Salam, Shakil.

Thank you for your question.

The linking point between Islam and other civilizations can have more than one meaning, so here I will address it both in developmental terms and socially.

Islam is a comprehensive religion; it touches all walks of life. In the past, it was a matter of fulfilling that which Islam asked of us, which is to go beyond belief to seek knowledge and conclusive proof of the laws of Islam, which are also the same laws that guide the universe. Yushidi Kusa, Director of Tokyo University, Japan, stated:

“I say, I am very much impressed by finding true astronomical facts in the Qur’an, and for us modern astronomers have been studying very small piece of the universe. We have concentrated our efforts for understanding of very small part. Because by using telescopes, we can see only very few parts of the sky without thinking about the whole universe. So by reading the Qur’an and by answering to the questions, I think I can find my future way for investigation of the universe.”

Professor Tejatat Tejasen, Chairman of the Department of Anatomy at the University of Chiang Mai, Thailand, at the same conference said:

“In the last three years, I became interested in the Qur’an... From my studies and what I have learned throughout this conference, I believe that everything that has been recorded in the Qur’an fourteen hundred years ago must be the truth, that can be proved by the scientific means. Since the Prophet Muhammad could neither read nor write, Muhammad must be a messenger who relayed this truth which was revealed to him as an enlightenment by the One Who is eligible Creator. This Creator must be God, or Allah. I think this is the time to say: ‘La ilaha illa Allah’ (there is no god to worship except Allah (God)), Muhammad Rasulu Allah (Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah). The most precious thing I have gained from coming to this conference is ‘La ilaha illa Allah’, and to have become Muslim.”

From the dawn of Islam, there has always been exchange of a positive nature arising out of both god and bad circumstances. This, of course, has been strengthened by organized places of learning, madrasas, which offered and still offer deeper study at today’s college and university level in Arabic, religious studies, law, and many branches of science and the environment to both men and women long before Oxford and Cambridge.

The Qur’an tells us what means:

*{… Allah does not change the condition of a people until they change their own condition …}* (Ar-Ra`d 13:11)

In religious terms, this can be highlighted during the Byzantine Empire. The Christian Church was divided, unaware of Islam and the Middle East until the seventh century. The Christian Church was split by theological disputes, part of which was the concept of the Trinity.

Another element was the cult of religious icons, which grew out of control to the point whereby holy images were worshiped openly and even served as godparents at the baptism of newborn children. Perturbed by this, Emperor Leo of Byzantium sought guidance from Islam. Through a series of sermons he condemned this practice and in 726 CE he set an example and destroyed a huge golden icon of Christ known as the Chalke icon in Constantinople.

In 730 CE, Leo issued an edict that all icons be destroyed. These for and against idol-worshiping changed from ruler to ruler and not always for religious reasons. With Emperor Theophilus, things were to change because, apart from the love of wealth and power, he had a love of theology as well as a love for the culture of Islam. As a prodigy of Caliph Harun Ar-Rashid, he would wander the streets of Constantinople listening to the grievances of the people and investigating the price of food.

In China Muslims have contributed to the development of chi kung and kung fu as means of spiritual cultivation; the direction of the life force plays a different role—the inner jihad. You will find many try to develop this skill with troubled youths today to help them regain self-respect and control over their lives.

With concerns about religious education, a British Catholic church has hired a Muslim head-teacher to run its school.

The Roman Catholic Church has been meeting regularly for some years now over the issue of the family and its importance in today’s society as increasingly dysfunctional families contribute to the ills of society that lead to mental ill-health and rising crime and domestic forms of violence. Many interfaith dialogues are taking place around the world, not only to promote increased mutual understanding but also to look at ways to solve some of the social ills of modern life.

In environmental terms, the naturalist, geographer and astronomer Abu Raihan Muhammad ibn Ahmad Al-Biruni (362 AH/973 CE) originated the concept of the “economy of nature,” presented in his Alberunis India. He wrote:

“The bees kill those of their kind who only eat but do not work in their beehives. Nature proceeds in a similar way: however, it does not distinguish, for its action is under all circumstances one and the same. It allows the leaves and fruit of the trees to perish, thus preventing them from realizing that result [for] which they are intended in the economy of Nature. It removes them so as to make room for others.”

The age of biotechnology has borne witness to the economy of nature, though purely in modern scientific terms, in recycling the wastage of modern living and dealing with the many oil spills.

