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Islam's Contribution and Influence
on the World
By Faysal Burhan

Introduction
Perhaps the greatest gift Muslims gave to the nations of the world is Islam. It is Islam’s philosophy of utilizing the knowledge of the Qur’an, purity in the heart and clarity in the mind that was responsible for influencing the nations of the world to better serve God, raise the standards of living, and promote justice and brotherhood for all.
It is the principles outlining the mission of Prophet Muhammad that made a global change in world’s scientific realm and world’s social and spiritual culture that formed the Golden Age of Islam, 7th to 15th century.

God said in the Holy Qur'an:

"A similar favour have you already received in that We have sent among you a Messenger (Muhammad) of your own, delivering to you Our Verses, and purifying you, and teaching you the Book (Qur'an) and the Wisdom.." Qur'an, 2:151

It was the vehicle of Muslim achievements in combining reason and faith, accumulating useful knowledge and creating the experimental method that subjected Europeans to get out of their "Dark Ages" and into the renaissance. Regarding this fact, Robert Briffault in his book, "The Making of Humanity" states:

"It was under the influence of the Arabs and Moorish revival of culture and not in the 15th century, that a real renaissance took place. Spain, not Italy, was the cradle of the rebirth of Europe...Science is the most momentous contribution of Arab civilization to the modern world; but its fruits were slow in ripening. Not until long after Moorish culture had sunk back into darkness did the giant, which it had given birth to, rise in his might. It was not science only which brought Europe back to life. Other and manifold influence from the civilization of Islam communicated its first glow to European Life."

It is clear to Muslims that reason and faith do not collide; instead they integrate and yield fertile goodness. Click on the links below to see some of the accomplishments early Muslims made for humanity:

Agriculture	Algebra	Anatomy	Architecture	Art
Astronomy	Biology	Botany	Chemistry	Cosmology
Equality	Finance	Flight	Free Trade	Geometry
Geography	Golden Age	Golden Web	Law and Justice	Literature
Logic	Math	Medicine	Mail	Navigation
Optics	Pharmacology	Quality of Life	Philosophy	Public Health
Physics	Physiology	Poetry	Politics	Printing
Property Rights	Reason & Rationality	The Renaissance	Scientific Method	Setting the Record Straight
Ship Building	Time Keeping	Transfer of Information	Trigonometry	Under Rating the Muslim Achievements

Conclusion
With the persistent effort to integrate faith with reason and spiritual with material, Islam and Muslim civilization of the Golden Age constructed a tenacious bond between science and morality in the East and West. This reform could not have been successful if it hadn't been for the vehicle of Islam that swept the world with its wisdom.

References:
1. George Sarton, "Introduction to the History of Science, Vol. I-IV," Carnegie Institute of Washington, Baltimore, 1927-31; Williams and Wilkins, Baltimore, 1950-53.
2. Robert Briffault, "The Making of Humanity," London, 1938.
3. T. Arnold and A. Guillaume, "The Legacy of Islam," Oxford University Press, 1931.
4. E. Gibbon, "Decline and Fall of Roman Empire," London, 1900.
5. Lewis, Bernard, Islam and the Arab World, American Hritage Publishing Co., Inc., New York.
6. Hayes, John R. The Genius of the Arab Civilization, New York University Press, New York, 1992.
7. Khaleel Kasem, The Arabian Connection, Knowledge House Publishers, Linclinshire, Illinoise, 2000.
8. Ajram, K. The Miracle of Islamic Science, Cedar Graphics, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, 1992.
9. Seyyed Hossein Nasr. Science and Civilization in Islam. New American Library. NY 1968.
10. Seddillot, History of the Arabs, Paris.