Radiating outwards from the Arabian Peninsula, the Islamic world would spread to Africa, India, southeast Asia, Europe, China, and the steppes of Russia. At the height of the empire's strength and extent, a period known as the "Golden Age," Muslim achievement in all areas of culture was unsurpassed worldwide. In the fields of science, medicine, and technology, in particular, the Islamic world shined brightly in a world often darkened by ignorance...