The Quran and science

 

 

The Quran on Clouds Scientists have studied cloud types and have realized that rain clouds are formed and  shaped according to definite systems and certain steps connected with certain types of wind and clouds. One kind of rain cloud is the cumulonimbus cloud (pictured right) associated with thunderstorms. Meteorologists have studied how cumulonimbus clouds are formed and how they produce rain, hail, and lightning. They have found that cumulonimbus cloud go through the following steps to produce rain:   1) The clouds are pushed by the wind: Cumulonimbus clouds begin to form when wind pushes some small pieces of clouds (cumulus) clouds to an area where these clouds converge. 2) Joining: Then the small  clouds join together forming a larger cloud. 3) Stacking: When the small clouds join together, updrafts within the larger cloud increase. The updrafts near the center of the cloud are stronger than those near the edges. These updrafts cause the cloud body to grow vertically, so the cloud is stacked up. This vertical growth causes the cloud body to stretch into cooler regions of the atmosphere where drops of water and hail formulate and begin to grow larger and larger. When these drops of water and hail become too heavy for the updrafts to support them, they begin to fall from the cloud as rain, hail, etc. Allah said in the Qur'aan: (Notice the great detail) Have you not seen how Allah makes the clouds move gently, then joins them together, then makes them into a stack, and then you see the rain come out of it...? [Qur'aan 24:43] Meteorologists have only recently come to know these details of cloud formation, structure, and function by using advanced equipment like planes, satellites, computers, balloons, and other equipment to study winds and its direction, to measure humidity and its variations, and to determine the levels and variations of atmospheric pressure. The preceding verse, after mentioning clouds and rain, speaks about hail and lightning: And He sends down hail from mountains (clouds) in the sky, and He strikes with it  whomever He wills, and turns it from whoever He wills. The vivid flash of its lightning nearly blind s the sight. [Qur'aan 24:43]  Meteorologists have found that these cumulonimbus clouds, that shower hail, reach a height of 25,000 to 30,000 feet (4.7 to 5.7 miles), like mountains, as the Qur'aan said, And He sends down hail from mountains (clouds) in the sky... This verse may raise a question. Why does the verse say ...its lightning in reference to the hail? Does this mean that hail is the major factor in producing lightning? Let us see what the book entitled Meteorology Today, says on this: It says that clouds become electrified as hail  falls through a region in the could of supercooled droplets and ice crystals. As liquid droplets collide with hail, they freeze on contact and release latent heat. This keeps the surface of the  hail warmer than that of the surrounding ice crystals.  When the hail comes in contact with and ice crystal, and important phenomenon occurs.  Electrons flow from the colder oblect toward the warmer object. Hence, the hail become  negatively charged, The same effect occurs when super cooled droplets come in contact with a piece of hail and tiny splinters of positively charged ice break off. These lighter, positively  charged particles are then carried to the upper part of the could by updrafts. The hail, left with a negative charge, fall toward the bottom of the cloud, thus the lower part of the cloud  becomes negatively charged. These negative charges are then discharged to the ground as lightning. We conclude from this that hail is the major factor in producing lightning. This information on lightning was discovered recently. Until 1600 A.D., Aristotle's ideas on meteorology were dominant. For example, he said that the atmosphere contains two kinds of exhalation, moist and dry. He also said that thunder is the sound of the collision of the dry exhalation with the neighboring clouds, and lightning is the inflaming and burning of the dry exhalation with a thin and faint fire. These are some of the ideas on meteorology that were dominant at the time of the Qur'aan's revelation, fourteen centuries ago. This is no less than a reminder to (all) the worlds. And you shall certainly know the truth of it (all) after a while.(38:87-88). [Islam & Science]  [Taqwa Palace Main Page]  [Articles Index]                             40 Days in the Womb Joe Leigh Simpson, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the North Western University in Chicago in the United States of America: As we know, these chromosomes contain all the characteristics which the new human being will have such as the color of the eyes, skin, hair,  etc. Hence, many of the details in the human being's make-up are determined in his  chromosomes. These chromosomes begin to form during the early nutfah stage of embryonic development. In other words, the distinguishing features of the new human being aredetermined from the very beginning at the nutfah stage. Allah, the Most Exalted, the Most  Glorified, has stated this fact in the Qur'aan: During the first 40 days of gestation, all the body parts and organs are completely, though  consecutively, formed. The Prophet Muhammad, (sallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam), has informed us in a hadeeth that:In every one of you, all components of your creation are gathered together in your mothers'  womb by 40 days. (Narrated in Saheeh Muslim and Al-Bukhaari). In another Hadeeth, Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam) said:  When forty-two nights have passed over the drop (nutfah), Allah sends an angel to it, who shapes it and makes its ears, eyes, skin, flesh and bones. Then he says, "O Lord, is it male  or  female?" and your Lord decides what he wishes. (Narrated in Saheeh Muslim). Professor Simpson studied these two hadeeths extensively, noting that the first 40 days constitute a clearly distinguishable stage of embryogenesis. He was particularly impressed by the absolute precision and accuracy of those hadeeths. Then during one of the conferences which he attended he gave the following opinion:  So that the two hadeeths that have been noted can provide us with a specific time table for  the main embryological development before 40 days. Again, the point had been made  repeatedly by other speakers this morning that these hadeeths could not have been obtained on the basis of the scientific knowledge that was available at the time of their  recording.   Professor Simpson says that religion can successfully guide the pursuit of knowledge. TheWest, as we said, has rejected this. But here is an American scientist who says that religion, namely Islam, can achieve this with success.  By analogy, if you go to a factory and have with you the operation manual of the factory, then   you will be able to easily understand the kind of operation that goes on in that factory, thanks  to that manual by the factory designer and builder. But if you do not have this manual with  you, chances are much less that you will have good understanding of the various processes  there.   Professor Simpson said: It follows, I think, that not only is there no conflict between genetics and religion, but in fact religion can guide science by adding revelation to some traditional scientific approaches. That there exists statements in the Qur'aan shown by science to be valid, which supports knowledge in the Qur'aan having been derived from Allah. This is true. I also say that the Muslims can lead the way in the pursuit of knowledge and thatthey can accord knowledge its proper status. Moreover, Muslims know how to use knowledge as proof of the existence of Allah, May Allah be Exalted and Glorified, and to affirm the Messengership of Muhammad (sallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam). [Islam & Science]  [Taqwa Palace Main Page]  [Articles Index]                   Appearance of new diseases                    due to spread of lewdness Professor T.V.N.Persaud: I have no difficulty in my mind in concerning that this is a divine inspiration or revelation which led him to relay the statement. We present to you Professor T.V.N. Persuad who is the Head of the Department of Anatomy at the Medical School of the University of Manitoba in Canada. Professor Keith Mooreintroduced him to us and he thinks that there are free-minded scholars and scientists whose main preoccupation is searching for the Truth. Professor Persaud is one of those. He is well known in his field and has authored several books on obstetrics. He also includes in these books some Qur'aanic verses and prophetic ahadeeth and he also presented these verses and ahadeeth at several conferences which he attended. Following is one of the Ahadeeth which Professor Persuad studied:   When forty-two nights have passed over the conceptus, Allah sends an angel to shape it and create its hearing, vision, skin, muscles and bones. Then the angel asks: O Lord, male will it be or female? And Allah decides what He wills and the angel records it. [Saheeh Muslim, Kitaab Al-Qadar] The prophetic hadeeth in this respect says: When forty two nights have passed over the conceptus, Allah sends an angel to shape it andcreate its hearing, vision, skin, muscle and bones. Dr. Persaud presented many researches concerning the relationship between both the Qur'aan and the Sunnah and modern science. The following is another hadeeth whichProfessor Persuad studied and made it the subject of one of his presentations: If lewdness exists among people and then appears as a common and open practice, plaguesand new diseases which did not exist before will spread among them. [Ibn Maajah, Al-Hakim] Let us listen to Professor Persaud's explanation of this hadeeth: It is widely accepted that these malignant changes in the uterus cervix are related to he age of the woman, frequency of intercourse, and the number of partners. Several  epidemiological studies have clearly indicated a significant correlation between exposure to multiple sexual partners and the high incidents of cervical carcinoma. The consequences and dangers of promiscuous sexual relationships and deviant sexual practices have been expressed in this Hadeeth some 1400 years ago. The word 'lewdness' encompasses adultery, fornication, I am told: homosexuality, bestiality, and all other sexual perversions, and it is not wide stretching of an imagination that we should consider Herpes and AIDS as clear examples of new diseases, and indeed at the present time new diseases for which we have no cure.   