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The Persian Empire – Iran (Page II)
Islam arrives in Persia
In 642 AD, although the Persian Empire would successfully defend itself for centuries against the Roman Byzantine Empires, they were met by nomadic tribesmen from Arabia who had brought the new faith of Islam to them 1.
This re-incorporated all the tenets of the successful Persian Empires from the past and was quickly accepted by the ruling Monarchs and the entire Empire.
Some 30 years after the Prophet Mohammad died, his son-in-law Imam Ali had been assassinated and the question of Islamic leadership became an issue and a dividing point among the Persian Muslims. The Persians considered that leadership should continue through the family of Mohammad. This finally became the belief throughout Persia when after about nine centuries later they became known as a Shiite state.
After 661 AD, the Arab-Muslim Caliphate tried to force the Persians to use the Arabic language. The best they were able to do was to incorporate the Arabic Alphabet to Persian use. Persians remained Persian in every other aspect of their lives with the addition of Islam as their way of life.
Different Caliphates ruled the Islamic world especially including the Umayyad Caliphate. A further dividing factor was the killing of Imam Hussain, the son of Imam Ali by some Umayyad in Karbala for refusing to recognize the legitimacy of their right to rule.
In 750 AD, the Persian power in the Islamic World under the Abbasid Caliphate was recognized by moving the Islamic Capital from Damascus to Baghdad. Persian culture was incorporated in many of the political processes. This was the marking of the height of the Islamic World. Persia led the Muslim world for at least five centuries as Islamic civilization flourished and advanced due to the Persian influence.
From the 850’s, The Persian scholar, Khwarazmi, a mathematician and Astronomer, developed precise astronomical tables. He also perfected the decimal system, developed the first works of Algebra 1, 10 and equations plus contributed to the introduction of the concept of zero by his influence in the Persian Hindu land on the Indus and as used by the Islamic Scholars. The development of Arabic Numerals was accomplished in Persia. This is in use all over the world today and is what replaced Roman Numerals.
The accomplishments of Razi, a well known physician of his time, helped the European world; the entire world for that matter when they received the translations of his books including his contribution to medicine. He developed the medical use of alcohol and among his books were many topics including small-pox and measles.
These years produced some of the greatest poets and writers of the world. One of them, Ibn Sina, wrote an encyclopedia known as the Cannon of Medicine which summarized all the known knowledge of medicine from around the world. After it was translated into Latin, it was the most appreciated book of medicine in the world.
In the years after 1111, Islamic thought was greatly influenced by one of the most prominent of Jurists and theologians, Ghazali. His influence in the concept of Sufism was greatly expanded and is practiced to this day by those who reach for a closer communion with God.
In this same era, the most famous oriental poet, Omar Khayyam was practicing his skills as a mathematician and astronomer by developing the Persian calendar. It is one of the most accurate calendars in the world today. His famous Rubaiyat was later translated into many European languages.
Continued on page three
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