Eighth to the Sixteenth Century - Rashid Islamic Center

136 • The Making of Islamic Science1996, 7–15). The study of Arabic was thus pursued for two motives:the acquisition of scientific and philosophical texts, and for Christianmissionary and apologetic activities. France had the distinction ofbeing the first European country to establish formal relations withthe Ottoman Empire and to institute formal instruction in Arabic,both under King François I. Many influential scholars encouragedthe study of Arabic in public lectures. The chairs of geometry andastronomy established at Oxford in 1619 required knowledge ofIslamic scientific tradition as an essential qualification. A successionof European scholars produced a sustained flow of translationactivity during these two centuries. More important, however, is thefact that these scholars were now themselves going to the Muslimworld to perfect their Arabic and collect new manuscripts and firsthandinformation about Islam and Muslims. Thus Bedwell, Selden,Bainbridge, Pococke, and Greaves—among others—considerablyincreased European knowledge about Islam and its intellectualtradition, including the natural sciences.The nature of European interest as well as European perceptionof Islam and Muslims was, however, going to change drasticallyin the seventeenth century. This was primarily due to the fact thatEuropean scientific and philosophical traditions were now able tosurpass the received material from Islam. This radical change inattitude was, however, broader in nature and not confined to scientificlearning. Islam and Muslims in general were going to be relegated tosecond-class status—a position that remains entrenched in Westernscholarship to this day. Numerous factors contributed to this change.Arabic texts were no more marvels of wisdom and knowledge, as JohnGreaves’s 1646 complaint to Pococke indicates:To speak the truth, those maps, which shall be made out ofAbulfeda, will not be so exact, as I did expect; as I have foundby comparing some of them with our modern and best charts.In his description of the Red Sea, which was not far from him,he is most grossely mistaken; what may we think of placesremoter? However, there may be good use made of the book forArabian writers. (Feingold 1996, 448)A similar sentiment can be discerned from a letter of RobertHuntington, written from Aleppo on April 1, 1671, to John Locke: