Response of Muslim world toward Science

HM 211
ISLAMIC STUDIES

SUBMITTED T0
MAM. SADAF JAVED

SUBMITTED BY
SYED IMTIAZ ALI SHAH

2015436

SECTION B

GHULAM ISHAQ KHAN INSTITUTE OF ENGINEERING SCIENCES

AND TECHNOLOGY (GIKI)

PROJECT REPORT ON

The research is conducted with the aim to analyze the response of Muslim world toward science
in different eras. The response of Muslim world is different in different eras. Sometimes it is
positive sometime neutral and sometime negative. The beginning of Islam was a period in Muslim
history which was totally devoted to Islamic beliefs, humanity, unity. Their sole purpose was to
establish an Islamic empire. That period in Muslim history can be considered as a neutral
response. At that time they neither worked for science nor did they work against science.
After establishing Islamic empire, they started paying heed toward education. In education their
area of study was not only arts but they started studying science too. Their response at that time
toward science is considered to be a positive one. Muslims achievement at that time are
countless. In science they groomed in each and every field, whether it is Astronomy, medicine,
chemistry, light, music, mathematics, in short from arts to philosophy to science their
performance was all-round. Shift in Muslims minds and their attitude toward science started
changing in medieval ages when west started its rebirth and Muslims saw initiation of their
demise. The nation which once was predicted as the ruling class in world completely lost their
will at in 16th and 17th century. After their fall, a couple of time they took steps to regain what
they had lost by Muhammad Ali of Egypt and Ottoman Empire but could not succeeded in their
efforts.
After these two there has been no show of will in Muslim societies toward science. They are
trying to go back to ages of darkness instead of competing with the world. They seem to be happy
clinging to the past beliefs rather than to move with the pace of time. Even our most expensive
universities in Muslims world when organize a seminar their topic for seminar would be less
scientific and more theological. Instead of working and showing seriousness in scientific research
we spend our resources on proving Heaven, divine reward, hell and jinss.

Abstract

Table of Contents:

Title page

Abstract

Main body

Conclusion and
Recommendation

References

10

Appendices

11

4
MAIN BODY

The relationship between science and religion remained topic for centuries. There is always
conflict between science and religion. They part their ways in most of the times. The research is
done with the intention to find out the response of Muslim world toward science. The whole
Islamic history can be divided into three periods.
1. The age of commencement of Islam was totally allocated toward human beliefs, unity,
spirituality and humanity. Early Muslims worked on nothing but on learning how to live,
how to remove the evils of societies and to bring people on one true path. They focused
mainly on removing previous believes from minds of people and shifting their minds
toward one and only true belief. They worked on establishing Islamic empire to secure
existence of Muslims.
2. In the medieval age after successfully establishing Islamic empire they started working
on education especially science and engineering. There are prominent names in the
history of Islam which are known throughout the world because of their contribution
toward science. Their achievements were highly appreciated until the start of modern
era of science. Their work on science in that age has laid foundation for some fields of
science like algebra.
3. The current ages which is modern age of mans history. In the age of modern science
In this report we have given glimpse of the past but mainly we targeted our present day
response.
Muslims not only stop paying heed to science but also stop practicing their own religion.
Instead of spreading education which was the core theme of Islam, the same believer now
opposes the trend.
Before we further proceed toward Islamic world response we first will have a look at some
questions.

Is there any conflict between science and religion in general and between science
and Islam in specific?
Has religion ever acted as motivator for its follower to motivate them to promote
science?
The purpose of religious people by promoting and contributing to science.

In the past religion classified theology itself in science. So if theology is science there
remain no way of conflict between science and religion. The classification was ended in
19th century due to rapid science advancement.
The conflict between science and Islam is not that much prominent like the conflict
between other religions and science. On reason for this conflict is that there is no real
advancement and development of science by Muslims so that it can be challenged. The
other reason is that the driving force of promoting science in Muslim community was
itself Islam.
Islam clearly or directly does not reject scientific theories. Islamic book Quran was not
meant for science but for the beliefs of people. This main source of Islam can be
summed up as a book of signs not the book of science. There are however scientific
claims in Quran but that can be considered as by product. These claims or true at the
max but still some are controversial. I.e. thinking by heart, the concept of sky, the
theory of seasons changing described in Hadith which is summer comes when hell
breaths out, winter comes when hell breaths in etc. If there are hundred percent claims
in Quran about science Eighty percent of them are hundred percent correct and proven
by science. The remaining Twenty percent are seen controversial either wrong or to be
proved right in later times.
Another major conflict between science and Islam is todays Darwin theory of evolution.
No religious community has ever accepted this theory due to the different approach of
explaining this world phenomena. Islamic and as a whole approach is about beliefs while
Darwin approach is reasoning and scientific.
Now coming to the second question, has religion ever acted as a motivator to motivate
people to do best in science? The answer is yes in those cases in which tolerance can
be given and no in those cases in which there is zero tolerance. Many of scientists in
past were motivated by religion. For example Johannes Kepler considered his
astronomical work as divine praise. Similarly Robert Boyle considered scientists as priest

