Did Cat Stevens really rate a place over the architect Zaha Hadid or the mathematician Maryam Mirzahkani? But maybe the whole point is that there are definitely more than thirty “incredible Muslims” to highlight, and this book is a most welcome start in introducing some of the prime movers of world culture to the West.īack matter includes a glossary (along with helpful pronunciation guide) and list of sources. When one is picking a list of “top ten” or twenty or thirty, some of the selections will necessarily be disputed. Much of the foundations of modern science and philosophy were laid down by these people and others from the East, and yet, it is rare in the West to find accounts of who they were and what they did. They then highlight the accomplishments of thirty Muslims, from the past to the present, who have made a difference in the world.

Consider the lands of Arabia, Iraq, Persia, and India.” Think further back, to the seventh to tenth centuries. But if you think that was Europe during the sixteenth, seventeenth, and eighteenth centuries, you’d be wrong. The backmatter includes a glossary and bibliography for readers' further research and learning.“The most important fact to remember is that many of the inventions we see today, much of learning and discovery, happened centuries ago through the effort and hard work of ancient people in medieval kingdoms and faraway lands. The authors introduce their book with a personal letter to the reader, setting out their motivations and hopes for the stories they are telling. Give this book to readers who are excited to learn about the great figures and thinkers in history! Throughout history-from the golden age of the empires of Arabia, Iraq, Persia, and India, up to modern day-Muslims have shaped our world in essential ways, with achievements in music, medicine, politics, human rights, literature, sports, technology, and more. In this biographical collection, with stunning portraits and illustrations by Saffa Khan, authors Saadia Faruqi and Aneesa Mumtaz highlight some of the talented Muslim physicians, musicians, athletes, poets, and more who helped make the world we know today.Ī brilliant surgeon heals patients in the first millennium.Ī female king rules the Indian subcontinent.Ī poet pours his joy and grief into the world's best-selling verses.Īn iconic leader fights for civil rights.

The Wonders We Seek by Saffa Khan