For Muslims, it is indeed a matter of great shame that in the fields where they once had to tread courageously, today foreigners have taken the lead.
The Arabic language is not only the religious language of Muslims but also their essence, soul, and element; whatever they express is in Arabic. All the sciences and arts of Muslims are preserved in this treasury. But it is a matter of great regret that today Europe has seized control of this invaluable treasure, and Muslims stand empty-handed, unable to reclaim it. In fact, due to the negligence of Muslims, the entire wealth of Arabic was going to be destroyed. If Europe had not been prepared to protect it, after separating those priceless books of history and literature, Arabic and Muslims would have been left with empty hands. Not only has Europe’s dominance preserved this capital from destruction, but instead of one worn-out copy, thousands of copies have been produced in the world. The Arabic language and its sciences have been written in European languages with such depth of research and completeness that if even half of it were to be translated into our languages, it would enrich us immensely. Countless books on Arabic grammar, dictionaries, morphology, syntax, and rhetoric have been written with such depth and comprehensiveness that if even half of it were to be incorporated into our languages, it would enrich us immensely with vast knowledge.
Dr. Lytz expresses our regrettable negligence as follows:
Dr. Lytz is only lamenting the fact that if Muslims need an excellent Arabic book, they have to ask Europe for it. But what saddens us even more is that Muslims are not even aware of which invaluable Arabic books have been printed in Europe and how much Europe has done us and our sciences a great favor by printing them. Therefore, we want scholars of Islam to become acquainted with the services of Europe through this article, which have enabled them to benefit from their scientific heritage…
This article consists of two parts: In the first part, we describe when and why Europe paid attention to Arabic and Arabic sciences, and which notable books on grammar, lexicon, and literature were translated into European languages. The second part provides a detailed list of these books, which were printed after being translated by European efforts.
When and why did Europe pay attention to Arabic and Arabic sciences? And why did Arabic sciences and arts shift from the East to the West? These are intriguing questions that are worth exploring, and the purpose of elucidating them is not only for the sake of clarity but also out of necessity in understanding the progression of events.
When the Roman Empire was established in Jerusalem and Antioch, and avenues for interaction with Muslims opened up, Europe’s eyes opened, and it experienced the civility of Muslims for the first time. After testing their fate in Syria, when the valiant of Europe turned towards the West, they also brought with them the realization that Muslims are the sole repository of scientific advancements in the world and the fountainhead of civilization and civility is only found in the Islamic world, and nowhere else. The result of this realization was that in Europe, attention was drawn to the progress and civility of Muslims, and every time the astonishing effects of Muslim progress were observed. Therefore, on the one hand, Europe bore the brunt of the destruction caused by Muslims, and on the other hand, it prepared for the apprenticeship of its rival!
This mention highlights a strange phenomenon: although there was no general education in Europe at that time, and the teaching of Latin and Greek languages was reserved for clergy and members of the ruling class, the group that first stepped into the pursuit of knowledge from the West to the East was the sacred group of religious leaders. It is astonishing that this same group, as it progressed, began to envision atheism and irreligion, and the dissemination of Islamic philosophy was interpreted by them. Ironically, in the beginning, this naive group also became the means of dissemination.
We are Muslims, but what do we know? If we need an excellent history of Arabic or an excellent anthology today, we will have to ask Europe. Ibn Khuldoon, Ibn Rushd, Ibn Battuta, Haji Khalifah, Ibn Atheer, and Maqrizi, who are the suns of knowledge in Islam, are unknown here! How many people have read the works of
Taabit Sharra, Imru’ al-Qais, Bahtari, and Abu Tammam? Hundreds of people in
Europe read these books, and the translation of the Quran by the millions!
From the early 11th century, Europe began to pay attention to the sciences and arts of Muslims, and by the late 14th century, all the books of philosophy had been translated into the Latin language. Initially, multiple committees were established to translate philosophical books with the help of Jewish scholars. Then, under the command of Pope Clement V, young students were sent from Europe to Andalusia to study Arabic and other Eastern languages. Since in Andalusia, Muslim students were proficient in Christian and Jewish philosophies, European students benefited from their assistance and quickly acquired proficiency in Arabic and Hebrew. After completing their studies, they started translating scholarly books.
