Shams Allah Tushriq ala al-Gharb = Fadl al-Arab ala Urubba
- Author died
- 1420 AH
- Editions
- Dar Al-Ilm Al-Arabi
Shams Allah Tushriq ala al-Gharb (Arabic: شمس الله تشرق على الغرب, lit. 'God's Sun Shines upon the West', also titled Fadl al-Arab ala Urubba) is a historical study by the German scholar Sigrid Hunke (d. 1420 AH) that examines the intellectual, scientific, and cultural impact of Arab civilization on medieval and early modern Europe .
Background and Purpose
Hunke wrote the book primarily for a European rather than an Arab readership, seeking to confront centuries-old historical distortions and religious prejudices in Western historiography . She argued that European attitudes toward the Arabs since the rise of Islam had been shaped by hostility and religious fanaticism, fueled by a fear that acknowledging Arab civilizational achievements would undermine Christian dogma . The work was conceived as an overdue acknowledgment of the debt owed by the West to the Arabs, pointing out that European culture and languages—including German—had integrated significant Arab elements .
Scope and Content
The volume encompasses 376 pages in its original layout, accompanied by numerous plates and illustrations, surveying various branches of Arab intellectual activity . Hunke framed her study around "Arabs" and "Arab culture" rather than solely Islamic doctrine, highlighting how the Arabic cultural sphere encompassed non-Muslims and diverse ethnic origins, comparing figures such as al-Razi and Ibn Sina to scholars formed by a shared linguistic and cultural environment .
The book details Arabic advancements in medicine, surgery, mathematics, astronomy, physics, and chemistry, emphasizing the proliferation of learning and public libraries in major centers such as Baghdad, Cairo, and Cordoba . A dedicated section is devoted to al-Andalus, contrasting the flourishing of education, civic infrastructure, and artistic influence under Muslim rule with the widespread illiteracy and isolation prevalent across Europe during the same centuries .
Translation and Reception
The work was translated into Arabic, annotated, and verified by Fu'ad Hasanayn Ali and published by Dar al-Ilm al-Arabi under the dual title Shams Allah Tushriq ala al-Gharb: Fadl al-Arab ala Urubba . In translating the text, Ali noted difficulties in tracing loanwords of Andalusian Arabic origin that had entered European languages but were absent from classical Arabic dictionaries, as well as specialized scientific terms in chemistry, physics, and mathematics, where he consulted the chemist Hasanayn Fu'ad of the University of Tübingen .
The book was translated into several major languages and received extensive reviews in European academic journals and the press . In the Arab world, it achieved widespread circulation among educational institutions, scholars, and political leaders, leading readers and admirers in the region to refer to Hunke by the moniker "Shams Allah" .
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