quartz/content/Notes/Islamic Studies/Islamic Culture and Civilization.md

# Islamic Culture and Civilization 

14-07-2025
[[Islamic Studies]] [[religion]] [[culture]]

Islamic culture, encompassing customs, traditions, and societal norms, is rooted in the teachings of Islam and the Quran. It's a diverse and dynamic culture shaped by the global Muslim community (umma). Islamic civilization refers to the rich and diverse cultural, scientific, and socio-political developments that emerged from the Islamic world, particularly from the 7th century onwards

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## Art 
Islamic art is traditionally non-representational, except for the widespread use of plant forms, usually in varieties of the spiralling arabesque. These are often combined with Islamic calligraphy and geometric patterns. 
### Calligraphy 
Islamic calligraphy is the artistic practice of handwriting and calligraphy, based upon the alphabet in the lands sharing a common Islamic cultural heritage. It includes Arabic Calligraphy, Ottoman, and Persian calligraphy. It is known in Arabic as khatt Islami (خط اسلامي), meaning Islamic line, design, or construction.
### Architecture 
Islamic architecture is the range of architectural styles of buildings associated with Islam. It encompasses both secular and religious styles from the early history of Islam to the present day. Early Islamic architecture was influenced by Roman, Byzantine, Persian and all other lands which the Muslims conquered in the 7th and 8th centuries. Further east, it was also influenced by Chinese and Indian architecture as Islam spread to the Southeast Asia. The principal Islamic architectural types for large or public buildings are: the Mosque, the Tomb, the Palace and the Fort.
### Literature
The Arabic word used for literature is "Adab", which is derived from a meaning of etiquette, and which implies politeness, culture and enrichment. Arabic literature emerged in the 5th century with only fragments of the written language appearing before then. The Qur'an had the greatest lasting effect on Arabic culture and its literature which flourished during the Islamic Golden Age.

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## Islamic Economics 
Islamic economics refers to the knowledge of economics or economic activities and processes in terms of Islamic principles and teachings. Islam has a set of specific moral norms and values about individual and social economic behavior. Therefore, it has its own economic system, which is based on its philosophical views and is compatible with the Islamic organization of other aspects of human behavior: social and political systems.

The Islamic economic system entails the rules of transacting finance or other economic activity in a Shari'a compliant manner (manner conforming to Quran and sunnah).
### Fiqh and Islamic economics
Islamic Fiqh (religious law) has developed several traditional concepts having to do with economics. These include: 
- Zakat – the "charitable taxing of certain assets, such as currency, gold, or harvest, and allocating these taxes to eight expenditures that are also explicitly defined in the Quran, such as aid to those in need. 
  1. the poor 
  2. the needy 
  3. zakat admins 
  4. preaching of Islam 
  5. slaves 
  6. debt
  7. travellers 
  8. cause of Allah

- Gharar—"uncertainty". The sale of what is not present currently, in a contract is prohibited.
- Riba—referred to as usury (interest) is also prohibited.
### Trade and Commerce
In Islam, trade is generally permissible and even encouraged as a means of earning a livelihood, but it must adhere to specific ethical guidelines. 
- Ethical Practices: Islam promotes honest dealings, fair prices, and transparency in business transactions. 
- Mutual Consent: Transactions should be based on the free will and consent of both parties involved. 
- Avoiding Harm: Trading should not involve activities that harm individuals or society, such as selling forbidden goods or engaging in exploitative practices. 

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## Science, Knowledge and Learning
Many Muslims agree that doing science is an act of religious merit, even a collective duty of the Muslim community. Many verses of the Quran ask mankind to study nature, and this has been interpreted to mean an encouragement for scientific inquiry, and the investigation of the truth. 

>"Travel throughout the earth and see how He brings life into being" (Quran 29:20)

>"Behold in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the alternation of night and day, there are indeed signs for men of understanding ..." (Qran 3:190)

Muslim scholars have developed a spectrum of viewpoints on science within the context of Islam. Scientists of medieval Muslim civilization (e.g. Ibn al-Haytham) contributed to the new discoveries in science. From the eighth to fifteenth century, Muslim mathematicians and astronomers furthered the development of mathematics.

