3. MUSLIM CONTRIBUTION TO SCIENCE

~ 147 ~ Before the Islamic revolution it was an accepted fact that the king was superior to a common man. For instance, the Byzantine emperor, Heraclius, a contemporary of the Prophet Muhammad (May peace be upon him), in spite of being a Christian, “had married his niece, Martina, thus offending the religious scruples of many of his subjects, who viewed his second marriage as incestuous.” 75 It was known to the people that this marriage was illegal, yet there was no public outcry. This was because Heraclius was a king and, therefore, above any judgement by human standards. As a king, he had the right to do as he pleased. In ancient times, this extraordinary concept of the greatness of kings was so firmly implanted, as a matter of superstitious belief that ordinary citizens had begun to consider their monarchs to be innately superior creatures. The observance of special rites and rituals by kings was aimed at reinforcing this way of thinking. The kings had thus, in their respective empires, achieved a temporal greatness, which was on a parallel with God’s prerogative in the vastness of His universe. It was but natural that