Studio Arabiya Institute
10 Inventions You Didn't Know Came From Muslims
It is often said that no religion has had a greater impact on our world and its culture than Christianity. It is certainly true that many of our greatest works of art and literature were inspired by the Bible and the ministry of Jesus. However, in the Western world, we have a tendency to become so caught up in Christian contributions that we overlook those which came from Islam. Believe it or not, Islam has contributed just as much to our society as Christianity. We're not just talking about Islamic strongholds - such as the Middle East - when we say that. Even in the West, we rely on inventions and ideas which have their roots in Islam on a daily basis. Don't believe us? Check out the inventions listed below. Here are 10 brilliant inventions you didn't know came from Muslims.
1- The Toothbrush
In anti-Islamic propaganda, we often see Muslims depicted as unhygienic. In reality, however, Muslims are mandated to keep themselves clean by their very doctrine. The most obvious example of this is the commandment of wudu, which requires Muslims to wash their hands, mouth, arms, head, feet, and even nostrils before praying. A lesser-known example is the invention of the toothbrush.
2. Flying Machines
Everybody knows that the airplane was invented by the Wright brothers. However, Wilbur and Orville, as clever as they were, were not the first people to dream up a flying machine. For centuries, inventors had been attempting to craft a machine by which humankind could soar with birds. Famed 15th-century polymath Leonardo da Vinci even went so far as to create blueprints for a flying machine all the way back in 1485. Yet even the great da Vinci could not claim to be the originator of the flying machine. That honor belongs to Abbas ibn Firnas, who beat his Italian counterpart to the punch by about 500 years.
3. The Guitar
In 1978, singer-songwriter Cat Stevens announced his shock conversion to Islam and stepped away from the limelight. Taking the name Yusuf Islam, he abandoned Western music, having been convinced it was against the laws of Allah by some strict Islamic scholars. 30 years later, Yusuf would return to popular music, explaining that his decision to leave in the first place had largely been the result of his own failure to conduct independent research into Islam's relationship with rock and roll. Had he done so when he first converted to the religion, Yusuf would have discovered that not only was popular music permitted within Islam, but it was virtually invented by Muslims.
4. Algebra
If you're trying to change the perception of a group of people for the better, it may initially seem counterproductive to credit that group of people with creating algebra. Yes, Muslims are, in a roundabout way, responsible for all those tests you failed in high school. But as boring as it was when we had to learn it in the classroom, there is no denying that the formulation for algebra was a magnificent feat. Without it, we could not have contemporary engineering, electronics, or architecture.
Article Source studioarabiya.com/blog/muslim-world/10-inventions-you-did...
10 Inventions You Didn't Know Came From Muslims
It is often said that no religion has had a greater impact on our world and its culture than Christianity. It is certainly true that many of our greatest works of art and literature were inspired by the Bible and the ministry of Jesus. However, in the Western world, we have a tendency to become so caught up in Christian contributions that we overlook those which came from Islam. Believe it or not, Islam has contributed just as much to our society as Christianity. We're not just talking about Islamic strongholds - such as the Middle East - when we say that. Even in the West, we rely on inventions and ideas which have their roots in Islam on a daily basis. Don't believe us? Check out the inventions listed below. Here are 10 brilliant inventions you didn't know came from Muslims.
1- The Toothbrush
In anti-Islamic propaganda, we often see Muslims depicted as unhygienic. In reality, however, Muslims are mandated to keep themselves clean by their very doctrine. The most obvious example of this is the commandment of wudu, which requires Muslims to wash their hands, mouth, arms, head, feet, and even nostrils before praying. A lesser-known example is the invention of the toothbrush.
2. Flying Machines
Everybody knows that the airplane was invented by the Wright brothers. However, Wilbur and Orville, as clever as they were, were not the first people to dream up a flying machine. For centuries, inventors had been attempting to craft a machine by which humankind could soar with birds. Famed 15th-century polymath Leonardo da Vinci even went so far as to create blueprints for a flying machine all the way back in 1485. Yet even the great da Vinci could not claim to be the originator of the flying machine. That honor belongs to Abbas ibn Firnas, who beat his Italian counterpart to the punch by about 500 years.
3. The Guitar
In 1978, singer-songwriter Cat Stevens announced his shock conversion to Islam and stepped away from the limelight. Taking the name Yusuf Islam, he abandoned Western music, having been convinced it was against the laws of Allah by some strict Islamic scholars. 30 years later, Yusuf would return to popular music, explaining that his decision to leave in the first place had largely been the result of his own failure to conduct independent research into Islam's relationship with rock and roll. Had he done so when he first converted to the religion, Yusuf would have discovered that not only was popular music permitted within Islam, but it was virtually invented by Muslims.
4. Algebra
If you're trying to change the perception of a group of people for the better, it may initially seem counterproductive to credit that group of people with creating algebra. Yes, Muslims are, in a roundabout way, responsible for all those tests you failed in high school. But as boring as it was when we had to learn it in the classroom, there is no denying that the formulation for algebra was a magnificent feat. Without it, we could not have contemporary engineering, electronics, or architecture.
Article Source studioarabiya.com/blog/muslim-world/10-inventions-you-did...