Bagdad, Basra, Kufa.....and the neo-savages!
hurrah
Basra and Kufa who made a major contribution to the preservation of
the Arabic language after they mingled with other nations of the
conquered lands. These scholars recorded the Arabic lexicon and poetry
from the Arabic heartland in the Najd. They proposed grammatical rules
and created orthographic diacritics to assist in the correct
pronunciation of the Quran. They also made dictionaries and analysed
the prosody of poetry. The most remarkable pioneer in these fields was
Al Khalil lbn Ahmad Al Faraheedi (d. 175 A.H./791 A.D.) from Basra.
His student, the Persian scientist Abu Bishr Amr Ibn Othman--nicknamed
Stbawaih--(d. 177 A.H./793 A.D.) followed him. Baghdad quickly
developed into a centre for this work and scholars from Kufa and Basra
such as Abu Hanifa, Al Mufadal Al Dhabbi, Al Kis'al , Al Fir'a and Ibn
Al -Sukait went to Baghdad and settled there helping to develop it
into the main forum for discussion.
Literature also developed greatly in the Abbasid age, with poets
developing new subjects and styles to cope with the new civilization
especially at the Rasafa of Baghdad or Eastern Baghdad. The most
famous poets include Abu Nuwas whose poems on wine, courtly love and
hunting became very well-known, Abu Tammam Al - Ta'i who is famous for
his intellectual and philosophical poetry; Abu Ubada al Buhteri his
student with his immortal poetry of praise; Ibn Al Rumi who is known
for his numerous long poems, Abu Al -A'tahia known for his wisdom and
gentle love poetry , and al Mutanabbi who was famous for self-pride
and Abu Al Ala'a Al Ma'arri, the poet of wisdom.
It should be noticed in this regard that Islamic scientists
combined the religious with the natural sciences. Al -Kindi (d. 260
A.H.873 A.D.), for instance, combined philosophy with logic, maths,
astronomy, engineering, politics,medicine, fiqh and the origins of the
doctrine. Ibn Sina (d. 428 A.H./1036 A.D.) combined medicine with
philosophy, mathematics, natural sciences, music, astronomy, members
(of equations), poetry, proving forecasts and fate. So did Al Farabi,
Al Razi, Umar Al Khayam, Ibn Al Nafis, Abdul-Latif Al Baghdadi, Ibn
Rushd, Ibn Al Tafid, and Al Sama'ani, etc.
Those scientists addressed the major logical problems and
approached them with the genuine methodology of ; observation,
diagnosis and the search for causes and signs. The object cannot be
ascertained except through its causes; hence, knowing these causes is
necessary. Islamic scientists did not distinguish between the heavenly
inspiration and the inductive approach; rather, they made them meet in
an integral manner. The end of fiqh sciences is to teach
righteousness, to order the good and to counsel against evil and to
suggest a way of life. Natural sciences, on the other hand, seek to
reach the truth, to lead to righteousness and to counsel against
wrong-doing. Study and scrutiny accompanied by analogy and concluding
wisdom is the correct way for reaching the scientific truth.
In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful:
"Have they not considered the dominion of the heavens and the
earth, and what things Allah hath created" (7:185)
He also said:
"So learn a lesson, O ye who have eyes!" (59:2)
The result of the above was a study of all earthly sciences
without influencing Islamic doctrine. They worked to fill gaps that
might affect their science by research and scholarship. This enabled
them to link what they had learned from Quranic teachings with their
own philosophical and scientific views in complete balance and
methodological consistency. The greatest intellectual activity of
Islamic scientists seems clearly in the experimental field within the
scope of their observations and experiments. They displayed great
energy and diligence in their observations and scrutiny and when they
collected and arranged what they learned from experiments or from
studies. Thoroughness , supported by research and examination was the
most important characteristic of Islamic scientists. The real
scientists is the comprehensive scientist. Science should not fear
religion nor should the teachings of religion fear the influence of
earthly sciences. Therefore, their works became closely related with
Sharia and linked with jurisprudence.
The Caliph and poet Abdullah Ibn Al Mu'tazz (d. 296 A.H.) reported
in his book 'Tabakat Al-shu'ara' that the total number of poets of the
Abbasid state at the end of the third Hijri century alone was over
130. This does not include , women poets and other writers who played
an important role in the literary life of Islamic society. Examples
include: Rabi'a bint Ismail Al dawiya who led an ascetic, mystical
life. Princess Ulayya bint Al Mahdi who was described by Al Husari as
being "equal to numerous noblemen in reasoning and decorum; she also
has good poetry and wonderful singing"; Princess Al Abbasa bint Al
Mahdi whose writing is infused with extreme imaginativeness; and
finally, A'bida Al Juhaniya described by Al-Sayyuti as an "eloquent
and gentle poet and writer".
