It is easy to judge a whole community based simply on the stereotypical view of their history and people. I created this list in hopes to remind people about what a large part of the western history depends on the accomplishments and innovations brought to Europe by the Muslims.
- Hygiene. Yes, that is right, before the Muslims and the Europeans developed close connections, Europeans didn’t wash. Why did you think the perfume was so popular? People were covering up the smell. Muslims were the ones who brought soap to Europe. Moreover, shampoo was also introduced to the British in 1759 at Mahomed’s Indian Baths.
- P. S. even the toothbrush was also a contribution from the Muslim world.
- Medicine. Al-Zahrawi created an encyclopedia which was later used by the European surgeons for the following five centuries. The technique of vaccine was also created by the Muslims in Turkey and later brought into England.
- Algebra. Al-Khwarizmi is seen as one of the major contributors to the development of Algebra.
- Astronomy. The contributions to that field are innumerable.
- Chemistry. Jabir Ibn Hayyan was the one, who transformed alchemy into chemistry.
- First aviator. No surprise, a Muslim engineer of Andalucia.
- Muslims created the first university. Not just that, but Muslim women created that university.
- Philosophy. The Europeans got access to the Ancient Greek texts through the Muslims. They were the ones, who translated them into Arabic from Latin, and later brought that knowledge to the Europeans.
- Coffee was yet another gift from the Muslim population, as it was first brewed in Yemen in the 9th century.
- Finally, music. The instruments such as the lute and Rahab, the ancestor of the modern violin came to Europe from the Near East.
Now can you imagine what would have happened if the Europe proclaimed travel ban? Most likely, people in the Western part of the world would have stayed dirty and sick for a lot longer.
All the historic references were taken from Craig Considine blog, ‘Overcoming Historical Amnesia: Muslim Contributions to Civilization’ and CNN’s article ‘Muslim Inventions that shaped the modern world.'
I only mentioned main aspects, so if you would like to get a better understanding of the things mentioned above, you should check them out.
