Islamic University
Article: Life and Islam
Author: Ahmad Abdul- Rahim Alseih
Issue number: 18
Page number: 51-53
Publishing year: Shawal 1392 – November 1973
Abstract
Life and Islam
Written by: Ahmad Abdul- Rahim Alseih- Al-Azhar scholar
Islam Civilization:
Islam outstands as the religion of complete human civilization. Since it was
revealed, it is a religion of worship and treatment, and has created a kind of
civilization known as '' Islam Civilization''.
The concept of 'civilization' developed through the time especially in the
history of the Arab and Muslim life. The genuine concept of civilization in the Arabic
language:
''It means urban life and constant living in cities and villages. Its antonym is
Bedouin that is the life of wandering in the desert. The Arabs has known the
difference between the Bedouin life and urban life since there was desert and
cities''.
The first one to demonstrate this discrimination with a basis of study,
registering and scientific analysis- was the scholar ''Abdul- Rahman Ibn Khaldon''. In
addition this Arabic scientist was the first to teat the civilization issues in a scientific
analytic method.
It was 'Ibn Khaldon' who illustrated the concept of civilization for Arabs that
it is the kind of stable life that contradict the Bedouin, and establishes villages and
cities and attributes their people with regular ways of living, work, society, science,
industry and managing life matters.
If 'Ibn Khaldon' had illustrated this historic meaning and considered
civilization is construction, the concept of civilization in the current age has included
other meanings further than what Ibn Khaldon witnesses in his age and his
environment socially, politically and civilized transforming from Bedouin to urban.
If some ancient Arabs used 'urban' for 'socialized', another concept came out
and attached to it and known as 'city' now.