Engineering in Islamic Civilization
Many people blame Muslims for spending a lot of time on studying history. Those people believe that it is useless to cry over the spilled milk; history is something that passed and now we have to forget about it and look forward to the future. However, the truth is that this theory about history is wrong in many aspects. By observing the Noble Qur’an we find out that almost one-third of the Qur’an deals with stories of the ancient times, a fact that points out the importance of history as an enlightening and educative source.
There are numerous contributions of the Islamic civilization to humanity. Unfortunately, these contributions were misrepresented, corrupted, and dishonestly falsified throughout history. It was made to seem that the Islamic history was all about political contentions, conflicts, conspiracies, and immoral behavior of some leaders and so forth of intended exaggerations.
Nowadays, most Muslims are ignorant of their great ancestors and their genius contributions to humanity over a period of more than one thousand years. The Islamic civilization is the foundation on which modern civilization was built. What makes the Islamic civilization so unique is that it is an intellectual and spiritual civilization at the same time. It balances between the material and spiritual needs of mankind and this is the reason why it reached further than any other civilization has ever reached. It is a civilization that is based on the guidance of Allah and His holy inspiration. Corrupting the Islamic history is not only considered as a crime against Muslims, but also it is a crime against the whole humanity which was prevented from learning the great values and ethics of Islam.
In this series of articles we intend to shed light on some aspects of the Islamic civilization and its invaluable contributions to humanity. Lastly, we ask Allah to help us convey the true Islamic history to mankind so that we can all benefit from it.
ENGINEERING APPLICATIONS
When a person reads for the first time about the Islamic civilization, he gets overwhelmed with the feeling of appreciation to this vast source of knowledge and wisdom. Every single detail reflects the ingenuity of Muslims who built this great civilization on the teachings of Qur’an. The best way to describe the Noble Qur’an is by quoting Abdullah Ibn Masuud, a companion of the prophet, when he said “the wonders of Qur’an are endless and everlasting”. We will be presenting some of the contributions of the Islamic civilization to engineering. It is astonishing to learn that Muslims reached these great achievements hundreds years ago.
Islamic Appreciation of Engineering
Islam encourages its followers to observe the study the world around. Scientific thinking and examination are highly regarded in Islam. Throughout the Islamic civilization, Muslims have shown great appreciation to the different branches of engineering. Their achievements were incomparable to any other civilization at their time. One of the most remarkable figures in Islamic engineering was Ebn-Khaldoun. He defined engineering as the science that deals with the shapes and numbers. Theses shapes can be one-dimensional, two-dimensional, or three-dimensional. He says “studying engineering improves the mental abilities of the person. Engineering is based on examination and testing, and hence it leaves no room for mistakes. Our forefathers and scholars used to compare the effect of engineering on the mental skills of a person to the effect of soap on a dirty cloth; it washes all the stains and harms away”. This great appreciation of engineering was what made Muslims pioneers in several engineering applications including industrial, architectural, environmental, mechanical, et cetera.
Industrial Renaissance
The progress in engineering technologies is usually reflected in the industrial renaissance. Cedillo (1777-1833), a French orientalist, gives a fair and honest testimony: “Muslims mastered all industrial arts. They were famous for tanning, weaving, forging, and blacksmithing. Their outstanding skills were reflected in their sharp swords and strong yet light shields. They produced textiles from silk, linen, and wool”. Another orientalist (Reno) says: “when Muslims came from Andalusia and raided the south of France under the command of Alsamh Alkholani, Anbasa Alkalbi, and Alhur Althakafi, they were equipped with advanced weapons that the west did not know of”. Islamic engineers and technicians followed scientific methodologies in all their work. They used to make small-scale models for what they intended to implement. Many of their tools and equipments were duplicated later on from the writing of those Islamic engineers.
Architectural Engineering
As Islam started to spread throughout the world during the Islamic conquests, Muslims have shown their interest in architecture, and this was reflected in their great architectural renaissance. They started to build new cities which typically consisted of masjids, buildings, palaces, bridges and hospitals, which they used to call “Albimarstanat”.
