Understanding Islam

Radiating outwards from the Arabian Peninsula, the Islamic world would spread to Africa, India, southeast Asia, Europe, China, and the steppes of Russia. At the height of the empire’s strength and extent, a period known as the “Golden Age,” Muslim achievement in all areas of culture was unsurpassed worldwide. In the fields of science, medicine, and technology, in particular, the Islamic world shined brightly in a world often darkened by ignorance and incomprehension. The efforts of Muslim scientists, mathematicians, astronomers, doctors, and engineers transformed the Islamic world and ultimately helped stimulate the European Renaissance, prompting a rediscovery of the ancient world that would revolutionize arts, science, and philosophy, and so transform the world.