How ancient Arabic manuscripts contributed to Oxford's foundation

Daniel of Morley, who lived in the 12th century, returned to England from Toledo with chests full of valuable manuscripts, documents, and volumes.

On his arrival, he made an appointment to meet Bishop John of Norwich to present him these treasures.

"This benefactor was one of a team of scholars who wanted to establish their town as a centre of learning – and the name of the town was Oxford," says Hughes.

One man's journey

Daniel of Morley had issues with the state of education in European universities and England's neglect of science.

His quest for wisdom led him to southern Europe, where he documented his experiences. He reflected scathingly on what he found. Later, he had a light bulb moment as he encountered the "doctrine of the Arabs", which closely aligned with his own need for knowledge.

"I stopped a while in Paris. There, I saw asses rather than men occupying the chairs and pretending to be very important," he states.

"They had desks in front of them heaving under the weight of two or three immovable tomes, painting Roman Law in golden letters. With leaden styluses in their hands, they inserted asterisks and obeluses here and there with a grave and reverent air.

"But because they did not know anything, they were no better than marble statues: by their silence alone they wished to seem wise, and as soon as they tried to say anything, I found them completely unable to express a word.

"When I discovered things were like this, I did not want to get infected by similar petrification … But when I heard that the doctrine of the Arabs, which is devoted entirely to the quadrivium (a group of studies encompassing arithmetic, astronomy, music, and geometry), was all the fashion in Toledo in those days, I hurried there as quickly as I could so that I could hear the wisest philosophers of the world."

After friends "begged" him to return to Spain, Daniel did – but this time, he wasn't empty-handed. "I arrived in England, bringing a precious multitude of books with me."

Daniel's story, revealed in the pages of ancient European books and manuscripts, shows the direct impact of Arab sciences and writings on England as a whole, but more specifically, on the establishment of the prestigious University of Oxford.

The nucleus of the Oxford Library

In his 1997 work titled The Introduction of Arabic Learning into England, Charles Burnett points out that Daniel of Morley brought Arabic books from Islamic Spain that served as the heart or nucleus of Oxford University's library. 

Its origins began to take shape in the late 11th century, perhaps even during the reign of King Henry II. (Notably, Oxford University also paved the way for the establishment of Cambridge University in 1209.)

According to Burnett, Europeans in general, and the British in particular, became interested in the Arabic language – and its sciences – as early as the late 9th century, with the emergence of the Umayyad state in Andalusia.

Muslims established the University of Cordoba, known for its vast library of over a million books, making it the largest library in Europe. Students flocked to Andalusia worldwide, leading to the blossoming of mathematics and astronomy across the European continent.

Ancient scholars like Maslama al-Majriti, Maryam Al-Asturlabi, Al-Zarqali, and Al-Zahrawi made some of the most notable contributions.

Arabic books changed mankind

The region's impact on top medieval European universities like the Universities of Paris, Bologna, and Salerno is not exaggerated. Nor is it based on emotion or sentiment, but on facts.

In his book The History of European Philosophy in the Middle Ages, Youssef Karim points out that the University of Oxford was established shortly after the University of Paris. The latter was used as a blueprint, with the assistance of a select group of distinguished professors, who regarded Al-Hasan Ibn Al-Haytham's Optics as the pinnacle of science.

The works of scholars like Al-Razi, Ibn Sina, Ibn al-Jazzar, and Ibn al-Haytham were the primary curricula upon which these universities were built.

Some of these institutes chose Arabic as the language of instruction for several decades, until the translation of foundational Arabic works into Latin began. 

In addition, the largest and most important book to be printed in Europe, soon after the invention of printing in the 15th century, was the medical encyclopedia Al-Hawi fi al-Tibb (The Comprehensive Book of Medicine) by Abu Bakr al-Razi.

It was first printed in 1486 AD (891 AH) in Brescia, northern Italy. It was later translated by the Jew Faraj bin Salim at the request of Charles of Anjou, King of Naples and Sicily, and given the name Continens Rasis. In Latin, it was also known as Continens Liber.

Central to progress

Science and knowledge – as well as an openness to others – are the pillars of the Renaissance. They're also central to the progress of civilisation.

It's important to recognise one's own place within all of this. One's personal history, heritage and identity are all intertwined with the advancement of science as we know it today.

Only by familiarising ourselves with our history, as Arabs, do we begin to understand that we are not outsiders, observers or novices.

We are the product of a vibrant cultural and civilisational language that has contributed to the development and progress of mankind.