what happened to islam after the golden age in spain?

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i happened to be watching a show this evening about the time when islam and the arabic culture dominated southern spain and the arabs, jews and christians lived peacefully for several centuries side by side. this was known as the golden age of islam and the arabic culture flourished. what happened that caused the arabic culture to decline? did their religion begin to hold them back? perhaps some of the muslims who visit this forum can answer these questions for me. the europeans learned a lot from the arabs about medicine, astronomy and mathematics. the moors left their mark in spain on the language, architecture, music, etc. i am glad that world youth day will be held in spain in 2012.
 
i happened to be watching a show this evening about the time when islam and the arabic culture dominated southern spain and the arabs, jews and christians lived peacefully for several centuries side by side.

**Jews and Christians lived side-by-side in peace under Mahometan rule, because they were “dhimmis”–people with a guaranteed second-class status, as long as they payed protection money…excuse me, I mean the jezira tax.

If you want to know what happend to Mahometan culture after this, just read the newspaper or watch television. Things haven’t changed much in the last few centuries.

I confess there is NO GOD but Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and Jesus is God Incarnate risen from the dead.**
 
i confess the same and yes, i have watched television the last 20 years and have seen the current state of the middle east. i am aware of what the dhimmi tax is.

why were they able to make so many contributions to civilization during a certain time period, and then they seemed to decline and not contribute and make the advances that they had in the past?

i am familiar with the jewish philosopher and physician named maimonides that was the personal physician of saladdin (not sure of spelling).
 
I’ve asked the same basic question: why the fall off in science, literature, and all that. I’ve been told everything from a rise in fundamentalism to colonialization. I am not sure what the answer is.
 
Belloc discussed Islam in his book “The Great Heresies”… That chapter is available online somewhere… worth looking up, don’t want to be late for work or I would do it now…

That being said, one could argue - rather convincingly I think - that the whole of the “Islamic Golden Age” occured due to the near proximity in time of that age with the conquest of cultures from where that knowledge was gained. A good deal of what is attributed or thought to be of their scholarship is in fact just the amassing and collection of the scholarship of the conquered and vanquished people they over ran.

It rather reminds me of the situation today in the modern Middle East oil-wealthy nations. What is this wealth used for? Where is the money going? Who is prosperous?

jihadwatch.org/dhimmiwatch/archives/022196.php

Also read this article:

jihadwatch.org/archives/022896.php

Dubai is a building frenzy. Some have called it rather graphically a “construction orgy”… Everyone is racing to outdo the last project or the one being worked on beside them… But to what end?

Where are the world class hospitals? Where is the research? Where is the industry? Where are the academic institutions that could have endowments larger than all the IV league schools put together?

Do we see them?

No, it is one decadent building project after another, being built on the backs of foreign workers.

People are entirely to uncritical of this culture.
 
Well, in Spain my understanding is that the Muslim rulers made the mistake of inviting the Almoravids over from North Africa to help them against the Christian rulers, who were gaining military successes. The Almoravids were much more militant in their practice of Islam and saw the native Spanish Muslims as being far too “decadent,” in part because of their tolerance of non-Muslims. But the cultural flourishing of Islamic Spain was itself seen as decadent by the Almoravids. Their entrance into Spain began the decline of Spanish culture and created a cycle of intolerance–the Christians responded in kind and the eventual result was the expulsion of non-Christians and the establishment of the Spanish Inquisition.

I may well be wrong in some of the points above, and welcome correction from those who know better. But this is how I understand it at this point.

Edwin
 
edwin, i have never heard of the group from north africa you mentioned, but it certainly seems very real that they would have asked for help from that area of africa if they needed it. the history of spain during that time is so fascinating. i wish i knew more. hopefully, someone will come here to the thread who has more knowledge of that era and can tell us more.
 
ASimpleSinner said:
Belloc discussed Islam in his book “The Great Heresies”… That chapter is available online somewhere… worth looking up, don’t want to be late for work or I would do it now…

That being said, one could argue - rather convincingly I think - that the whole of the “Islamic Golden Age” occured due to the near proximity in time of that age with the conquest of cultures from where that knowledge was gained. A good deal of what is attributed or thought to be of their scholarship is in fact just the amassing and collection of the scholarship of the conquered and vanquished people they over ran.

It rather reminds me of the situation today in the modern Middle East oil-wealthy nations. What is this wealth used for? Where is the money going? Who is prosperous?

jihadwatch.org/dhimmiwatch/archives/022196.php

Also read this article:

jihadwatch.org/archives/022896.php

Dubai is a building frenzy. Some have called it rather graphically a “construction orgy”… Everyone is racing to outdo the last project or the one being worked on beside them… But to what end?

Where are the world class hospitals? Where is the research? Where is the industry? Where are the academic institutions that could have endowments larger than all the IV league schools put together?

Do we see them?

No, it is one decadent building project after another, being built on the backs of foreign workers.

People are entirely to uncritical of this culture.
Click to expand...
yes, i have seen pictures and have heard of the extravagant pieces of architecture they are building. you make a very good point. with all of the wealth from their oil money, couldn’t they be using the money to help build up infrastructure in the poorer middle eastern countries, to build more hospitals, more museums, more universities? i guess they want you to see the magnificent architecture and not pay attention to the quality of life of the average person. although in dubai people might live pretty well. i have never visited that part of the world and don’t plan to so i will never see for myself.
 
ASimpleSinner said:
Belloc discussed Islam in his book “The Great Heresies”… That chapter is available online somewhere… worth looking up, don’t want to be late for work or I would do it now…

That being said, one could argue - rather convincingly I think - that the whole of the “Islamic Golden Age” occured due to the near proximity in time of that age with the conquest of cultures from where that knowledge was gained. A good deal of what is attributed or thought to be of their scholarship is in fact just the amassing and collection of the scholarship of the conquered and vanquished people they over ran…
Click to expand...
+10

Many will notice the “golden age of Islam” reaching its apex just about the time of its apex in military expansion, the Baltic and Caucus regions notwithstanding.
 
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