The book, Mohammad Sarwar Hussaini, is an expert in education and a civil society activist from Afghanistan. He worked in various leadership positions with nonprofit organizations and public institutions including the Ministry of Education of Afghanistan where he served as deputy minister.
He studied Islamic sciences, Persian and Arabic languages and literature at private madrasas in Afghanistan and at Isfahan University of Iran before getting his MBA from Strayer University of Virginia, US. His proficiency in the two primary languages of early Islamic world has given him a clear edge to study and analyze the historic texts and literature related to Medieval Muslim scholars in conducive way.
This book has already been published and is now available on Amazon.
The book, Mohammad Sarwar Hussaini, is an expert in education and a civil society activist from Afghanistan. He worked in various leadership positions with nonprofit organizations and public institutions including the Ministry of Education of Afghanistan where he served as deputy minister.
He studied Islamic sciences, Persian and Arabic languages and literature at private madrasas in Afghanistan and at Isfahan University of Iran before getting his MBA from Strayer University of Virginia, US. His proficiency in the two primary languages of early Islamic world has given him a clear edge to study and analyze the historic texts and literature related to Medieval Muslim scholars in conducive way.
This book has already been published and is now available on Amazon.
It was the turn of the first millennium and a prosperous time for Khawrazm, the basin between Amu Darya and Syr Darya in the central Asian region. The whole Muslim world was experiencing a brilliant period. Khawrazm was part of the Samanid Dynasty that was ruling over the Transoxiana and Khurasan provinces under the decentralized power structure of the Abbasid Caliphate. Kharazm had two big cities adjacent to the Oral River, Kath and Gurganj. Thanks to the Abbasid governing approach and policies, Kharazm was enjoying a great deal of freedom. From local governments to the Caliphate both were moderate in their policies and were following the school of Moātazila theology that was based on rationality and reasoning as opposed to the orthodox view of pro-Hadith theologians. Many Christians and Jews were living in Ghawrazm. Followers of different Islamic schools, including Ismailis and Zoroastrians, were free to practice their traditions and express their thoughts. Education was encouraged by the community and families were deeply committed to investing in the education of their children. There were schools where children were attending full-time. The emphasis was on a balanced education combining theological, intellectual and experimental sciences, contrary to the Umayyad period when theological knowledge was the focus of education. Both students and scholars were engaged in discussions and were exchanging their ideas and thoughts. Great scholars, such as Farabi, Zamikhshari and Abu Nasr Ibn, had written books and treatises to circulate their ideas and to pass them on to the new generation. Transfer of knowledge was a common and welcomed practice in Khawrazm and other provinces at this time, a positive development that was boosting research and learning. In such a welcoming environment Mohammad B. Ahmad Biruni was born on September 4th, 973 A.D. at a villageĀ around Kath City. Biruni was a lucky child to be born in Khawrazm, where he received the great patronage of rulers and the encouragement of people for his ambitious goals. He grew up in an enabling environment that was needed for a knowledge-thirsty person to succeed. He had the interest, the energy, and the dedication to learn, and he was provided with the resources, the required support, and the means.Ā
If you are an English speaker who wishes to learn of intellectuals from the east then you have to hunt for knowledge on your own. It will not be taught to you in school and without a background in history it is hard to know where to look. The book Muslim Pioneers in Science, Medicine and Literature, Mohammad Ibn Ahmad Biruni by Sarwar Hussaini serves the need wonderfully. The reader will receive information as close to the primary source as an English speaker can hope for. And with that information they will briefly learn of the life, philosophy, and intellectual contributions of Al Biruni. A man who is known by many, because of his scholarly and unbiased studies, as the first anthropologist. But this man, Al-Biruni, studied and worked nearly every day of his life and had a hand in more fields than there is land.
Readers who are looking to learn should pick up this book without hesitation. The book is a quick read at about 106 pages and it outlines the life of an impressive scholar. While around 100 pages makes this a quick and low-commitment read, it does lead to the reader with a lack of details. A reader may have difficulty grasping the full picture without a knowledge of the history and it's timelines. Empires, and rulers are mentioned repeatedly throughout the book without detailed explanations, graphics, or timelines. A reader looking for a general overview will be pleased but those looking for more detailed stories, and in-depth philosophies will be disappointed.
A section in particular that lacked detail was Chapter Nine on Drawing Indian Ethnography. One of the most interesting aspects of Al-Biruni was his ability to write with little bias about other cultures. As a man who learned from teachers across the world he had a certain respect for other ways of life. Learning about exactly what he studied there and some stories of his time in India would have made the chapter feel complete. One could use this book as a jumping board for more in depth reading. And writing a book that leaves it's reader wanting more is a good sign.
Readers looking to learn a thing or two should pick this book up. At times it can be dry but it will fill the reader with knowledge that you didn't learn in school.