Islam Creator of the Modern Age
2. Holding Sacred that which is not Sacred
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mystical nature, no thinking can develop which will
lead to research on the nature of these things. In
such an atmosphere, it is but natural that such a
mentality will develop as will grovel to magic and
superstition.
The Arabs of ancient times had similarly been held
in thrall by superstition. For them too, as in other
nations, it had become a mental block. But when an
intellectual revolution was brought about amongst
them by Islam, this mental block very soon
evaporated. Now they began to look at things as
they were, whereas prior to this revolution they had
viewed the same objects as sacred and mysterious.
It is this intellectual revolution, which produced
among Arabs scientific thinking for the first time in
human history. By developing this line of thought,
they became the giver people; they gave to the
whole world what in modern times, is called
science.
PHYSICAL SCIENCES
Arnold Toynbee, the renowned twentieth century
English historian, tells us that science is another