“The Islamic world struggled to keep pace with Europe’s technological advances. Instead of leading in science, the Ottomans turned to importing European experts. Many of these were converts to Islam, who played crucial roles in strengthening the Empire.

Take Osman Pasha, who revolutionized Ottoman artillery and helped reclaim Belgrade from the Austrians. Then there’s Ibrahim Mutaferrika, a Hungarian refugee and later diplomat who converted to Islam and introduced the first printing press to the Islamic world in 1745. He also championed the Copernican heliocentric model, making it more widely known in the region.”

Shaykh Abdul Hakim Murad