imitators.¹ The Muslims disdained to study foreign languages, and were therefore dependent for their knowledge of Greek science and philosophy upon translations made for them by their Christian ² subjects. Gibbon ³ confesses that in geometry the Arabs made no advance beyond what they learnt from Euclid, and points out that they themselves confess that they are indebted to the Greek Diophantus for even the science of Algebra, in spite of the Arabic name it bears. The "Arabic" numerals, as we still call them, were borrowed from the people of India. In Astronomy they did not dare to renounce the Ptolemaic theory, and never advanced a

Transient Glory of Arabic Learning not due to Islam.

single step towards the discovery of the Solar System.⁴ 

Nor were the transient glories of Arabic learning and Science in any sense ⁵ due to Islam as a religion. On the contrary, orthodox Muhammadanism has always in every land shown itself to

be essentially the foe of all forms of Progress. Its real attitude to all learning not in exact accord with the Qur'an is clearly shown by the fate of the Alexandrian library, upon which Gibbon has in vain endeavoured to cast doubt. Abu'l Faraj, the Arabian historian, tells us that, on the conquest of Egypt by 'Amr Ibnu'l 'As (A.D. 640), John Philoponus the philosopher begged that this world-renowned library should be spared. 'Umr, the "Vicegerent of the Apostle of GOD,"

'Umr and the Alexandrian Library.

was consulted on the subject. "If these writings of the Greeks agree with the Book of GOD" (the Qur'an), he replied, "they are useless and need not be preserved. If they disagree with it, they are pernicious and ought to be destroyed." The barbarous order was duly executed. Nor is this a solitary instance of the spirit which animated the recognized leaders of the Faithful, for in the Muhammadan work entitled "Kashfu'z Zunun" we read¹ that when Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas conquered Persia, he wrote to ask this same Khalif what he ought to do with the works of the Persian philosophers which had fallen into his hands, suggesting that they should either be kept

'Umr and the Libraries of Persia.

where they were in the libraries or sent to Mecca. But neither course met with the approval of the Commander of the Faithful, for 'Umr replied, "Cast them into the rivers: for if in these books there is guidance, then we have still better guidance in the Book of GOD. If, on the