Today we can understand the significance of this hadeeth because homosexuality, prostitution and lewdness have become widespread and even legalized in many westerncountries. It was not many years after sexual revolution that these diseases which Professor Persaud spoke of have become widespread and some of them, such as AIDS, are constitutinga serious health problem today. The words of the Prophet (sallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam) are very exact. AIDS is a very good example of the kind of disease which did not exist in the previous generations, but which is now increasing at an alarming rate and many people are now too afraid that they might catch it. To Professor Persaud, we must express our gratitude for his effort. When we asked him hisopinion about this phenomenon which to himself is well known and which he has researched, he stated the following: It seems to me that Muhammad was very ordinary man. He could not read or write. In fact, he was illiterate. We are talking about 1400 years ago, you have someone who was illiterate making profound pronouncements and statements which are amazingly accurate about scientific nature. I personally don't see how this could be a mere chance, there are two many accuracies and, like Dr. Moore, I have no difficulty in my mind in concerning that this is a divine inspiration or revelation which led him to these statements. These revelations have come to Prophet Muhammad, (sallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam), fromAllah. Allah sent it from His knowledge, as Allah Himself states: But Allah bears witness that what He has sent unto thee He sent with His (own) knowledge.[Qur'aan 4:66] This Book, the Qur'aan, is the Guide, The Proof, the Proven, and Ever-Lasting Truth among usuntil the Last Hour. This is no less than a reminder to (all) the worlds. And you shall certainly know the truth of it (all) after a while.(38:87-88).   [Islam & Science]  [Taqwa Palace Main Page]  [Articles Index]            The Qur'anic Revelations On 'Comets Of Ice'            By Dr Ibrahim B Syed, Al-Jumuah magazine It has been shown that Islam is not in conflict with science and that Al-Qur'an does not contradict or negate modern scientific findings or discoveries. On the other hand, Western scholars have praised and credited Islam for the preservation and advancement of scientific knowledge by Muslim scientists, physicians and technologists. Over 1,400 years later, modern science is bringing to light the truths or confirming what has been revealed in Al-Qur'an. A learned Muslim will find in the Qur'an scientific truths and realities. Qur'anic Revelations Allah says: "Have you not seen how Allah drives the clouds, then gathers them, then makes them layers, and you see the rain come forth from between them." (First half of verse 43 of surah Al-Nur). Here Allah Ta'ala is describing the formation of rain clouds and the rainfall from the clouds. This phenomenon is very common and known to every human being. But what is not known to human beings are the truths that are found in the following ayat (verses) from the Noble Qur'an. Allah says: "Wa anzala minassamaa'i ma'an," "And (Allah) causes water to descend from the heavens," Al-Baqarah, 2:22, Ibrahim, 14:32, and Al-Nahl, 16:65). Now, the question is why does Allah Ta'ala say that He causes the water to descend from the heavens, in contradiction to the surah Al-Nur, verse 43 cited above? If carefully studied, the following verse makes no sense and the disbelievers would belittle the Noble Qur'an and Word of Allah: "...He sends down from the heavens mountains wherein is hail..." (Second half of verse 43 of surah Al-Nur). Hail is frozen rain or stones of frozen water. This verse very clearly states that Allah sends down from the heavens mountains containing ice ball or comets of ice. According to this verse, mountains of ice or comets are sent down from the heavens (space) towards the earth. Until 1986, this phenomenon was not known to mankind, but it was scientifically confirmed in 1988. Scientific Discovery The story of this startling scientific discovery and its confirmation by experimentation is worth mentioning here. Dr Louis Frank, a physicist at the University of Iowa City, studied the data gathered from 1981-1986 by the Dynamic Explorer I satellite. The satellite took ultraviolet images of the earth, particularly to study the air flow around the earth. In these images, Dr Frank found holes punched through the atmosphere. These holes could not be explained. He discarded dozens of explanations after analysing them. He finally concluded that the holes could only be made by snowballs or comets of ice coming from space. He estimated the weight of each comet to be 100 tons and they are coated with black hydrocarbons. They are falling on the earth at the rate of 10mn a year (27,397 per day or 19 every minute). The snowball or comet of ice measures about 30 feet across. Dr Clayne Yeates, a physicist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California told this writer that the comets of ice or snowball are moving at 10km per second (21,600 mph) relative to the earth and at about 1,000km (600 miles) above the earth. They break up (into hail) due to tidal waves and would then flash to vapour in the atmosphere. Finally, the vapour would fall as rain and join the earth's water cycle. Dr Frank's calculations show this would contribute the equivalent of one inch of water all over the earth's surface every 10,000 years. The earth was formed 4.9bn years ago and if this has been happening since the creation of the earth, the process would provide enough water for the oceans and the polar ice packs. Experimental Proof Dr Yeates used a powerful space search telescope at the Kitt Peak Observatory in Arizona to scan the heavens for the snowballs of icy comets. By swinging the telescope, similar to a shot gun at a skeet shoot, he photographed the descending icy comets approaching earth. He told the writer that viewing through this telescope, he was able to see the icy comets 150,000km or 90,000 miles above the earth (or the heavens). Dr Yeates said, "It was remarkable. The results agreed exactly with the predictions." *Islamic Research Foundation 7102 Shefford Lane West, Louisville, KY 40242-6462 Phone/Fax: (502) 423-1988

