Phits Blog

Islamic Science

The rise and dominance of the Western thinkers in the field of science and philosophy is undeniable. Their contributions are fundamentally significant in today’s world (which is to disregard religion, belief, and faith). Without any exaggeration, most of the Muslims are aware of the Western achievements more than their own thinkers. Unbelievably, there are Muslim thinkers that are entrapped in this phenomenon. They are arguably in support of the ideas of the Western thinkers while neglecting the notions of their own people.

Dualistic Approach (Modern Science)

To begin with the argument, it is interesting to point out the ideologies of the Positivists on the issue that they are propagating, that is the modern science. Evidently, the one-sided stand on the concept of modern science is disgracefully condemning the other. For instance, if one believes that science is fully objective, one is simply suggesting that God doesn’t exist. One is simply condemning the Creations of God. As a matter of fact, modern scientists and Positivists are inclining to these ideologies. For the modern scientists, science is absolute and the true causal agent. They deny the existence of God and matter is independent from the Creator. However, a number of them were suggesting the existence of God, but no direct contact from His creations. Their secular approach toward science is hammering the Divine belief and rejecting the true causal agent, which is God. They also believe that science is universal that can be true in any time and space. Hence, the dualistic approach of the modern scientists is trouncing the basic belief to religion.

Tawhidic Approach (Islamic Science)

It is interesting to point out that during the Dark Ages in Europe, many Muslim thinkers in Spain grasped scientific knowledge in which many present-day Muslims are lacking of. Accordingly, from the late ninth century until the fifteenth century, Europe in general was reliant on the intellectually and technologically-superior Muslim culture and borrowed their knowledge from every field of science, including in the field of theology. Thus, many of the prominent Western scholars obtained their knowledge and ideas from the work that were done by previous Muslim scholars in various fields of science. Unfortunately, a tragedy happened to the Muslim scholars in which many of these Muslims were no longer keen in studying the many fields of sciences they once excelled in.

Back then during the Dark Ages in Europe, Muslim scholars studied the natural sciences with gusto and they were able to create many scientific inventions and scientific theories and principles. This is because the Holy Qur’an has encouraged Muslims to seek knowledge from the cradle to the grave. It often repeatedly mentions in its verses for the people to reflect on nature and other creations of God. To further stress this point, Ziauddin Sardar (1998) once said, “The Muslim inspiration for the study of nature comes straight from the Qur’an. The Qur’an specifically and repeatedly asks Muslims to investigate systematically natural phenomena, not simply as a vehicle for understanding nature, but also as a means for getting close to God.”
With this Islamic view of learning knowledge from nature or the physical world in mind, studying science seemed logical and only natural to the Muslims then. Before, it was often practiced by many Muslims as seen from their countless scientific inventions. Therefore, upon hearing the term “Islamic science” for the first time, I initially thought that it was redundant due to the notion that, as Muslims, we consider all types of knowledge, including science, to be Islamic already and to be espoused by the Holy Qur’an for us to learn. In other words, it is redundant in the sense that we Muslims already acknowledge that science is not secular. However, upon further reflection, I realized that Muslim scholars still and must need to use the term “Islamic science” in order to differentiate it from the “modern” or “secular” science which does not reserve any place for religion in it. This concept of modern science in the West is godless and has a materialist way of thinking. This contradicts with the Islamic approach on science. Because of the secularist approach of the Western scientists, the term and concept of Islamic science has become legitimate and meaningful. It is meaningful to mention because Allah (SWT) gave advice and inspiration to the Muslims to study nature which came directly from the Holy Qur’an. Muslims are urged by Allah (SWT) to pay attention to His signs or His creations to be able to understand the creation of life and also to get closer to Him. Ultimately, the greatest achievement that a man could gain from learning the natural sciences is to be able to know the Truth.

“It is He who has made the sun (source of) radiance and the moon a light (reflected), and has determined for it phases so that you may know how to compute years and to measure (time). Allah has created this in truth and righteousness, expounding His signs for those who know. Indeed, in the alternation of night and day and in what Allah has created in the heavens and on the earth, there are real signs for people who are conscious of Him” (Chapter 10, Verses:5-6)

Indeed, in understanding these signs and this nature, we certainly come to understand or know Allah. These signs are the seen realm and Allah (SWT) is the unseen realm. Consequently, the seen realms are the signs of the unseen realms.

Islamic science is actually based on the principle of Tawheed (oneness or unity of God). It means that everything in this world (the seen realms) is linked to the unseen realms (for example: God). This is the major difference between the Western approach of science and the Islamic approach of science. The unity of all things is the purpose of the creations that exist. Modern science believes the only matter is tangible to human being. As to what is existed in the unseen world is not acceptable and not even existed in reality. Allah (SWT) again telling us;

“He is God, beside Whom there is no (other) god. Knowing the unseen and the visible; He is the Merciful, the Mercy-giver” (Chapter 59, Verse: 22)

Western scientists deny the involvement of God and the unseen realms (i.e., the spirit) with physical science. They rejected the Tawheedic approach to cover the ideas of Islam, that is, in reality nothing really exists in real forms.
One field of science, the study of metaphysics, is actually one of the stunning points of Islamic science. But this is rejected by modern scientists when in fact metaphysics is considered as the highest form of knowledge. Absolute knowledge cannot be attained by human being and only Allah (SWT) Who has the power of knowing all things. As He stated in the Holy Qur’an;

Allah has knowledge about the (final) Hour (i.e. the Hour of Judgment). He sends down rain and knows what all wombs contain. Yet no person knows what he will earn tomorrow, nor does any person know in what land he will die. Still Allah is aware, informed.
(Chapter 31, Verse: 34)

Thomas Aquinas also said that. “Scientific knowledge is not essential to attain happiness.” Therefore, there must be something else that people need to know in order to attain happiness in this life. As Muslims, we know that the attainment of happiness does not end in this life. If God wills, it could also be attained by many Muslims--male and female--in the Hereafter. When it comes to seeking knowledge on the Truth and the Hereafter, it can be found not only in the Holy Qur’an, but also from the natural and physical sciences as well as from natural phenomena. Thus, the term and concept of Islamic science includes acknowledging one’s Creator amidst all the scientific facts that one can observe from his/her environment in this world. The seen and unseen realms are inseparable. In Islam, everything in this world is nothing in reality. However, for the modern science, they see only the material world and there is no room for discussion on the matter of unseen. In modern science, what they can observe through scientific way is real. Naquib al-Attas stated that modern science sees things as mere things, and that it has reduced the study of the phenomenal world to an end in itself. And Allah (SWT) said in the Holy Qur’an;

He (Allah) holds the keys to the unseen; only He knows them. He knows whatever exists on land and at sea; no leaf falls unless He knows it, nor any seed (lies) in the darkness of the earth, nor any tender (shoot) nor any withered (stalk) but it is (predicted) in a clear book.
(Chapter 6, Verse: 59) http://phitslasahe.blogspot.com/