The people who traveled to Andalusia from various parts of Europe and acquired proficiency in the Arabic language, engaging in scholarly translations, are now mentioned in historical records. Many of them were students who, driven by patriotism in their pursuit of knowledge, freed themselves forever and devoted their entire lives to private schools in Italy and institutions of learning in Cordoba. Some students, after graduating, wandered through prominent Eastern countries and, after a period of search and research, when they finally set foot in the lands of the West, their minds were filled with knowledge of Islamic sciences and arts. Hardmancrites was a famous physician and scholar of that era. He left his homeland of Italy and arrived in Cordoba out of a sheer passion for Arabic. After a period of residence, when he acquired sufficient knowledge, he translated numerous books from Arabic into Latin.
Peterz Marmot was a French monk with a passion for geography. In pursuit of this passion, he traveled to Andalusia, explored the soils of Africa, and, after years of wandering, acquired knowledge from Muslims. Similarly, Daniel Marley and Peterz Marmot gained proficiency in the Arabic language by traveling to Andalusia. Lastly, they translated the Quran into Arabic and arranged the biography of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) in Latin. Apart from them, many other people are found in history who, after traveling to Andalusia and gaining familiarity with the Arabic language, engaged in translations and compositions. Some of their translations and compositions are still available in Europe. These efforts familiarized Europe with Muslims and their sciences, and Islamic philosophy gained popularity. However, since there was no formal Arabic language institution in Europe until then, only fortunate individuals could acquire proficiency in Arabic. Among them were those who had the ability to travel to Eastern countries and bear the high expenses and hardships there. However, Arabic language education in Europe began in the 16th century. In 1642, Pope Gregory XV established an association in Rome, the purpose of which was to promote Christian beliefs, but its establishment led to a significant incidental benefit: the attention of Europe was drawn to Arabic language education. After that, in 1627, a special school for Eastern languages was established under the orders of Pope Urban VIII, so that young priests could learn Eastern languages and spread religion abroad. Professors of Arabic and Syriac languages, especially from Eastern countries, were appointed in this school. Arabic books were first printed and published through this school. There was a need for an abundance of books on grammar and literature for education, so some professors wrote magazines and journals themselves, and some ancient books were obtained and carefully printed and published.
ںیم ول ِح ارض ہپ اےنپ وہل ےس اتھکل وہں وہ رسزگتش ہک سج ںیم دل و رظن اک وضحر
کی جس ںیم وہ لیتق وہں، یٹم ےہ مل زیل
اہجں ںیم دےیھکی، زدنہ ںیہ اشلم و وصنمر
ہے وسا ِد اقف، رتے روز و بش ںیم دیپا
رمے صح یف ٔہ دل یک رواوتیں اک امجل
I write with my blood on the tablet of the earth That narrative in which the heart and sight are present
I am that martyr, whose soil is timeless Look around, Shamil and Mansoor are alive
نے زےہ بیصن ہک داھکی ےہ رھپ اگنوہں
رتی اضفؤں ںیم دریہنی وتمظعں اک الجل
میں ونا ِح رمدقِ اشلم ےک ربف زاروں اہکں ےس آےئ ںیہ ہی الہل اہے رحصایئ؟
ہے ٹپکتا لہو کی جن سے ہی اشخ اشخ ئیورق ورق ےس امنایں ےہ ذو ِق دیپا
ہی نج ےک داغ ےس اتدنبہ ےہ ںیبج ریمی ہی نج یک آگ ےس رونش وہیئ زںیم ریمی
In the darkness of Qaf, your days and nights bear The beauty of the traditions of my heart’s scripture
Fortunate indeed, that my eyes once again behold The grandeur of ancient magnificence in your skies
In the icy expanses near Shamil’s resting place
Where have these desert tulips come from?
From branch to branch their blood drips From leaf to leaf, the zest for creation is evident
Those marks of theirs that brighten my forehead
That fire of theirs that illuminates my earth