The Re-emergence of Islamic Enlightenment — Page 42
42 describes Cordoba in the 10 th Century as the “most cultured city in Europe” and “a great centre of study and exploration. ” In another article, published by The New York Times, “How Islam Won, and Lost, the Lead in Science” the contribution of early Muslim scientists is also openly praised. The author writes: “Civilisations don’t just clash. . . they can learn from each other. Islam is a good example of that. . . The intellectual meeting of Arabia and Greece was one of the greatest events in history. Its scale and consequences are enormous, not just for Islam but for Europe and the world. ” 11 However, the article also notes that many of the contributions made by the early Muslims were not preserved. In this regard, it states: “…historians say they know very little about this golden age. Few of the major scientific works from that era have been translated from Arabic and thousands of manuscripts have never even been read by modern scholars. ” 12 Hence, the historic contributions of Muslim scholars is unquestioned. Yet, most regrettably, the recent intellectual state of much of the Muslim world has been lamentable. Over time, as Muslims moved away from God Almighty and the qualities associated with a believer diminished rapidly amongst them the Muslims, who had previously led the world in science and research, gradually moved to an age of intellectual ignorance that persists to this day. Instead of continuing to be the leaders