The Islamic Golden Age

The End of the Islamic Golden Age

1252 BCE

Spain is politically chaotic. Caliphate, al-Ma’mun, leaves a divide in the power and the people. Money is scarce from the cost of running an empire and a large bureaucracy. Its people, governors, and troops began to grow disloyal and more independent. The Mongols invade Baghdad, killing people, and destroying the city, including the House of Wisdom.

Medicine Innovation Begins

900 BCE

All medical fields boomed with new insight on knowledge, including human anatomy, anesthesia, cardiology, ophthalmology, orthopedics, bacteriology, urology, obstetrics, neurology, surgery, psychiatry (including psychotherapy), hygiene, dietetics, and dentistry

Medical Findings with Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Zakariyya ar-Razi (Rhazes)

900 BCE

Abu Bakr Muhummad ibn Zakariyya ar-Razi (Rhazes) distinguishes smallpox from measles, describes the laryngeal branch of the recurrent nerve, develops mercurial ointments, introduces moist, hot compresses during surgery, examines psychosomatic reactions, and writes Al-Hawi, a medical encyclopedia of 30 volumes.

Medical Findings with Ibn Sina (Avicenna)

900 BCE

Ibn Sina (Avicenna) differentiates meningitis from other neurologic diseases, describes anthrax and tuberculosis to physicians, discovers urethral drug instillation, reviews the fundamentals and rules of hygiene and dietetics, and the physician approach to holistic healing.

Literature Grows Throughout the 10th Century

Period: 900 BCE to 1000 BCE

These include, Islamic literature, Arabic literature, Arabic epic literature, and Persian literature. The work, The Book of One Thousand and One Nights (Arabian Nights) is composed of folk tales. Arabic poetry and Persian poetry on romance and love dates back to the 7th century in the Umayyad Empire. Ibn Tufail and Ibn al-Naifs write the philosophical novel, Hayy ibn Yaqdhan. The book, Theologus Autodidactus, written by Ibn al-Nafis is proto-science fiction, the end-of-the-world and doomsday.

Discoveries in Mathematics, Astronomy, and Physics

850 BCE

Thabit ibn Qurra becomes a scientist and physician in Baghdad. Thabit ibn Qurra translates and edits Greek mathematics, and writes his own work in Kitāb al-Mafrūdāt (Book of Data) on geometry and algebra. Later, he discovers work of differential calculus. Thābit proves the Pythagorean Theorem and its generalization. He studies the sun and moon, sundials, and develops new thought on the Ptolemaic system. He studies balance and weight, and devotes time to ideas of force and torque.

Algebra Is Invented

830 BCE

Muhammad bin Musa Al-Khwarizmi, a Muslim mathematician develops work in the field of mathematics-algebra. Known as the “father of algebra”, he writes the Kitâb al-Jem wa’l Trafîq bi Hisâb al-Hind, displaying addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, as well as the square root.

New Methods Of Agriculture

786 BCE

The people’s method of irrigation experience new and innovation techniques, including the use of mills and turbines. While learning from other cultural areas, farming skills are used to develop crops. Trade allows imports of cotton, rice, and sugar from India, sorghum from Africa, and fruits from China.

Muslims Focus On The Fundamentals of Agriculture

786 BCE

Muslims invent the crop rotation system, where the land is cropped at least four times during a two-year period. A scientific approach to agriculture is developed based on three major key factors, including the crop rotation system, the newer developments of irrigation and the new findings on a large variety of crops. The large variety of crops is separated to season, land preference, and the amount of water needed to grow.

The Bayt al-Hikma, now known as the House of Wisdom

786 BCE

The fifth caliph, Harun al-Rashid, brings arts and science to the Abbasid Empire. Baghdad becomes the first city for science, philosophy, medicine and education. The Bayt al-Hikma library holds Muslim and non-Muslim scholars whose knowledge is translated through the Arabic language. Mathematic and scientific discovery as well as geometry, algebra and astronomy make important contributions.

Spanish Muslims Build The Great Mosque at Cordoba

785 BCE

This Great Mosque is built by Emir Abd al-Rahman I. The exterior walls display beauty. The mihrab faces Mecca on the southern wall. The space is set with columns, low double-tiered arches displaying in a horseshoe shape with high ceilings, with red and white masonry.

The Abbasid Empire Builds Baghdad

762 BCE

The Abbasids build the city on the Tigris River, allowing trade to flourish between Africa and Asia. The second caliph, Abu Ja’far al-Mansur, creates Baghdad the capitol city as it is becomes one of the most important Muslim cities in the world. The city’s shape is round, as it sits in the center of the empire. Art, poetry and science begin to thrive, and paper is created to spread literature.

The Abbasid Caliphate

750 BCE

In Syria, the Abbasid Caliphate rises to overturn the Umayyads. It is possible the Umayyads grow unpopular as some Muslims do not want a single family to hold power, and others believe the Umayyad family does not have any relations to Prophet Muhammad’s family. The Umayyads fall in battle, as the Abbasids become the new rulers.

Islamic Art Begins to Appear

750 BCE

Artists release pieces of work in glass and ceramics, textiles, metalwork, illuminated manuscripts and woodwork begin to flourish in this period. Calligraphy (Arabic) is developed into manuscripts and architecture. Manuscript illumination is greatly respected in art.

The Great Mosque of Xi’an in China

740 BCE

This mosque resembles a Chinese pagoda, though Islamic worship can still occur. It is built on an East-West axis, facing Mecca, and does not have statuary though the prayer hall.

The Bayt al-Hikma Allows for Academic Growth

662 BCE

Prophet Muhammad emphasized wisdom and knowledge of his followers, which marks a wonderful, yet important tool in the Islamic faith. The Bayt al-Hikma, later known as the House of Wisdom, was found to be an intellectual center of research with a large collection of texts.

The Umayyad Caliphate

Period: 661 BCE to 662 BCE

After the fourth caliph, Ali, is assassinated, power is turned over to Mu’awiyah. The Umayyads achieve stability, and continue to grow the Islamic empire. These areas now include North Africa, Tunisia, towards the Atlantic Ocean and eventually, Spain.

The Work of the Rashidun Caliphate Begins

632 BCE

Muhammad dies, and the four Rightly Guided Caliphs begin their expansion of the Islamic Empire. These four individuals, Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, Umar, Uthman, and Ali, are considered close companions of Muhammad. Together, they expand the Islamic empire into North Africa, Egypt, Tunisia, the Iranian Peninsula, and Central Asia.

Prophet Muhammad's Hijrah

622 BCE

Prophet Muhammad immigrates from Makka to Yathrib (later known as Medin) with his followers. Not only does he inhibit a new area, he begins to transform the city in many aspects. Muhammad builds a masjid, a mosque, to worship God. He develops relationships between the people of Yathrib (or Medina) with Muslim travelers who arrive with Muhammad. Muhammad accepts those of Jewish faith as they accept those with Muslim faith.

The People of Yathrib (or Medina)

622 BCE

Muhammad creates the Constitution of Medina, one of the most significant documents created during this time period. This document creates an ummah, or community, among those who inhabit Yathrib (or Medina).