Regardless of the unwavering influence of such Muslim figures on Western science, their names and contributions are rarely mentioned in history books or science lessons. This further fuels the argument that Westerners are often not willing to acknowledge the contributions that the Muslim world made to science and advancement. Why? To them, the word Muslim can only be associated with violence, uneducated, inhumane, and unrest. Only some of the contributions Muslims made to the world of science are mentioned above, but if all were listed, one would find it even harder to believe that Muslim scholars and scientists are rarely included in science or history curriculums. Without the major inventions and discoveries of the Muslim civilization, modern-day technology and procedures would not be possible. Carly Fiorina, former CEO of Hewlitt Packard, very wisely stated, “When other nations were afraid of ideas, this [Islamic] civilization thrived on them, and kept them alive. When censors threatened to wipe out knowledge from past civilizations, this civilization kept the knowledge alive, and passed it on to others” (The Faith).

The following article by The New York Times presents an argument as to why science gained attention in the medieval Islamic world, as well as why credit may not have been willingly given by the West to said inventors, scientists, engineers, and doctors. Was the religious influence in medieval Islamic science too overwhelming for the modern Western world to acknowledge? Read the article to learn more.