The Eighth Scroll

The extraordinary character and career of Saladin are the keys to understanding the Battle of Hattin, the fall of Jerusalem and the failure of the Third Crusade. He united warring Muslim lands, reconquered the bulk of Crusader states and faced Richard the Lion Heart, king of England, in one of the most famous confrontations in medieval. Geoffrey Hindley’s sympathetic and highly readable study of the life and times of this remarkable, many-sided man, who dominated the Middle East in his day, gives a fascinating insight into his achievements and into the Muslim world of his contemporaries.

The story of how Saladin rose swiftly to the heights of power in Egypt, Syria and Palestine through conquest, intrigue and opportunism makes compelling reading. As Geoffrey Hindley shows, Saladin’s exceptional gifts as a battlefields commander and a military organizer were allied to an intense singleness of purpose and a rare political skill. United under his leadership, the Muslims formed a force that the Crusaders couldn’t hope to resist. But the quality that makes Saladin stand out from the other leaders of his time is his reputation for chivalry and honourable dealing.

Greoffrey Hindley is a distinguished medieval historian who has written widely on many aspects of the period. He has made a special study of medieval warfare and of England in the Age of Caxton, Under Siege, Tourists, Travellers nd Pilgrims, The Book of Magna Carta and The Crusades. His most recent publication is A Brief History of the Anglo-Saxons.

The objectives of this book are:

1- To examine the argument that there is a contradiction between science and Islam.

2- To highlight some of the great contributionsmade by Muslims to science and technology over a period of 1000 years.

Science has never been separate from Islam. Objective study of this subject will reveal that Islamic texts – Qur’an and the Sunnah, provided a tremendous boost for study of the physical world and the laws that govern it. As a result, discoveries and inventions became the hallmarks of the Islamic civilization. Recently there has been a surge in the number of publications dealing with science and its relationship with Islam.

These books have focused on the various verses on the Qur’an that point to the physical world to prove that science is compatible with Islam. However, areas that are not covered enough for the English reader are the historical development of science and technology in the Muslim world, and the factors that led to its rise and decline. The decline has been so severe, that today’s Muslims are not even aware that their ancestors were the founding fathers of modern sciences. Just consider the common Arabic words used in the English language today like cotton, algebra, aorta, alcohol, chemistry, earth and alkaline. They are a living testimony to the pioneering work of the Muslims.

I am proud to introduce this inspiring book to our readers. It focuses on the strides made by the Muslims in various disciplines of science and technology from the early period of the Islamic State to its last days in the 20t’ century CE. The unique aspect of this book is that it sheds light on the key factors that led to the rapid advances in science and technology. Furthermore, it also analyses the reasons why Muslim World declined in this field, and last but not least, how the Muslim World can achieve the same kind of success as we already have in the past. Abdul Malik Mujahid About the Author Shabeer Ahmad, born in 1966, is a respected technologist by profession. He studied Avionics Engineering at University of London and he is currently an IT Consultant, having worked in Asia, Europe, Middle East and North America. The author has written widely on various subjects in Islam, including science, economics, politics and history.

The author is also a well respected speaker. The current book started as a lecture for a radio station in London. Given the massive interest it generated, and the little information available, the author began to research more into historical developments of science in the Muslim world. The author felt that the contributions of Muslims in this area have not been widely acknowledged, and that there is a need to counter the view that Islam is incompatible with science. The current book is a culmination of his research over the years.

Over the fourteen centuries of its existence, Islamic scholarship has produced numerous individuals who have distinguished themselves by acquiring broad knowledge and deep insight.

•  However, true distinction is only achieved through a lasting influence, particularly when the area of scholarship is a religion that presents itself as being suited to all communities at all times.
• The selection has to start with the founders of the eight schools of jurisprudence who have had a continuous following over the centuries up to the present day.
• This book introduces nine scholars from these schools and adds two more from a much later era whose influence extended far beyond the area of pure scholarship.
• In simple language, this book gives a clear picture of how the Islamic schools of jurisprudence differ in their methodologies, showing at the same time how much interaction they project.
• It serves as a primary source for those who wish to follow a course in Islamic studies, this book is indispensable for others who wish to have a fair but concise idea about the most important personalities who have shaped Islamic scholarship for centuries.

In a sweeping and vivid survey, renowned historian Bernard Lewis charts the history of the Middle East over the last 2,000 years, from the birth of Christianity through the modern era, focusing on the successive transformations that have shaped it.