The one great theme sold forever about the Muslim world and its history is the idea that it somehow was a cradle of science as policy during a large part of its history. I find the idea to be an exaggeration. What is true is that science and mathematics progressed continuously from its initiation in the Greco Roman world through to the present.
Until the advent of the the Scottish enlightenment in particular, this progress rested in the hands of a very few scholars who copied sources and assembled libraries and contributed new work
These scholars were gifted individuals who attracted sponsorship from wealthy patrons. When there was a shortage of wealthy patrons the scholarship was naturally diminished. Thus under the Ottomans who were at heart a nomadic people without a scholarly tradition or natural respect, it becomes unsurprising that scholarship languished, though the tradition of patronage continued but in competition with a far more robust Western system.
Salam, who is mentioned here, is merely a late example of such traditions.
Islam captured the entire developed world of its time and place and controlled its wealth. In the process they monopolized any form of patronage and thus the livelihoods of scholars. Scholarship advanced largely in spite of this form of civilization rather than because of it.
Great minds are scattered pretty evenly about. Preparatory education and patrons are not. Just how many great minds do you think survive the educational niceties of present Islamic education today?
The real breakthrough came with the invention of the modern university concept in eighteenth century Scotland.
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