Table Of ContentB P E T E R L A N G
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l
Medieval Islamic World: An Intellectual History of Science and Politics surveys major
scientific and philosophical discoveries in the medieval period within the broader
Islamicate world, providing an alternative historical framework to that of the pri- Medieval Islamic
marily Eurocentric history of science and philosophy of science and technology
fields. Medieval Islamic World serves to address the history of rationalist inquiry
within scholarly institutions in medieval Islamic societies, surveying developments
in the fields of medicine and political theory, and the scientific disciplines of astron-
M World
omy, chemistry, physics, and mechanics, as led by medieval Muslim scholarship.
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Dr. Labeeb Ahmed Bsoul (Ph.D., McGill University) is l
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Associate Professor at Khalifa University. Among his many m
published articles and books are Formation of Islamic Jurisprudence
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(2016), Islamic History and Law (2016), and International Treaties
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(Mu‘ahadat) in Islam (2008).
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AN INTELLECTUAL HISTORY OF
SCIENCE AND POLITICS
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Cover image: Classic Kitāb al-masālik wa-al-mamālik world map, ‘Ṣūrat RLA LABEEB AHMED BSOUL
al-Arḍ’ (Picture of the World) from an abbreviated copy of al-Iṣṭakhrī’s N
G
Kitāb al-masālik wa-al-mamālik (Book of Routes and Realms). 589/1193.
Mediterranean. Gouache and ink on paper. Diameter 37.5 cm. Credit:
Leiden University Libraries. Cod. Or. 3101, ff. 4-5. www.peterlang.com
B P E T E R L A N G
s
o
u
l
Medieval Islamic World: An Intellectual History of Science and Politics surveys major
scientific and philosophical discoveries in the medieval period within the broader
Islamicate world, providing an alternative historical framework to that of the pri- Medieval Islamic
marily Eurocentric history of science and philosophy of science and technology
fields. Medieval Islamic World serves to address the history of rationalist inquiry
within scholarly institutions in medieval Islamic societies, surveying developments
in the fields of medicine and political theory, and the scientific disciplines of astron-
M World
omy, chemistry, physics, and mechanics, as led by medieval Muslim scholarship.
e
d
i
e
v
a
l
I
s
Dr. Labeeb Ahmed Bsoul (Ph.D., McGill University) is l
a
Associate Professor at Khalifa University. Among his many m
published articles and books are Formation of Islamic Jurisprudence
i
c
(2016), Islamic History and Law (2016), and International Treaties
W
(Mu‘ahadat) in Islam (2008).
o
r
l
d
AN INTELLECTUAL HISTORY OF
SCIENCE AND POLITICS
P
E
T
E
Cover image: Classic Kitāb al-masālik wa-al-mamālik world map, ‘Ṣūrat RLA LABEEB AHMED BSOUL
al-Arḍ’ (Picture of the World) from an abbreviated copy of al-Iṣṭakhrī’s N
G
Kitāb al-masālik wa-al-mamālik (Book of Routes and Realms). 589/1193.
Mediterranean. Gouache and ink on paper. Diameter 37.5 cm. Credit:
Leiden University Libraries. Cod. Or. 3101, ff. 4-5.
Medieval Islamic
World
This book is part of the Peter Lang Humanities list.
Every volume is peer reviewed and meets
the highest quality standards for content and production.
PETER LANG
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Labeeb Ahmed Bsoul
Medieval Islamic
World
An Intellectual History of
Science and Politics
PETER LANG
New York Bern Berlin
Brussels Vienna Oxford Warsaw
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Bsoul, Labeeb Ahmed, author.
Title: Medieval Islamic world: an intellectual history of
science and politics / Labeeb Ahmed Bsoul.
Description: New York: Peter Lang, 2018.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2017048401 | ISBN 978-1-4331-5185-9 (hardback: alk. paper)
ISBN 978-1-4331-5186-6 (ebook pdf)
ISBN 978-1-4331-5188-0 (epub) | ISBN 978-1-4331-5189-7 (mobi)
Subjects: LCSH: Science—Islamic countries—History. | Medicine—Islamic countries—
History. | Muslim scientists. | Islam and science. | Political science—
Islamic countries—History. | Islam and politics.
Classification: LCC Q127.I742 B78 2018 | DDC 509.17/670902—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017048401
DOI 10.3726/b13479
Bibliographic information published by Die Deutsche Nationalbibliothek.
Die Deutsche Nationalbibliothek lists this publication in the “Deutsche
Nationalbibliografie”; detailed bibliographic data are available
on the Internet at http://dnb.d-nb.de/.
© 2018 Peter Lang Publishing, Inc., New York
29 Broadway, 18th floor, New York, NY 10006
www.peterlang.com
All rights reserved.
Reprint or reproduction, even partially, in all forms such as microfilm,
xerography, microfiche, microcard, and offset strictly prohibited.
Dedicated to my beloved brother
Muhammad Ahmed Bsoul Abu Amar and his beloved family
contents
Acknowledgments ix
Abstracts and Keywords xiii
Introduction 1
Chapter 1. Characteristics of the Islamic Civilization 7
Islamic Characteristics of Scientific Trends 12
Chapter 2. Qurʾanic Experimental Method 25
The Elements of the Scientific Experimental Method in the
Qurʾan 25
Human Reasoning (al-qiyās) 27
Chapter 3. T he Impact of Islamic Medicine on Modern Civilization and
Islamic Scientific Heritage of Medicine and Pharmacy 49
A Brief Overview of the History of Medicine 51
Medicine in the Prophetic Era 52
Medicine in the Umayyad Era 53
Medicine in the Abbasid Era 53
Specialized Branches of Medicine 70
Chapter 4. T he Impact of Islamic Political Theory on
Modern Civilization 121
The Advice of Ṭāhir ibn Ḥusayn 122
viii medieval islamic world
Policy Vision of Ibn Zafar (“the Sicilian”) 124
About the Author of Consolation for the Ruler During
the Hostility of Subjects 125
Brief history of Islamic Sicily 126
The Art of Politics by Machiavelli (d. 1527) 137
Points of Similarity 148
Points of Contrast 149
Conclusion 150
Chapter 5. C lassical Muslim Scholars’ Contribution to the Fields of
Astronomy,Geography, Chemistry, Physics, and Mechanical
Engineering (ʿIlm al-Ḥiyal) 165
Astronomy 165
Islamic Astrological Achievements 166
The Most Important Muslim Astronomers
and Their Efforts 169
The Composition of the World 175
Models of the Seven Planetary Movements 176
Other Astronomical Works 176
The Astronomical Observatories 186
Astronomical Instruments 189
Geography 195
Muslim Scholars’ Contributions to Alchemy or Chemistry 206
Methodological Chemistry 208
Chemical Laboratories 210
Muslims and the Development of Physics 217
The Qurʾan and the Laws of Physics 218
Muslims and the Development of Physics 219
Mechanics (ʿIlm al-Ḥiyal) 229
Glossary 265
About the Author 269
Index 271
