This research is a retrospective explanatory one. It traces back the contribution of Arab translators on the global translation movement and civilization starting from the pre-Islamic era until the end of the Umayyad caliphate in 750 A. D. The importance of translation in transferring knowledge from one nation to another and from one civilization to another is well-known to every scholar and researcher. This study has revealed that the contribution of Arab translators on the global translation movement and civilization has been performed by transferring knowledge and sciences from different resources, such as China, India in the East, and Greece, Roman empire in the west into the Islamic state in the Arab lands, and then they have participated in transferring that knowledge into Europe in the high medieval ages. Moreover, this research paper has provided evidence that the transfer was not limited to sciences such as chemistry, astronomy, botany among other branches of science. It has rather extended to include arts and literature; Arab translators have translated fiction and stories from India and East Asia to Europe and the West. This study has also affirmed that Arabs, before Islam, were mainly living, in the Arabian Peninsula, they have been divided and attracted into either one of the two biggest and strongest civilizations and powers at that time; the Romans in the west and Persians in the east. In other words, Arabs didn't have at that time an independent civilization, unified state or entity. When Islam came, the situation has dramatically been changed. This will be elaborated in details in this study. This research is composed of five sections. The first section is an introduction which discusses the significance of this study and definition of related terms. The second section reviews the related literature. The third section tackles the translation movement during different stages, this implies the pre-Islamic stage and Islamic stages including the translation movement during Prophet Muhammad's life (610-632 A. D), the ruling period of the Rightly Guided Caliphs (Al klhulafa Ar rashidun) (632-661) and the Umayyad ruling stage from 662 to 750 A.D. The fourth section discusses the results and findings. The final section summarizes the study and submits suggested recommendations.

Translation is quite vital for cross-cultural communication. It helps create a better understanding between different communities through the transmission of ideas and beliefs. It has played a key role in the development of world culture. Translation has been always the bridge between civilizations; indeed, throughout history, written and spoken translations have played a crucial role in interhuman communication. This paper aims at providing a brief account of how the concept of Translation Projects has developed, with particular insight into the Arab world The study also aims at investigating the history of translation in the Arab world and in the Islamic era and describing the stages that the translation went through from the beginning of the Islamic Empire, Umayyad Period, Abbasid Period, school of Toledo, Ottoman period and the twentieth century. The paper also explains how translators played a key role in translating knowledge through the different Islamic periods. The study will look at KALIMA as an example for a translation project in the Arab World. KALIMA is an Arabic word with an English equivalent that is (word).The paper ends with reflections on the current and future situation of the translation in the Arab world.

This study aims to determine the factors underlying the occurrence of the Greco-Arabic Translation Movement, how its process takes place, how the translation transmission system works, who are the figures behind it, and what its contributions are to the advancement of philosophy. This article uses the qualitative method through library research with data sources in the form of historical books written in the Abbasid dynasty, a book titled ‘Greek Thought, Arabic Culture’ by Dimitri Gutas, and articles related to the object of research. It can be concluded that the factors underlying the occurrence of the translation movement were the conquests by the Arabs, the Abbasid Revolution and the demography of Baghdad, and the pre-Abbasid translation movement. Based in Baghdad, this project lasted from the 8th century to the 10th century AD. The translation transmission system applied is the Greco-Syriac-Arabic translation. Some of the figures who played crucial roles in this project were cal...

With economic relations and conquests, Muslims have spread to a very wide geographical area. Consequently, they have encountered many different cultures. Muslims have had great interest and curiosity towards new cultures especially those of Byzantine (Helen / Greek), Iran and partly of the Indian cul tures. Especially, the conquest of cities such as Alexandria, Harran and Jundīshāpūr and the scientific tradition in these cities had great influence on Muslims. After these conquests, Muslims not only studied Islamic sciences but also began the activities of translation into Arabic to get familiar with ancient tradition of thought and culture. These first translation activities, which are extremely important in terms of Islamic civilization and the history of science, have been studied extensively to date. However, it is observed that during the studies performed, the only information mentioned were usually the names of the translated works, the domains of study they were written for and the names of interpreters. This study aims to shed light on the first translation activities in the History of Islamic Science, as well as the fields in which these translations were done, the knowledge and the accumulation of Muslims in these fields before translation activities and the contribution of translation activities in develop- ment or change in these fields by providing examples from Muslim scientists in different centuries, whose works are also known in the West. The golden era of Muslims in science and technology between the 8th and 11th centuries and some important scientific activities carried out within this period are analyzed in three periods; “acquisition of the information”, “systematization of the information” and “production of original information”.

Acquisition, utilization, preservation, and dissemination of important knowledge to desirable audience are part of the major targets of academic works particularly in an Islamic exposition. These could only be achieved if centers and institutions responsible are duly established and designed for educational development as done in Baghdad at the House of Wisdom by the Abbasid Caliphs (Al-Mamun). The contribution of Al-Kindi which is recorded as the first of its kind in the Arab world is virtually a companion for reflection to every researcher aiming to convey knowledge. Al-Kindi translated philosophical Greek works into Arabic, and therefore makes it useful to not only the Arabs, but also all those in contact with Arabic language. Relaying on secondary data, the research work gives an overview on the significance of Bayt Al-Hikma, enclosing the effort of Al-Kindi for preserving and disseminating important knowledge. Therefore, the research work presented some philosophical views of A...

