned illegal. There was absolutely no question of waging war in order to
compel people to embrace Islam. Such an act would pose as a taboo; making the attempt a
blasphemy – an unholy war.
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Islamic Civilization Economy – A Fair Trade
The Islamic Civilization Empire obtained most of its wealth by expanding its territory; while
maintaining Agriculture as a secondary source of income. While the western colonies practices
capitalist economy and manufacturing industry, the Islamic Empire focused its time expanding its
masses. Apart from that, they also did traditional monopolies, conservative land holding as well as
agriculture.
Just as every Civilization out there, the Islamic civilization undergo a series of evolution in
its trading policies. These changes in policy are somewhat unavoidable, as the flow of time demand
changes in relative to the needs of the people. In an ever growing world such as the Islamic
Civilization at that time, improvements, innovations, or in short – a revolution – was needed; for
even the great Islamic Empire to maintain its status in the world trade.
Within the earlier days of Prophet Muhammad's reign, continued for several decades during
the time of the 4 Caliphs, the main source of trading comes mainly in two categories – namely,
transportation services and agriculture. During those times, the preferred choice of transportation
was undoubtedly the camel, horses, as well as some luxury equipments that allowed the mobility of
moving tents, caravans, etc. As for agriculture back then, its system was mainly singular and small,often run by families who were descendants of such an occupation, inheriting them directly from
their forefathers.
Business and trading then was small and domestic – mostly within villages / towns. The
output from agriculture families were of tremendously low quantity, barely adequate for the need of
one particular town. Crossovers, caravans, international trading, ports, weren't in question at the
time. Manufacturing wasn’t progressing well either. Being of a professional field that brings such
low returns, the numbers of citizens who actually partake were not entirely professional. They
consist of mainly merchants and craftsman.
However, beginning from the early of 16th century until the 18th century, during the reign of
the Ottoman Empire, such ‘traditional’ economic culture undergoes a revolutionary change. This
was the time when Islamic Civilization began to open its doors to foreigners, who came by distant
lands looking for trading opportunities. The need for such an event undoubtedly increased alertness
for improvements of many of their outdated system. From the 16th to the 18th century, transportation
was made by land or sea, each serves its own purpose and both were equally essential. The
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transportation infrastructure expands eventually due to the efficiency of the administrative system.
Though land transportation was essential, it lacks in its technological developments and was only
ideally used within the early 16th century.
Caravans were the main system that was used then by the Ottoman Empire, accompanying
merchants safely towards their destination. This network of caravans grew outstretched till Balkans,
serving safe lodging and protection to the travelling merchants. It was an unfortunate turn of events
however, as during the leap from 16th and 17th century, there Those were the dark times of land
transportation, as it lasted for nearly a century until the 18 th century, when security tighten.
During the Islamic Civilization Reign of Sultan Bayezid II, the Ottomans built a powerful
navy used to suppress piracy and protect merchant shipping. It was also used as a diplomatic pawnin furthering trading interests, in securing the coasts of the empire and furthering territorial
expansion. The development of naval power in the eastern Mediterranean fostered cordial trading
relations between Venice and the empire.
While on sea, elite navies guarded the coast line to protect the sailing merchants from human
threats such as piracy. Other than protecting the merchants, they also serve a purpose to secure their
relation between other trading countries, as a way to expand their territorial influence and solve
diplomatic crisis. A free market system was more preferably used rather than sea trades. All of the
main maritime routes were between Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean which their main trades
were wheat, the Red Sea and Persian Gulf, main trade spices. The Black Sea, wheat and lumber as
their main trade and finally the Western Mediterranean.
The rapid development of agriculture within the Islamic Civilization also began around the
era of 18th century. It was during this time when the business of agriculture went up being
commercialized due to the increase of number people living in urban areas, the demand greatly rose
and the advancement of using railed transportation began.
