Islam Creator of the Modern Age
3. Muslim Contribution to Science
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so great that none of these emperors” could live in
the style of the ancient monarchs. In Islamic history
there are many such instances. The following
incident, which took place during the reign of
Sultan Abdur Rahman II (A.D. 176-258), a powerful
ruler of Muslim Spain, is an apt illustration.
This Sultan had a palace built for himself called az--
Zahra, to the east of Cordova, which was of such
immensity that the word palace was not adequate
to describe it. This magnificent residence came to be
known as
al-Madinah az Zahirah
(the brilliant town).
But, in spite of being so powerful and living in such
magnificence, the Sultan did not regard himself as
being above the law.
It happened once that he missed one fast in the
month of Ramazan without having any excuse,
which would be acceptable in terms of the
shariah.
He therefore assembled the ‘
ulama
(religious
scholars) of Cordova, and told them of his lapse. He
asked them to pronounce a religious verdict, which
would enable him to atone for it.
Al-Maqqari writes that one of the religious scholars
present was Imam Yahya, who promptly decreed
