In an article authored by Craig Considine and published in The Huffington Post, the veil is lifted on a profound historic oversight in some educational curriculums: the neglect of Muslim achievements in the history of education, philosophy, healthcare, and science. This so-called “historical amnesia” underscores a critical need to reexamine and celebrate the invaluable contributions of Muslim culture to these pivotal domains.
The courtyard of the mosque at Al-Qarawiyyin University in Morocco, one of the primary educational centers of the Islamic Golden Age. (Abdel Hassouni / CC BY-SA 4.0)
Historic Muslim Achievements and Contributions to Education
It may come as a surprise to some that the first university in the world was established by two Muslim women, Fatima and Miriam al-Firhi, who set up Al-Qarawiyyin in Fez, Morocco, in 859 AD. Students were schooled here in a plethora of secular and religious subjects, and at the end of their education, teachers evaluated students and awarded degrees based on good performance. The concept of awarding degrees later spread to Andalusia, Spain, and later to the Universities of Bologna in Italy and Oxford in England, among others.
During the 8th to 15th centuries, Spanish Muslims in Andalusia championed education, making the region a global hub for knowledge and learning. It was here that students from diverse backgrounds studied science under Muslim educators in an environment that prioritized tolerance and inclusivity.
Islamic illustration of…