In the 18th century, agriculture went up in being commercialized. Due to the increase in
number of people living in urban areas, the demand greatly rose and the advancement of using
railed transportation began. Here begins a new state policy stating out that a big percentage of the
tax to be paid in cash. The greater increase in production will require a higher price to pay. The
demand for consumer goods increase production thus increase the price of items sold. It was of this
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age where the concepts of sharing of ownership took place to accommodate the rising cost in the
industry. Proper planting planning was carried out, so that planting crops are available throughout
the seasons.
The Manufacturing Industry was late to fruit, though its returns were worth the wait. A horde
of elite professionals emerge very much later, replacing the older incapable ones. Many guilds were
established to further improve while maintaining the standards. At least 1580 guilds were reported
to have been created for the contemporary Ottoman society. The actual date and spark of such a
new industry remains uncertain, though it was believed through estimated records that it occurred
around the late of 18th Century, fuelled by the rise of the Renaissance of the West.
Leathers and yarn that were handmade were of such great demand that individual small
corporations were not enough to accommodate the rise of demands. The workers for manufacturing
these products were mainly consisting of women and young girls. Smaller corporations fused
creating a large trading empire that manufactured their products at alarming rate while maintaining
its quality. In the 19th century, this industry re-emerged raw silk and oriental carpets for import
purposes. Due to ever increase in demand; as the world gets more and more connected via sea
trades; the Manufacturing Company decided to relocate the base of their operations to more urban
areas, taking control of the monopoly among the outskirts, at the same time providing a living
among the rural natives.
Such a steep increase in economic growth is bound to fall eventually. As of such, during the
19th century, the Ottoman Empire, overcome with greed and mismanagement decided to implement
tax as their primary source of income. This eventually led to domestic borrowing, which also in turn
became their primary financial supply. It was of this period of time when the Islamic Civilization
lands were forced to use paper money, plunging the entire empire in debt. As time passes by, the percentage of people borrowing money took a steep increase, which eventually resulted into the fall
of such a great Civilization.
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Islamic Civilization Achievements – Eureka
"He has taught you that which (heretofore) you knew not” (QURAN, SURAH
II: 239)Islam is a religion based upon knowledge for it is ultimately knowledge of the Oneness of
God combined with faith and total commitment to Him that saves man. The text of the Quran is
replete with verses inviting man to use his intellect, to ponder, to think and to know, for the goal of
human life is to discover the Truth which is none other than worshipping God in His Oneness. The
Hadith literature is also full of references to the importance of knowledge. Such sayings of the
Prophet as "Seek knowledge even in China", "Seek knowledge from the cradle to the grave", and
Verily the men of knowledge are the inheritors of the prophets", have echoed throughout the historyof Islam and incited Muslims to seek knowledge wherever it might be found. During most of its
history, Islamic civilization has been witness to a veritable celebration of knowledge. That is why
every traditional Islamic city possessed public and private libraries and some cities like Cordoba
and Baghdad boasted of libraries with over 400,000 books. Such cities also had bookstores, some of
which sold a large number of titles. That is also why the scholar has always been held in the highest
esteem in Islamic society.
The marvel and achievements of Islam is highly illustrated within the time of The Golden
Age, or the Islamic Civilization particularly focused during the time of the Ottoman Empire. Such
achievements came to fruit due to its governmental policies that prioritize on the concept of
learning and innovations. The technological improvements between these centuries of time were
massive more than any period in human history.
Astronomy
In astronomy the Muslims integrated the astronomical traditions of the Indians, Persians, the
ancient Near East and especially the Greeks into a synthesis which began to chart a new chapter in
the history of astronomy from the 8th century onward. The Almagest of Ptolemy, whose very name
in English reveals the Arabic origin of its Latin translation, was thoroughly studied and its planetary
theory criticized by several astronomers of both the eastern and western lands of Islam leading to
the major critique of the theory by Nasir al-Din al-Tusi and his students, especially Qutb al-Din al-
Shirazi, in the 13th century.
