The Development of Science and Technology in the Muslim World
Past and Present Issues with Possible Resolutions
Abstract
The claim that Muslim scientists played a vital role in laying down the foundations of modern science and technology cannot be contested. Muslims benefited from the sciences of various civilizations such as the Chinese, Indian, Roman, Persian, and Greek. They then added their own original and significant findings, refreshing several branches of knowledge including physics, medicine, chemistry, and optics and passed it on to Europe. These endeavours by Muslim scientists spanned over centuries. Modern Europe seems to have taken over the task of developing science and technology, leaving Muslims behind. This situation warrants deliberation over the causes of the rise and fall of Muslim civilization, particularly in the realms of science and technology. This study attempts to highlight the achievements of contemporary Muslim scientists, identify reasons for the need for advancement of scientific research in Muslim nations, and suggest ways to overcome the hurdles impeding the creativity in Muslim minds towards the development of knowledge in its comprehensive sense. An analytical approach has been applied in this study to conclude objectively along with qualitative research methodology.
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