Feats of the Muslim World
Celebrating American Muslim Appreciation and Awareness Month
Music
Many of the instruments we know today—such as the harp, lyre, zither, drum, tambourine, flute, oboe, and various reed instruments—are either preserved in their original form or have evolved from those used in early Arab civilizations.
Similarly, the guitar and mandolin trace their roots back to the oud, a soulful, pear-shaped stringed instrument that has long been central to Arab music.
Mathematics
Arabic numerals (0-9), adopted from the Hindu numerals, are the most commonly used symbols for writing numbers.
Islamic mathematicians pioneered the study of Algebra, helping establish it as a separate field of mathematics.
Navigation & Geography
The world‘s earliest navigational and geographical charts were developed by Canaanites who, simultaneously with the Egyptians, discovered the Atlantic Ocean.
Al-Idrisi, a twelfth century scientist, compiled a world atlas containing seventy maps called Kitabal-Rujari (Rojer’s Book).
Abbas ibn Firnas, a Muslim polymath during the Islamic Golden Age (9th century) was the first to achieve a successful flight. He developed a glider made of wood and silk, and after jumping off a cliff, stayed aloft for a period of time.
Astronomy
The Astrolabe was improved and used to chart the precise time of sunrises and sunsets.
Astronomers al-Fezari, al-Farghani, and al-Zarqali developed the magnetic compass.
Approximately two-thirds of the stars with names in the night sky have Arabic origins dating back to the Islamic Golden Age.
Sirius (al-shiʿrā): The brightest star in the night sky, Sirius, is mentioned by its proper name in the Quran, and the Arabic word for "star" is "najm".
Betelgeuse: This red supergiant star in the constellation Orion has the Arabic name "al-jabhā" (meaning "the shoulder").
Alnitak, Alnilam, and Mintaka: These three stars form Orion's Belt, with names derived from the Arabic words for "girdle," "string of pearls," and "belt" respectively.
Medicine
Al-Razi, a medical encyclopedist, was the first to diagnose smallpox and measles.
Scientist-philospher and author of Canon, Ibn Sina, did pioneer work in mental health, and was a forerunner of today‘s psychotherapists.
Kitabu‘l Maliki, al-Maglusi showed a rudimentary conception of the capillary system.
Around the year 1000, Al Zahrawi published a 1,500 page illustrated encyclopedia of surgery, that was used for the next 500 years.
Hospitals as we know them today, with wards and teaching centers, come from 9th century Egypt, with the first such medical center being the Ahmad ibn Tulun Hospital, founded in 872 in Cairo.
Other Contributions
Coffee
Arabic & Turkish coffee are distinct from European coffee; with different roasting and brewing methods and flavors ranging from light roast to darker stronger brews with a mix of spices.
Pinhole Camera
In the 11th Century, scientist Ibn al-Haytham wrote about the effects of a pinhole camera and a camera obscura in his “Book of Optics”.
Windmill
The earliest windmills were developed in Persia between 500 and 900 AD, primarily for grinding grain and pumping water.
Fountain Pen
Rudimentary fountain pens are believed to have been used in 10th Century Egypt.
Quilting
The earliest evidence of quilting dates back to ancient Egypt, with the art of “Tatreez” being present in many Muslim nations like Palestine.
