When people think of Arabs, what comes to mind are usually Muslims, bedouins, and conservative people who don’t have much to offer to the rest of the world. Well, the latter couldn’t be farther from the truth; Arabs have actually had a huge impact on Western culture and civilization. Arabs and Arab Muslims may be more conservative than your average American, but that doesn’t mean that they haven’t influenced America. In fact, if not for Arab civilzation, the Western world as we know it today would be quite different.

Arabs were well advanced in many different fields, including language, mathematics, medicine, astronomy, philosophy, geography, and architecture, and were therefore able to make various contributions to Western culture. For example, the Arabic language, which is very rich and complex, was actually the origin of many English words, including alchemy, coffee, algebra, safari, sugar, and guitar. Arabic was also the reason that ancient texts, especially those in Greek, were able to be rediscovered, as these texts were re-translated from ancient languages to Arabic, so that they could be understood again.

The Arabs were also quite skilled in math. The Arab zero was a very important discovery for mathematics, as was the Arabic numeral system and the decimal system. Arabs also created their own calendar, which was more accurate than any other calendar ever made.

Medicine and health is another field that Arabs made much progress in. Arabs discovered medicinal uses for things like rosewater, cloves, and juleps a long time ago, along with herbs like cinnamon, oregano, basil, and thyme. An Arab scientist named Ar-Razi was the first person to diagnose measles and smallpox, while Ibn Khatib and Ibn Khatima discovered that the Great Plague only spread by contagion. Ibn al-Nafis found out about pulmonary circulation, and al-Maglusi was able to understand the capillary system. 

Arabs made many other contributions as well. Ibn al-Haytham, another Arab scientist, studied optics and light, and was able to determine how a lens really works. His discoveries were critical to the development of all kinds of lenses, including those in cameras, telescopes, microscopes, and eyeglasses.

The Arabs were also skilled in architecture and landscaping. They introduced the idea of using water to create a beautiful landscape, and this can now be seen in the use of reflecting pools and fountains. Arabs knew how to make paper as well, and by spreading their knowledge to places like Spain, France, and Italy, they were able to contribute to increased book production and learning. Arab craftsmen also developed the art of steel forging, as well as that of inlaying silver and gold segments into bronze and brass vessels. These arts were later done by Western craftsmen. Arabs were skilled in calligraphy, too, and their techniques were used in many European churches.

The Arab world has had a huge influence on the rest of the world. While many people may not know that the history of the Western culture has been largely impacted by Arabs, it is still evident all around us - one just has to look more closely.