Updated 07:59 AM,Oct 19,2022
The Intellectual Life in the Early Abbasid Era
Below is a detailed overview of intellectual life during the early Abbasid period:
Sexual, Linguistic, and Cultural Integration
The Abbasid state stretched from China in the east to the Atlantic Ocean in the west, and from Sudan in the south to the borders of Russia in the north. These regions were home to numerous diverse peoples, differing in ethnicity, culture, and religion. Upon embracing Islam, these various communities merged into a shared Islamic identity shaped primarily by Arab culture.
This integration was facilitated by the arrival of Arab conquerors who settled across these lands, intermarried with women and slaves from different ethnic backgrounds, and established bonds of loyalty. Islam created a spiritual bond between master and slave—when a slave was freed, they became spiritually tied to their former master’s clan, becoming part of that family. Additionally, non-Arab converts to Islam were integrated as equals within Arab society.
Mawali (non-Arab Muslims) gradually rose to prominent positions within the Abbasid administration. Arabic became the dominant language, prompting all peoples to learn it for communication and expression. Among them, the Persians were particularly quick to adopt Arabic. Many emerged as leading figures in scholarly fields: Abu Hanifa and his disciples in jurisprudence; Sibawayh in Arabic grammar; Ibn al-Muqaffa in literature; and Abu Nuwas in poetry.
They mastered Arabic while retaining their original cultural knowledge and intellectual traditions, reshaping them within an Arabic framework. Thus, a distinct Arab civilization arose, incorporating philosophical ideas, medical knowledge, military strategies, agricultural techniques, architectural innovations, and daily practices from other cultures. This transformation occurred because the bearers of these traditions spoke Arabic and expressed their thoughts through its literary forms. Some individuals outwardly embraced Islam while secretly harboring disbelief or hypocrisy—such as Abdullah ibn Saba, who incited crowds against Uthman, and later spread rumors after his death that the spirit of the Prophet Muhammad had descended upon Ali.
The Scientific Movement
Islam encouraged the pursuit of both religious and worldly knowledge. Scholars actively drew from religious teachings revealed through Islam and from scientific achievements of other civilizations. Elementary schools—maktabs—became widespread, where children, both boys and girls, learned reading, writing, religious studies, and basic arithmetic. Teachers and scholars then began instructing the general public, while specialized tutors served elite circles. Notable examples include Al-Mufaddal al-Dabbi, who taught the young Caliph al-Mahdi; Al-Kisa’i, tutor to Harun al-Rashid; and his sons, al-Amin and al-Mamun. Qutrub served as tutor to al-Amin, and the famous commander Abu Dlaf al-‘Ajli, who led al-Mamun’s forces, also played a significant role in education.
Literary markets flourished in Basra, attracting young students eager to master eloquence from skilled speakers. Linguists traveled to rural areas to study authentic dialects directly from native speakers. Mosques became centers of learning, resembling modern academic institutions. Specialized study circles emerged for jurisprudence, Hadith, grammar, language, Quranic exegesis, storytelling, theological discourse, and poetry recitation. A group known as the Masjidiyyun frequented these gatherings. From these circles emerged many renowned scholars—Abu Hanifa in law, Al-Aṣma’i in literature and linguistics, and Sibawayh in grammar.
The Translation Movement
The Abbasid caliphs prioritized the translation of foreign texts into Arabic from the beginning of their rule. They invested vast sums of money in this effort, with al-Mansur being especially devoted. He commissioned translations of astronomical works and assembled a team of translators, including the Persian scholar Nubakht. They translated books such as Kalila wa Dimna and Sindbad al-Hind, along with Aristotle’s logical treatises. The Almagest by Ptolemy, the Arithmetica, and Euclid’s Elements—works on mathematics and geometry—were also rendered into Arabic. The caliph also tasked George ibn Jabir ibn Baktishu with translating medical texts.
The translation movement gained momentum under Harun al-Rashid and his ministers, the Barmakids. Harun established the House of Wisdom, which housed numerous translators. They translated medical and agricultural texts and improved earlier translations for greater accuracy. The Barmakids focused on preserving and translating Persian heritage. Under al-Mamun, the movement reached its peak: the House of Wisdom evolved into a premier research institute for translation, equipped with an observatory that became a center for mathematical and astronomical studies. Translators worked on Persian, Greek, and Indian sources across all scientific disciplines, expanding beyond science into crafts, machinery, myths, customs, and traditions.
References
- ↑ Shouki Dif, History of Arabic Literature, pages 3–89–98. Adapted.
- ↑ "Download the Book on Scientific and Cultural Life in the Levant During the Second Abbasid Era", Noor Library, accessed April 11, 2022. Adapted.
- ↑ Shouki Dif, History of Arabic Literature, pages 3–98–109. Adapted.
- ↑ Shouki Dif, History of Arabic Literature, pages 3–109–118. Adapted.