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The Muslims of the Ottoman Empire also observed the heavens carefully and discovered
many new stars. The book on stars of 'Abd al-Rahman al-Sufi was in fact translated into Spanish by
Alfonso X el Sabio and had a deep influence upon stellar toponymy in European languages. Many
star names in English such as Aldabran still recall their Arabic origin. It was also the hard work
among Muslims of that period that first created an astronomical observatory as a scientific
institution; the observatory of Maraghah in Persia established by al-Tusi which indirectly became
the model for the later European observatories. Many astronomical instruments then were
developed by Muslims to carry out observation, the most famous being the astrolabe. There existed
even mechanical astrolabes perfected by Ibn Samh which must be considered as the ancestor of the
mechanical clock.
Astronomical observations also had practical applications including not only finding the
direction of Makkah for prayers, but also applied their astronomical knowledge to questions of
time-keeping and the calendar. The concept of time recording and management was a revolutionary
concept back then, as the the most exact solar calendar existing to this day is the Jalali calendar was
devised under the direction of 'Umar Khayyam in the 12th century and still till today used in Persia
and Afghanistan.
Mathematics
The first great Muslim mathematician, al-Khwarazmi, who lived in the 9th century, wrote a
treatise on arithmetic whose Latin translation brought what is known as Arabic numerals to the
West. To this day guarismo, derived from his name, means figure or digit in Spanish while
algorithm is still used in English. Al-Khwarzmi was also the author of the first book on algebra.
This science was developed by Muslims on the basis of earlier Greek and Indian works of a
rudimentary nature. The very name algebra comes from the first part of the name of the book of al-
Khwarazmi, entitled Kitab al-jabr wa'l-muqabalah. Abu Kamil al-Shuja' discussed algebraic
equations with five unknowns. The science was further developed by such figures as al-Karaji until
it reached its peak with Khayyam who classified by kind and class algebraic equations up to the
third degree.
The Muslims of Islamic Civilization Age also excelled in geometry as reflected in their art.
The brothers Banu Musa who lived in the 9th century may be said to be the first outstanding
Muslim geometers while their contemporary Thabit ibn Qurrah used the method of exhaustion,
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giving a glimpse of what was to become integral calculus. Many Muslim mathematicians such as
Khayyam and al-Tusi also dealt with the fifth postulate of Euclid and the problems which follow if
one tries to prove this postulate within the confines of Eucledian geometry. Another branch of
mathematics developed by Muslims is trigonometry which was established as a distinct branch of
mathematics by al-Biruni. The Muslim mathematicians, especially al-Battani, Abu'l-Wafa', Ibn
Yunus and Ibn al-Haytham, also developed spherical astronomy and applied it to the solution of
astronomy and applied it to the solution of astronomical problems.
Physics
In the field of physics the Muslims of Islamic Age made contributions in especially three
domains; the first being the measurement of specific weights of objects and the study of the balance
following upon the work of Archimedes. In this domain the writings of al-Biruni and al-Khazini
stand out. Secondly they criticized the Aristotelian theory of projectile motion and tried to quantify
this type of motion. The critique of Ibn Sina, Abu'l-Barakat al-Baghdadi, Ibn Bajjah and others led
to the development of the idea of impetus and momentum and played an important role in the
criticism of Aristotelian physics in the West up to the early writings of Galileo. Thirdly there is the
field of optics in which the Islamic sciences produced in Ibn al-Haytham (the Latin Alhzen) who
lived in the 11th century, the greatest student of optics between Ptolemy and Witelo. Ibn al-
Haytham's main work on optics, the Kitab al-manazir, was also well known in the West as
Thesaurus opticus. Ibn al-Haytham solved many optical problems, one of which is named after him,
studied the property of lenses, discovered the Camera Obscura, explained correctly the process of
vision, studied the structure of the eye, and explained for the first time why the sun and the moon
appear larger on the horizon. His interest in optics was carried out two centuries later by Qutb al-
Din al-Shirazi and Kamal al-Din al-Farisi. It was Qutb al-Din who gave the first correct explanation
of the formation of the rainbow.
Medical
Muhammad ibn Zakariyya' al-Razi (the Latin Rhazes), was one of the greatest of physicians
who emphasized clinical medicine and observation. He was a master of prognosis and
psychosomatic medicine and also of anatomy. He was the first to identify and treat smallpox, to use
alcohol as an antiseptic and make medical use of mercury as a purgative. His Kitab al-hawi
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(Continens) is the longest work ever written in Islamic medicine and he was recognized as a
medical authority in the West up to the 18th century.
