No better evidence of the passion of Islam for the spread of erudition, from its very inception, can be given than the words of the Prophet himself who said, after the battle of Badr and the Muslims’ victory, to the huge crowds whom they had taken prisoner, that any of them who wished to buy their freedom but had no cash for a ransom could employ their literacy as their resources; and any polytheist who trained ten Muslims to read and write should win freedom. His pronouncement was put into practice; and it was thus that a large number of his original adherents were started on the road of education.
His nephew and successor, the Imam Ali, on whom be blessing, declared that the spreading of science and knowledge and culture and intellectual ability was one of the merits to be coveted and achieved by every Muslim government. In the record of his words it is reported that he said: “O people! I have rights over you and you have rights over me. Your right over me is to insist that I shall always give you guidance and counsel. and seek your welfare, and improve the public funds and all your livelihoods, and help raise you from ignorance and illiteracy to heights of knowledge, learning, culture, social manners and good conduct.”
215 years after the Hejra the Abbasid Caliph Ma’amoun founded a “House of Wisdom” in Baghdad to be a centre of science, and furnished it with an astronomical observatory and a public library for which he set aside 200,000 dinars (the equivalent of some 7 million dollars). He gathered together a large number of learned men who were acquainted with foreign languages and different disciplines, like Honain and Bakht-eeshoo’ and Ibn Tariq and lbn Muqafa’ and Hajaj bin Matar and Sirgis Ra’asi, and others too numerous to mention, and set aside a large sum for them, dispatching many of them to all the different countries of the world to collect books on science, medicine, philosophy, mathematics, and fine literature, in Hindi, Pahlevi, Chaldean, Syriac, Greek, Latin and Farsi. It is said that the vast collections they sent to Baghdad exceeded 100 camel loads!
Europe had not one university or cultural centre to show for itself in those centuries when Islamic lands had large numbers staffed by experts and specialists in all branches of knowledge. These Islamic centres were beginning to radiate waves of brilliant new thinking to the world at the very moment when the Crusades were launched. In fact it might be said that it was the new learning fostered by Islam which itself furnished the Europeans with some of their new thinking that made possible whatever prowess they achieved in those disastrous wars and fired the passion of jealousy and cupidity which made the West wish to seize for itself the treasures which they saw Islam bringing to the nations under its sway.
Dr. Gustave Le Bon writes on page 329 of volume III of his “History of Islamic and Arab Civilisation”. “In those days when books and libraries meant nothing to Europeans, many Islamic lands had books and libraries in plenty. Indeed, in Baghdad’s ‘House of Wisdom’ there were four million volumes ; and in Cairo’s Sultanic Library one million; and in the library of Syrian Tripoli three million volumes; while in Spain alone under Muslim rule there was an annual publication of between 70 and 80 thousand volumes.”
G. l’Estrange in his “Legacy of Islam” page 230 writes: “The Mustansariyya University was furnished with equipment and built in a huge campus with college edifices of such splendour that its peer exists neither in the Muslim world nor elsewhere. Its four law-colleges, each with 75 students and a professor who taught the pupils gratis, paid its professor a monthly salary, while each of the 300 students was given a gold dinar a month. A college kitchen provided the daily meals. Ibn-el-Farat says that the library contained priceless and unique volumes, on many branches of science, for any student to borrow. Pens and paper were provided for the notes anyone might wish to take. The university had hammams (baths) and infirmaries. Its doctors conducted a daily inspection of the colleges, and wrote prescriptions for any who were ill. The college stores were able to dispense drugs prescribed, immediately. All this at the beginning of the 13th century AD!”
Dr. Max Meyerhof writes: “In Istambul the mosques possess between them more than 80 libraries, with tens of thousands of books and ancient manuscripts. In Cairo, Damascus, Mosul, Baghdad, and in cities of Iran and of India there are other great libraries full of treasures. A proper catalogue of the precious volumes in all these has not yet been published complete in print. Moreover the Escorial library in the Iberian Peninsula contains a huge section filled with books and manuscripts produced by the Islamic scholars of the West, which also awaits completion of its cataloguing.”
Dr. Gustave Le Bon writes on pages 55778 of his “Islamic and Arab Civilisation”. “The Muslims pursued the sciences with profound application. In any town they took, their first act was to build a mosque and thereafter a college. This led to the production of majestic institutions of learning in a vast number of cities. Benjamin Toole (ob. 1173 AD) said that in Alexandria he found more than 20 colleges at work. Baghdad, Cairo, Cordova, and other places all had great universities with laboratories, observatories, huge libraries and all the other requirements for tackling intellectual problems. In Andalusia alone there were 70 public libraries. The library of Al-Hakem II in Cordova contained 600,000 volumes and it took 44 volumes to catalogue the library’ s contents. When Charles the Just, four centuries later, founded the Bibliotheque Nationale of Paris he was only able to assemble a total of 900 volumes, and that after great labours, while one-third of that 900 were books on religion.”
