Why were the Muslims so much more advanced than Western Europe during the 11th and 12th centuries?

Question

I know Western Europe was just coming out of the Dark Ages and the crusades were going on but why exactly were they so much more advanced?

Answer 1

The early Muslims were much more tolerant and willing to learn from others than today's.Islam built on the knowledge of the Ancient Greeks, and Persians as well ,as pre-Islamic Arabs.Being in the same region of the world it was a lot easier for them to do this than the Europeans.Even the Re-emergence of Europe started in Italy in the Eastern Mediterranean.Close to the Islamic Heartlands.

Answer 2

Those in Western Europe destroyed the advancements and knowledge of the Romans and Greeks. The Muslims preserved them.

Answer 3

Because they preserved the works of the ancient greeks in their libraries particularly in Alexandria. The Europeans fell back into barbarism after the fall of the Western Roman Empire. The eastern empire hung on until the 1400's.

Answer 4

The Muslims were in a position to be exposed to the cultures of the Greeks, Persians, Indians and Europeans. They were able to learn from all those cultures and spread the knowledge. They were not at the time fanatics for keeping outside knowledge out as they were secure in their faith, unlike today where they see any challenge to their faith as a direct threat. They were not however, great inventors, scientists, philosophers or builders. Pretty much every thing they had, they got from outside. Even "Arabic" numerals.

Answer 5

Before the 11th and 12th centuries Islam was much more flexible and tolerant of diversity of opinion than it is now. The principle of "Ijtihad" allowed individual interpretation of the Holy Q'uran, encouraged free thinking and inquisitiveness. All of this created favorable conditions for intellectual development of Muslims. Besides, after Arabs conquered many lands outside Arabia, they came into contact with the legacy of the ancient Greco-Roman civilization. Arabs translated into their own language many works of ancient Greek and Roman authors. Unfortunately, in the 12th century Islam stopped being tolerant and open-minded. Any kind of free thinking or individual interpretation was prohibited. Now Islam is just a backward, intolerant and closed-minded religion. At present Islam is a major obstacle to the progress of humanity.