Islam Rediscovered
23. Conversion: An Intellectual Transformation
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This intellectual revolution, or this discovery of a
new idea, resulted in the emergence of a new
personality among the Arabs. In the words of a
European historian, every one of them acquired
such a revolutionary personality that their entire
people became a nation of heroes. Within just fifty
years they brought about that historical event which
is called by a historian “the miracle of all miracles.”
Briffault puts this in a nutshell: “But for the Arabs,
western civilization would never have arisen at all.”
Another example is that of the European Christian
nations. After the crusades—a historical process
extending over several hundred years—these
nations too went through a conversion process. This
conversion was secular rather than religious.
Intense conflict took place between science and
religion. This is elucidated in the book:
Conflict
Between Science and Religion.
”
This encounter continued for several hundred years
in the form of dialogue and conflict, until a new
intellectual revolution was produced within the
European nations and they finally bade good-bye to
