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were of major importance in four main regions of
the globe.
The Arabs then excelled all the peoples of the world
in science and the arts, in industry and invention, in
philosophy, government and moral character. And
truly, the rise of this brutish and despicable element,
in such a short interval, to the supreme heights of human
perfection, is the greatest demonstration of the
rightfulness of the Lord Muhammad's's Prophethood.
In the early ages of Islám the peoples of Europe acquired
the sciences and arts of civilization from Islám
as practiced by the inhabitants of Andalusia. A careful
and thorough investigation of the historical record will
establish the fact that the major part of the civilization
of Europe is derived from Islám; for all the writings of
Muslim scholars and divines and philosophers were
gradually collected in Europe and were with the most
painstaking care weighed and debated at academic
gatherings and in the centers of learning, after which
their valued contents would be put to use. Today, numerous
copies of the works of Muslim scholars which
are not to be found in Islamic countries, are available
in the libraries of Europe. Furthermore, the laws and
principles current in all European countries are derived
to a considerable degree and indeed virtually in their
entirety from the works on jurisprudence and the legal
decision of Muslim theologians. Were it not for the
fear of unduly lengthening the present text, We would
cite these borrowings one by one.
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