The Intellectual Dynamics of the Islamic Golden Age under the Abbasid Dynasty: The Translation of Greek and Persian Knowledge into Arabic
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61166/iffah.v2i3.59Keywords:
Abbasid Dynasty, translation movement, Bayt al-Hikmah, Hunayn ibn Ishaq, scholarly ethicsAbstract
The translation movement during the Abbasid Dynasty laid the foundation for the revival of knowledge in Islamic civilization, yet most studies remain descriptive-historical. This study aims to trace the historical roots of the translation movement, the role of the Arabic language, the stages and methods of translation, and the disciplines that developed from it. Employing a qualitative library research design with a historical-analytical approach, it proceeds through heuristics, source criticism, thematic interpretation, and argumentative synthesis. The findings show that the movement originated in the introduction of foreign sciences during the Umayyad period and reached its peak through the patronage of Al-Mansur, Harun Al-Rashid, and Al-Ma’mun, along with the role of Bayt al-Hikmah. Arabic became a language of science through ta’rib (Arabization) and ishtiqaq (derivation). Translation methods shifted from literal to meaning-based approaches, combined with comparative philology by Hunayn ibn Ishaq. The movement advanced medicine, mathematics, astronomy, and philosophy, and influenced the European scientific renaissance. Its ethical legacy, namely precision, verification, and honesty in attribution, remains relevant to academic integrity in contemporary Islamic education.
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