Islam, Science, Muslims, And Technology: Seyyed Hossein .
Islam, Science, Muslims, and Technology: Seyyed Hossein Nasr inConversation with Muzaffar Iqbal brings into sharp relief important dilemmas faced by the Muslim world today, especially inreference to modern science and technology. In four focusedconversations Seyyed Hossein Nasr responds to Muzaffar Iqbalin exploring Islamic views on the origin of the cosmos and life,various dimensions of the relationship between Islam and science,Muslim attitudes toward modern science and technology, and theenvironmental crisis. At the heart of these wide-ranging conversations is what can perhaps be called the most pressing issue of ourtimes: the future course of Islamic civilization.Spanning the entire spectrum of Islamic thought, these conversations are supplemented by three related texts: “The Context”sketches, in bold strokes, the background to these conversations;“The Cosmos as a Subject of Scientific Study” explores variousaspects of the relationship between God, the cosmos, and humanity; and “The Islamic Worldview and Modern Science” is thetext of the keynote address delivered by Seyyed Hossein Nasr atthe International Conference on Science in Islamic Polity in theTwentieth Century held in Islamabad, Pakistan in March 1995—an occasion which brought the two scholars together for the firsttime and initiated a lifelong spiritual, intellectual, and emotionalassociation.By situating Islamic responses to modern science and technology within the historic encounter of Islamic civilization with thepost-Renaissance Western civilization, the book provides reflective insights into the challenges faced by Islamic civilization as itstruggles to preserve its spiritual character and tradition.Islam, Science, Muslims, and Technology is accessible to both thegeneral reader and the specialist. It provides a theoretical framework for understanding the nature of the dilemmas faced by theMuslim world, while also suggesting practical solutions. The bookopens numerous paths for readers to gain deeper insights intosome of the most important issues of our times.
Also by Muzaffar IqbalIslam and ScienceGod, Life, and the Cosmos:Christian and Muslim Perspectives (co-ed)Science and IslamDew on Sunburnt Roses and other Quantum NotesColours of Loneliness (ed)DiwĀn al-ČallĀj (Arabic-Urdu)InkhilĀĂ (Urdu)InqtĀĂ (Urdu)Dawn in Madinah:A Pilgrim’s PassageThe Occident in an Islamic Mirror (Forthcoming)
Islam, Science, Muslims,and TechnologySeyyed Hossein Nasrin Conversation withMuzaffar IqbalDost PublicationsIslamabad L ahore K arachi
2009 by Seyyed Hossein Nasr and Muzaffar IqbalAll rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted inany form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior permission of the publisher.The authors have asserted their moral rights under theCopyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, to be identifiedas the authors of this work.Published byDost PublicationsPlot 110, Street 15I-9/2, IslamabadPakistanTel: 92-51-4102784-85dostpub@comsats.net.pkLibrary and Archives Canada Cataloguing in PublicationNasr, Seyyed HosseinIslam, science, Muslims and technology / SeyyedHossein Nasr in conversation with Muzaffar Iqbal.Includes bibliographical references and index.ISBN 978-0-9738744-2-61. Islam and science. 2. Civilization, Islamic.I. Iqbal, Muzaffar, 1954- II. Title.BP190.5.S3N38 2007297.2’65Cover design:Printed and bound in PakistanC2007-904510-3
g Verily, in the creation of the heavens and the earth,and in the succession of night and day, there aresigns for those who are endowed with insight.(Ċl-ĂImrĀn: 190)
ContentsTransliteration SchemePrefaceixxi1The ContextMuzaffar Iqbal12The Cosmos as Subject of Scientific StudySeyyed Hossein Nasr27Four Conversations3Islam, Science, and Muslims514Islam, Muslims, and Modern Technology915On the Environmental Crisis1196On Biological Origins149Keynote Address7The Islamic Worldview and Modern ScienceSeyyed Hossein Nasr177Suggested ReadingsIndex203205
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PrefaceThis book consists of three self-contained andinterrelated sections exploring various dimensions of the relationship between Islam,science, Muslims, and technology. The firstsection, consisting of two chapters, sets the broad framework for the four conversations that follow.In “The Context” Muzaffar Iqbal sketches, in boldstrokes, the background to these conversations and situatesthem in the larger context of the Islam and science discourse.“The Cosmos as a Subject of Scientific Study” by SeyyedHossein Nasr explores various aspects of the relationshipbetween God, the cosmos, and humanity, and serves as atheoretical framework for the conversations which constitutethe second section of the book.The second section contains four interview-styled conversations between Seyyed Hossein Nasr and Muzaffar Iqbaloriginally published in the journal Islam & Science. Spanningthe entire spectrum of Islamic thought, these conversationsexplore a variety of issues including the relationship between Islam and science, Muslim attitudes toward modernscience and technology, differences between that sciencewhich existed in Islamic civilization prior to the modern eraand modern science, Islamic perspectives on biological origins, and the impact of modern science and technology onIslamic thought and civilization.The third section, “The Islamic Worldview and ModernScience”, contains the text of the keynote address deliveredby Seyyed Hossein Nasr at the International Conference onScience in Islamic Polity in the Twenty-First Century, held atIslamabad in March 1995—an occasion which brought thetwo scholars together for the first time and initiated a life-
xii Islam, Science, Muslims, and Technologylong spiritual, intellectual, and emotional association.A book of this nature cannot avoid a certain degree ofrepetitiveness while exploring its central themes. This repetition, however, serves to underscore different dimensions ofthe discourse and adds to the richness of the dialogue. Thebook is also stylistically heterogeneous due to the presenceof research articles, conversations, and a keynote address ina single volume. This variety, however, makes the book accessible to a larger readership.
