The medieval Muslim world was the undisputed capital for culture, knowledge, wisdom, research, and intellectualism. This piece intends to explore reasons, as well as libraries in medieval Muslim empires.
The importance of knowledge in religion
The Holy Qur’an which Muslims believe to be the revealed words of the Almighty lays great emphasis on reading, study, and acquisition of knowledge. The first verses to be revealed were: “ Read in the name of the Lord, Who created, Created man from a clot of blood, Recite! And thy Lord is Most Bounteous, Who taught by the pen, Taught man what he knew not…”(96:1–5).
Prof. Khatib of Damascus university explained that there are 250 verses that can be categorized at legislative as opposed to 750 verses exhorting believers to study nature, reflect and engage in scientific activities.
Another thing worthy of mention in this context is the status granted to the learned in religion. Pious men of learning were also called the “inheritors of prophets” by the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
Say: ‘Are those who know equal to those who know not ?’ (39:9)
“Allah will raise those who believe from among you, and those whom knowledge is given, to degrees of rank..” (58:11).
“Seek knowledge even if one has to travel as far as Cathay” -Hadith
“The quest for knowledge is obligatory for Muslim men and women” -Hadith
“ A word of wisdom is the lost property of a Muslim, wherever he finds it, he must take it” -Hadith
“The ink of the scholar is equal to the blood of a martyr.” -Hadith
Al Kindi(801–873) a famous Arab philosopher, mathematician, physician, and musician, stated eleven centuries ago, that “ one must not feel ashamed to recognize the truth and adopt it irrespective of its source. Nothing is more precious than truth, it never depreciates not diminishes a seeker after truth“(Salam, 1981).
It was also widely believed that if one can not grasp the basics of books of knowledge, science, and philosophy, books written by humans, on God’s wonders, how can one understand the Quran, the book sent by the Lord himself.
With attaining knowledge becoming an act of worship, the Muslim world became the unrivaled intellectual center for science, philosophy, medicine, and education.
Libraries in the Muslim World
The Abbasids championed the cause of knowledge and established Darul Hukama (House of Wisdom) in Baghdad, founded by great Abbasid Caliph Harun-ar-Rashid, which was divided into two sections, one was concerned with the translation work and the other related to the collection of books and housing a big library.
During this time every part of the globe was ransacked by the agents of the caliphs for the hoarded wealth of antiquity. Yahya Barmeki, the famous grand Minister of Harun, had summoned well-known scholars from distant lands, who adorned the literary gatherings of the caliph. Harun-ar-Rashid appointed Al-Fadl Ibn Naubakht, a renowned scholar and translator, as head of the library in Darul Hukama. The library contained a large number of books that were efficiently arranged and cataloged. In addition to the library of the House of Wisdom, there were many other libraries in Baghdad attached to the many faith schools (Madaris); each contained thousands of books and manuscripts.
On the same pattern, in cities of the eastern provinces of the Islamic world, several, Darul Al-Ilm, “Houses of Knowledge” were established in the 9th and 10th centuries to emulate that of Darul Hukama in Baghdad. Such cities include Mosul, Basra, Shiraz, Rayy, etc.
There were similar libraries in Cairo, Aleppo, and the major cities of Iran and Central Asia. Spain alone had seventy public libraries. There were also private individual libraries, which were not open to the general public, but were available to scientists, philosophers, researchers, and writers.
British Library: Making Islamic-style paper (Right)
The technique of papermaking was a major innovation. The tightly-guarded Chinese secret was obtained from prisoners taken at the Battle of Talas, resulting in paper mills being built in Samarkand and Baghdad. Arabs improved upon the Chinese techniques of using mulberry bark by using starch, which also accounted for the Muslim preference for pen rather than the Chinese way of using brushes. By the end of the 9th century, there were hundreds of shops employing scribes and binders for books in Baghdad and even public libraries began to be established, including the first lending libraries. From here papermaking spread westwards to Al-Andalus, and from there, to Europe in the 13th century.
“Nor must the libraries be omitted from this list of those factors of progress which so signally contributed to the public enlightenment and to the formation of national character. There was no city of importance without at least one of these treasure houses of literature. Their shelves were open to every applicant. Catalogs facilitated the examination of the collections and the classification of the various subjects. Many of the volumes were enriched with illuminations of wonderful beauty; the more precious were bound in the embossed leather and fragrant woods; some were inlaid with gold and silver. Here were to be found all the learning of the past and all the discoveries of the present age, the philosophy of Athens, the astronomy of Babylon, the science of Alexandria, the results of prolonged observation and experiment on the towers and in the laboratories of Cordoba and Seville.”
Scott, 1904 on Muslim Spanish libraries
The oldest library in the world, in Fez, Morocco, was both, founded and restored by women.
Founded by a Muslim woman, the University of Al Qarawiyyin in Fez, Morocco, opened its doors in 859. Its library has been restored during the last three years by another woman, Canadian-Moroccan architect Aziza Chaouni. A wing has now been opened to the general public.
The library houses a collection of 4,000 rare books and ancient Arabic manuscripts written by renowned scholars of the region. One of the many glorious manuscripts is a 9th-century version of the Quran and a manuscript on Islamic jurisprudence written by philosopher Averroes.
Timbuktu, the legendary city founded as a commercial center in West Africa 900 years ago, is synonymous today for being utterly remote. This, however, was not always the case. For more than 600 years, Timbuktu was a significant religious, cultural, and commercial center whose residents traveled north across the Sahara through Morocco and Algeria to other parts of Africa, Europe, and Asia. Located on the edge of the Sahara Desert, Timbuktu was famous among the merchants of the Mediterranean basin as a market for obtaining the goods and products of Africa south of the desert. Many individuals traveled to Timbuktu to acquire wealth and political power.
The culture of knowledge and literacy in Al-Andalus has been explored in further detail in another blog.