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The Movements of Mountains

The Movements of Mountains

In one of the verses, we are informed that the mountains are not motionless
as they seem but that they are in constant motion:

Thou seest the mountains and thinkest them firmly fixed: but they shall pass
away as the clouds pass away: (such is) the artistry of Allah, who disposes
of all things in perfect order: for he is well acquainted with all that ye
do.(An-Naml 27:88)

This motion of the mountains is caused by the movement of the earth's crust
that they are located on. The earth's crust sort of floats over the mantle
layer, which is denser.

It was at the beginning of the 20th century when, for the first time in
history, a German scientist by the name of Alfred Wegener proposed that the
continents of the earth had been attached together at the initial phases of
the world, but then drifted in different directions and thus separated as
they moved away from each other. Geologists understood that Wegener was
right only in the 1980s.

50 years after his death, discovered as a result of the geological research
carried out at the beginning of the 20th century, this movement of the
earth's crust is explained by scientists as follows:

View this link: http://www.evidencesofcreation.com/miracles_01_10.htm

"The crust and the uppermost part of the mantle, with a thickness of about
100 kms, are divided into segments called plates. There are six major
plates, and several small ones. According to the theory called plate
tectonics, these plates move about on Earth, carrying continents and ocean
floor with them. Continental motion has been measured at from 1-5 cm per
year. As the plates continue to move about, this will produce a slow change
in Earth's geography. Each year, for instance, the Atlantic Ocean becomes
slightly wider."

There is a very important point to be stated here: Allaah has referred to
the motion of mountains as a drifting action in the verse. Today, modern
scientists also use the term "continental drift" for this motion.

Unquestionably, it is one of the miracles of the Qur`aan that this
scientific fact, which has been recently discovered by science, was
announced in the Qur`aan.

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THE EXPANSION OF THE UNIVERSE

 

 

THE EXPANSION OF THE UNIVERSE

Edwin Hubble with his giant telescope

In the Qur'an, which was revealed 14 centuries ago at a time when the science of astronomy was still primitive, the expansion of the universe was described like this:

"And it is We who have constructed the heaven with might, and verily, it is We who are steadily expanding it." (The Qur'an, 51:47)

The word "heaven", as stated in this verse, is used in various places in the Qur'an with the meaning of space and universe. Here again, the word is used with this meaning. In other words, in the Qur'an it is revealed that the universe "expands". And this is the very conclusion that science has reached today.

From the moment of the big bang, the universe has been constantly expanding at a great speed. Scientists compare the expanding universe to the surface of a balloon that is inflated.

Until the dawn of the 20th century, the only view prevailing in the world of science was that "the universe has a constant nature and it has existed since infinite time". The research, observations, and calculations carried out by means of modern technology, however, have revealed that the universe in fact had a beginning, and that it constantly "expands".

At the beginning of the 20th century, the Russian physicist Alexander Friedmann and the Belgian cosmologist Georges Lemaitre theoretically calculated that the universe is in constant motion and that it is expanding.

