Will Durant's monumental 11-volume series, "The Story of Civilization," dedicates significant and insightful space to Islamic civilization, primarily within Volume IV: "The Age of Faith" (Part VI: "The Islamic Scene," Chapters XIV-XXV). Durant's treatment is characteristically sweeping, humanistic, and focused on the cultural, intellectual, and social achievements within the broader context of political and military history.
Durant's Central Thesis and Approach:
Durant viewed Islamic civilization not as an isolated phenomenon but as the crucial bridge between the ancient world (Greece, Rome, Persia) and the European Renaissance. He emphasized its role as a preserver, synthesizer, and transmitter of classical knowledge while simultaneously making profound original contributions. His narrative is marked by:
- Deep Appreciation for Cultural Flourishing: He lavishes praise on the intellectual and artistic "Golden Age" (roughly 8th-13th centuries).
- Focus on Individuals: He highlights key figures (scientists, philosophers, poets, caliphs) to personalize the narrative.
- Contextual Understanding: He places developments within the framework of geography, economics, politics, and the unifying power of Islam as a faith and social system.
- Critical Perspective: While admiring, he doesn't shy away from discussing internal conflicts, sectarian strife, political despotism, and the factors contributing to decline.
Key Aspects Covered by Durant:
1. Foundations and Expansion:
- The Prophet and Early Islam: He presents Muhammad (pbuh) as a complex figure of profound sincerity and leadership, detailing the origins of Islam in Mecca and Medina, the Quran's message, and the rapid unification of Arabia.
- Explosive Growth: Durant vividly describes the astonishingly rapid military conquests under the Rightly Guided Caliphs and the Umayyads, creating an empire stretching from Spain to India.
2. The "Golden Age" Under the Abbasids:
- Baghdad as Cosmopolitan Center: Durant paints a vibrant picture of Baghdad under caliphs like Harun al-Rashid and al-Ma'mun – a center of immense wealth, learning, and cultural exchange.
- Scientific Revolution: This is a major highlight. Durant details groundbreaking contributions in Mathematics, Astronomy, Medicine, Chemistry/Alchemy, and Physics.
- Philosophy: The monumental effort to reconcile Greek philosophy with Islamic theology by figures like al-Kindi, al-Farabi, Ibn Sina, and Ibn Rushd.
- Art and Architecture: Development of distinct styles through calligraphy, geometric patterns, and arabesques.
Conclusion:
Will Durant's chapters on Islamic civilization in "The Age of Faith" remain a valuable and highly readable introduction. They successfully convey the immense scale, grandeur, and profound intellectual vitality of the Islamic world during its peak. Durant's core argument – that Islamic civilization was the indispensable guardian and enhancer of classical knowledge and a major catalyst for the European Renaissance – is powerfully made and largely stands the test of time.