ATEBE

Abstract

Muslims considered reading, which is the first command of the Qur'an, not only as a superficial reading, but as getting down to the essence of existence and understanding the world. In this direction, they have examined all the events that have developed around them from the first times with the eye of an example and have been the subject of their scientific studies. The fact that scientific learning is necessary for all Muslims, regardless of whether they are men or women, has also been an important source of motivation for them. One of the prominent aspects of the Islamic civilization is the interests of Muslims in religious sciences. Muslims, who did not limit themselves to religious sciences, also showed interest in positive sciences such as astronomy, mathematics, geometry, physics and chemistry in the later periods. One of the different reasons why Muslims show interest in this field is that the Qur’an included issues like celestial bodies and creation. In addition, issues such as taking the movements of celestial bodies such as the moon and sun as a basis in determining the times of routine worship aroused great interest and curiosity in Muslims. On the other hand, Muslims, who spread to a very wide geography with the conquests, encountered different ethnic, religious and cultural elements here. Muslims have started to translate scientific studies, which they consider as human heritage, into their own language. With the support of these activities by the state authorities, the studies have increased even more. One of the main purposes of our study is to make an assessment of the reasons for the success of the Islamic world in scientific studies after the conquests and political and military developments. From the first periods, the Islamic society focused primarily on learning religious subjects, and then, being influenced by other civilizations it encountered, it began to engage in positive sciences. They generally did not adhere to any limitations regarding these areas. Although it was seen that there were no studies devoted to positive sciences in the first years of Islam, important studies in this sense emerged towards the end of the first Hijri century. Muslims first tried to understand their religion better, after gaining certain knowledge on this issue, they became interested in positive sciences especially during the Abbasid period (750-1258). By the turn of the century, they began to produce great works in these areas. In our study, first of all, the information in current and classical sources about the work of Muslims will be brought together and the change that has taken place over the centuries will be discussed. In fact, the solution to the situation Muslims are in today is partly hidden in a better understanding of this period. Understanding this ascension adventure of Muslims throughout their history will shed a great deal of light on our day.