The greatest of all Muslim physicians, however, was Ibn Sina who was called "the prince of
physicians" in the West. He synthesized Islamic medicine in his major masterpiece, al-Qanun
fi'ltibb (The Canon of Medicine), which is the most famous of all medical books in history. It was
the final authority in medical books in history. It was the final authority in medical matters in
Europe for nearly six centuries and is still taught wherever Islamic medicine has survived to this
day in such land as Pakistan and India. Ibn Sina discovered many drugs and identified and treated
several ailments such as meningitis but his greatest contribution was in the philosophy of medicine.
He created a system of medicine within which medical practice could be carried out and in which
physical and psychological factors, drugs and diet are combined.
The Ottoman Empire world was also an arena of great medical activity derived from the
heritage of Ibn Sina. The Ottoman Turks were especially known for the creation of major hospitals
and medical centres. These included not only units for the care of the physically ill, but also wards
for patients with psychological ailments. The Ottomans were also the first to receive the influence
of modern European medicine in both medicine and pharmacology.
Chemistry
The very name alchemy as well as its derivative chemistry come from the Arabic al-Kimiya'.
The Muslims during the Islamic Golden Age eventually mastered Alexandrian and very early in
their history, produced their greatest alchemist, Jabir ibn Hayyan (the Latin Geber) who lived in the
8th century. Putting the cosmological and symbolic aspects of alchemy aside, one can assert that
this art led to much experimentation with various materials and in the hands of Muhammad Ibn
Zakariyya' al-Razi was converted into the science of chemistry. To this day certain chemical
instruments such as the alembic (al-'ambiq) still bear their original Arabic names and the mercury-
sulphur theory of Islamic alchemy remains as the foundation of the acid-base theory of chemistry.
Al-Razi's division of materials into animal, vegetable and mineral is still prevalent and a vast body
of knowledge of materials accumulated by Islamic alchemists and chemists has survived over the
centuries in both East and West. For example the use of dyes in objects of Islamic art ranging from
carpets to miniatures or the making of glass have much to do with this branch of learning which the
West learned completely from Islamic sources since alchemy was not studied and practiced in the
West before the translation of Arabic texts into Latin in the 11th century.
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Technology
Islam inherited the millennial experience in various forms of technology from the peoples
who entered the fold of Islam and the nations which became part of Dar al-islam. A wide range of
technological knowledge, from the building of water wheels by the Romans to the undergroundwater system by the Persians, became part and parcel of the technology of the newly founded order.
Muslims also imported certain kinds of technology from the Far East such as paper which
they brought from China and whose technology they later transmitted to the West. They also
developed many forms of technology on the basis of earlier existing knowledge such as the
metallurgical art making the famous Damascene swords, and art which goes back to the making of
steel several thousand years before on the Iranian Plateau. The Muslims, particularly those during
the reign of the Ottoman Empire developed new architectural techniques of vaulting, methods of
ventilation, preparations of dyes, techniques of weaving, technologies related to irrigation and
numerous other forms of technology, some of which survive to this day.
Some of the Muslim technological feats such as dams which have survived for over a
millennium, domes which can withstand earthquakes, and steel which reveals incredible
metallurgical know-how, attest to the exceptional attainment of Muslims in many fields of
technology. In fact it was a vastly superior technology that first impressed the Crusaders in their
unsuccessful attempt to capture the Holly Land and much of this technology was brought back by
the Crusaders to the rest of Europe.
Architecture and Art
Islamic art includes the arts produced from the 7th century onwards by people who lived within the
countries that was inhabited by culturally Islamic populations. It includes fields as varied as architecture,
calligraphy, painting, and ceramics, among others. Islamic art is generally more focused on line patterns and
calligraphy of languages influenced by the Arabic language. And it’s believed that depicting the human figure
in art is a form of sin and idolatry and against Islam.
Perhaps the most important expression of Islamic art is architecture, particularly that of the mosque.
