Why Islam rose by its own merits

لماذا راق الإسلام بذاته

In chapters titled 'Islamic civilisation' and 'Why Islam rose by its own merits' Arslan rebuts the claim, made by some European writers and missionaries, that Islam caused backwardness. He argues that older Eastern civilisations had declined before Islam, that Arab-Islamic learning built on inherited knowledge while adding to it, and that the great centres of learning welcomed students of many faiths. He admits that later centuries took a different course but puts the cause on political and social factors rather than the religion. This is his argument.

Overview

In the two chapters "Islamic civilisation" and "Why Islam rose by its own nature", Shakib Arslan discusses the claim of some European writers and missionaries that Islam was the cause of civilisational backwardness. This is his argument as he sees it. ¹

His arguments

He holds that the ancient Eastern civilisations had declined before Islam. He holds that the Arab-Islamic civilisation was built by borrowing from the ancient civilisations and adding to them. ¹

He mentions that the schools in Basra, Kufa, Baghdad, Cordoba, and Cairo were open to students of different religions. ¹

He concedes that in later ages Islam took another course, and he attributes that to political and social causes rather than to religion. ¹

Note

A note for verification in the data: the source is a single one, and the argument belongs to the defensive literature of the 1920s. It contains quotations from European writers whose originals need checking. The reports about the schools need a reference in the history of Islamic education. It needs a further source.

Why Islam rose by its own merits

At a glance

Overview

His arguments

Note

Sources

Ideas