Ibn al Futi is quoted as saying that the Abbasid Caliph Al Nasir
Al Din Allah (d. 622 A.H.) had a Turkish maid called Shajarat al Durr;
she was a confidant and had elegant handwriting; she used to read
incoming correspondence to him (when his eyesight weakened) and he
dictated the answers to her. She died in 634 A.H. (1236 A.D.) and was
buried at Al Khalatiya graveyard in Baghdad.
At the same period there were two Muslim women rulers in the
Islamic world. The first was Radhiat Al Din the Sultana of Delhi the
first woman ruler of an Islamic state (634-638 A.H/1236-1240 A.D.).
The second was the Sultana of Egypt also called Shajarat al Durr who
is credited with the defeat of the seventh crusade led by the French
King Louis VII against Egypt in 647 A.H. (1249 A.D.).
The Abbasids were no less interested in arts and architecture than
the Umayyads in construction. Abu Ja'afar al Mansur built his capital
Baghdad on the Tigris between 145-149 A.H. to a circular design; that
was a new trend in Islamic cities. Previously they were either
rectangular like Fustat, square like Cairo or oval like Sana. Al
Mansur may have been influenced by capital cities such as Al Hadar
southwest of Mosul, and Hamadhan. Another city built by the Abbasids
was Samara with its grand mosques and splendid palaces.
Decorative art, a speciality of Islam, flourished along with
architecture; it developed in the decoration of mosques, palaces and
domes with exquisite geometrical or botanical designs. This art was
called Arabesque in French and Ataurique in Spanish. Muslim artists
used the concept of what is now known as Abstract Surrealism in which
the physical element such as the leaf or the rose forms the basis for
an abstract pattern which conveys a transcendental image.
Muslim artists also developed the Arabic alphabet into the highest
aesthetic of decoration. Thus Arabic calligraphy was transformed into
a great art.
The Kufic script was used for significant matters like writing
Qurans or decorating coins, in mosques or on tombs. Mubarak Al Makki
was the most famous calligrapher in the Kufic script in the third
Hijri century during the reign of the Al Mutawakkil Ala Allah, an
Abbasid caliph. Another style developed was Naskh which was used in
correspondence, recording and copying books. Calligraphers like Ibn
Muqla (d. 328 A.H.), Ibn Al Bawab (d. 413 A.H.) and Yaqout Al
Musta'simi in the 7th Hijri century, were pioneers in this script.
The pictorial representation of man and animals, though not
favoured, was not banned as a taboo. Apparently the Umayyad and
Abbasid caliphs permitted it, based on the existence of pictures of
humans on the walls of their newly discovered palaces in Jordan and
Samarra'. Historians report that Caliph Al Amin used to have pleasure
boats in the shape of lions, tigers and dolphins. In addition, the
palace of Al Muktadir Bi-Allah contained mobile statues of knights on
horseback that could be moved to simulate battles. At the dome of the
Caliph's palace in Baghdad there was a wind vane in the form of a
knight with a lance in his hand. Some Arabic books with colorful
illustrations survive by Muslim painters such as Al -Wasiti and others
in Maqamat Al Hariri and 'Kalila wa Dimna'.
Baghdad became the main centre for music. The following were the
most famous men and women singers in the first Abbasid Age: Qamar Al
Baghdadia, Ibrahim Al Musuli, his son Ishaq and his student Abul
Hassan Ali Ibn Nafi' nick-named Ziryab, who immigrated to the Maghreb
and Andalusia bringing the oriental music whose impact is still felt
in the modern music of Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia known as
'Andulusian music'. Major scientists and notables such as Al Kindi, Al
Farabi and Caliph Al Wathik studied musical theory and practice. This
shows that the civilization developed in Baghdad also supported its
development further afield.
Paper making, copying, editing and book binding were developed
which helped the spread of knowledge. Baghdad thus became the model
city of the Islamic world and attracted Muslims from throughout the
Islamic world.
AnonMoos
the Umayyad period!
--
سنقاتل لأجل
حريتنا ولن
نعطى الجزية
ولسنا صاغرين
Murderers are not martyrs! http://symbolictruth.fateback.com/