The Contributions of the Abbasid Era in Caring for the Gifted 10.35781/1637-000-154-007

Abstract

The present study aims to identify the contributions of the Abbasid era to the care of the gifted and to reveal the fields and methods of that care. To achieve the objectives of the study, the study problem was formulated in the following main question: What are the contributions of the Abbasid era to the care of the gifted? The researcher relied on the historical and descriptive-analytical method, in addition to the deductive method. The results of the study revealed that the Abbasid era paid clear attention to the category of the gifted in various fields: cultural, scientific, psychological, social, professional, and economic. The methods of caring for the gifted were represented in the support of the caliphs for them and the assistance of the scholarly milieu, where tangible efforts were exerted to develop their abilities and to provide the appropriate educational environment for their scientific and cognitive growth. This included providing books and references, offering material and moral support to gifted scholars and researchers, and preparing advanced scientific institutions that contributed to the development of their knowledge and the refinement of their skills. The gifted received great appreciation from the caliphs, princes, and scholars. Specialized scientific institutions were also established, most notably the House of Wisdom, which represented a prominent scientific center for the teaching of arts, sciences, and literature, and contributed to encouraging the gifted to develop their abilities and talents. In addition, they were given opportunities for scholarly communication and the exchange of knowledge and expertise through scientific meetings and libraries that constituted knowledge spaces for dialogue and the circulation of ideas. Keywords: the gifted, methods of care, fields of care, the Abbasid era.