For Chinese Muslim Zheng He, (ca. 1371 CE) it was his grandfather and father’s annual pilgrimage to Makkah (Hajj) that served to whet his appetite for knowledge. His navigation led to the invention of:

• A central rudder that allowed for better steering
• Water-tight compartments to prevent the ship from sinking
• Multiple sails to increase wind power
• Armor–plating for protection

In the UN, the discovery of the Islamic concept of water management arose out of a workshop and culminated in the publication of Water Management in Islam by Nasser Faruqui, Asit Biswas and Murad Bino as a guide to solve the water crisis that the world is facing in the 21st century.

In the UK, the National Association of Pure Water has taken up the Islamic argument on water propounded in the Qur’an for the purpose of water safety for the British population.

So thus, it was with this eagerness that past Muslim scholars and scientists set out to learn and understand the world we live in. Because of this, Islam has affected many parts of our lives and, through contact and exchange with the West, Islam and its philosophy have directed Muslim scholars and scientists who have made valuable contributions too numerous to mention.

The Prophetic traditions have stated:

“Allah has sent down both the disease and the cure and He has appointed a cure for every disease, so treat yourselves medically, but use nothing unlawful.” (Abu Dawud)

The contribution to Western medicine continues up to this day. In the past, with the Mongol invasion of Iraq, many Muslim scholars escaped to India to settle and continue in their work. “Unani” or “Yunani” is Arabic for “Ionian,” i.e., Greek. It is a formal medicine that has been practiced for 6,000 years. Also known as “hikmat,” it was developed by the Greek physician Hippocrates (4th century BC) from the medicine and traditions of ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia.

Ibn Sina (Avicenna) wrote of Tibb Al-Unani in his medical classic Al-Qanun that was translated into many European languages and formed the basis of Western medical teaching practice. This was furthered by Ishaq ibn `Ali Ar-Ruhawi, who wrote Adab At-Tibb (Medical Ethics), and Masih Al-Mulk Hakim Muhammad Ajmal Khan, friend of Mahatma Ghandi who founded the Unani Tibb and Ayurvedic College in Delhi in his fight against British colonialism. In India today there are 278,000 practitioners and 16 training centers. The American Institute of Unani Medicine was founded in 1986.

The much translated works of Ibn Sina and cross-fertilizations of other Islamic men of science and medicine gave birth to Samuel Hahnemann’s homeopathy (1755-1843).

Abu Yakub ibn Sabbah Al-Kindi (837 CE) discovered the radiation of the force of rays and the influence of one object upon another (as in gravitational force), as well as the correct dosage for medicines. Jabir ibn Hayyan (Geber) is the father of chemistry. Muhammad Al-Khawrizmi (Algorism) invented algorithms. Physician Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Zakariya Ar-Razi is the one who identified and developed the etiology of smallpox and chickenpox. Abu `Ali Hasan ibn Al-Haitham is the father of modern optics. Scientist-philosopher Muhammad ibn Al-Hasan Nasir Ad-Din At-Tusi invented the astrolabe. Al- Zahrawi (Al-Bucasis) is recognized as the father of modern surgery. These are just a few!

Today, Western doctors in Africa, Switzerland, and the US are studying the issue of fasting pregnant women to ascertain the use of blood sugar levels during fasting to determine a safe test to be used for women who suffer from gestational diabetes, which can lead to a larger than normal fetus, stillbirth or a caesarian section. Scientists from countries like Uzbekistan and Iran are researching into herbs to solve problematic diseases that cannot be solved by modern Western medicine.

In social terms, especially in the US, many Americans who fear for their health prefer to buy meat raised and slaughtered in the Judaic and Islamic method. The Dakota Slaughterhouse also raises cattle and specializes in taking cattle from farms where there is humane treatment and the natural vegetarian diet of livestock. The diet consists of natural grasses and grains with absolutely no animal by-products or hormones. Also, the livestock are monitored from birth by the Islamic Society of North Dakota.

This year, a draft bill was presented in South Africa to look at adopting Islamic family law under the constitution of the Country.

In the UK, Islamic definitions of adoption and fostering are being looked at to find a solution to the problem of a growing orphan population.

In France, a practicing Jew has taken to wearing the hijab as a symbol of the right to practice one’s religion at a time when France has banned the hijab.

In general, as the social fabric of Western societies decay, many have turned towards Islam as a solution to the point of becoming Muslims. The Qur’an says what means:

*{And We have not sent you except as a mercy to mankind.}* (Al-Anbiyaa’ 21:107)

So, far be it for me to say that Islam has contributed much more than can be stated here. And it will continue to serve as an alternative when important elements in Western society have become dysfunctional. As long as we live on the same planet, it is inevitable that interchange and development of ideas will take place from one culture to another. It is hoped that this will all be to the betterment of humanity as a whole. And as it is human to err, it is the Divine Law that prevails.

Thank you and please keep in touch.

Salam.

Useful Links:

Has Western Civilization Brought Any Comfort?