The Muslim Golden Age - Lessons From History

The Muslim Golden Age

Prophet Muhammad (SAW) was born in 571 C.E., in the predominantly pagan environment of Makkah, and started his mission around 610 C.E at the age of forty. After an exhausting and onerous struggle that spanned 23 years, the domination of Islam was established throughout the Arabian peninsula. Prophet Muhammad (SAW) had started the process of expansion, or export, of the Islamic Revolution into the neighboring countries before his death in 632 C.E. This expansion continued unabated during the Caliphate of Abu Bakr, Umar, and Uthman (RAA), when the Banu Isma‘el or the Ummiyeen gushed forth like a mighty flood, and in less than a quarter of a century Iran, Iraq, Syria Palestine, Egypt, as well as a major part of North Africa came under their rule. These were the days of pure, authentic, and pristine Islam.

After  a  brief  respite  due  to internal strife during the Caliphate of Ali (RAA), the process started again during the Umayyad era, and, within a short span of time, new lands were conquered  that  extended  up  to  Turkestan,  Afghanistan,  and Sindh in the east, and included the entire North Africa and parts of Europe in the west. Spain was vanquished, and the Muslim armies reached even up to the heart of France. However, with the passage of time, the zeal of establishing the Just Social Order of Islam had started to diminish, and the element of Arab Imperialism began to dominate the Muslim conquests.

The supremacy of the Muslims reached its zenith during the  8th,  9th  and  10th  centuries  C.E.,  when  initially  the Umayyads and then the Abbasids held the leadership of Islam as well as that of the Muslims. Strictly speaking, however, only the Umayyad era represents the true domination of pure Arab rule, as the Abbasids were generally infected and spoiled by Persian influences. Still, during this period, Banu Isma‘el were in ascendancy over a big chunk of land, and their culture, civilization, arts, sciences, and religion were dominant. The first three hundred years can therefore be described as the golden era of the Muslim history.

At  this  juncture,  a  point  of  contrast  between  the Muslims and the Jews becomes apparent. That is, while the first phase  of  rise  for  the  Muslims began during the life time of Prophet Muhammad (SAW), the corresponding period for the Jews could not start until about three hundred years after the death of Prophet Musa (AS). The reason for this difference is that the establishment of Islam as a politico-socio-economic system was achieved, at least within the boundaries of Arabian Peninsula, by Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and his devoted Companions  (RAA).  On  the  other  hand  the  Israelites,  by refusing to fight for the Promised Land, had brought the revolutionary process to a halt. Hence the delay of three hundred years.

Source:Lesson from History (Book) by Dr. Israr Ahmad