Through the ages, the effects of different Islamic art influences can be seen. The North African and Spanish
Islamic architecture, for example, has Roman-Byzantine elements, as seen in the Alhambra palace
at Granada, or in the Great Mosque of Cordoba. Domes have been used in Islamic architecture for centuries.
The earliest surviving dome is part of the Dome of the Rock monument. Another prominent dome is that of
the 17th century Taj Mahal. A specifically recognisable Islamic architectural style emerged soon
after Muhammad's time, developing from localized adaptations of Egyptian, Persian/Sassanid and Greek
Byzantine models. The Germanic Visigoths in Spain also made a big contribution to Islamic architecture
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They invented the Horseshoe arch in Spain and used them as one of their main architectural features.
The origin of the Persian paintings is difficult to trace. The art form reached its peak mainly during the
Mongol and Timurid periods (13th-16th century), and was heavily influenced by Chinese paintings as the
Mongol rulers of Persia brought with them numerous Chinese artists to the court. Mongol-
Persian mythological miniatures, the mythical animals buraq and dragon was portrayed in a style reminiscent
of the Chinese qilin and Chinese dragon, reflecting the Chinese background of painters who introduced
watercolor techniques to Iran and initiated several medieval schools of Persian miniature painting.
In fact, many religious paintings, including a famous one portraying the Prophet Muhammad's Miraj from
the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem into the heavens, displays stylistic elements of
undoubtedly Chinese origins. Islamic angels are depicted as wearing the tight robes of northern Chinese
style. Persian miniature paintings of the Ilkhanid and Timurid periods, especially ones related to
the Shahnameh stories, usually borrow landscape painting techniques from contemporary Chinese schools,
developed during the Song Dynasty and Yuan Dynasty.
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The Islamic Civilization – A Conclusion
This was the Islamic world from the year 800 to 1600, which included the Ottoman Empire
and the courts of Baghdad, Damascus and Cairo, and enlightened rulers like Suleiman the
Magnificent. Although 'we', at this present age are often unaware, oblivious and ignorant of our unpaid indebtedness to this other civilization, its gifts then are now very much a part of our
heritage.
Technology would not exist without the contributions of Arab mathematicians!
Sufi poet-philosophers like Rumi challenged our notions of self and truth!
Leaders like Suleiman contributed to our notions of tolerance and civic leadership!
And perhaps we can learn a lesson from his example: for it was leadership based on
meritocracy, not inheritance. It was his leadership that harnessed the full capabilities of a very
diverse population–that included Christianity, Islamic, and Jewish traditions. This kind of
enlightened leadership — leadership that nurtured culture, sustainability, diversity and courage —
led to 800 years of invention and prosperity.
In dark and serious times like this, we must affirm our commitment to building societies and
institutions that aspire to this kind of greatness. More than ever, we must focus on the importance of
leadership– bold acts of leadership and decidedly personal acts of leadership.
“Knowledge is a comforting friend in times of loneliness, it is the best
companion during travels, and it is the inner friend who speaks to you in your
privacy.
Knowledge is the discerning proof of what is right and what is wrong, and it is
the positive force that will help you surmount the trials of comfort, as well as those of
hardships.
Knowledge is your most powerful sword against your enemy, and finally, it is
your most dignifying raiment in the company of your close companions.
Through knowledge, Allah, blessed be His Name, raises some people in rank,
and He makes them leaders in righteousness and models in morality. The vestige of
their faith is avidly sought, their deeds are emulated perceptively, and people will
seek and sanction their opinions solicitously and unequivocally. The heavenly angels
seek their company and anoint them with their wings, every fresh or withered life
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they pass by implore Almighty Allah to forgive them their sins, even the fish in the
oceans, the beasts of the lands and every bird of prey and migratory bird pray and
solicit the mercy of Almighty Allah on their behalf.
This is because knowledge revives the dead hearts and drives them out of darkness into light, and because knowledge is the light of the inner eyes that cures
one’s blindness and restores his inner sight”
(Abu Nu’aym, Al-Hilyah that Mu’adh bin Jabal)