Read the text carefully then do the activities .
The decline of the Islamic civilization gave impetus to the unchallenged rise of the West. The golden age of
Islam, particularly the scientific pursuits that required greater stability in the Arab heartland declined by the
12th ceftuby and came to end in 1258 CE after the brutal Mongol iSvasion. Dhough the Mongol conquers
adopte$ Islam within fifty years, their ruling methods were tribal. With the vast destruction of manuscripts and
libraries, gradually a majority of"Ulema (religious jurists and scholars) came to the view that the Islamic
civilization had reached its apogee and all the interpretations (Ijtehad) needed have been accomplished.
It was widely believed that the destruction at the hands of Mongols was retribution from Allah for the
deviances. In effect the “gates of Ijtehad were closed” by an emerging consensus. Ibn Taymiyyah (1263-1326)
condemned many of the interpretations that accrued after the caliphate of the first four caliphs, but he
advocated fresh interpretation for the current times. He was imprisoned for such deviance and died
heartbroken. By the time of Ibn Khaldun (1332-1406), the Muslim empire of Spain was in headlong decline
and was finally obliterated in 1492 CE.
The great Muslam tradition of scholarship in philosophy and sciences were in decline by the dawn of the 13th
century. About this time the Europeans had started translations of the kn/Wledge ABcrued ajd buil4 upon by
the Mu lim schkhars. THough in 5th and 16th century Europe waq still in religious straight jacket it had
started a gradual pushing back against the stranglehold of the unitary Catholic Church. The freedom of
thought gradually gained ground in 18th century with what has come to be known as the age of reason. By
mid 19th century the Industrial revolution had taken hold, particularly the war technology and exploration
leading to world dominance and colonialism. The colonialism and the ascendance of the west were in part
caused by the weakness in Islamic societies.
( Source : Internet )
A) Comprehension and Interpretation . (7pts)
1)Write the letter that corresponds to the right answer .
The text is about : a)The decline of Islamic Civilization
b)The Rise of the West c)The Mongol Invasion
2)Are these statements True or False ? Write T or F next to the letter corresponding to the statement .
a)The rise of the west was on the detriment of the decline of the Islamic civilization .
b)The Mongol invasion started before the 12th century .
c)Colonialism fulfilled the industrial revolution .
3)Read the text and put the following sentences in the order they appear in the text .
a)The Europeans translated most Muslims ‘works in science and philosophy .
b)Due to the leading to better technology ,colonial expansion began .
c)The Mongol destroyed most libraries and manuscripts .
d)The Muslim empire in Spain came to end by the end of the 14th century .
4)Answer the following questions according to the text .
a)In what way did the Mongol invasion decline the Islamic civilization ?
b)Why was Ibn Taymiyyah imprisoned ?
c)Was colonialism necessary for the Europeans ? Explain .
d)In which paragraph is it mentioned that Europe knew the age of reason ?
5)Who / what do the underlined words refer to in the text ?
B)Text Exploration . (8pts)
1)Complete the chart as shown in the example .
Noun Verb Adjective
destruction ………….. …………..
stability ………….. …………..
knowledge …………..
…………. To destruct …………..
To civiliz / se
………….. ………….. destructive
………….. ………….. popular
2)Connect each pair of sentences with one of the words given . Make changes where necessary .
a)The Islamic civilization declined . The west rose . (because of)
b)Islamic societies became weak . The colonialism started . (unless)
3)Classify the words according to their stressed syllables .
a)impetus b)stability c)Islamic d)believe
4)Reorder the following sentences to make a coherent passage .
a)The European colonization of the Muslim lands started in mid 18th century .
b)The advent of the wider use of gun powder gave impetus to the expansion of the new Muslim powers.
c)By the beginning of 18th century these great empires were spent and in decline .
d)They had quite liberal and tolerant rulers ushering an era of conquest, expansion and great civilizations .
Part Two : Written Expression (5pts)
Choose one of the following topics .
Topic One : According to you, what were the real reasons behind the decline of the Islamic civilization ?
Topic Two : In a short paragraph, say how can education build or destroy any civilization?
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