ABSTRACT
In this paper, the question is raised what the term “contextualization” could signify for a history of science in Islamic societies. First, information is offered drawn from studies on intellectual history in various Islamic societies published by historians and researchers in religious studies. The purpose with those references is to highlight that the first step to contextualize scientific texts and instruments is to rely on studies on intellectual, social, political, or literary history, which are not primarily oriented towards the sciences. Second, the paper explains some of the gains obtained from such an expanded reading program. They concern, in particular, roles and place of scholars of the mathematical sciences in other societal domains. A further gain acquired by engaging with academic publications beyond history of science is a more nuanced understanding of the relationship between belief and knowledge in different regions, times, and groups. Third, cultural aspects are discussed which are relevant to contextual explorations of the sciences with a particular focus on the mathematical ones among them. Areas are highlighted that are either neglected or little appreciated by contemporary students of the exact sciences, because they do not contribute new knowledge about innovative methods and results by scholars from past Islamic societies. Recent studies of the cultural impact of specific methods and problems are surveyed and it is asked which larger cultural trends and their changes should be take into consideration.
