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The Arabs' Influence on European Civilization is a book written by Abbas Mahmoud al-Aqqad in 1946. The book discusses the scientific and literary achievements of the Arabs, whether through their own discoveries or through the transmission of ancient civilizations' heritage to Europe. Al-Aqqad explains how the Arabs preceded Western civilization in many sciences and how the West benefited from this, describing how Arab influence extended to art, architecture, music, literature, and other sciences.

The book's subject matter is a comprehensive study of all the effects that the Arab world and Islamic civilization have had on European culture. Al-Aqqad divides the book into several chapters, each focusing on a specific area where Arabs have influenced European civilization. He concludes the book by discussing the impact of modern Western civilization on Arabic culture.

The book represents a thorough investigation into all the influences that the Arab world has had on European culture and its institutions. The title reflects the content, as al-Aqqad argues that the Arabs played the most significant role in shaping what Europe is today. He claims that without Arab contributions, Europe would not be as it is now.

Al-Aqadd divides civilizations into two types: those that invented and did not transmit (the Arabs), and those that did not invent but transmitted (the West). The book examines the influence of Arab civilization on Europe from various angles. In the first part, al-Aqqad discusses the impact in different sciences and fields, both spiritual and material.

He begins by discussing the sciences one after another, mentioning the role of Arabs or previous civilizations in their development, then explaining how these sciences were later transmitted to Western civilization. He covers topics such as astronomy, literature, industries, medicine, science, arts, and emerging projects from various aspects of life.

In the second part, al-Aqqad discusses the social impact of European civilization on Arabic culture, highlighting the relationship between Arab and Western civilizations in a more detailed manner. This is seen as a key point in al-Aqqad's intellectual thought.

Through this book, al-Aqqad aimed to strengthen the idea that Arabs were the originators of sciences and their spread, supported by evidence and proof.

Al-Aqqad concludes his book with two ideas: first, that Eastern and Western nations are both debtors and creditors; second, that civilizations pass on knowledge between Eastern and Western nations. He ends with a quote from the Quran (We will turn it over to other people).

Who Are the Arabs?
Al-Aqqad begins by defining who the Arabs are, where they originated, and when their presence became known. He suggests that their beginnings date back five thousand years, when the Arabian Peninsula was green, as evidenced by the numerous plant names in Arabic despite the region being desert. Another view he mentions is that Arabs began in Mesopotamia between the two rivers, while a third theory suggests they originated from present-day Palestine on the eastern shores of the Mediterranean.

Ancient Celestial Beliefs
Al-Aqqad starts by discussing ancient celestial beliefs and the extent to which the Arabian Peninsula influenced ancient civilizations: Sumerian, Assyrian, Babylonian, and Chaldean, particularly in astronomy and astrology. He mentions the city of Babylon, meaning "Gate of God" or "Gate of Cattle," from where they borrowed many things, including their sciences, literature, industries, medicine, arts, and emerging projects from various aspects of life.

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