The Role Of Turner's Science In Medieval Islam

During and after the thirteenth century, Islamic scientific activity seemed to be in a decline. Very little is known among scholars about the decline of Islam science, and various theories are proposed. In his monograph “Science in Medieval Islam: An Illustrated Introduction,” Turner touches upon a potential reason for the decline of the Islamic Golden Age. He suggests that, during the Golden Age, the general conception of Islamic followers and society was that Islamic tradition, the Prophet Muhammad, and the Qur’an were all extremely hospitable to scientific study and highly encouraged the pursuit of knowledge. At the end of the thirteenth century, the view that knowledge for the sake of learning was harmful began to arise. Turner suggests
Islam’s contribution to many different fields of scientific study not only developed Islam as a progressive civilization, but Islamic science also fostered the growth of the Renaissance period, Western thought and knowledge, and modern day science. Islam’s scientific accomplishments stemmed from its rise as a powerful society. After conquering several different nations, Islamic civilization was vast, diverse, and thriving. These characteristics inspired the massive translation movement in which Greek, Syriac, and Persian texts were translated into Arabic. The ideas which were brought from the other natures were built upon and corrected by Islamic scientists. The success of the unprecedented translation movement is often attributed to the universal love of learning and knowledge. Islam’s pursuit of knowledge transcended any national, cultural, or social boundaries to create an unparalleled, international form of science. Islam was the leader in all mathematics and sciences during its Golden Age, from the ninth until the fourteenth century. This is because of the diversity in its fields of study and the variety of sources from which this knowledge was acquired and built upon. The scientific movement was also supported by Islamic scripture; according to the Qur’an and the Prophet, we ought to pursue knowledge and may even be obligated to do so. Knowledge and its pursuit are portrayed as invaluable to Islam. This scientific movement led to obvious developments within the Islamic society—which flourished with curiosity and new inventions and employment—as well as the post-medieval world. Islam’s contribution to science is often refuted, however, and many fail to acknowledge its hand in developing today’s society. Because of the prevalent Eurocentric world view, Islamic scientific activity was overshadowed by the work being done in the West,