Quran Knowledge And Science

One of the major reasons why the Muslim world at present is far behind compared to the Western countries and other developed nations is the fact that Muslims were not able to carry on the legacy of the Muslim scholars and scientists like, Al Farabi, Ibn al-Haytham,Omar Khayyám,Abū Rayhān al-Bīrūnī etc. who are world renowned for their contribution to learning in general and science in particular. Despite all the talent that the Muslim world has got today, the lack of education causes it to go to waste and very few of the talent becomes productive.

Islam does not make any differentiation when it comes to learning and seeking of knowledge. The reason why Muslims have not been able to give priority to learning and knowledge in general and scientific knowledge in particular is the fact that they separated Islam and Quran from science. Muslims of early times realized that Islam Quran and science have a strong relationship, however, the later Muslims confined learning and education to only Islamic education. Thus, Muslims went behind in scientific development because of this attitude and at present they are still fighting to come out of this obscurity.

The lines below discuss how the Quran, knowledge and science all gather under the emblem of Islam.

Quran On Seeking of Knowledge:

If there is any religion that has stressed the most on seeking of knowledge and its spread, it is Islam. The Quran and hadith of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) both are full with instances where great stress has been put on learning and seeking of knowledge. The extent of stress on learning Quran and Islam can be assessed by the first verses of Quran that were revealed to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). The verses say:

“Read! In the name of your Lord who created – Created the human from something which clings. Read! And your Lord is Most Bountiful – He who taught (the use of) the Pen, Taught the human that which he knew not.” (96:1-5)

Thus, if the first revelation of a religious text starts with the word ‘Read’ then it does not require a genius to figure out the level and kind of stress that religion ought to put on learning and seeking of knowledge.

Further in Quran Allah Almighty says:

“Verily in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the alternation of night and day – there are indeed signs for men of understanding; Men who remember Allah, standing, sitting, and lying down on their sides, and contemplate the creation of the heavens and the earth (with the thought) “Our Lord! Not for nothing have You created (all) this. Glory to Your! Give us salvation from the suffering of the Fire.” (3:190-191)

This ayah clearly promotes and encourages the spirit of contemplation and pondering over the signs of Allah, which can only be done by the people of understanding. Therefore, those who have faith in Allah and complement it with seeking of knowledge, only they are the ones who are able to understand the signs and realize that Allah is the Ultimate Truth and the Creator.

Science And Quran:

Those who say that Quran is something else and it has no relation with modern science are wrong. The verses of Quran that were revealed 1400 years ago explain or shed light on the phenomenon that science has started to explain now. The lines below discuss some of the scientific findings about which Quran has already spoken in the exact same manner.

1. The Pollution Caused by Waste Of Resources:

Science at present is putting great emphasis on the fact that all the pollution that the world at present faces is caused by the excessive waste of natural resources and if the use of resources is not taken into check then the pollution will increase exponentially. In Quran Allah says:

“Rottenness (decay/corruption) has appeared on the land and sea because of what the hands of men have earned, that (Allah) may give them a taste of some of their deeds, in order that they may turn back (from evil)”. (30:41)

This ayah shows that all the all the rottenness and decay in the world of today that appears is not something that is created by nature, rather it is what the hands of man has earned. It points towards the menace of pollution that man has caused by the misuse of natural resources.

At another place in Quran, Allah says:

“O Children of Adam! Wear your beautiful apparel at every time and place of prayer; eat and drink, but waste not by excess, for Allah does not love those who waste.” (7:31)

This ayah implies that Islam is not against the ordinary use of resources, the thing which it detests is the excessive waste of resources, which according to science is the cause behind pollution. Therefore, pollution, which seems as a contemporary phenomenon has been spoken about by Islam centuries ago.

Recommended Reading – The Perspective Of Islam Regarding Environment And Its Preservation

2. The Dual Use Of Iron:

One of the earlier uses of iron was as a tool which humans used as a means of getting things done either in the form of axe or hammer. However, with the progression of time the use of iron varied and people started it using as an element used in warfare. In Quran, Allah Almighty had already spoken about this dual use of iron in the following way:

“….And We sent down iron in which is mighty harm, as well as many benefits for mankind…..” (57:25)

Thus, the use of iron depends on the modern science, whether the people of today use it for good or for creating tools of harm.

3. Life Originating From Water:

The modern science has proven the fact that in human creation there is a great proportion of water and that the creation of this world along with the all the creatures is hugely based around water. This fact which science has explained at present and continues to unravel had been spoken about by Quran centuries ago in the following way:

“…And We made every living thing from water….” (21:30)

Therefore, what Quran has said, modern day science concurs with it and testifies to what knowledge Allah Almighty has imparted on humans.

4. The Diversity In Humanity:

Linguistics and sociology have taken a scientific turn and now they try to analyze the variety between humanity and the possible reasons behind them. Islam at that time was aware of the variety in human beings about which it spoke in the following way in Quran:

“And among His signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the variations in your languages and your colors; verily in that are the Signs for those who know.” (30:22)

Pertaining to explaining the reason behind this diversity in humans, Allah Almighty says in Quran:

“O mankind! We created you from a male and female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know each other. Verily the most honored of you in the sight of Allah is the one who is most deeply conscious of Him.” (49:13)

Thus, the reason behind all the adversity is that people should know and understand each other and come close to each other, which the modern world is so desperately in need of at present. Science is trying to make the world a global village so that people see beyond the race and color of a person and see that all are the same and all come from the same origins.

5. Water Cycle:

The water cycle which is a commonly understood fact was not the same perhaps a century ago. Science explored and established the cycle that takes place in water moving from one place to another on earth and then falling on the same earth from the skies. The water cycle explained by science is the same as Quran explained 1400 years ago in the following way:

“It is Allah Who sends the winds, and then they raise clouds: then He spreads them in the sky as He wills and makes them dark, then you see the drops issue from the midst of them….” (30:48)

Thus, science follows the same water cycle as explained in Quran, therefore, the idea that Quran and science are two different things is plainly wrong.

6. The Development Of Embryo:

The development of embryo on the womb of the mother is another great development of science where it has explained how a seed is conceived and how then it develops into a fetus and finally a child. The stages of development of an embryo are also in accordance with the stages put forward by Islam. In Quran Allah Almighty spoke about the development of an embryo in the following way:

“….We made the drop into an Alaqah (leech-like structure), and then We changed the Alaqah into a Mudghah (chewed-like substance), then We changed the Mudghah into Idhaam (bones, skeleton), then We clothed the Idhaam with Lahm (flesh, muscles), then We caused him to grow and come into being as another creation.” (23:14)

The stages of embryo development that science explains with all the instruments at present were explained by Quran 1400 years ago when humans were not advanced enough to see inside the womb. Thus, this shows that science is from Quran and it follows it.

Conclusion:

In a nutshell, the notion that worldly knowledge is forbidden in Islam or it somehow detests learning and progress is plainly wrong. Quran encourages seeking of knowledge and the modern science is not something that is out of Islam or that is discouraged in the religion that so dearly encourages the spirit of enquiry and contemplation over things.