Sunday Open Thread – 2/21/2010 – Studying the History of Islam & Science
Though Islam’s spiritual fruits are the primary concern of all Muslims, we’d be remiss to ignore the rich intellectual history of our tradition. The wide-ranging contributions of Muslims during the European Middle Ages, for example, still greatly influence the way we live today. Sadly, few Muslims, and even fewer non-Muslims, realize the great debt we owe to the mathematicians, scientists and physicians that flourished during this period under the patronage of the Islamic empire. Fortunately, for those who would like to learn more about this subject, Inside Islam dedicated its most recent radio broadcast to a discussion of “Islam and Science.â€
If you haven’t heard of Inside Islam, it’s a public radio program that’s been around for about a year and a half now that tackles relevant topics without limiting itself to a “greatest hits†catalog of material (terrorism this, polygamy that). Although the themes and commentators are at times, admittedly, less than “orthodox,†the show nonetheless offers some deep insight into murky subjects. This particular broadcast on the relationship, both historical and contemporary, between Islam and science was a bit more disjointed than I had hoped, but it’s a decent place to start off for those new to the topic.
Additionally, one of the featured guests from this episode, George Saliba, wrote a book, Islamic Science and the Making of the European Renaissance, that a certain MuslimMatters sheikh highly recommends (QTayybah veterans with good memory will know who I'm referring to, heh).  The Inside Islam website also links to a few of Dr. Saliba’s lectures and other supplementary material.
For the ambitious among you, I suggest purchasing Prof. Lawrence Principe’s series on the History of Science: Antiquity to 1700 offered by The Teaching Company.  This set of lectures traces much of the history of scientific thought and includes 1.5 hours worth of material on Muslim contributions. I’m a HUGE fan of TTC and this series is without a doubt one of their best. Incidentally, Prof. Principe at one point mentions that there is still MUCH we don’t know about the scientific history of Islam. So, inshAllah, let’s encourage more scholarship in our communities on this relevant and fascinating subject.
So…What podcasts or lectures do you recommend for learning more about Islamic history? The more traditional among you can feel free to list books as well, heh.
P.S. – Though I haven’t noted it in recent posts, this DOES remain an OPEN thread, so feel free to stray off-topic :)
Youssef Chouhoud
Youssef is from Brooklyn, New York by way of Alexandria, Egypt. An aspiring academic, he recently finished up his MA in political science and is currently in the middle of an extended stay in Masr. His little Dahlia’s smile reminds him each day to be thankful. His little Dahlia’s diaper reminds him each day to be patient. A student of Islam, history, and politics, his time in Cairo (as he predicted) placed him squarely in the nexus of these disciplines. Follow him on Twitter (@TheAlexandrian) as he tries to glean some valuable [hopefully, publishable :) ] insights from his adventures abroad, inshAllah.
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