This architectural renaissance has been recorded in many History books. Al-Idrisi in his book (Nuzhat Almushtak) speaks of the greatness of Cordoba’s Dam, which was built during the rule of Omar Bin Abdul-Aziz towards the end of the first Hijri century. He describes the Dam saying: "Cordoba’s Dam was a master piece. It consisted of seventeen arches spaced at thirty shibrs (hand-length). It was covered by curtains from all around. The depth of the Dam during the dry season was almost thirty thiraa (arm-length)”.
Muslims added unique architectural techniques to masjids and schools. They also created new architectural elements and shapes including apses domes, minarets and lighthouses. The aesthetics of Islamic architecture are reflected in every aspect of their structures. One of the most magnificent Islamic structures is the Masjid of Cordoba, which was built during the Umayyad era in Andalusia, which is regarded as a wonder of architectural excellence. Another example is the Sulaymaniyah Masjid in Istanbul. This masjid reflects the creativity of Islamic architects during the Ottoman era, which was built in 1557.
Architectural Acoustics
Muslims were the first to establish the art of architectural acoustics. Knowing that sound reflects on concave surfaces and collects in its focus, Muslims designed some of their structures to have controlled reflection of the sound waves, and hence increase the clarity and intensity of sound inside the structure. This required precise calculations from the Islamic engineers. This technique was used in spacious masjids to increase the intensity of the voice of the speaker (Imam) during Fridays and holidays. This was seen in the old masjid Isfahan, and the masjid of Addeliah in Aleppo, and some old masjids in Baghdad. The ceiling and walls of these masjids were designed in the form of concave surfaces to ensure the precise distribution of the sound at all corners. These Islamic structures remaining until today bear witness to the leadership of Muslims in architectural acoustics. They founded this art several centuries before Wallace K. Sabine studied the causes of poor quality of sound inside the lectures halls at Harvard University in America in the early twentieth century.
Hydraulic Engineering
The achievements of Islamic engineers were not limited only to architectural engineering. They were also pioneers in the other fields of engineering, especially hydraulic engineering which is concerned with irrigation, and water supply. Man has always lived nearby water sources, and through history, he learned the importance of irrigation. Even though Muslims were not the first to invent hydraulic engineering, they have greatly contributed to this field. They invented new techniques of water supply systems which was seen in many of the Islamic countries, especially Baghdad and Kufa, and similar cities that were built around rivers
Some historical sources stated that these irrigation systems have reached the peak of its development in the eastern territories of the Islamic caliphate in the tenth and eleventh centuries AD (fourth and fifth Hijri centuries). One of the most important of these irrigation systems was built in Iraq, where major shifts were made to the course each of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, in addition to changes in the marshes and shallow lakes located north-west of Basra.
Due to the agricultural necessities which accompanied the growth of the Muslim community, Muslims paid great attention to irrigation systems and water supply. Moreover, the water supply to non-agricultural purposes was also an essential task of Islamic engineers. They had to provide fresh water to these new communities. Fresh and clean water is essential to humans and especially to Muslims as part of their religious practices.
The engineering applications of water supply in the Islamic civilization extended to include areas other than irrigation and drinking, which were not known before the Islamic civilization. One of the most important of these areas was public bathrooms which spread throughout the Islamic cities to an extent that drew the attention of travelers and western traders who were not familiar with such an awareness of hygiene in their countries. The number of bathrooms in an Islamic city sometimes exceeded ten thousand. These bathrooms were designed in such a way to allow the user to move gradually from the warm air inside the bathroom to the outside cold weather so as not to get sick, and these bathrooms were heated from underneath and included pipelines of hot and cold water within its walls!
Aesthetics of Hydraulic Engineering
Muslims paid great attention to the aesthetic uses of water engineering (hydraulic engineering). It was very common in palaces and masjids to have water fountains which conferred beauty and joy to the place. They were also used in masjids for the purposes of wudu (ablution). The aesthetics of hydraulic engineering extended to include gardens and orchards. Gardens typically included small streams which were not only used for irrigation purposes but also to create an enjoyable environment for people visiting the garden and to remind them of the Qur’anic verse “gardens underneath which rivers flow” which was repeated several times in Qur’an describing paradise. It was the innovations of hydraulic engineering in the Islamic civilization that urged the historians to elaborate on describing the water supply system and aesthetics of water engineering in the Islamic cities.