The first question can be easily answered by studying history and the martyrs for
science. According to historians there is no enduring pattern of conflict between science
and religion. The nature of relationship between science and religion is quite complex
sometime it is positive sometime it is negative and sometime it is neutral. One reason
for this is that the relevant disciplines were arranged in very differently in the past. In
the past the classification of science was not like now is. The science practiced by
religious people in past was mostly pseudoscience. The way in which pseudoscience was
practiced was more like religious beliefs. I.e. Astrology.

Islam has nevertheless promoted the same trend and ordered time and again to explore
the whole universe. Many a time Islam has shifted our minds to natural phenomena and
ordered to think about these critically. So clearly there is every encouragement by Islam
toward science
Now coming to the third question, the sole purpose of Muslims scientists to promote
and develop science was to transform every metal into gold and to make elixir water.
Even some European scientists had also these type of goals in mind regarding their own
beliefs. Though science study does not depend on individual intentions however
intentions can have effects in long term ages.
The motivation one receive from religion and ones own purpose and enthusiasm are
two different things. It can be observe that despite the motivation given by Islam in
some stages Muslims dont have much enthusiasm for science.

Present day response of Muslims toward science

There are four types of people in Islamic society.
1. Some reject scientific achievements as a whole. They prefer to stick to the old
fashioned ways of life. They consider every advancement in science a conspiracy
against Muslims. These people neither desire to learn science nor letting other to
do so.
2. Some people in Muslims society think about science and religion in a parallel.
They are of the view that both can go along the way simultaneously.
3. Some think that to compete with the rest of world we must have to prefer
science over religion. They consider science as the only way to make progress in
society and to bring enlightenment to society.
4. The majority of believer are constantly changing the explanation of religious
sayings to match them up with the latest scientific achievements. They are
constantly making ground to prove scientific achievements from Quran. Some of
them think Quran is the only source of scientific knowledge.

of nature. Other scientists like Newton have seen his work as confirmation of existence
of supernatural forces belief in deity.

The composition of milk in Quran (Chemical composition).

The oceanic behavior in Quran.
Observation of fire.

Today these sort of thing can only be seen in Muslim world.

The results of Islamic science are as mind blowing as Islamic science itself.
Dr Mohammad Mutallib, a professor in Alazhar university of Egypt published a paper. He
mentioned in the paper that all mountains on earth are for the holding up the earth. He
showed in the paper that if there were no mountains the earth would have been very shaky. It
would not let anybody walk on its surface. The report further said that it is due to the
mountains that we are pulled down by earth. Here this professor forgets the basic physical law
explaining the gravity effect. According to Newton in case of earth the effect of gravity it
greater on a body than the centrifugal force. If it were not like so we all would have been a
separate space rocket cruising in the space. The point here is not that mountains have no
significance or effect on earth life, it can be a good metaphor but not the reality that
mountains are like nails on earth.
Similarly another paper by Egyptian from the Scientific miracle of Quran worked on the shells
used for the killing of those jinn who misadventure to forbidden parts of heaven. In this report
he mentioned that God uses empty copper shells to kill them.
Today we all know that copper is no more used by armament industries. It means God is using
old technology.

Up till now Muslims were only explaining social activities on the basis of Islam. But now the
Islamization has expanded its scope from social activities to natural phenomena. It is called
Islamic science. Long after medieval age is gone once again we are getting rebirth of the age.
We are Islamizing science regularly. All the achievements of science we constantly attribute to
what is revealed 1400 years ago. We are making theology a part of science again. To compete
with west Muslims make their own science version to give an alternative to world. Todays
Islamic scientists are in no position to accept secular science on the land of pure. Todays
Muslims scientist have made fun and joke of science for example in October 18 1887 general
Zia ul Haq inaugurated a conference in Islamabad. This conference was not the first of its
nature. Some couple of conferences were held previously in Karachi too. The name of the
conference was scientific miracles of Quran and scientific miracles of mecca. Various Muslims
countries participated in this conference. The main topic they discussed in topic were following
on which those beard men had published formal papers too.