Islamic scientific achievements encompassed a wide range of subject areas:
- medicine 
- mathematics 
- [[astronomy]] 
- agriculture
- physics 
- economics
- engineering
- optics
### Contributions in the Golden Age of Islam
The Islamic Golden Age was a period of scientific, economic, and cultural flourishing in the history of Islam, traditionally dated from the 8th century to the 13th century. Al-Khwarizmi (math), Ibn Sina (medicine), Al-Biruni (comparative religion), Ibn al-Haytham (astronomy).
### Graeco-Arabic translation movement
The Graeco-Arabic translation movement was a large, well-funded, and sustained effort responsible for translating a significant volume of secular Greek texts into Arabic. The translation movement took place in Baghdad from the mid-eighth century to the late tenth century.

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## Justice and Social Welfare
The most common term for the word “justice” in Arabic is 'adl'. The opposite meaning is injustice (jawr). Justice in the Qur’anic context is about conforming to the divine law and being obedient to God. Justice in the Qur’an has no room for discrimination based on color, race, or gender. Qur’anic justice is a moral virtue and a legal concept. These two dimensions of justice—justice towards oneself and justice towards others—are two sides of the same coin, so should not be separated. 
### Justice
Fiqh is the term for Islamic jurisprudence. Fiqh is often described as the human understanding, research and practices of the sharia (human understanding of the divine Islamic law as revealed in the Quran and the sunnah). Fiqh expands and develops Shariah through interpretation (ijtihad) of the Quran and Sunnah.
### Social Welfare
In Islamic tradition, the idea of social welfare has been presented as one of its principal values and the practice of social service at its various forms has been instructed and encouraged. A Muslim's religious life remains incomplete if not attended by service to humanity.
1. **Economic welfare**
   - Sadaqah means voluntary charity which is given out of compassion, love, friendship (fraternity), religious duty, or generosity.
   - Zakat is a form of compulsory alms-giving, and a religious obligation for those Muslims who are financially affluent.They are required to pay one-fortieth (2.5%) of their total income or money each year to those Muslims who are poor and helpless.
2. **Rights of various groups**
   - Rights of the parents and relatives 
   - Rights of the neighbors 
   - Rights of children 
   - Rights of the minorities

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## Ethics and Morality in Islam 
In Islam, morality is primarily based on the Quran and the Hadith. It includes kindness (to people and animals), charity, forgiveness, honesty, patience, justice, respecting parents and elders, keeping promises, and controlling one's anger, love of God and those God loves, love of his messenger (Muhammad) and of believers.

The "basic aim" of Islamic morality and ethics is "to achieve" Raza-e Ilahi (the Pleasure of God)".

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## Political System in Islam 
The Islamic political system revolves around the concept of governance guided by Islamic law (Sharia) and principles derived from the Quran and Sunnah. Key themes include the sovereignty of God, the importance of justice and consultation (shura), and the role of the ruler in upholding Islamic values.

The conceptions of _caliphate_ (the state), _sharia_ (the law), and _ummah_ (the nation of Islam) has dominated the Islamic political literature.
### Shura (Consultation)
An important Islamic concept concerning the structure of ruling is the consultation (shūrā) with people regarding their affair.
### Caliphate
The Caliph is the supreme political and spiritual authority.

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## Mind Map

![[islamic civilization and culture mindmap.excalidraw|800]]

## Related Ideas 


## References
[Islamic culture, *Wikipedia*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_culture)
[Islamic economics, *Wikipedia*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_economics)
[Islamic_attitudes_towards_science, *Wikipedia*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_attitudes_towards_science)
[Islamic Golden Age, *Wikipedia*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_Golden_Age)
[Graeco-Arabic_translation_movement, *Wikipedia*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graeco-Arabic_translation_movement)
[More Than Just Law: The Idea of Justice in the Qur’an](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/read/paper/the-idea-of-justice-in-the-quran)
[Fiqh, *Wikipedia*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiqh)
[Political_aspects_of_Islam, *Wikipedia*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_aspects_of_Islam)
[Islam_and_humanity, *Wikipedia*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam_and_humanity)