It is evident that Muslims have excelled in several engineering applications such as architectural, acoustic, industrial, and hydraulic engineering. They combined the functionality of their engineering applications with aesthetics so as to create structures that are appealing to people. It is the beautiful taste of Islamic structures that distinguish them from other structures and make them very unique.
Mechanical Engineering
The Beneficial Tricks
The Muslim scientists used to refer to the field of mechanical engineering by the “science of beneficial tricks”. There are several contributions of Muslims in this field. They used the findings of prior civilizations as the foundation on which they based their great achievements. The Islamic contributions to mechanical engineering imply that Muslims acknowledged the importance of technology in their lives. Many people think that the concept of technology was first introduced by the western civilization. However, when we go through the achievements of Muslims in the so-called “beneficial tricks”, we will realize that they used advanced technologies to the extent of inventing what we call today robotics.
It is important to understand what Muslims meant by the name “beneficial tricks”, so that one might not think that they were sort of magic or illusions as the word “trick” literally implies. They defined “beneficial tricks” as the science of using little effort to reach great accomplishments. Instead of using their muscles, they thought of scientific tricks to make their task easier so that they can have it accomplished faster. They used these tricks to improve the quality of their lives and to avoid hardship as mush as possible.
The Moral and Ethical Values of “Beneficial Tricks”
Most civilizations that existed before Islam were mainly built on the suffering of slaves and the unfair system of forced-labor. Those slaves were abused and forced to perform exhausting physical work without regard to their human rights or physical capacities. In Islam, forced-labor is forbidden. Islam respects the dignity of human beings and animals, and it is prohibited to force a person or an animal to do unbearable work. Consequently, it was significantly important for Muslims to accommodate the wide spread of Islam by using advanced technologies or what so-called the “beneficial tricks”.
Muslims Achievements in Beneficial Tricks
Muslims implemented mechanical engineering technologies to raise heavy stones, and building materials for the construction of tall structures such as minarets of masjids, barrages and dams. It is amazing to see the high rise structures that were built by Muslims during eras where no mechanical jacks were available. It is evident that they have known other techniques that helped them to raise their 70 feet tall minarets over the roof of their masjids.
A great evidence of the engineering ingenuity of Muslims is the "fence of water channel" in Cairo that was built during the time of Salahuddin. It was used to transfer water from the Nile River to a castle at Mount Mukattam. They used animal-operated water-carrier to raise water to an elevation of ten meters, and then the water flowed in the channel until it reached the castle.
“Musa Bin Shakir” brothers were among the pioneer mechanical engineers in the Islamic civilization. The three brothers; Muhammad, Ahmad, and Al-hassan, sons of Musa Bin Shakir lived in the third Hijri century (ninth century AD), and they have tremendous contributions in mechanical engineering as well as astronomy. The brothers realized the importance of team work, and together they established the first scientific research team. They are especially famous for their book “Banu Musa Tricks” which is described by the historian Ebn Khalqan as a “unique book which contains amazing engineering applications”. There are hundreds of mechanical applications described in detailed drawings. They used automated valves and some of their mechanical systems were designed to operate after specific time intervals, and other techniques of automated control that are considered timeless engineering achievements. Among their inventions are wind-proof lamps, and self operating lamps that used to pour their own oil and adjust their filament, and it seemed to those who saw these lamps as if the fire consumed neither the oil nor the filament. They also invented a water fountain that formed shapes with water and flipped between these shapes.
They also invented several agricultural and farming equipments such as mangers for animals with special sizes so that the animal can eat and drink without being disturbed by other animals. They used water tanks, liquid density apparatuses, and water-controlled irrigation systems so that no water will be lost in vain. All those creative ideas pushed the technology of "beneficial tricks" or (mechanical engineering) forward. Their designs were characterized by their rich imagination, detailed drawings, and unique experimental methodology
The Amazing Achievements of Muslims in “Beneficial Trick”
Several scientists came after “Musa Ibn Shakir” brothers. Among those scientists was “Ebn Khalaf Almarady” who lived in the 5th Hijri century (11th AD). He is famous for his book "Secrets of the outcome of ideas”. A manuscript of this book was discovered recently in 1975 in the library of Orneen in France. This book contains valuable information about mills, water-compressors, mechanical machinery, and a sophisticated solar clock. Almarady described in his book a special holder for Qur’an that was used in the Masjid of Cordoba. The Qur’an is kept inside the holder which opens automatically, and it was designed to allow the user to read the Qur’an and turn its pages without touching the pages with his hand, Elsewhere in the book, Almarady provides a detailed explanation of the advanced technology used at the Palace of Gibraltar, where the back walls move automatically by a special operating system!
