The Golden Age of Islam

The term "Golden Age of Islam" is used to describe a historical period in which Islamic civilization was advanced scientifically and culturally. This period spanned from the mid-8th century to the 14th and 15th centuries AD. During this time, Muslim engineers, scientists, traders, and scholars made significant contributions to various fields such as art, agriculture, economy, industry, literature, navigation, philosophy, science, technology, astronomy, and medicine.

They built upon previous achievements and added many of their own inventions and innovations. The philosophers, poets, artists, scientists, and Muslim rulers created a unique culture that had an impact on societies around the world.

Traditionally, it is said that this period ended with the collapse of the Abbasid Caliphate due to Mongol invasions and the siege of Baghdad in 1258 AD. Few scholars date the end of the Golden Age to around 1350 AD, coinciding with the Timurid Renaissance. Many contemporary historians and scholars place the end of the Islamic Golden Age later, at the end of the 15th and 16th centuries, coinciding with the era of the gunpowder empires.

The Political System

Forms of Governance and Administration

The political system in the Islamic state was represented by various forms of governance and administration.

Caliphate

After the death of Prophet Muhammad and due to the disagreement between the Ansar and Muhajirin, and the conflict between tribes, the senior companions agreed that the Prophet would have a successor.

The Caliphate: The General Presidency in both religion and worldly affairs. Some people call it Imamah or Wilayah, so the companions followed him after his death, then the children of the companions and the people of his tribe took over governance one after another. The Muslims followed the system of Shura (consultation) in choosing the four Rashidun Caliphs: Abu Bakr, Umar ibn Al-Khattab, Uthman ibn Affan, and Ali ibn Abi Talib. Then the system of succession was established by Muawiya ibn Abi Sufyan, founder of the Umayyad state, and continued in the two states of Umayyads and Abbasids.

Ministry

The Ministry is a support for the Caliph in governance affairs. It was known only by its meaning during the time of Prophet Muhammad, when he consulted his companions on state affairs and delegated some tasks to them to be carried out on his behalf. This continued during the Rashidun Caliphs, but it was not formalized until the Abbasid era.

Governorship (Wilayah)

The governorship emerged since the time of Prophet Muhammad, where he sent some of his companions to cities and tribes that had entered Islam to manage their affairs and facilitate their lives. They also taught them about their religious duties and led them in prayer. During Umar ibn Al-Khattab's reign, the Islamic state expanded, and it was divided into governorships with a governor for each one.

Diwan

The Diwan is a Persian word meaning "register" or "record". It refers to government departments that correspond to ministries today. The credit for establishing them goes to Umar ibn Al-Khattab, who established them due to the expansion of the Islamic state and the multitude of affairs related to it in various fields such as politics, economy, society, military, and others.

Each Diwan has a specific specialization, such as:

Al-Hisbah

The Hisbah system was a characteristic of the Islamic state. Al-Hisbah refers to guidance and direction towards virtuous behavior in commercial transactions. It began when Caliph Umar ibn Al-Khattab used to go down to the markets himself...