Heading to Uni? Guess Who You Have to Thank for It!
While freshers are descending on university campuses all over the country and the ‘back to school’ season is about to kick off properly, at Ummahsonic, we’re a little bit too excited about this.
But did you ever wonder how universities have even come to exist and who came up with the idea?
Guess what, it was a Muslim. Actually, it was a Muslimah!
Fatima al-Fihri founded the world’s first university in Morocco 1200 years ago in 859. What essentially started as a madrasa, became the first degree granting institution in the world. And it still stands today as the University of Qarawiyyin.
Soon after Fatima al-Fihri opened the university, it became one of the leading institutions in the world for natural sciences. It went on to add mathematics, physics, chemistry and foreign languages to its list of degrees offered.
Al- Qarawiyyin is also home to one of the oldest libraries in the world which is crammed with priceless Islamic texts.
Al- Qarawiyyin has turned out many distinguished graduates over the years who’ve made enormous contributions to society, including the philosopher Abu-Abbas, the jurist Muhammad al-Fasi, and Leo Africanus, the famous author and traveler.
A testament to amazing Islamic advances in art, architecture and science, Al Qarawiyyin continues to inspire humanity and shape our everyday lives. So make sure you tell your friends about the world’s first university. They may be surprised!