SCIENCE AND RELIGION (espec/a//y ISLAM)

Oeience as a discipline of knowledge may be defined as "experimentally verifiable

knowledge learnt through an intelligent and systematic ohservation of the 'universe and
the phenomena of nature". Islam is the

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.universal religion of man and it means man's fuli submission to Almighty Allah not
merely in belief and mode of worship but in ethic and morality, in culture and social
behaviour in politics and law, in economic and social set up and in all the individual and
collective affairs of man alive

Liani, having rational logical and practicable teachings, is a scientific religion. It has no
space for superstitions, dogmas and infidelity. Quran is Allah's revealed book, its
principles, knowledge and wisdom can be tested on scientific basis. For instance Muslims
believe in Tauhced (unity or oneness of God). Quran testifies this truth HI 67- 3 - 4 as
follows:.

"Allah, created the seven skies in harmony. You 'do not see any incongruity i;i the
creation of the Rahman (God). Then look again, car: you see any flaw? And then iook
again and yet again, your sight will come back to you confused and fatigued". In these
verses God has challenged man to find any inconsistency or disorder in the universe.
Since man sees a complete order and harmony in the minute details of the nature, so he
infers that the universe might have been created by one and only one supreme power i.e.
Almighty Allah - the Omnipresent and Omni-potent. These verses also show that the
study of nature also strengthens our belief of the religion of Islam. Similarly God has
repeatedly enjoined the man to think and meditate our universe.

With the development of scientific research, the religious teachings, laws and principles
also got authenticity. The following few examples wiil be sufficient enough to indicate
the truth and universality of religious laws. 430 f°r Prospective Headmasters

Quran says, "And of every thing we have created pairs, you (O mankind) may be
mindful."

Science has proved honey to have a medical and nutritional value and is used as a food as
well as medicine for the treatment of several diseases. God speaks of it in his Holy Book
in 17, 68 & 69 thus

"And your Rabb (God) taught the bee to build its cell in hills, on trees and in mankind's
inhabitations; thus you eat (O mankind!) of all the fruits and follow the ways of your
Rabb made most easy. These issues from within their (bee's) bodies a drink of various
colours, there is healing for mankind in this, there is surely a sign for those people who
think over".

About the structure of all living bodies Quran says "And Allah has created from water
every living creative; so, of them is that which walks upon its belly and of them is that
which walks on two feet and of them is that which walks on four. Allah creates what he
pleases, for he has power over all things".

Biologists have proved this by saying that all living bodies contain a very large
percentage of water. They also believe that life began in the surface water of oceans. The
theories of Biogenesis and Abiogenesis propounded by Aristotle depict tttat the origin of
life is water and clay.

Islam urges and exhorts mankind to study nature, ponder over and deduce laws from the
phenomena of nature. Quran also describes the natural phenomena as the "signs of
Allah". It means that they are manifestations of his attributes and qualities. The best and
easy way of

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knowing Allah is therefore the true observance of the natural phenomena. The people
who do not make use of their eyes, ears and mind to study the natural phenomena are
violating the following injunctions of the Quran which say

17 : 20 "Will they not regard the camels, how they are created! and the heaven, how it is
raised! And the hills, how they are set up! And the earth, how it is spread!
13 : 3 "And Allah has spread out the earth and placed therein firm hills and flowing
streams. And fruits o~ all kinds. He placed therein the male and the female. He covers the
night with the day. Lo! Herein surely are Signs for people who take thought."
13 : 4 "And in the earth are neighbouring tracts, vineyards and ploughed land, and date
palms alike and unlike- which are watered with one water. And we have made some of
them to excel others in fruit. Lo! Herein, verily, are portents who have sense."
45 : 13 "And He has made of service to you whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever
is in the earth. It is all from Him. Lo! Herein verily, are Signs for people who reflect."
These verses make us believe that Islam does not prevent us to become scientists.

The Muslims all over the world made progress in the scientific field only when they acted
upon the injunctions of the Quran and Hadih of the Holy prophet (PBUH) After the era of
"Khulafa-e-Rashideen" materialistic forces began to exert themselves and corrode the
foundation of the Islamic social structure. The Muslim society detached itself from true
Islam and became ignorant. This deviation of the Muslims from true religion432 for
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of Islam resulted in their political downfall depriving them of the peace and prosperity
and ultimately leading to the discontinuations of scientific and educational activities.
After the degeneration of Muslim society it was indicated that Tsiam has a contradiction
with Science and Scientific laws which was a crude idea.

Whenever, there is an apparent clash between religion and Science, it is due to our
limited knowledge of both Science and Religion. Talking of Science one should not
forget that it is based on human experience and that human understanding is imperfect.
Man cannot explore the mystery of the soul, the unseen, life after death or the destiny of
the death. Science sometimes relies on theories, ^resumptions and those hypothesis which
are everchanging and subject to modifications. Atom was considered indivisible but later
researches showed that it could be split up into Protons, neutrons and electrons etc. The
sun was considered to be static but Quran says that the sun is constantly moving towards
its destinations. This contradiction is now totally overcome as the new
11 searches of science have proved the truth of the Quranic verse. (This is the most recent
discovery of scientists who have claimed now that the sun and stars are not static bodies)

To conclude, Islam is the only religious that urges discoveries and continuous research of
science. It exhorts its believers to achieve as much power to defend themselves and
frighten their enemies which is not possible •A-about achievement in scientific
knowledge, it also claims tha> more- the scientific knowledge expands, the more are v.',-
constrained u. admit the truth of Ouranic >• Delations. Thai, ib why science has a close
relationship v> uh the rehgio; of Islam.

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