Intellectual Traditions in Islam - Third Essay

Third essay in the book is about "Scientific and Philosophical Enuiry: Achievements and Reaction in Muslim History." Presented by Oliver Leaman.
After Prophet Muhammed S.A.S. when Islamic empire expanded widely and exposed to different civilizations which had more sophisticated ideas about theology, medicine, astronomy and mathematics, posed the challege to Muslims on how to react to those ideas, without compromising their believes and traditions. Lots of debates were started and questions like; How far can an Islamic philosophy or science can borrow from outside of Islam and incorporate that philosophy or science to produce something which is specifically Islamic? In quest of those inquries many wonderful ideas and philosophical veiws came into picture. Thinkers like Ibn Rushd(Averroes), Ibn-Sina (Avicena) and al-Farabi brought wonderful philosophical treasures to Islamic traditions. On the other hand emergence of ADAB highlighted ethics in Islam, which were used as the means to address the diversity of context and people.Philosophies and sciences developed at that times were widely read and used to improve the quality of life of the people. Places like Andalus in Spain became knowledge hub for the world. Oliver Leaman mentions this as "----anybody in Europe who wanted to know any thing scientific had to go to Andalus, and there are many accounts in Latin litrature of how a particular problem remained unsolvable, untill somebody turned up from Andalus and suddenly the problem was solved. Thus Islamic Spain had a reputation for several hundred years of being the real highpoint of philosophical, scientific, technical and methematical knowledge."