Recent historical research and new perspectives on the Islamic scientific tradition.

Research from the last few decades has profoundly changed our understanding of the Islamic scientific tradition. We now know that it was richer and more profound and had more complex relations to other cultures than wehad previously thought. This book offers an overview of this newly energized field of historical investigation.

From Musa al-Khwarizmi who developed algebra in 9th century Baghdad to al-Jazari, a 13th-century Turkish engineer whose achievements include the crank, the camshaft and the reciprocating piston, Science and Islam tells the story of one of history’s most misunderstood yet rich and fertile periods in science: the extraordinary Islamic scientific revolution between 700 and 1400 CE.

Science and Islam provides a detailed account of the relationship between Islam and science from the emergence of the Islamic scientific tradition in the eighth century to the present time. This relationship has gone through three distinct phases. The first phase began with the emergence of science in the Islamic civilization in the eighth century and ended with the rise of modern science in the West; the second period is characterized by the arrival of modern science in the Muslim world, most of which at that time was under colonial occupation; and the third period, which began around 1950, is characterized by a more mature approach to the major questions that modern science has posed for all religious traditions. Based on primary sources, the book presents a panorama of Islamic views on some of the major issues in the current science and religion discourse. Written in accessible language, Science and Islam is an authentic account of the multi-faceted and complex issues that arise at the interface of Islamic intellectual tradition and science. Rich in historical details, the book is a fascinating survey of the interaction of Islamic beliefs with the enterprise of science.

http://www.worldscientific.com/worldscibooks/10.1142/0884

The history of Islamic Science has not received the recognition it deserves. Although reverence is accorded to the memory of such great figures of Islamic history as Ar-Razi (Rhazes), Jabir-ibn-Hayyan (Geber) and Omar Khyaam. The present treatise is an attempt to construct an outline of the progress of Islamic Science from the days of the prophet Muhammad to the end of fifteenth century. Spread in fifteen chapters the book traces the growth and development of Islamic Science during the hay days of Islamic glory. It throws succinct and incisive light on various aspects of Islamic Science, namely, mathematics, mechanics, astronomy, astrology, music, alchemy, chemistry, medicine and geography. In short the approach is objective, analysis systematic, treatment logical and the style lucid

This book is the first of its kind. It is accessible and easy to read; it is as if you are having a conversation with the author. The book addresses challenges we face today in schools and everyday life. It is comprehensive without being too detailed. It gives a road map, a guide for how to handle controversial issues in science and Islam.