Islam gave a lot of knowledge to the world in the form of science, art, medical and culture. The world owes a great deal to Islam in various fields of life. Here we shall look at some of the gifts given to the world by Islam.

What do we need for reading? The Book! Where from do we collect these books and preserve them in the libraries. The Muslims were ordered by Allah and his messengers to seek knowledge. The Holy Quran frequently uses the word “ILM” which means knowledge. The Prophet said:
“Seek Knowledge from the cradle to grave”
“To seek knowledge is obligatory on every Muslim, man and woman.”

The Quran asks
“Are those who know equal with those who do not know?”

The result was that the Muslims made great progress in various fields of science. Libraries and Madrasas became part of Mosques. In mathematics, the figure 1–9 were given to the world by Arabs who copied them from India. They not only learnt it but also added zero to it. The new figure, passed on to the world from the Arabs which made it more easy. Besides add mathematics, the Muslims gave a lot to the world in the field of medicine. Hakeem Tilomizia, a Muslim scholar did build an underground hospital to treat patients. Muslim doctors and medical experts thought deeply over the Quran i.e. Command:
“O you who believe, eat the good things that we have provided to you and be grateful to Allah, if it is Him you worship.”
From the Quranic verse, it is clear that lawful (Halal) food is necessary for maintaining sound health. Unlawful (Haram) food is forbidden and it is harmful to the health.

The Prophet says:

“For every disease there is a cure. ”The saying “There is no disease without cure” inspired Muslim doctors to study illnesses deeply. They observed patients carefully to understand how diseases spread and found treatments. By observation, they discovered that smallpox and measles were separate diseases. In Baghdad alone, there were about sixty hospitals with both indoor and outdoor departments. Muslim doctors performed surgeries, including eye operations, which were highly advanced. Many books on medicine were written and later translated into Latin, influencing Western Europe. The “House of Wisdom” in Baghdad functioned as a great center for learning and research where scholars translated works from other languages into Arabic. It also had one of the best libraries and scientific laboratories in the world.
Muslims also developed the beautiful art of calligraphy, using it to write the Quran and decorate mosques with its verses. The Quran was even written on leaves, and libraries hired bookbinders to preserve books neatly. A bookbinding factory was also established in Iraq.
Muslims built magnificent mosques, palaces, libraries, schools, hospitals, and beautiful gardens. They contributed greatly to science, art, and knowledge, passing their discoveries to other countries. Muslim scholars and scientists kept the light of learning alive. Islam gives great importance to education; the first Quranic revelation to Prophet Muhammad (SAW) encouraged learning and reflection.
However, in modern times, Muslims have become lazy and stopped striving as their ancestors did. They have moved away from the path of scholars and thinkers. As Allama Iqbal lamented in his poetry,
"Gawande hum nai jo islaf se meras payee thi
Tarya se zameen par aasman nai hum ko de mara
Hukomat ka kya roona ki woh ik aarzi shai thi
Nahi duniya ki aayeen muslim se koi chara
Magr woh ilm ki mooti kitabeey apne aba ki
Jo dekhey unko Europe main toh dil hota hai separa "

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