This fact was proved also by observational data in 1929. While observing the sky with a telescope, Edwin Hubble, the American astronomer, discovered that the stars and galaxies were constantly moving away from each other. A universe where everything constantly moves away from everything else implied a constantly expanding universe. The observations carried out in the following years verified that the universe is constantly expanding. This fact was explained in the Qur'an when that was still unknown to anyone. This is because the Qur'an is the word of God, the Creator, and the Ruler of the entire universe.

 

 

 

 

http://www.creationofuniverse.com/html/science_02.html

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Ibn Rushd (1128 C.E.)

 

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Ibn Rushd (1128 C.E.)

 

Abu'l Waleed Muhammad Ibn Ahmad Ibn Muhammad Ibn Rushd, known as Averroes in the West, was born in 1128 C.E. in Cordova, where his father and grandfather had both been judges. His grandfather was well versed in Fiqh (Maliki School) and was also the Imam of the Jamia Mosque of Cordova. The young Ibn Rushd received his education in Cordova and lived a quiet life, devoting most of his time to learned-pursuits. He studied philosophy and law from Abu J'afar Haroon and from Ibn Baja; he also studied medicine.

 

Al-Hakam, the famous Umayyad Caliph of Spain, had constructed a magnificent library in Cordova, which housed 500,000 books, He himself had studied many of these and made brief marginal comments on them. This rich collection laid the foundation for intellectual study in Spain and provided the background for men like Ibn Rushd, who lived 2 centuries later.

 

Abu Yaqub, the Caliph of Morocco, called him to his capital and appointed him as his physician in place of Ibn Tufail. His son Yaqub al-Mansur retained him for some time but soon Ibn Rushd's views on theology and philosophy drew the Caliph's wrath. All his books, barring strictly scientific ones, were burnt and he was banished to Lucena. However, as a result of intervention of several leading scholars he was forgiven after about four years and recalled to Morocco in 1198; but he died towards the end of the same year.

 

Ibn Rushd made remarkable contributions. in philosophy, logic, medicine, music and jurisprudence. In medicine his well- known book Kitab al-Kulyat fi al-Tibb was written before 1162 C.E. Its Latin translation was known as 'Colliget'. In it, Ibn Rushd has thrown light on various aspects of medicine, including the diagnoses, cure and prevention of diseases. The book concentrates on specific areas in comparison of Ibn Sina's wider scope of al-Qanun, but contains several original observations of Ibn Rushd.

 

In philosophy, his most important work Tuhafut al-Tuhafut was written in response to al-Ghazali's work. Ibn Rushd was criticised by many Muslim scholars for this book, which, nevertheless, had a profound influence on European thought, at least until the beginning of modern philosophy and experimental science. His views on fate were that man is neither in full control of his destiny nor is it fully predetermined for him. He wrote three commentaries on the works of Aristotle, as these were known then through Arabic translations. The shortest Jami may be considered as a summary of the subject. The intermediate was Talkhis and the longest was the Tafsir. These three commentaries would seem to correspond to different stages in the education of pupils; the short one was meant for the beginners, then the intermediate for the students familiar with the subject, and finally the longest one for advanced studies. The longest commentary was, in fact, an original contribution as it was largely based on his analysis including interpretation of Qu'ranic concepts.

 

In the field of music, Ibn Rushd wrote a commentary on Aristotle's book De Anima. This book was translated into Latin by Mitchell the Scott.

In astronomy he wrote a treatise on the motion of the sphere, Kitab fi-Harakat al-Falak. He also summarised Almagest and divided it into two parts: description of the spheres, and movement of the spheres. This summary of the Almagest was translated from Arabic into Hebrew by Jacob Anatoli in 1231.

 

According to Ibn al-Abbar, Ibn Rushd's writings spread over 20,000 pages, the most famous of which deal with philosophy, medicine and jurisprudence. On medicine alone he wrote 20 books. Regarding jurisprudence, his book Bidayat al-Mujtahid wa-Nihayat- al-Muqtasid has been held by Ibn Jafar Thahabi as possibly the best book on the Maliki School of Fiqh. Ibn Rushd's writings were translated into various languages, including Latin, English, German and Hebrew. Most of his commentaries on philosophy are preserved in the Hebrew translations, or in Latin translations from the Hebrew, and a few in the original Arabic, generally in Hebrew script. This reveals his wider acceptance in the West in comparison to the East. The commentary on zoology is entirely lost. Ibn Rushd also wrote commentaries on Plato's Republic, Galen's treatise on fevers, al- Farabi's logic, etc. Eighty-seven of his books are still extant.

