Muslim achievements in the foreign press

In some time, Islamic Culture prevailed and people admired its achievements. It cannot be denied except by enviers and ungrateful people, but enemies as well as friends admitted it and from its rich fountain every thirsty for knowledge drank. Every person should realize that the real message given to mankind is to worship Allah alone and construct the universe.

That was the meaning which our ancestors understood when they benefited from the world and worked for the Hereafter, therefore they gained the admiration of the world because of their great works.

The story of the Roman emperor Sharlman with Harun Ar-Rashid more famous than to be told. The emperor was stunned when the Abbasid Emir gifted him an hour that was invented by Muslims while the other thought that it was part of magic and fancy. That happened in the past and was reported by the trustworthy historians, however "the one who sees is not equal to the one who hears" as people say.

We are impressed when we see a foreign magazine specialized in spreading culture and is being issued in English speaks about the achievements of our Islamic civilization.

That news made us proud of our achievements before friends and enemies as well.

In March 1998, Matilda Ziegler (A magazine for blind people which is being issued in USA since 1907) narrated a true story in few lines about the compliance of Muslims to the first divine call that was revealed to our venerable Prophet Muhammad: "Read in the name of your Lord who created." [Surat Al `Alaq: 1].

The magazine stated that `Abdullah Abu Al Qasim ibn Isma`il, known as Ashahrzury, who was the prime minister in Persia in the 10^th century AD used to travel and take his books and references along.

The more surprising was that his books and references exceeded 117.000 volumes carried by a caravan of 400 camels.

Until now, the matter seems ordinary although its difficulty and high cost, however which was strange is that those camels were trained well to walk in alphabetical order; how could he do that? Let the people who use computers in the time of knowledge learn who to use their natural skills!

Some people may think that although the hugeness of the work but it was individual and did not benefit the public.

Therefore, we would like to give another example in which the benefit encompassed the public as well as individuals and its benefit exceeded not only the theoretical reading but also the practical benefit which indicated intellectual glow, natural smartness, accuracy in investing the experience, activating the experiment, and applying the sound scientific approach.

In April, the same Magazine reported the following story entitled "Locating the Hospital":

The Magazine said that scholar Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Zakariya Ar-Razy, born in 841 and died in 926 and known in the West as "Rhazes" spent his youth in learning medicine, math, and chemistry and traveled to Baghdad to study medicine at the age of 40.

After the continuation of his study, he came back to his homeland to administer a hospital in that lucky town.

Few years later, he became a well-known doctor and was chosen to head a new hospital that was being built in Baghdad, the capital of the Muslim Caliphate at that time.

During the building of that hospital, he told the builders to get some pieces of fresh meat and put them in different locations. Then he examined these pieces to see the effect of air in those areas on the sick people. He was correct because the place where air is clean is the best location to build a hospital.

It was an environmental concept which Ar-Razy could reach by his mere reason.

So, he deserved to be mentioned in one of the great cultural magazines to be an example to follow before our youth and to achieve the advancement of Islam.

In December 1995 in the same Magazine, a paragraph said: "People in the West in general do not realize that Islam is the core of the religious legacy that was revealed from heaven to the Prophets.

That legacy began with Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him) and continued through a series of Prophets included Moses and Jesus.

The writer did not mention the name of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and continued to say: The three great religions existed in the Middle East and that Judaism, Christianity, and Islam have points of accord. To confirm this meaning, the writer asked the readers to mention the sources of the texts which he mentioned: Whether they are the old or the new testament or the Qur'an? Finally, he answered: They are Ayahs from the Glorious Qur'an. Allah (Glory be to Him) says: "And We said: "O Adam! Dwell you and your wife in Paradise and eat both of you freely with pleasure and delight, of things therein as wherever you will, but come not near this tree or you both will be of the Zâlimûn (wrong-doers)."" [Surat Al Baqarah: 35]. "O Children of Israel! Remember My Favour which I bestowed upon you and that I preferred you to the 'Alamîn [mankind and jinn (of your time period, in the past)]." [Surat Al Baqarah: 47]. "And (remember) when the angels said: "O Maryam (Mary)! Verily, Allâh has chosen you, purified you (from polytheism and disbelief), and chosen you above the women of the 'Alamîn (mankind and jinn) (of her lifetime)."" [Surat Al `Imran: 42]."

As for the fourth Ayah, the writer mentioned it without stating the name of Prophet Noah (peace be upon him) in the Ayah for some reason, but the text of the Ayah reads as follows: "Verily, We have sent the revelation to you (O Muhammad peace be upon him) as We sent the revelation to Nûh (Noah) and the Prophets after him; We (also) sent the revelation to Ibrâhîm (Abraham), Ismâ'îl (Ishmael), Ishâq (Isaac), Ya'qûb (Jacob), and Al-Asbât [the offspring of the twelve sons of Ya'qûb (Jacob)], 'Isâ (Jesus), Ayyûb (Job), Yûnus (Jonah), Hârûn (Aaron), and Sulaimân (Solomon); and to Dâwûd (David) We gave the Zabûr (Psalms)." [Surat An-Nisa': 163].

Of course, Judaism and Christianity were great religions before being distorted and deviated. At that time, there was no difference between both religions and Islam. However, after distortion, there is no greatness for a false and distorted religion.

Islam is the only religion accepted by Allah.

May Allah grant us success!