The same author on page 562 adds: “The Muslims launched science on the road of exactitude, experiment and forward-looking discovery by hypothesis, with a particular enthusiasm, while producing books and treatises and high schools that spread their intellectual prowess to all corners of the world. They thereby opened for Europe the road to its renaissance. So it is with justification that the title of “Europe’s Professor’ is given to the newly-arisen Islamic power, since it was through them that the treasures of ancient Greek and Roman science were rediscovered and enhanced and given back to Europe as she began to emerge from the Dark Ages.”
Josef Marc Kapp writes, concerning the first centuries of Islam’s progress in culture, in his book ‘”Muslim Splendour in Spain” (p.170). “Even the lowest classes in society were athirst to learn to read; and humble workers limited their expenditure on food and clothing and spent their last sou on buying books. One wo
rker collected such a library that men of learning flocked to him. Freed slaves and the children of slaves entered the ranks of the learned; and men like V afyat-ul- A’iyan lbn Khalkan laid the foundations for great progress”.
Nehru wrote concerning the benefits conferred on social progress and the cultural revolution of the Muslims in Andalusia in his book “A Glimpse at World History” (p.413): “Cordova had over a million inhabitants, a magnificent public park of about 20 kilometres and suburbs stretching40 kilometres, with 6,000 palaces, mansions and great houses, 200,000 smaller houses of beauty, 70,000 stores and small shops, 300 mosques, 700 hammams with hot and cold baths for public use. There were innumerable libraries of which the most comprehensive and important was the Royal Library, which contained 400,000 volumes. Cordova University was famous throughout Europe and in western Asia. At the same time education was provided for the poor. Indeed one of their contemporary historians writes that nearly everyone in Spain in those days could read and write, while in the rest of Christian Europe, apart from the monks and clearly persons who were educated through religious houses, no one, including the highest members of the nobility, thought it worth his while even to attempt to master basic arts of reading.” To illustrate these claims I append eight extremely brief chapters, each on a different branch of science or culture; my debt I gladly acknowledge to Arnold and Guillaume’s .”Legacy of Islam” (publ. O U.P. 1931) to which I refer any reader who wishes to extend his information.
"Hakuna ushahidi bora wa shauku ya Uislamu kwa kuenea kwa elimu, tangu mwanzo wake, inaweza kutolewa kuliko maneno ya Mtume mwenyewe ambaye alisema, baada ya vita vya Badr na ushindi wa Waislamu, kwa umati mkubwa ambao walikuwa wamechukua mateka, kwamba yeyote kati yao ambaye alitaka kununua uhuru wao lakini hakuwa na fedha kwa ajili ya fidia, angeweza kutumia ujuzi wao kama rasilimali zao, na yeyote wa kuabudu miungu ambayo mafunzo kumi Waislamu kusoma na kuandika.""" Taarifa yake iliwekwa katika vitendo; na hivyo ndivyo idadi kubwa ya wafuasi wake wa awali walipoanza njia ya elimu. "Mwana wa ndugu yake na mrithi wake, Imam Ali, ambaye amebarikiwa, alitangaza kwamba ""kuenea kwa sayansi na maarifa na utamaduni na uwezo wa kiakili ni moja ya sifa ambazo zinapaswa kutamaniwa na kupatikana na kila serikali ya Kiislamu.""" Katika rekodi ya maneno yake inaripotiwa kwamba alisema: <unk>O watu! Nina haki juu yako na una haki juu yangu. Haki yako juu yangu ni kusisitiza kwamba sikuzote nitakupa mwongozo na ushauri. "Hakika yeye ni mwenye kuwahudumia watu wote na kuwapa elimu na elimu na kuwapa elimu na elimu na elimu na elimu na elimu na elimu