Researchers and specialists at the Sharjah International Book Fair discussed the transmission of Greek knowledge into Arabic, the reasons for its adoption by Muslim scholars, and how they reformulated it to become part of the fabric of Islamic thought and a cornerstone in the emergence of sciences and philosophy.This was discussed during a session titled "Greek Knowledge in Arabic: Why, What, and How?", which brought together Dr. Saed Fayyadh, Dr. Marco D'Andrea, and Dr. Noha Shaar from the American University of Sharjah.The speakers emphasized that the transmission of Greek knowledge into Arabic was a pivotal moment in the history of human thought, contributing to the revival and reworking of ancient heritage before it spread to Europe and became a foundation for its scientific Renaissance.They noted that studying this heritage today helps to understand the trajectory of idea formation and how cultures can interact and flourish when they open up to the other, free from fear and insularity.Fayyadh stated that the movement for translation into Arabic was not merely a linguistic act but a civilizational project tied to the formation of the intellectual identity of Muslims, explaining that the openness to knowledge began early in Islam, driven by the quest for learning and understanding the world.D'Andrea, for his part, said that Muslim scholars did not stop at mere transmission but went on to criticism and addition: thus, Al-Razi questioned their medical theories, Ibn al-Haytham criticized Ptolemy, and Ibn Sina reviewed Aristotle's classifications.
