ভূমিকা

Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books The Role Of Islamic Scientists In The Advancement Of Science The Safa Brotherhood The history of mankind has been witness to countless wars and revolutions, many of which reveal the exploitative nature of man. The underlying aim of any revolution or movement can be understood by the behaviour of its leaders and the results of their achievements. With the passage of time, the true face of these leaders and their goals can be determined.

Expanding the almost daily establishment of schools, universities and libraries and collecting and compiling many books on Islam is clear proof of the good intentions of this Islamic scientific movement. The leaders of the Islamic lands following this aim did their best to present these God-given gifts to scholars and scientists, and the attention paid to students was in accordance with this policy.

For instance, Sharafuddin Ayubi, the ruler of Damascus, once declared that anyone who memorised the book of Al mofassal written by Zomokh-Shari would win a prize worth a hundred dinars, and as a result, many learned that book by heart. Public opinion was so concerned about the development of science and knowledge that rulers occasionally were obliged to do something, to show that they, too, cared.

Mourning Meeting in Baghdad In order to have a clearer picture of the public's views at that time, this surprising event of history is sufficient: When Iraqi scholars were informed of the students financial facilities at Nizamiyyah, they gathered together and held a mourning meeting, lamenting the fact that from that time onwards, seeking knowledge was not purely a matter of knowledge itself, because materialistic matters were also concerned.

The formation of the Safa brotherhood is one example of the deep effect of the scientific movement on the people. Those involved in forming this educational centre abandoned government support and to show their sincerity towards science they refused to print their names on their publications and hence rejected fame. In the fourth century after hijra, a secret society was formed in Baghdad and Basra; the members of this society were among the great Islamic scientists and scholars.

They called themselves the "Safa brotherhood" which means the brothers and followers of clarity. They had much influence in scientific and cultural centres. The scholars and scientists who belonged to the Brotherhood were learned in most of the subjects known at that time.