1The ContextOn a bright spring day, I stood inside the largearrival hall of the Islamabad InternationalAirport waiting for Professor Nasr. It wasthat season when the jasmine and jacaranda trees don that wonderful attire of new colors whichcreates longing and thirst for the beatific vision in initiatedhearts. Nasr was our keynote speaker for the InternationalConference on Science in Islamic Polity in the TwentyFirst Century, which was to be held on March 26-30, 1995.The Conference had been organized by the OIC StandingCommittee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation(COMSTECH), an inter-governmental body established bythe Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) in 1983 toimprove the state of scientific research in the Muslim worldand to enhance cooperation among member states in thetwin fields of science and technology. COMSTECH workedunder the direct supervision of the President of Pakistan,who was going to be the chief guest at the inaugural sessionof the Conference.I had never met Professor Nasr before, but I recognizedhim immediately when he entered the hall along with theother passengers. He looked fresh despite the long journey.He walked to the immigration desk, completed the usualformalities and went to the conveyer belt where the flight’sluggage had just started to arrive. I went to where he wasstanding and greeted him.“As-salĀmu Ăalaykum.”
2 Islam, Science, Muslims, and Technology“You must be Dr. Iqbal,” he said, embracing me.This was our first encounter in person, though we hadbeen corresponding for some time and I had known himthrough his writings for many years.He asked questions about the Conference as we weredriven toward the hotel. He was pleased to know that therewere to be over seventy international participants. He recalled an earlier conference held in 1983 which had alsodrawn considerable interest among scholars interested inthe relationship between Islam and science. I noted the similarities but commented that our vision for this conferencewas different: we were hoping to use the platform of theConference to launch a major initiative for moving ahead inthe discourse on Islam and science.Once at the hotel, I left with him two draft proposals, one calling for the establishment of a Muslim Scientistsand Scholars’ Forum (MSSF), the other for an InternationalInstitute of Science Studies in Islamic Polity (ISSIP). Thesewere the two dreams I had nurtured over the past yearswhile working at COMSTECH, which I had joined in 1991when I returned to my native Pakistan after a decade-longsojourn in the West. After spending many years in laboratories and studying the nature of the Western scientificenterprise in considerable detail, I had gained experientialproof of the veracity of Professor Nasr’s position on Westernscience and technology and their impact on Islamic polity. Iwas convinced that what he had so eloquently expressed inhis various writings over the past forty years needed to beput into practice for a better understanding of the natureof modern science by Muslims. This had led to the idea ofgathering prominent Muslim thinkers in Islamabad for aconference that would generate enough momentum to create an institutional base for the purpose of furthering suchan understanding of modern science and its impact on theMuslim world.The Muslim Scientists and Scholars’ Forum was to engage working Muslim scientists and scholars to generate abody of literature that critically examined the metaphysical
The Context 3and philosophical foundations of modern science. It was tohave six focal points, one each in Ankara, Cairo, Tehran,Kuala Lumpur, London, and Washington, and a headquarter in Islamabad. Each focal point was to establish a groupof 20 to 25 scholars and scientists. The intent was to movefrom theoretical critique to practical steps in realizing thegoals of an alternate science based on the vision of Islam.The International Institute of Science Studies in IslamicPolity was to (i) carry out studies in the history and philosophy of science and technology; (ii) assess the present potential and capability of scientific research in the Muslim world;(iii) plan future science and technological research relevantto the Muslim Ummah; and (iv) engage Muslim scientists instudies on the history and philosophy of science. One of thegoals of the Institute was to explore ways in which contemporary science could be integrated into the Islamic worldview.Another goal of the Conference was to seek enhancedparticipation of certain historians of science and scholarsinterested in the relationship between Islam and sciencein COMSTECH’s quarterly journal, Islamic Thought andScientific Creativity.We had spent more than six months in planning thisConference. In addition to the COMSTECH Secretariat,many agencies of the Government of Pakistan were involved.This included the Foreign Office, various security agencies,the Ministry of Science and Technology, and the President’soffice, mainly because the President of Pakistan was theChairman of COMSTECH. The Jeddah-based Secretariatof the Organization of Islamic Conference had sent a delegation. Many senior Pakistani scientists were also activelyparticipating in the Conference. All of this enthusiasm was,however, dampened by certain unexpected events on theday of the Conference.That morning, Pakistan’s largest English-languagenewspaper carried an article by an ardent critic of theIslamization of science project. Written in scathing language, “The Circus Comes to Town Again” brought intosharp relief certain misconceived efforts by some Muslims
