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Trade, Numerals and Arabs
Arising from the fact that necessity being the mother of invention, no doubt that necessity is that that has prompted - in that time of history - whom who invented the numerals for calculation. So, what could such necessity at all to invent numerals be? Which of the two nations - Arabs and Indians - the controversies are over either, that has suffered that necessity? What are the proofs to that?Those were three initial questions on the issue whose answers success over the following pages of this book.
None among the human sciences at all, in general, and the natural sciences - of physics, chemistry, astronomy, even mathematics - in particular that uses numerals more extensively than trade, buying and selling commodities, in calculating quantities, weighs, volumes, lengths and prices between sellers and buyers, exporting and importing, yet exchanging.. If such trade was too wide to the international extent, and was a rooted activity that has lasted many centuries through generations; and if such trade has combined along the sea navigation knowledge so that a merchant was a mariner too, and the result of such a complex prolonged activity was prosperity and emergence of civilizations prior Christ, is it, then, conceivable that such a merchant, the traversing of the oceans and the extended desert roads to thousands of kilometers, would learn the numerals and arithmetic from one who is not so?! Ancient Egyptians were worthier than Indians in inventing the ten digits and their place-value system - were not those made by Arabs - as the ancient Egyptian civilization has no counterpart in the Indian subcontinent. Egyptians have achieved an eminent feat in construction and engineering, but that has not necessitated them to invent the numerals and numeration system!
Indians have surpassed Arabs in agriculture and industry, while Arabs were most masterly in trade and arithmetic. That is why The Qor'ann addressed them in Chapter: Alsaff:10, by: [Oh you who believed! Would I guide you to a trade that saves you from painful torture?]. As agriculture, pasture and industry were activities of intangible existence in the Arabs' life by the rule of their desertified environment. In confirmation to this, the trade as a human activity has been mentioned in Qor'ann five times at least; agriculture as a human activity has been mentioned therein twice only; while practicing pasture or industry have not been mentioned at all as human activities. This indirectly indicates the priorities of the four activities in the Arabs' life basically. Needless to say that Mohammad, the Arab of Makkat, has worked with trade in his life more than he did with pasturing.
However, the use's spreading of the numerals of the Arab merchants in that time was by far less than the use's spreading of the alphabet among the common people of whom a few who new reading and writing at first. The use of numerals necessitated conversance with and practicing of an arithmetic science, or dense practice of trade; not as the practice of a herdsman who sells his cattle, or a farmer who sells his products, nor a grocer, but the practice of an exporting importing merchant together, who goes to the country of source where he deals with specialized merchants (mediators), most likely non-producers. Then he goes back with his purchased commodities to resell them to specialized merchants too, not consumers. Cultured Arabs - especially Moslems - know well through Islamic heritage that Othman Ben-Affann, the great Qorashite merchant was (A whole merchant) among the merchants of the Two-Trips-of-Summer-and-Winter.
Well, what was the Arabs' standing in this Activity, and the proof to it? Well, that is what we are going to find a detailed answer thereto a few lines on.
Maritime mercantile activity has - sea-wise and land-wise - connected to the majority of Arabs in their peninsula from the dawn of history. In the early history, starting with 500 BC at least, and from the north of the peninsula, Nabataeans have pioneered land- and sea-trade via the Red Sea at the West; Gerrheans at the East via Arabian Gulf; and Himyarites at the South via Arabian Sea. In the middle history, starting around 250 AD, with the Nabataeans' state and civilization having vanished, Arab maritime merchants continued in the North via Arabian Gulf, and in the South via Arabian Sea. In the late history beginning from around 650 AD - with Islam having come up - Arab maritime merchants became more active via Arabian Gulf and Arabian Sea, and their trade has prevailed in the Mediterranean Sea northward; while their land-trade convoys were still tread the trade roads of the Arabian peninsula in a variety of directions, specially the Hejazi (inhabitants of Hejaz area whose capital is Makkat) convoys.
Throughout the history, Arabs worked at trade between the ancient kingdoms in Asia, Africa and Europe. Most the ancient historians called those merchants by "Arabs", and the contemporary ones did not differ either, who showed convincement to refer to those mariners with "Arabs". The word "Arab" is the name the ancients have heard it from Arabs themselves about themselves; because the words: "Arab", "Arabi", "Orooba (Arabism)" are original derivatives in the Arabic language.