With economic relations and conquests, Muslims have spread to a very wide geographical area. Consequently, they have encountered many different cultures. Muslims have had great interest and curiosity towards new cultures especially those of Byzantine (Helen / Greek), Iran and partly of the Indian cultures. Especially, the conquest of cities such as Alexandria, Harran and Jundīshāpūr and the scientific tradition in these cities had great influence on Muslims. After these conquests, Muslims not only studied Islamic sciences but also began the activities of translation into Arabic to get familiar with ancient tradition of thought and culture. These first translation activities, which are extremely important in terms of Islamic civilization and the history of science, have been studied extensively to date. However, it is observed that during the studies performed, the only information mentioned were usually the names of the translated works, the domains of study they were written for and the names of interpreters. This study aims to shed light on the first translation activities in the History of Islamic Science, as well as the fields in which these translations were done, the knowledge and the accumulation of Muslims in these fields before translation activities and the contribution of translation activities in development or change in these fields by providing examples from Muslim scientists in different centuries, whose works are also known in the West. The golden era of Muslims in science and technology between the 8th and 11th centuries and some important scientific activities carried out within this period are analyzed in three periods; “acquisition of the information”, “systematization of the information” and “production of original information”. Summary: Science is one of the most important mutual heritage of civilization and human history. Those who attach importance to science, scientific studies and scientists are mostly the ones who contributed to this heritage. Muslims, who are the members of a religion with the first holy command “Read,” have a respectful place among the societies that attached importance to science and therefore composed important works. Through economic relations and conquests, Muslims have spread to a very wide geographical area. Consequently, they encountered many different cultures. Muslims had great interest in and curiosity about new cultures especially those of Byzantine (Helen / Greek), Iran and partly of the Indian cultures. Especially, the conquest of cities such as Alexandria, Harrān and Jundīshāpūr and the scientific tradition in these cities had great influence on Muslims. After these conquests, Muslims not only studied Islamic sciences but also began the activities of translation into Arabic to get familiar with ancient tradition of thought and culture. Being extremely important in terms of Islamic civilization and the history of Islamic science, deals with the contribution of translation activities to information production. The golden era of Muslims in science and technology between the 8th and 11th centuries and the some important scientific activities carried out within this period are analyzed in three periods; “acquisition of the information,” “systematization of the information” and “production of original information”. The Holy Quran and the hadiths of the Prophet, which are regarded as two main sources of Islam, include many orders and recommendations praising and encouraging science. Moreover, according to Quranic verses and the hadiths, the role of science and scholarship has been a propelling power in religion, and consequently in whole human life. Therefore, the scientific activities that started in Mecca with Prophet Muhammad’s being prophet and continued in Medina, kept going intensively during the period of Rashidun Caliphate. Especially the first Islamic conquests helped Muslims encounter different civilizations specially Byzantine and Iran, make use of the works of these civilizations and begin translation activities intensively during the periods of Umayyads and ʿAbbāsids. As a result, Muslims have improved in social, applied and health sciences as well as religious sciences. What Muslims tried to do first is to understand the existing knowledge and then to improve and dedicate it to the use of world. In this study, the period commonly referred to as “acquisition of the information” encompasses the time when cities as Alexandria, Harran and Jundīshāpūr were conquered and the scientific tradition in these cities influenced Muslims and consequently the translation activities began. The purpose in that period was to get the knowledge regardless of its location and translate it into Arabic. “Systematization of the information” period addressed the process in which translation activities went on and the knowledge acquired via translation was systematized. The purpose of the period was to produce knowledge, make it utilizable and dedicate it to the society. In that period, also, science was praised and encouraged. Administrators and scholars of the period believed that all problems could be solved through science. Centers of translation (Bayt al-Ḥikmas) and observatories were established in this period. Appealing and influencing the Muslims, translations of the period enriched their culture but never led them lose their genuine identity. On the contrary, Muslim scholars, investigating the works of early scholars and criticizing them whenever necessary, never accepted them as absolute authority and produced their authentic works. In the period that is referred to as “production of original information,” the level of development reached in terms of science, is revealed presenting the notable scholars of these period and the ones recognized by European science community. Aforementioned period encompasses the era when scholars such as al-Fazārī (d. 190/806), Jabir b. Ḥayyān (d. 200/815), al-Khwārazmī (d. 232/847), al-Farghānī (d. 247/861), al-Ali b. Rabban al-Ṭabarī (ö. 247/861), Abū Bakr al-Rāzī (d. 313/925), Battani (d. 317/929), Abū l-Wafāʾ al-Būzjānī (d. 388/998), Ibn Sīnā (Avicenna) (d. 428/1037), ʿAlī b. ʿĪsā al-Kahhal (d. 430/1039), Ibn al-Haytham (d. 432/1040) and al-Bīrūnī (d. 453/1061) were at the top. In this period (between the 8th and 10th century), translations continued intensively. Moreover, research studies gained their own qualifications in terms of rules, methods and concepts. Islamic science experienced its golden age. The most inspiring works of the period were on mathematics, medicine, physics, Alchemy/chemistry and astronomy. Such scientific knowledge was recognized by the western world living in the darkness of scholastic idea between the 5th and 11th centuries, only after the 11th century via translations from Arabic.

The translation activity has been very old. One may say that its history traces back to the invention of human language. The earliest reference of translation activities was found in the third millennium BC. Though translation activity has been present throughout the existence of human civilization, till 20th-century translation was not given its due importance. During the 20th and 21st centuries, translation progressed a lot, established itself as a separate discipline as well and was given its due credit by Scholars all over the world. This present research paper looks at the history of translation in the west. It also aims at giving a brief outline to the researchers in the field of translation study. Different reference books have been used to collect the translated works and to decide the historical periods. Though this research scholar does not claim that this list is enervating but is still useful to the researchers.