na elimu na elimu na elimu na elimu na elimu na elimu na elimu na elimu na elimu na elimu na elimu na elimu na elimu na elimu na elimu na elimu na elimu na elimu na elimu na elimu na elimu na elimu na elimu na elimu na elimu na elimu na elimu na elimu na elimu na elimu na elimu na elimu na elimu na elimu na elimu na elimu na elimu na elimu na elimu na elimu na elimu na elimu na elimu na elimu na elimu na elimu na elimu.""" Aliwakusanya pamoja watu wengi wenye elimu, wenye ujuzi wa lugha za kigeni na masomo mbalimbali, kama vile Hunain, Bakhtiar, Ibn Tariq, Ibn Mu'azza, Hajar bin Muta'ar, Sirghar al-Rasuli, na wengine wengi sana, na kuwaweka kando kiasi kikubwa cha fedha, na kuwapeleka wengi wao katika nchi zote za dunia kukusanya vitabu vya sayansi, dawa, falsafa, hisabati, na fasihi nzuri katika lugha za Kihindi, Pahlavi, Kaldayo, Kisiria, Kigiriki, Kilatini na Farsi. Inasemekana kwamba walipokuwa wakisafirisha chakula hicho kwenda Baghdad, walichukua zaidi ya ngamia 100! Ulaya haikuwa na chuo kikuu au kituo kimoja cha utamaduni cha kujionyesha katika karne hizo wakati nchi za Kiislamu zilikuwa na idadi kubwa ya wafanyakazi na wataalamu katika matawi yote ya maarifa. Vituo hivi vya Kiislamu vilikuwa vikianza kutoa mawimbi ya mawazo mapya yenye kuvutia kwa ulimwengu wakati ule ule ambapo Vita vya Msalaba vilianzishwa. Kwa kweli, inaweza kusemwa kwamba elimu mpya iliyotengenezwa na Uislamu ndiyo iliyowasilisha Wazungu baadhi ya mawazo yao mapya, ambayo yaliwezesha mafanikio yoyote waliyoyapata katika vita hivyo vya uharibifu, na kuchochea shauku ya wivu na pupa ambayo ilifanya Magharibi yatake kujichukulia hazina ambazo waliona Uislamu ukiwaletea mataifa yaliyo chini ya utawala wake. "Gustave Le Bon, mwandishi wa ""History of Islamic and Arab Civilization"" aliandika hivi: ""Historia ya Utamaduni wa Kiislamu na Kiarabu ni ya kwanza kabisa." <unk> Katika siku hizo wakati vitabu na maktaba hazikuwa na maana yoyote kwa Wazungu, nchi nyingi za Kiislamu zilikuwa na vitabu na maktaba nyingi. "Hakika katika nyumba ya hekima ya Baghdad kulikuwa na vitabu milioni nne, na katika maktaba ya Kairo ya Sultani milioni moja, na katika maktaba ya Tripoli ya Syria vitabu milioni tatu, wakati katika Hispania pekee chini ya utawala wa Kiislamu kulikuwa na uchapishaji wa kila mwaka wa vitabu kati ya elfu 70 na elfu 80."" (G. L. Strange, The Legacy of Islam, p.233) ""Kampuni ya Mustansariya ilijengwa katika chuo kikuu kikubwa na vifaa na majengo ya chuo kikuu ya kifahari sana ambayo hakuna mfano wake katika ulimwengu wa Kiislamu au mahali pengine." Kila moja ya vyuo vikuu vinne vya sheria vilikuwa na wanafunzi 75 na profesa mmoja ambaye aliwafundisha wanafunzi bila malipo, na kila mmoja wa wanafunzi hao 300 alipewa dinari moja ya dhahabu kwa mwezi. Jiko la chuo kikuu lilitoa chakula cha kila siku. Ibn-el-Farat anasema kwamba maktaba hiyo ilikuwa na vitabu visivyo na thamani na vya kipekee, juu ya matawi mengi ya sayansi, kwa ajili ya mwanafunzi yeyote kukopa. Kalamu na karatasi zilitolewa kwa ajili ya maelezo ambayo mtu yeyote angeweza kutaka kuchukua. Chuo kikuu hicho kilikuwa na hammams (mabwawa) na hospitali za wagonjwa. Madaktari wake walifanya ukaguzi wa kila siku wa vyuo vikuu, na kuandika dawa kwa ajili ya yeyote aliyekuwa mgonjwa. Maduka ya chuo kikuu yaliweza kutoa dawa zilizopendekezwa, mara moja. "Mwanzoni mwa karne ya 13 AD, Dr. Max Meyerhoff aliandika: ""Katika Istanbul, misikiti ina maktaba zaidi ya 80, na makumi ya maelfu ya vitabu na hati za kale." Katika Cairo, Damascus, Mosul, Baghdad, na katika miji ya Iran na India kuna maktaba nyingine kubwa zenye hazina nyingi. Katalogi sahihi ya mabuku yenye thamani katika yote hayo bado haijachapishwa kwa ukamilifu katika