Islamic Contributions and Their Impacts: An Analysis Essay

Religion is not something that is easily defined. There are multiple different aspects and subcategories within the term. Abramic religions such as Christianity and Judaism are some of the more well-known religions, while other philosophies such as Buddhism and Hinduism are known but generally unstudied by the media. Islam is one of these religions. Framed by social media as complete and utter terrorists, the word “Muslim” can draw fear in some parts of the world. Incredibly successful and influential, the Islamic Empire was at the forefront of power and control from about 800-1255 during the Islamic Golden age, which is said to have ended when the Abbasid Caliphate fell to the Mongols. When attempting to define religion, one must glaze over all different religions and philosophies that so many people live by. The beliefs, practices, food, and traditions can play a key role in determining how a certain religion was conceived and how it is practiced today. Islam was never meant to be anything other than a peaceful philosophy and a pleasant way of life. Many monumental achievements were made during the golden age of Islamic development, such as the conceiving of human anatomy and surgery to astrolabes and time telling devices. Islamic contributions impacted the world intellectually, artistically and geographically.

The paper industry was a monumental achievement in the Islamic civilization and the rest of the world. While Muslims did not exactly create paper, the Islamic Empire played a role in the development and furthering of the paper industry. Originally, paper was brought by the Muslims from China. This followed the battle of Tallas in the Ili valley at the end of the Ummayad period, where Chinese prisoners revealed the secrets of creating paper to Muslim officials. (Strayer 346) Instead of the original mulberry bark used in Chinese paper, Muslim paper substituted the cheaper and easier to cut linen. A paper factory was created in 795 in Baghdad, the first of its kind. (Document 1c) This sparked creation of an industry, which spread factories to Tiberias, Damascus, Syria, Yemen, and the Maghreb. (Document 1c) After this revolutionary product was spread around the Middle East, manuscripts and journals were processed and translated into a multitude of languages. Information was easily accessible due to these copied manuscripts. Not to mention that paper was relatively cheap and easy to make. This elongated period of purchasing and releasing new and exciting books and experience journals was essential for helping historians understand these transactions today. 

Roman numerals were all the rage throughout the middle ages. This number system was based on English letters, which was relatively small in size. The numerals only contained seven values, which could be added onto each other to create more complex compound number sequences. However, with the simplicity of the numerical system came strife. Roman numerals made it time consuming to evaluate longer equations and numerical expressions. This was the norm until a young man named Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi. He will forever be known as one of the most influential mathematicians of the Islamic Empire, if not the entire world. While he may not have invented algebra, he was influential in the fact that he introduced algebra to the midwest. (Document 3) “The numbers were so easy to use that they soon became the standard throughout the Muslim world…” This quote, from Mark Graham who wrote and published the historical recount “How Islam Created the Modern World” shows why the invention of the new and improved numerical system was important. Switching from Roman numerals to what were then called Arabic numerals was an easy fix for Arabian families. Even the prestigious House of Wisdom, which was an intellectual capital and study center, began using these numerals in their calculations. However, this was not even the most impactful contribution al-Khwarizmi had to offer the world. The idea of putting a value on absolutely was later introduced with the term “Sift,” otherwise known as zero or cipher. The zero revelation was imperative because it allowed for more precise calculations to be made and us to get closer to the truth. “The faithful…relied on mathematicians and astronomers to calculate the times for prayer and the direction of Mecca…” (Document 3b) The value of zero, or lack thereof, was paramount considering the leading to modern mathematics. The achievement was, of course, a new way of pondering mathematics and evaluating equations. Furthermore, the achievement spreading to the rest of the world was an achievement in itself.

Serefeddin Sabuncuoglu was an incredibly gifted surgeon and anatomy student who was known for his renowned ways of curing disease and practicing surgical procedures. This Muslim man was famous for his invention of modern surgery, which included mini-incisions, setting fractures and cauterizations. (Document 2d) He presented his case to the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire. Following this, a whole new world of medical procedures were introduced to the world. “...Because health and sickness and their causes are sometimes manifest, and sometimes hidden and not to be comprehended except by the study of symptoms, we must also study the symptoms of health and disease.” The author of document 2b, Charles F. Horne, has a clear stance on this achievement. Medicine itself is knowledge. The more we can learn about it, the more diseases we can cure. People like Mr. Sabuncuoglu were of utmost importance in the development and cultivation of modern medicine. Without the original proposition of the Medical Atlas of Imperial Surgery, (The journal of Sabuncuoglu’s findings - Document 2d) humanity would have no knowledge of basic anatomy and biology. Paintings and drawings were created of procedures, diagramming the way it was meant to be done. For example, Document 2e shows an abdomen surgery taking place. The doctor was carefully inserting the surgical tool to stop a problem that was occuring. (Document 2e) Document 2c shows a hand-drawn diagram of the human digestive system. These diagrams would not have been possible without Mr. Sabuncuoglu’s findings. 

These incredible additions to the world usually led to more. For example, the Medical Atlas of Imperial Surgery led to hospitals. The paper industry led to books and novels, notebooks and paintings, and with the paper copy came the computer and technology. The new and improved mathematics system added zero, which is used in almost every situation algebra has to offer. The previous topics were not the only contributions that Islam had to offer the world. In fact, far from that. Muslim people at the time were simply looking for their way of life to be accepted. Today, that is still the case. Countless news stories occur depicting Muslims, and the entirety of Islam for that matter, to be terrorists. Brutalists. Awful human beings. This is racism in its highest form. Unfortunately, the media is not helping with this. Many people have this idea plugged into their brains as kids, which only makes things worse when they are adults. Generalization of All Muslims is abhorrent and should not be condoned by any school or township. Muslim people have contributed to the world in incredible ways. Nobody deserves to be framed as a terrorist simply because of their religion.