what did the Arabs invent taht plays a huge part of our society today?

Question

numerals? alpahbets? science? maths? what do you reckon?

no stupid answers pls. they gave you the alphabet that you use to communicate everyday and numerals to couny your finances. respect every1 pls, no matter what race, religion etc.

Answer 1

suicide bombers

Answer 2

The Alphabet comes from the Greeks. It was adopted by the Romans. The clue is in the first two letters of the greek alphabet: Alpha, Beta. We use the Arab number system though.

Thye also invented Assassination as a political tool. Assassin is derived form the word Hashish (of which the members of the orignal cult were copius users). The cult members would intergrate themselves into the the potenitlal targets company, sometimes waiting years before they were given the order to strike so the Sultans of the regions would live in fear that they could always be got a and would pay a tithe to the Asssassin cult. You can see how this method has devel;oped over the years and is used by such terroist groups as Al Queada who intergrate themselves in Western society before striking, such as seen in the attack on the WTC, an event which no one can deny changed the world over night.

Sorry it's a negative one, they have given us lots of good stuff as well but that's the sort of stuff I'm interested in, lol

Answer 3

Sorry, but I think you'll find we are using Latin script here, not Arabic. On the numbers you are correct. Islamic scholars also invented the concept of zero in mathematics.

It is too much of a claim to to say they invented science and mathematics though. Islamic culture certainly preserved the teachings of ancient Greece, and spread and built upon ideas which proliferated in societies from Spain to India.

Remember also we are talking of a period about 1000 years ago. Everything has to be put in the correct context.

Addition: if you insist the Arabs gave us the modern alphabet we use in the west, may I refer you to the link below:

Also: I take the point what others have written about the number zero. Stand corrected.

Answer 4

Astronomy via the Chaldeans. Although it was used for astrology.
Mathematics which were fine tuned by the Hindus.
Geometry was founded mainly to measure irregular land areas for taxes, because the Nile changed course many times.
The Egyptian "Rope Benders" were good builders.
The first monopoly Toth and the olive presses.
The first trial of a metric calendar, Toth again.
Pythagorean theorem (Due honour to Euclid the Greek who first proved it.)
Discovery of two more regular solids: Dodecahedron and icosahedron (Pythagoreans).
Discovery that the sidereal and tropical year, were different lengths (roughly twenty minutes).
Ptolomy's Maps.
The first known excursion South of the equator.

etc. etc. etc.

Answer 5

The Actual Question Concerns not Arab perse rather Islam which
was Started By Muhammad in Mecca Southern Arabia
Most of These Answers concern Islam rather than Arabs

Answer 6

The Arabs did NOT invent zero or the system of decimal digits. They used a different system until they found the Hindus using zero and decimal digits around 800 AD. This system fairly quickly superseded their previous one, and they brought it with them when they spread into Europe.

The Arabs have so many great achievements to be proud of already in this period, especially medical ones in my opinion, that I think it is a real disgrace to them that they so often try to steal the credit for this one as well.

Answer 7

It would be good, in fact it would be just to point out that the Bigots on this site (who believe they can read), should maybe get a copy of the Quoran in English and read a little, also figure out that it is a few "madman" that cause the bombings, not the majority of these very honest people, The vast majority of "bombers" are not Arabs,?
What did they give us? try reading a 1001 nights, Or the Quoran??
you may be surprised, Me? Im English, and a Catholic.
Cheers all

Answer 8

Yes. All that you mentioned, and even the first "proof" that the world was "spherical," BEFORE the telescope's invention. At least, that's from what I remember without going into research for review... check out the history of the former principality of Toledo in Spain after the Moor occupation. I forgot that the big Adalusian (sp?) University in Grenada was a chief sight of Arab Knowledge in the Christian World, for centuries ater the Moors had been driven out of Spain.

Answer 9

Muslims distinguished themselves not only as theoretical scientists and scientific thinkers, but contributed through innumerable inventions to the growth of the modern sciences. Though the mediaeval Muslims had very meager resources at their command as compared to those of the present age, they achieved a great deal. They replaced the old speculative method of the Greeks with an experimental method, which in later periods formed the basis of all scientific investigations.

Abul Hasan is distinguished as the inventor of the Telescope.

The Pendulum was invented by Ibn Yunus, The invention of the Pendulum led to the measurement of time by its oscillations.

The first watch was made by Kutbi, a renowned watch-maker of his time. At that time a watch was considered a novel thing in Europe and was regarded as an object of wonder.

The invention of Mariners Compass, which revolutionised sea borne commerce and oceanic shipping and enabled the Arabs to roam over the stormy seas in quest of new lands and additional markets for their commodities. Knowledge about the properties of the needle, can no doubt be traced to Chinese sources, but putting it into working shape, in the form of a mariners' compass, was the achievement of Muslim scientists.

Muhammad Musa, a great scholar of geography, has the unique distinction of being the inventor of an instrument by which the earth could be measured. He also invented the "Astrolabe". These novel instruments invented by him have been preserved in the Museum of Madrid (Spain).

Giralda or "The Tower of Seville", was the first observatory in Europe. It was built in 1190 A.D., in the Spanish town of Seville under the supervision of the celebrated Mathematician, Jabir Ibn Afiah. It was meant for the observation of heavenly bodies. It was later turned into a belfry by Christian conquerors, who, after the expulsion of the Moors, did not know how to use it.

Abu Musa Jabir ibn Hayyan, is mostly known for his contributions to chemistry. He emphasised systematic experimentation, and did much to free alchemy from superstition and turn it into a science. He is credited with the invention of many types of now-basic chemical laboratory equipment, and with the discovery and description of many now-commonplace chemical substances and processes – such as the hydrochloric and nitric acids, distillation, and crystallisation – that have become the foundation of today's chemistry and chemical engineering.

Tin Glazed Pottery, Plaster for pottery molds and setting broken bones, Modern Sundial, Bars of Soft Soap made from olive oil and wood ash, Coffee,
To name a few discorveries and inventions.

Answer 10

Everything.

After the romans destroyed the greeks, the greek knowledge was lost, The romans were a warrior-engineer race but not scientific like the greeks. After the greeks were destroyed and the roman empire fell, the dark ages came until the Arabs re discovered the Greek Knowledge and then the renaissance started

Answer 11

Just to concisely clear up a few things.

We do not use the Arabic alphabet - we use the ROMAN alphabet.

We do use the Arabic number system, including the concept of 0 (zero)