4 Islam, Science, Muslims, and Technologyto discover modern science in the QurāĀn. It quoted examples of “Islamization of science” from certain papers read atthe 1983 Conference in which some Muslims had presentedabsurd ideas such as calculating the number of angels on apinhead or the distance between heaven and earth by utilizing QurāĀnic verses and quantum mechanics. This, however, was just the beginning; that morning had more surprisesin store.When I arrived at the auditorium of the PakistanNational Library, the venue of the Conference, its auditorium was almost empty. It was nine o’clock; the inauguralsession was to commence at ten. The staff of the President’sOffice had arrived and security checks were being performed. Though cars and coasters then started to bring thenational and international participants to the auditorium,half an hour later the auditorium still had a very large number of empty seats. By then the Secretary to the Presidenthad arrived. He took me aside and said in a somber voicethat it would look very bad if the President arrived to inaugurate the Conference and the auditorium was that empty. Iexplained to him that this was an academic gathering and,though we had sent out a thousand invitation cards, we didnot expect a large crowd. This, however, was not convincing enough, as he insisted that we should have more peoplein the auditorium before the President arrived. Unable toget any further assistance from me for his cause, he directlyapproached the Coordinator-General of COMSTECH, whoshared the same concern; both of them quickly joined handsto increase the session’s audience.During the next hour, as the foreign and national participants of the Conference waited for the inaugural sessionto commence, I was shocked to see the arrival of vehicles fullof clerks, men who did errands for various government offices, and other miscellaneous staff of the nearby ministries.They had been instructed to put on their best clothes (Godknows how they managed to find blazers and ties!) and fillthe empty seats of the auditorium.After an hour of hectic activity, the auditorium did give
The Context 5the impression of being full, but most of the seats were occupied by people who had no understanding or interestin the subject of the Conference. This was, however, of noconcern to the two men who had suddenly added a totallyunexpected dimension to the Conference which, over thelast few months, had become a focus of my hopes for futureplans. Their deed done, the Secretary to the President andthe Coordinator-General of COMSTECH exited the auditorium to receive the President as I exchanged greetings withProfessor Nasr, who had just arrived.The President entered the auditorium; Pakistan’s national anthem was played; everyone rose to greet him ashe took his seat on the stage along with the CoordinatorGeneral. I then went to the microphone and invitedProfessor Nasr to the stage. The Conference began with therecitation of the verses from the QurāĀn. This was followedby the welcome address of the Coordinator-General. Afterthis address, I invited Professor Nasr to deliver his keynoteaddress, “The Islamic Worldview and Modern Science”.After the greetings and introductory remarks, ProfessorNasr read out his address.This was the first time I heard him speak at a publicevent. The fluidity of his words, the images and ideas theycarried, and the conviction in his voice combined to create a profound vision of Islamic thought and civilization.The audience was spellbound. Professor Nasr pinpointedvarious pitfalls in uncritically accepting modern scienceand technology. He called for the creation of an authenticIslamic science on the basis of traditional Islamic science.He said that while this new science could and might absorbthose elements of modern science which did not go againstthe Islamic worldview, it would be a science from which theHand of God had not been severed.He concluded his address by stating thatonly a science that issues from the Source of allknowledge, from the Knower (al‑ĂĊlim), and thatis cultivated in an intellectual universe in whichthe spiritual and the ethical are not mere sub-
