ভূমিকা

Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Islam's Gifts To the World Islam and Intellectual Advance Most Westerners are ignorant of the debt their civilisation owes to Islam, even for modern industrial transformation, scientific advance and philosophical enterprise. Islam came into the world in the bosom of one of the most backward of peoples. In a very short time it had raised those tribes to pre-eminence in every field.

Its greatest miracle was its appearance as a fullgrown adult of the spirit in so degraded and poverty -stricken an environment. Its second miracle was the raising of that environment, by sheer force of inspiration, without any extraneous aids, to an unmatched destiny. Its third was to create a cultural focus from which strong waves radiated, stimulating renascence in other peoples of every background throughout the world.

The changes it wrought compose history's greatest revolution so far, a revolution in sense and sensibility, in thought and intellect, in relations of individuals and communities, and indeed in every department of human life. By the end of its first millennium Islam stretched from the Atlantic coast of Africa in the west to the Great Wall of China in the east, from the Mediterranean to the Sahara in Africa.

In Spain its troops took first Andalusia, then all Spain up to the Pyrenees, and even penetrated the south of France as far north as Tours. All the "Jezirat-ul' Arab" was of course Muslim. From Muslim Iran and Afghanistan other troops took Sind, the Punjab and the Gobi - and this within a few short centuries. In all its dominions the principles worked out in the Arab homeland were applied to the new societies under its sway.

In particular its justice, equality and brotherhood, humane fruits of its meticulous care for the individual and his place in society, which are the distinguishing marks of Islam, set their stamp on the communities over this entire vast area.

The first task was the overthrow of tyrannies : the second was the establishment of sound Islamic rule and respect for human rights : the third was the illumination of intellect, research and thought: the fourth was the propagating of the faith by its calm appeal to reason and logic and by its profundity and breadth of vision: the fifth - and perhaps the most glorious because the most anonymous-was the infection of other nations, of all creeds and none, with its own superior moral, mental and spiritual outlook.