It was less than a century after Almarady, when another scientist named “AlJuzry” wrote his famous books “understanding the science of beneficial tricks” and “Beneficial tricks: theory and applications” which was translated into the English language in 1974. George Sarong, a scientific historian, describes these books as one of the most important books that contain the Muslims’ achievements in technology. These books included unique designs of clocks and mechanical cranes in which special gears were used to transform linear motion into circular motion, which is the same principle used today in modern engines. Furthermore, the book included sections about water-lifting machines, and water-clocks. In his clocks, AlJuzry used mechanical puppets that moved to indicate time such as birds that through balls from their beaks, people come out from behind closed doors, or musicians playing music. The water-lifting machines section contained unique design of water pump which is very close to what we know today as the steam engine. This pump consisted of two opposite pipes. Each connected to cylindrical piston by a tube, so that if one pipe is pushed (compressed), the other will be pulled (siphoned). A circular toothed disk is used to connect the two tubes to enable the opposite movement. This disk is connected to the central shaft. Each pump is equipped with three valves that allow the flow of water from bottom to top, and prevent it from returning in the opposite direction.
One of the greatest inventions of Aljurzy is that he was the first to invent mechanical robots. One of the Muslims Caliphs asked him to invent a machine that would replace his house servants and help him make ablution for prayer. Aljuzry invented a machine in the form of a servant carrying a jug of water in one hand and a towel in the other. Over the head of this mechanical servant was a bird that sings at the time of prayer. Then the robot moves towards his master serving him with water for ablution and handing him the towel afterwards, and then moving back to its original place until the time of the next prayer.
As we have seen earlier, Muslims used the science of beneficial tricks for the good of man kind. They used their knowledge and engineering skills to make life easier and to use mechanical equipments as replacements to the human muscular effort. Before Islam, tricks were used by some sects to influence religious or spiritual followers such as: the use of moving or speaking statues by priests, or the use of musical instruments at the temples. However, in Islam, the spiritual link between Allah and mankind does not need any intermediate means or optical illusions. Therefore, Muslim scalars used those tricks to advance their civilization and facilitate life.
The Banu Musa Brothers
The First Research Team in the World
Every great civilization is built on the ingenuity of devoted scientists. We have talked earlier about the “Musa Ibn Shakir” brothers; Muhammad, Ahmad, and Al-hassan. Those three brothers excelled in engineering, astronomy, mathematics, and other fields of science. Together, they formed the first scientific research team. It is important to examine their remarkable journey so that we can benefit from their great experience.
Their Origin
The three brothers lived in the third Hijri century. Their father was a close friend of the Abbasid caliph Almamoun. He excelled in mathematics and astronomy. When their father died, Almamoun took care of the brothers. Almamoun was a scientist himself. He was one of the main factors that shaped the scientific background of the three brothers. Almamoun adapted the three brothers and assigned them to the ruler of Baghdad to raise them up. Almamoun was always keen to ask about how the three brothers were developing. The ruler of Baghdad assigned a brilliant scientist named Yahia Ibn Abi Mansour to educate the brothers. Yahia was the dean of the scientific center of Baghdad. The brothers were raised in this scientific center which was considered to be the most advanced scientific center at its time. In this scientific atmosphere, the brothers grew up to become timeless icons of the Islamic civilization. The three brothers were fond of science. The helped each other to study and research. They excelled in mathematics, astronomy, and engineering. One of the important lessons in this story is the role played the Muslim leader in the scientific advancement of his nation. The care given by Caliph Almamoun to the brothers is remarkable. Muslim caliphs always showed great interest in science and scientists. They even adapted and financed specific projects that were of national significance. This was one of the main reasons that advanced the Islamic civilization through the years. It is also the same reason that Muslims retreated back when they abandoned science.