Trade of the Qorashite Arabs in the Two-Trips-of-Summer-and-Winter has represented a transmitter and a publisher of Arabic numerals from the south-most Arabia (Yemen) in winter time, to the north-most (Sham) in summer time.
Qoraish's land-trade convoys to Bahrain (renowned with its pearls) represented one tributary of the transmission and the publishing of the numerals of the Arab merchants to/from Arabian Gulf.
Hence, no surprise that Qor'ann has pointed out to the navigation of people with ships in the sea, to its navigational circumstances and to the people's life with it in numerous verses. Were not Arabs being those maritime merchants, Qor'ann would not have addressed them - initially - with such numerous verses, among which are:
| 1- | {It is in creating the Heavens and the Earth, the opposition of the day and the night, and the ships that run on the sea with avail to people..} Albaqarat:164[البقرة]. |
| 2- | {Say: Who saves you from the darkness of both the land and the sea..?} Al-an'amm:63[الأنعام]. |
| 3- | {It is He (Allah) who made the stars for you to find the way therewith in the darkness of the sea and the land. We (Allah) have detailed the signs (Aayatt) for the aware people} Al-an'am:97[الأنعام]. |
| 4- | {It is He (Allah) who pilots you on the land and the sea. When you are in the ships and ran by a good wind with which they be happy, a stormy wind would come, and come the billows from everywhere..} Yunos:22[يونُس]. |
| 5- | {Allah who has created the Heavens and the Earth.. and exploited the ships for you to run on the sea to his will, and exploited the rivers for you} Ebraheem:32[إبراهيم]. |
| 6- | {It is He (Allah) who exploited the sea for you to eat soft fleshes from, get out a jewel you wear, see the ships traversing it (for you) to look after His grant and you maybe thankful (to Him)} Alnahl:14[النحل]. |
| 7- | {Your Lord who drives forward the ships for you on the sea in order to look after His grant. He is ever having been merciful to you} Al-esraa:66[الإسراء]. |
| 8- | {When adversity befalls onto you in the sea, invoking whatsoever deludes but Him; and when He saves you to the land you turned away, since human is ever miscreant} Al-esraa :67[الإسراء]. |
| 9- | {Say: if the sea was an ink for (writing) Allah's words, the sea would have verily run out before Allah's words would, even if as much more was provided by us} Alkahf:109[الكهف]. |
| 10- | {Have not you seen that Allah has exploited what are on the Earth for you, the ships run on the sea to his will, and hold up the sky to not fall onto the Earth but with his allowance? Allah is verily merciful, compassionate to the people} Alhajj:65[الحجّ]. |
| 11- | {Or like multiple darkness in an agitated sea to which come billows topped with billows topped with clouds; one darkness above the other. If one got a hand out, he would not about to see it} Annoor:40[النور]. |
| 12- | {Or who he guides you in the darkness of both the land and the sea, and who he sends the wind presaging with his compassion? Is it another god with Allah? Highness is to Allah from what they polythize} Annaml:63[النمل]. |
| 13- | {If whatever trees being on the Earth were pens, and the sea is provided with seven other seas (added to it), Allah's words would not have run out. Allah is verily dear and Ever-wise} Loqman:27[لُقمان]. |
| 14- | {Have not you seen that ships run on the sea with the grace of Allah in order to show you of his signs (Aayat)? Some signs are definitely therein for everyone who is most patient and most thankful} Loqman:31[لُقمان]. |
| 15- | {The two seas are not alike; One is highly fresh and palatable to drink; and the other is intensely salty; from each of which you eat a soft flesh, get out a jewel to wear, and see the ships traversing on it for you to look after his grant, and you maybe thankful (to Him)} Fater:12[فاطِر]. |
| 16- | {Among His signs are those (ships) being running on the sea like milestones} Ash-shoora:32[الشورى]. |
| 17- | {Allah who has exploited the sea for you for the ships to run thereon to his will, for you to look after his grant, and you maybe thankful (to Him)} Aljaseya :12[الجاسية]. |
| 18- | {The established being (ships) running on the sea like milestones are by Him} Arrahman:24[الرحمان]. |
If Arabs were just desert dwellers with no cognizance, nor experience with the sea, Qor'ann would not have initially addressed them with all such verses - and more - through their Arabic Prophet!
