Byzantine and Sasanian served as the building blocks for the evident rise of the textile industry in the early Islamic period.  Textiles were common in wealthy households in the forms of clothing, household furnishings, and forms of portable residence.   Alongside, the ongoing trade was directly affecting this industry.  The items were often made with silk and gold, signifying its reliance of the sophisticated manufacture of textiles.  Silk and gold threads were intricately woven into the luxurious fabric to create dynamic designs while signifying wealth and social status.

Islamic textiles were also exported to the West, bringing the Islamic influence into the European tradition.  The English words “cotton,” “mohair,” and “taffeta,” among others, are direct contributions of the Arabic language.  However, as a result of the fragility of the textiles, they did not survive the test of time.  The Islamic fabrics were often reused several times due to their value until they were worn out.  Throughout excavations, most of them were found in Egypt, residing in graves, and demonstrating the rich artwork and complicated designs which signified the glory of the Islamic textile tradition.

Some of the fabrics, while faded and worn out, are persevered and displayed in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art with the beaded corners – a common tradition – highlighting the richness of the early Islamic civilization.

Among the beauty of the fabrics, the Islamic Empire has shown equal capability of mending steel.  An exquisite example lies in a sword of the blacksmith industry. Upon the mention of blacksmith, there is no denying on the strategic design of the Damascus steel sword.  Its origins began in Damascus, Syria and the skills of wielding it were lost even to the later Islamic blacksmiths.  It emerged in the Crusades, intimidating the European invaders with rumored mystical abilities of cutting through silk or rock without damage to its blade.  However, its tradition being lost after 750 CE, the likeness of such a blade has not been successfully reproduced.  The technique of the Damascus steel, with its characteristic patterns on the blade, has been attempted by the Europeans ever since it emerged on the battlefield but it lacks the luster of the original creation.

From the textile industry to the blacksmith, Muslims have made a significant impact on history, the evidence of which not only lie in books, but is displayed in museums and replicated in modern items.

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Mathematicians improved upon works of the early Greeks, scientists experimented with new discoveries, astrologists perfected the science of the lunar calendar, and map-makers made the most accurate maps to be found. Even ordinary merchants and sailors helped give rise to this “Golden Age”: through their travels, other countries came into contact with the manners and practices of Islam, many adopting these customs.

As the Islamic Empire grew, it touched borders far past the Middle East. To the west, North Africa was conquered, giving a foothold with which to gain parts of Europe, particularly Spain. To the east, South Asia was won, and through India, the Muslims reached China and Southeast Asia as well.

Traders, merchants, sailors, and other middle-class tradesmen made their way east on trade routes (such as the Silk Road) through Asia, interacting with others and exposing them to the Muslim culture they carried with them. They were known for their incredible manners and honesty when dealing in business, and led an example for the merchants of their time. Their demonstration of Islamic values attracted many to their religion. In this way, many Chinese people became Muslim, and the areas of Malaysia and Indonesia adopted Islam. Today, because of this, both Malaysia and Indonesia are predominantly Muslim with an abundance of Islamic culture, and Indonesia has the highest Muslim population in the world.

To the west, Muslim culture spread to Europe, leaving traces in architecture, language, philosophy, and government, especially in Spain. The Islamic Empire ruled over Spain for about 800 years, with people of all religions living together peacefully. The great Muslim thinkers in Spain influenced their philosophy; Islam affected their values, and Arabic words gradually came into use in the Spanish language. Much of the architecture also has an Arab/Muslim touch, and there are still countless mosques throughout the country.

The Islamic Empire also took on the culture of those areas they conquered, making the art, literature, philosophy, and perceptions vary from region to region of the Empire. This is why there is no uniform kind of Islamic art, literature, or architecture.
During the 9th century, books on astrology and math were imported to Baghdad; the Muslims would then translate these and other works at the House of Wisdom, which, on top of being the knowledge capital of the world, also served as a library where books would be gathered to translate into Arabic. Some of the first works to be translated were Euclid’s Elements and Ptolemy’s Great Work. Later, the Muslims would be the ones to translate these books into Latin for use by the Europeans.

With the aid of these translations, the Muslims expanded on old ideas, conducted experiments, and made new discoveries. The fields of mathematics and science flourished at this time, especially from the 9th century to the 14th century. Early in this time, math was done for practical uses, like trading and banking. Muslim mathematicians developed the standard numerals we use today (0, 1, 2, 3…) and the decimal/placeholder system (like how the zero in “10” stands for a place and it isn’t read as “one”). Al Khwarizmi, a famous mathematician, combined these digits and system with the Greek concepts. The book he wrote on this was so important and popular that it was translated into many languages and distributed all over the world. Another book Al Khwarizmi wrote was “Al Jabr Wal Muqabala” , or Algebra (which comes from the first part of the title – “Al Jabr”). It covered things like quadratic equations, simple geometry and linear equations, along with a long section of how to apply these concepts to solve inheritance problems.

Scientists translated works of Greek philosophy and science. They experimented with light and vision, setting the base for modern optics and establishing the need for experiments. Al Biruni wrote about sociology and geography. Ibn Sina wrote The Canons of Medicine, which is a million-word encyclopedia, and was the first to recognize that tuberculosis is contagious, identify meningitis, and describe the every part of the eye.

Mapmakers and geographists perfected their trade. Muslims made many innovations in this field, because this was needed to find the Qibla (direction to Mecca). Astrologists also continued to make better guides and better lunar calendars, which helped to accurately find out, for example, when Ramadan would start and end.

The Islamic Empire was at the height of its time. Just as most institutes today use the English language, institutes of learning all over the world used Arabic. It was the symbol of intellect, intelligence, and art. These great advancements and knowledge would continue to flourish within the Islamic Empire for over five centuries and eventually lead the rest of the world towards enlightenment.

MuslimGirl.net is covering the entire history of the Islamic Empire in the 30 days of Ramadan 2009! Click here to see the entire series.

This is not only a time to bring ourselves closer to Allah , but to each other as well. During this time, 1.6 billion people across the globe will be united by the spirit of Islam. It is said that the Holy Qur’an was revealed to the Prophet on Laylat al-Qadr, a night which is worth 1,000 months of worship. The Qur’an and the religion it teaches were bestowed upon the world to liberate people from oppression, darkness, and themselves. Because of Islam, people no longer had been forced to oblige to the religion of their governments. They became intellectually stimulated and conceived some of the greatest creations and discoveries this world has ever seen. Most of all, it changed the foundation of humanity – not by sword, but by peace – rescuing them from a world of ignorance and granting them a world of morals, manners, and dignity.

To this day, the Islamic civilization has been one of the most revolutionary eras in history. Based solely upon faith, it was able to dominate the strongest empires of its time, including the Roman and Byzantine, within its first fifteen years of existence. The Islamic Empire was flourishing in knowledge and discovery during an age when Europe languished in darkness, provoking the beginning of the Renaissance centuries later. The Muslims’ achievements have shaped the cultures of three continents, and their influence is still present today.

Islam is responsible for some of the greatest feats of mankind. It cast a light which penetrated through the world’s greatest darkness with a message that continues to resonate in every corner of the world to this day.

And it all started with one man named Mohammad .

MuslimGirl.net will be covering the entire history of the Islamic Empire in the 30 days of Ramadan insha’Allah. Check in everyday to follow the marvelous story of Islam from its very beginning!