Team Work
What make the Banu Musa brothers very unique is that they worked together as an organized scientific research team. This team effort is clear through their theories and applications. They wrote a remarkable book called “Areas of Shapes” which is considered to be an important update to Archimedes’ theories about the areas of shapes. Their team spirit was evident throughout their book. They signed their names on the front cover and they always used plural pronouns as an indication to their team effort. One of the most amazing features of this book is the honesty of the brothers when they present theories belonging to others. The brothers stated “what we mentioned in this book is based on our work except for the area of the circle which is based on the theory of Archimedes and the arithmetic sequence which is based on the theory of Menelaus. There are numerous contributions of the three brothers to science. However, calculating the circumference of earth was among their greatest contributions. Almamoun assigned this mission to the scientific team. Led by the elder brother, the team started to investigate the topic. The team also included a group of surveyors and astronomers. Finally, they calculated that the circumference of earth is equal to 47,000 km which is very close to the actual circumference which is known recently to be 40,000 km.
Furthermore, the brothers established a translation center to translate scientific literature from other languages into Arabic. A big team of translators worked hard to establish this center which was a gift from the Caliph Almutawakil and which was close to his palace. Among those translators were “Hunaen Ibn Ishac”, and his son “Ishac Ibn Hunaen”, and his nephew “Habish Ibn Hassan”, and also “Thabit Ibn Qurah” who translated enormous scientific books for famous scientists such as Aglides, Archimedes, Plato and oath ... And others.
Remarkable Generosity
Banu Musa brothers were also known for spending generously on science. The understood that Allah urges people to study and He promised scientists high levels of paradise. Hence, the brothers invested their efforts as well as their money on scientific research. They used to send messengers at their own expense to the Byzantine Empire in search of rare scientific manuscripts. They also spent their money to pay for those manuscripts, and to pay the translators who translated those manuscripts into Arabic. It is important to mention that the salary of a translator was as high as 500 dinars per month. The Banu Musa brothers presented a great example of Muslim scientists who acknowledged the value of science and invested their efforts and money for the good of mankind.
Future Scientists
The Banu Musa brothers showed great interest in taking care of young scientists and adapting their talents. Moreover, they spent their efforts for the publicity of those future scientists. This unique fairness and nobility that Islam created in those scientists was absent from other civilizations in which scientists battled against each other for personal interests. It was reported that Muhammad Ibn Musa Ibn Shakir on his way back from Greece met a young boy named “Thabit Ibn Qurah” who was mentioned earlier as a translator in the translation center. Muhammad Ibn Musa sensed the cleverness of Thabit and he allowed the boy to join him to Baghdad to study at the scientific center. In Baghdad, Thabit net the Caliph Almutadid who took care of him. Thabit grew up to become one of the most intelligent scientists of his time. He has numerous contributions in engineering and astronomy. He wrote about 150 books and translated several manuscripts into Arabic.
Finally, there are many lessons to learn from the lives of those three great brothers who established the first scientific research team and adapted the talents of young scientists. They set a great example for scientists in terms of their knowledge, devotion, honesty, nobility, generosity, and selflessness. They were among other great Islamic scientists who created a civilization which lit the way for humanity for more than thousand years.
Glossary
Caliph leader of a Muslim state; a successor of Prophet Muhammad
Dinar unit of currency
Hijri the calendar used by Muslims, reckoned from the year of the Hijra in A.D. 622
Hijra immigration of Prophet Muhammad from Mecca to Medina
Imam the one who leads the prayer at the masjid
Masjid mosque; The Muslim house of worship
Wudu ablution, washing parts of ones body as preparation for prayer
Now days we as Muslims have to spread the voice to learn quran online and so we could gain the true knowledge and the quran teaching that is give to us by our beloved prophet Muhammad peace be upon him and do quran reading. Do we as Muslim ask our self that why we are at the peak of destruction? The answer will be simple that we have left our roots the holy quran we should guide promote Islam from in our homes first and let learn our kids quran and encourage them in doing quran memorization this should be our first goal for it we can do different stuff like let then participate in different online quran recitation competition to let them read quran from different online quran reciters and along with it we elders should learn quran also and improve our knowledge of quran and Islam and learn holy quran tafseer because to understand and learn quran Arabic and for this now a days there are many online quran tutor available who teach tajweed quran and its translation and tafseer so let us join our hands to be the voice of Islam and let improve the image of it as well and full fill our duty
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