Beverly Meyer Islamic Achievements Islam flourished during the Middle Ages when much of the historically Arabic-speaking world was ruled by various caliphs, experiencing a scientific, economic, and cultural flourishing. This happened from around mid 8th century until mid 13th century. Philosophy Islamic philosophy developed naturally out of the victorious abstract ideas in The Middle East. The later Neoplatonists admired Aristotle’s Teachings, a generation that long made it impossible for european scientists such as galileo to have revolutionary theories recognized. Strict Muslims thought that all secular philosophy was too liberal. Philosophers did not favor the Muslim world in the 12th century and were suppressed as heretics. Medicine In …show more content…
Geber, or Jabir was outstanding in the field. He described his procedures in scientific terms and found improved methods for basic chemical operations. However, he also believed in the transmutation of metals, which is that base metals could be changed into gold. His books so greatly influenced that alchemy later became concerned primarily with transmutation. Astronomy and Mathematics Muslim astronomers determined the earth's circumference and measured the length of a terrestrial degree. The relation of tides to the moon was studied by Albumazar. The astrolabe, an astronomical instrument for charting the heavens and calculating position at sea, was perfected. Al-Khwarizmi and Ibn-Yunus compiled astronomical tables. In mathematics the Muslims adopted and passed on to Europe the decimal system of numbers, using nine digits and zero. Arabic numerals and decimal notation greatly simplified arithmetic in the West, after they were introduced in a translation of the first textbook on algebra, written by the astronomer al-Khwarizmi. Another very influencing textbook on algebra was written by Omar Khayyám in the 11th–12th century. The Muslims were also very responsible for the development of