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On one occasion while
speaking to some young people about technology and about the information
revolution that we are presently experiencing, a member of my audience
surprised me with a question. He said: “Are these physical, technical,
industrial, and other worldly sciences really necessary in Islam? Does the
study of such things draw us closer to Allah?”
The way he asked the
question told me that he had already had his mind made up about the answer.
He was already convinced that these were worldly sciences that take a
person away from Allah and from success in the Hereafter.
This attitude is one of the
most glaring reasons why the Muslim world suffers from technological
backwardness. The idea that knowledge should be restricted to a number of
specialized religious disciplines and should focus on a specific set of
highly particular issues, is an idea that runs contrary to the very spirit
of Islam. The first word revealed to the Prophet (peace be upon him) was
“Read!” This is a mighty command. It tells a people who are up to their
chins in a spiritual and worldly quagmire to pull themselves up to a level
where they will be fit to be Allah’s vicegerents on Earth and take up the
task of developing their world. This is a daunting task that requires
knowledge, strength, industry, love and faith to carry out.
This command to read
addresses our minds. It stresses to us the importance of knowledge. How
wondrous it is that the first word of the Qur’ân to be revealed was the
command to “Read!” How equally startling it is that the Muslims are the
people farthest removed from reading. All the studies and surveys that have
been conducted on global literacy show that the Muslims have the highest
degree of illiteracy in the world. As for those who can read, the general
scope and depth of their reading is the poorest.
This culture of
undervaluing the sciences and regarding them as contrary to the Islamic
spirit is the reason why Muslims civilization is lagging so far behind the
rest of the world today in science, technology and manufacturing.
Allah says: “Do you not see
that Allah sends down water from the cloud, then We bring forth therewith
fruits of various colors; and in the mountains are streaks, white and red,
of various hues and (others) intensely black? And of men and beasts and
cattle, in like manner, diverse hues? Of His servants, only those who
possess knowledge fear Allah; surely Allah is Mighty, Forgiving.” [Sűrah
Fâtir: 27-28]
These verses refers to subjects
like the patterns of rain, the fruit with their various colors, the types
of mountains, the various species of animals, and the variations that exist
among human beings. These verses tell us in the clearest possible language
that people can have, by virtue of such knowledge, a means to attain
greater faith in Allah and an enhanced awareness of His greatness and
might. From where, then, do people come with the idea that knowledge of the
physical world has no possibility of bringing one closer to Allah? If we
look carefully at these verses, we can see that they refer to the topics of
almost every science of the past and present – from astronomy and geology
to zoology, botany and anthropology. Sciences like these are the “raw
materials” from which technological advances are made.
When we consider the
importance that the Qur’ân gives these sciences, it is bewildering to find
that contemporary Muslim societies are the farthest removed of all the
world’s civilizations from the atmosphere of technological competitiveness.
Though we possess a rich heritage that affords us every reason and every
means to develop our civilization, we are regrettably the least prepared of
all the world’s peoples for boarding the train of progress that is moving
forward at an ever-increasing pace and that waits for no one.
Islam has a highly
favorable attitude to knowledge and to all forms of scientific enquiry. The
Qur’ân is very clear in its encouragement for learning. At the same time,
it encourages our reading and our contemplation to be supported by Allah’s
remembrance, so that we will be able to steer clear of moral and material
deviance, which can result from human weakness and a tendency to pursue
vested interests and vain personal desires.
The question that we must
ask with urgency is this: Why are today’s Muslims so far removed from
scientific and technological pursuits? Why are they not receiving the
encouragement that is found in the Qur’ân and Sunnah for creativity,
productivity, and the development of society?
We should be reading the
Qur’ân and Sunnah in all aspects of our lives, in all of our endeavors,
whether as agriculturalist, manufacturers, doctors, or scientists.
No doubt, we suffer from
serious shortcomings by distancing ourselves from our religion’s guidance
concerning the value of knowledge. Allah created humanity and provided for
us everything on Earth. Allah says: “He it is who created for you all that
is in the Earth.” [Sűrah al-Baqarah: 29]
Likewise, Allah has made us
to live upon this Earth. He says: “Allah: you have no other god but Him. It
is He who produced you from the Earth and settled you therein.” [Sűrah Hűd:
61]
Allah gave humanity
suzerainty over the Earth by virtue of the knowledge and reason that He
blessed us with. We engage in agriculture and craftsmanship with what the
Earth yields forth to us. We are likewise given the responsibility of
taking care of the Earth. We are encouraged to look into the phenomena of
Creation to discern the laws and patterns that Allah has placed therein, including
the patterns and causes that govern the rise and fall of civilizations.
Allah has made all of this a means to enrich our lives both spiritually and
materially.
Allah sent us the Qur’ân to
be a criterion for us to apply in our worldly as well as our spiritual
lives. Its teachings are for our worldly prosperity as well as for our
well-being in the Hereafter. This is why there are verses in the Qur’ân
about thought, contemplation and investigation, just like there are those
pertaining to Islamic Law and religious doctrine. Indeed, Allah points out
that he “…sent down iron, wherein is mighty power and (many) uses for
mankind” [Sűrah al-Hadîd: 25] In this verse, Allah points out how greatly
humanity benefits from iron, because we manufacture from it so many tools
and devices. In fact, iron is essential for our most modern machines and
technologies.
The pursuit of any proper
and beneficial knowledge can bring us nearer to Allah and earn for us His
blessings, as long as it facilitates for humanity the habitation and
management of the Earth, and the establishment of the faith therein. As the
jurist al-Mâwardî put it: “…anything that helps us realizes our duties and
develop civilized life on Earth.” This includes Islamic knowledge as well
as the various knowledge pursuits in the fields of medicine, craftsmanship,
commerce, technology, and culture. All of these types of knowledge benefit
humanity and help us in fulfilling our duties as vicegerents of Allah on
Earth.
Realizing for ourselves how
Islam encourages the pursuit of knowledge and the advancement of our
technical capabilities is just the beginning. We must then go further and
instill in our societies an Islamic awareness of the importance of
technological progress and the need to support technological development
and creativity. This needs to be encouraged on the social plane through the
praise and public recognition of those who are inventive. It also needs to
be supported financially through the awarding of bursaries, scholarships,
fellowships, and prizes. Likewise, it must be furthered practically by
providing the material prerequisites and infrastructure for technological
advancement. All of this requires coordination and management on an
institutional level, so that the technological contributions of the Muslim
world can be developed effectively and the creative energies of the Muslims
harnessed to the maximum extent.
We should establish centers
for research and hold conferences and seminars to define and further our
research aims and development strategies. We need to get directly involved
in combating the scientific, technological, and intellectual backwardness
that continues to threaten the Muslim world.
It is equally vital that we
develop the necessary laws and procedures to protect the intellectual
property rights of inventors and thinkers. We need to make it easy for
inventors to secure patents for their inventions. We need to make every
effort to assist our creative people.
The task of developing an
environment conducive to technological development has cultural, academic,
as well as political dimensions. Greater freedom is needed as well as
greater political transparency. We need to change our societies from
consumer societies importing goods from everywhere else into producer
societies that sell and export the fruits of their own industry to others.
We ask Allah to bless us
with an increase in knowledge and awareness, both cultural and scientific,
and bring us to a genuine Islamic understanding of how to integrate our
Islamic values and technological progress in a harmonious and productive
manner.
By
Sheikh Salman al-Oadah
(IslamToday)
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