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Napoleon’s 1789 Egyptian campaign, as well as its symbolism as the advent of European civilization in the Levant, armed with science and philosophy, was seen as a crucial moment for Islamic and Arabic thought. For the first time in the history of Muslim civilisation, many ideas were confronted their modern European counterparts. During the 19th and 20th centuries, Arabic philosophers debated the notion of “science”. Whereas some adopted the modern definition that was independent of all religion, others remained committed to a definition of science that was linked to religion, making the Quran the ultimate scientific arbiter.