Explaining hoaxes, theological mysteries, myths are our routine now. There are hundreds of
more like these theological explanations to nature in our societies. The graphs in appendices
clearly show what our actual response to science is in this period of science. These graphs if
seen by some unorthodox man will consider a psychiatrist for all these scientists. Our insane
response does not stop here. In October 2015 a seminar was arranged in one of Pakistans best
institutes, the COMSAT institute in Islamabad. The title of the seminar was jinn and black
magic. The seminar was attended by hundreds of people. In the seminar the presenter Zia ul
Haq, tried to explain three types of unseen creatures. Further proving jinn and black magic he
gave interesting arguments. He told the audience that if there is no jinn or black magic then
why Hollywood is investing millions of dollars in horror movies? From his arguments it can be
resulted that all the zombies are no more fiction but a real chapter. The following graphs in
appendices explains the mathematical relationship of sawab (divine reward) and the
mathematical form of life after death.

In international seminar on Quran and Science organized in 1986 by Pakistan association of

scientists Dr Arshad Beg explained HYPOCRISY in a way no one can dare to explain. He
formulated hypocrisy in an equation which can be used to find hypocrisy in a society. He use
the analogy of polarizing forces on molecules with the force of society on individuals. On the
basis of his calculation western society has hypocrisy value of 22 while Spain and Portugal have
14 each. Pakistan have zero value!

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Conclusion and Recommendation
Islamic world failed miserably to regain what they had lost. Muslims are trapped completely in
medievalism. They are constantly rejecting new ideas while adhering firmly to old. It was not
our misfortune. It was not because of military defeats. It was the result of the shift in outlook
and the attitudes. About 700 years ago what we had lost we have not done any serious effort of
recovery except Muhammad Ali of Egypt and Ottoman Empire. Muslims are beating around the
bush ignoring the real issues. Science is secular it cannot be like other in any case. The
secularism does not mean that it will give final verdict about existence of supernatural forces
but it does mean that science does not depend on any spiritual explanation and someones
authority to explain natural phenomenon. Observations, experiments, logic are the only
arbiters which will decide what is right and what is wrong. There is no restriction on scientists
for what they have to be but they must accept laws of nature as science does not need any law
from outside to explain nature. The only way to retrieve science in Islamic world is that we
must have to give up our no scientific religion explanation of nature. The science we created in
Islamic world which is known as Islamic science is nothing but a joke in front of science
communities. Explaining resurrection, hell, heaven, proving Makkah a unique place with
science, proving Satan with science are not going to help us through present day modern day
science. Funding and resources also matter but when we see people having all resources
available performing all these blunders time and again we feel need of shift in our minds.

10
References
1. They call it Islamics science by Pervez Hoodbhoy.
2. Mohammed Mutallib, 'Geology In The Light of Quranic Verse', presented at the First
International Conference on Scientific Miracles of Qur'an and Sunnah, 1987, available in
published form from the International Islamic University Islamabad.
3. Muhammad Abd Alkader AI Fequi, 'Views on the Scientific Miraculous Aspect of the
Holy Qur'an in Relation to the Earth Sciences" presented at the Scientific Miracles
Conference, op. cit.
4. M. Arshad Ali Beg, 'Qur'an and Scientific Interpretation of Munafiqat', published in
proceedings of the International Seminar on Qur'an & Science, (Karachi, Pakistan
Association of Scientists and Scientific Professions, 26 June 1986), pp. 46-55.
5. Salim Mahmood, Elm-e-Falkiat, published in proceedings of International Seminar on
Quran & Science, (Karachi, Pakistan Association of Scientists and Scientific Professions,
17 June 1987), p. 42.
6. Safdar Jang Rajput, 'Dichotomy of Insan and Jinn & Their Destiny', published in
Science and Technology in the Islamic World, Vol. 3, No. I, (Islamabad, Jan.
March 1985), pp. 28-48.
7. Ibid., p. 35.
8. K. R. Popper, The Logic of Scientific Discovery, (London, Hutchinson, 1968),
passim
9 Science and the Islamic world and the quest for rapprochement
10 Islam and science religious orthodoxy and the battle for rationality Parvez Hoodbhoy
11 http://www.dawn.com/news/1212051 article by Pervez Hoodbhoy Jinn invaded campuses

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Appendices