chapa. "Baraza la maktaba la Escorial katika Peninsula ya Iberia lina sehemu kubwa iliyojaa vitabu na hati zilizotengenezwa na wasomi wa Kiislamu wa Magharibi, ambayo pia inangojea kukamilika kwa orodha yake. "" - Gustave Le Bon, Mtaalamu wa Utamaduni wa Kiislamu na Kiarabu, ukurasa wa 5578. """ <unk>Wasilamu walifuatia sayansi kwa matumizi ya kina. Katika mji wowote waliouchukua, tendo lao la kwanza lilikuwa kujenga msikiti na baadaye chuo kikuu. Hilo lilisababisha kuanzishwa kwa taasisi kubwa za elimu katika miji mingi. Benjamin Toole (ob. 1173 B.K. - Aligundua kwamba kuna vyuo vikuu zaidi ya 20 huko Aleksandria. Baghdad, Cairo, Cordova na maeneo mengine yote yalikuwa na vyuo vikuu vikubwa vyenye maabara, vituo vya uchunguzi, maktaba kubwa na mahitaji mengine yote ya kushughulikia matatizo ya kiakili. Katika Andalusia pekee kulikuwa na maktaba za umma 70. Maktaba ya Al-Hakim II huko Cordova ilikuwa na vitabu 600,000 na ilichukua vitabu 44 kuorodhesha yaliyomo katika maktaba hiyo. "Kama Charles the Just, karne nne baadaye, alianzisha ""Bibliothèque Nationale"" ya Paris, aliweza tu kukusanya jumla ya vitabu 900, na kwamba baada ya kazi kubwa, wakati theluthi moja ya kwamba 900 walikuwa vitabu juu ya dini. mwandishi huyo huyo kwenye ukurasa wa 562 anaongeza: ""Waslim walianzisha sayansi katika njia ya usahihi, majaribio na uvumbuzi wa mbele kwa nadharia, na shauku maalum, wakati wa kuzalisha vitabu na vitabu na shule za sekondari ambazo kueneza akili zao katika pembe zote za dunia." Kwa hiyo walifungua njia ya Ulaya kuelekea uamsho wake. "Kwa hivyo ni kwa haki kwamba jina la ""Profesa wa Ulaya"" linapewa nguvu mpya ya Kiislamu, kwani ni kupitia wao kwamba hazina za sayansi ya kale ya Kigiriki na Kirumi ziligunduliwa tena na kuimarishwa na kupewa nyuma kwa Ulaya wakati ilipoanza kutokea kutoka kwa Enzi za Giza. "" - Josef Marc Kapp, kuhusu karne za kwanza za maendeleo ya Uislamu katika utamaduni, katika kitabu chake ""Utukufu wa Kiislamu nchini Hispania.""" <unk>Hata tabaka la chini zaidi katika jamii lilikuwa na kiu ya kujifunza kusoma; na wafanyakazi wa hali ya chini walipunguza matumizi yao ya chakula na mavazi na kutumia pesa zao za mwisho kununua vitabu. Mfanyakazi mmoja alikusanya maktaba kubwa sana hivi kwamba watu wenye elimu walimjia. Watumwa waliowekwa huru na watoto wa watumwa waliingia katika safu za wenye elimu; na watu kama V afyat-ul-Aiyan lbn Khalkan waliweka misingi ya maendeleo makubwa. "Kama ilivyoelezwa katika kitabu chake ""A Glimpse at World History"" (A Glimpse at World History) (p.413): ""Kordova ilikuwa na wakazi zaidi ya milioni moja, bustani ya umma yenye ukubwa wa kilomita 20 na vitongoji vya kilomita 40, na majumba 6,000, nyumba kubwa na nyumba kubwa, nyumba 200,000 ndogo za urembo, maduka 70,000 na maduka madogo, misikiti 300, na majumba 700 ya kuogelea yenye maji ya moto na baridi kwa matumizi ya umma." Maktaba nyingi zilikuwapo, na mojawapo ya maktaba hizo kubwa zaidi ilikuwa Maktaba ya Kifalme, iliyokuwa na vitabu 400,000 vya vitabu. Chuo Kikuu cha Cordova kilikuwa maarufu kotekote Ulaya na magharibi mwa Asia. Wakati huohuo elimu ilitolewa kwa maskini. "Hakika mmoja wa wanahistoria wao wa wakati huo anaandika kwamba karibu kila mtu katika Hispania katika siku hizo angeweza kusoma na kuandika, wakati katika sehemu nyingine ya Ulaya ya Kikristo, mbali na watawa na watu ambao walikuwa na elimu kupitia nyumba za kidini, hakuna mtu, ikiwa ni pamoja na wanachama wa juu wa watu mashuhuri, walidhani ni thamani yake hata kujaribu ustadi wa msingi wa kusoma. ""Kwa kuelezea madai haya mimi kuongeza sura nane fupi sana, kila moja juu ya tawi tofauti la sayansi au utamaduni." O.P. 1931) ambayo mimi rejea yoyote msomaji ambaye anataka kupanua taarifa yake.