6 Islam, Science, Muslims, and Technologyjectivisms but are fundamental features of thecosmic, as well as of the Metacosmic Reality, cansave humanity today from this mass suicide thatparades as human progress. Let us hope that inthese dark hours of human history, the Islamicworld, as the bearer of the message of God’s lastrevelation, can rise to the occasion to create averitable Islamic science which would not only resuscitate this civilization, but also act as a majorsupport for all those over the whole globe whoseek a science of nature and a technology thatcould help men and women to live at peace withthemselves, with the natural environment andabove all, with that Divine Reality Who is the ontological Source of both man and the cosmos.1Professor Nasr returned to his seat amidst applausethat continued for several minutes.When the President came to the podium to deliver hisinaugural address, he surprised everyone by setting asidethe text supplied to him by the host organization, as wascustomary in Pakistan. On this occasion, the President wasso greatly influenced by what Professor Nasr had said thathe began to speak extemporaneously. “You have spelled outa great vision,” he said, looking at Professor Nasr, who wassitting on the stage,but I am afraid we need a different approach tomodern science. We need to train a very largenumber of men and women in various branchesof science. Our existence depends on this. Ourstudents are being denied entrance to Westernuniversities in key areas of science and technology, such as nuclear technology. We have already missed the Scientific and the IndustrialRevolutions; if the Muslim world misses the current revolution of science, then we are doomed.We cannot afford that. We need to take bold andactive steps to train our young scientists. We cannot afford to sit back and indulge in theoretical1. See chapter seven for the full text of the keynote address.
The Context 7discussions at this stage.For the next forty-five minutes, the President expounded his views on the question of modern science. He usedstatistical data supplied to him by the Coordinator-Generalof COMSTECH to show his dismay at the lack of scientificresearch in the Muslim world. Muslim nations are endowedwith vast resources, he said, but their combined scientificoutput is less than a single Western state. There has beennot a single Muslim scientist who has won world acclaim inthe last three hundred years, he lamented; the institutionalstructure for scientific research in the Muslim world is soundernourished that Muslims cannot hope to stand on theirown, he
Islam, Science, Muslims, and Technology: Seyyed Hossein Nasr in Conversation with Muzaffar Iqbal brings into sharp relief impor-tant dilemmas faced by the Muslim world today, especially in reference to modern science and technology. In four focused conversations Seyyed Hossein Nasr respond
Muslims Around the World World Muslim population according to the Pew Research Center, 2014: -World's second largest religious group. -Islam has 1.6 billion adherents, making up over 22% of the world population Muslims in America (2010): -2.6 million -Estimated to be 6.2 million by 2030 Muslims in Europe (2010):
Muslims in many areas of the world, according to a Pew survey: (Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, "The World's Muslims" 7) (Recall that Allah, the word for God that Muslims often use, is the "Arabic word for God" [Pew Forum, "U.S. Muslims" 131].) Understanding Islam for Teachers - Franzosa 2017 - 10
tration of Muslims in the world. Southern Baptists have had a rich history of involvement in Bangladesh, ministering both to Muslims and Hindus. The majority of the Muslims in the country are Sunni Muslims, although there is a small Shiite community (see sidebar on p. 17). Bengali Muslims represent the largest unreached people group in the world.
community of Muslims. There is no living leader of the Ummah. Allah is the only one who Muslims follow. The Ummah aims to promote the welfare of everyone in the Muslim community. The Ummah benefits from a shared language - most Muslims learn Arabic so they can read the Qur'an. The Ummah supports the worldwide community of Muslims by:
Muslims/Islam, modernity and democracy both in theory and the real world of Muslim countries. The course is divided into four sections. The first section will problematize orthodox and modern theories of ‘Islam and politics’. We will historicize Muslims encounter with modernity by ex
Islam means submission to God. The word "Islam" is an Arabic word derived from the root word "salaam", which means peace. Therefore, the word Islam implies submitting to God, living in peace with oneself as well as others and with the environment. The people that practice Islam are called Muslims.
However, Islam and Muslims have historically been reduced to a few, often negative stereotypes, particularly in the West. This lesson aims to help students understand the common stereotypes they may encounter related to Islam and builds a toolkit for unpacking and challenging narrow representations of Islam. Grade . 9-12. Subject
In Arabic, Islam means “surrender” to the will of Allah (God). Followers of Islam are called Muslims, and the founder is Muhammad. Muslims believe that Muhammad is the last and greatest prophet of Islam. Other prophets include Abraham, Moses, & Jesus.
