Islamic Civilization and the Ottomans

The hilya below belongs to a special collection. The other ornamental objects of the sixteenth and the seventeenth centuries are displayed in the Turkish Islamic Art Museum.

The Ottoman Empire, founded in 1299, was developing as one of the Islamic world's greatest and grandest empires. The official Ottoman worldview, based on compassion and justice, left its mark on the lands it ruled with its sublime architecture, textiles, calligraphy, and a perfected educational system envied by Europe. The sultans' subtlety and taste in art was admired by Europeans, who were deeply affected by the Ottoman Empire's splendor.

The Ottoman Empire was one of the largest and longest-lived empires. In fact, only the Roman Empire at its peak covered a greater area. However, it did not manage to preserve its size as long as the Ottomans did. Many countries that now form parts of Europe, North Africa, Central Asia, and the Middle East have historically important Ottoman monuments and artwork decorating their towns. Examples of Ottoman architecture and urban planning are still standing in many European cities (e.g., Sofia, Belgrade, and Sarajevo).

The Ottoman state and governing system was based on the Qur'an, and many present-day political scientists refer to it as one of the best state systems. Ottoman state diplomacy formed the basis of the modern era's multi-track diplomacy.

Ottoman civilization had a direct impact on Western European culture: The Ottomans introduced rice farming to Hungry, the Habsburg envoy Busbecq introduced tulips to the Benelux countries after visiting Istanbul in the sixteenth century, the Italians acquired their fabric weaving and dying techniques from the Ottomans, and the Ottomans introduced the tradition of military bands to Europe.5

These historical facts show that Islamic morality played a leading role in the modern world's development. From the very beginning of its revelation, Islam has served as a guiding light, leading humanity to truth, reality, and beauty. The Muslims took their morality with them wherever they went, along with compassion, reason, science, art, esthetics, hygiene, and prosperity. At a time when Europe was sunk in dark dogmatism and barbarism, the Islamic world was the world's most advanced and modern civilization. The values acquired by individual Europeans from the world of Islam played a fundamental role in developing European civilization. Historian Eugene Myers expresses this reality in the following way:

… From the late ninth century until the twelfth, Islamic influence on Western science and culture was great… The cultural importance of the work of Islamic scholars and translators for the development of science and humanities can hardly be overestimated… Thus, the roots of Western thought are a mixture of Greco-Arabic and Hebrew thought.⁶

On the other hand, one of the major reasons why the Islamic world fell behind in some respects was because it became estranged from the reason, sincerity, and open-mindedness taught in the Qur'an. We say this because the Qur'an is the greatest source of guidance leading humanity out of darkness of ignorance and into the light of true knowledge. As Allah revealed to our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace):

Alif Lam Ra. This is a Book We have sent down to you so that you can bring mankind from the darkness to the light, by the permission of their Lord, to the Path of the Almighty, the Praiseworthy. (Surah Ibrahim: 1)

Present-day Muslims should know the splendid past of Islamic civilization and honor the responsibility that comes with it. Let's not forget that Muslims are the representatives of a sacred, glorious, and honorable heritage that built one of the greatest civilizations on Earth. Moreover, they have always been envied and admired in equal measure by the representatives of other civilizations or religious denominations. The famous Middle East expert Daniel Pipes speaks of the Muslims' confidence in one of his articles:

Contributing to this internal confidence is the memory of outstanding achievements during Islam's first six or so centuries. Its culture was the most advanced, and Muslims enjoyed the best health, lived the longest, had the highest rates of literacy, sponsored the most advanced scientific and technical research, and deployed usually victories armies. This pattern of success was evident from the beginning: in A.D. 622 the Prophet Muhammad fled Mecca as a refugee, only to return eight years later as its ruler. As early as the year 715, Muslim conquerors had assembled an empire that extended from Spain in the west to India in the east. To be a Muslim meant to belong to a winning civilization.⁷

Muslims today should not just bask in the glory of their past, but must work to help the Islamic world rise once again. Of course Muslims can build a similarly splendid and world-illuminating culture and civilization again, but not until they recreate the spirit of unity and solidarity that drove their predecessors. If they can establish a democratic, constructive, and peace-loving culture that works only for the benefit of Islam and humanity and disregards personal interests, they can build the greatest civilization of the twenty-first century. Thanks to the core values of Islamic morality (e.g., love, compassion, and sympathy), the despotic regimes ruling Muslim lands will fall; cultural and economic development will be achieved; Muslims suffering from oppression, cruelty, and even cold-blooded massacre will find peace and security; and a new "Blessed Period" will become a reality.