The Role of Muslim Scientists in the Development of Experimental Science and Materials Studies: A Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

The development of modern experimental science is inseparable from the significant contributions of Muslim scientists during the golden age of Islamic civilization. Muslim scientists played a crucial role in transforming speculative approaches into a scientific tradition based on empirical observation, laboratory experiments, material analysis, and systematic scientific documentation. However, studies on the contributions of Muslim scientists to the development of experimental science and materials studies remain fragmented and dominated by historical-descriptive approaches. This study aims to systematically identify, evaluate, and synthesize scientific literature related to the role of Muslim scientists in the development of experimental science and materials studies. This study used a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) approach with the PRISMA 2020 protocol and the PICOS framework to ensure transparency and rigor in the literature selection process. The review was conducted on 40 selected articles published between 2020 and 2025 from reputable international databases such as Scopus, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, SpringerLink, and JSTOR. The analysis was conducted using a thematic synthesis approach to identify key themes, theoretical developments, methodological approaches, and contextual patterns in the literature. The research findings show that Muslim scientists made significant contributions to the development of experimental science through the development of laboratory methods, empirical observation, material classification, and experimental procedures that became the foundation of the modern scientific method. Figures such as Jabir ibn Hayyan contributed significantly to the development of experimental chemistry through distillation, crystallization, sublimation, and filtration techniques. Meanwhile, Al-Razi and Al-Biruni made significant contributions in the fields of pharmacy, mineralogy, material analysis, and scientific experimentation. This study also demonstrates that the Islamic scientific tradition integrates empirical observation, rationality, and spiritual values ​​in the development of science.