Islam Creator of the Modern Age
1. Islam: Creator of the Modern Age
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however, due to the unpropitious circumstances of
the times, could not advance in this way. It shone
forth momentarily, then disappeared from the
scene. Then in the seventh century Hijrah, when the
Islamic revolution had put an end to the age of
superstition, many favourable opportunities
presented themselves to scientific research, which
was subsequently carried on in an unbroken line
right up to modern times.
Due to the earlier unfavourable atmosphere, the
Greek scholars confined their work largely to the
field of theory. They did not carry out practical
experiments. For instance, Aristotle wrote treatises
on physics, but, throughout his entire life, he did
not carry out a single experiment. While the Greek
scholars contributed greatly to the field of logic,
they made no worthwhile contribution in the field
of empirical science. The real beginning of science
was made when the spirit of free enquiry was
created in man. In ancient times, this spirit
manifested itself sporadically on the part of
individuals, but due to the hostile environment, this
could not develop on a large scale.