 

Ibn Rushd has been held as one of the greatest thinkers and scientists of the 12th century. According to Philip Hitti, Ibn Rushd influenced Western thought from the 12th to the 16th centuries. His books were included in the syllabi of Paris and other universities till the advent of modern experimental sciences.

 

 

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Jabir Ibn Haiyan (803 C.E.)

Jabir Ibn Haiyan (803 C.E.)

 

Jabir Ibn Haiyan, the alchemist Geber of the Middle Ages, is generally known as the father of chemistry. Abu Musa Jabir Ibn Hayyan, sometimes called al-Harrani and al-Sufi, was the son of the druggist (Attar). The precise date of his birth is the subject of some discussion, but it is established that he practised medicine and alchemy in Kufa around 776 C.E. He is reported to have studied under Imam Ja'far Sadiq and the Ummayed prince Khalid Ibn Yazid. In his early days, he practised medicine and was under the patronage of the Barmaki Vizir during the Abbssid Caliphate of Haroon al-Rashid. He shared some of the effects of the downfall of the Barmakis and was placed under house arrest in Kufa, where he died in 803 C.E.

 

Jabir's major contribution was in the field of chemistry. He introduced experimental investigation into alchemy, which rapidly changed its character into modern chemistry. On the ruins of his well-known laboratory remained after centuries, but his fame rests on over 100 monumental treatises, of which 22 relate to chemistry and alchemy. His contribution of fundamental importance to chemistry includes perfection of scientific techniques such as crystalization, distillation, calcination, sublimation and evaporation and development of several instruments for the same. The fact of early development of chemistry as a distinct branch of science by the Arabs, instead of the earlier vague ideas, is well-established and the very name chemistry is derived from the Arabic word al-Kimya, which was studied and developed extensively by the Muslim scientists.

 

Perhaps Jabir's major practical achievement was the discovery of mineral and others acids, which he prepared for the first time in his alembic (Anbique). Apart from several contributions of basic nature to alchemy, involving largely the preparation of new compounds and development of chemical methods, he also developed a number of applied chemical processes, thus becoming a pioneer in the field of applied science. His achievements in this field include preparation of various metals, development of steel, dyeing of cloth and tanning of leather, varnishing of water-proof cloth, use of manganese dioxide in glass-making, prevention of rusting, letterring in gold, identification of paints, greases, etc. During the course of these practical endeavours, he also developed aqua regia to dissolve gold. The alembic is his great invention, which made easy and systematic the process of distillation. Jabir laid great stress on experimentation and accuracy in his work.

 

Based on their properties, he has described three distinct types of substances. First, spirits i.e. those which vaporise on heating, like camphor, arsenic and ammonium chloride; secondly, metals, for example, gold, silver, lead, copper, iron, and thirdly, the category of compounds which can be converted into powders. He thus paved the way for such later classification as metals, non-metals and volatile substances.

Although known as an alchemist, he did not seem to have seriously pursued the preparation of noble metals as an alchemist; instead he devoted his effort to the development of basic chemical methods and study of mechanisms of chemical reactions in themselves and thus helped evolve chemistry as a science from the legends of alchemy. He emphasised that, in chemical reactions, definite quantities of various substances are involved and thus can be said to have paved the way for the law of constant proportions.

A large number of books are included in his corpus. Apart from chemistry, he also contributed to other sciences such as medicine and astronomy. His books on chemistry, including his Kitab-al-Kimya, and Kitab al-Sab'een were translated into Latin and various European languages. These translations were popular in Europe for several centuries and have influenced the evolution of modern chemistry. Several technical terms devised by Jabir, such as alkali, are today found in various European languages and have become part of scientific vocabulary. Only a few of his books have been edited and published, while several others preserved in Arabic have yet to be annotated and published.

 

Doubts have been expressed as to whether all the voluminous work included in the corpus is his own contribution or it contains later commentaries/additions by his followers. According to Sarton, the true worth of his work would only be known when all his books have been edited and published. His religious views and philosophical concepts embodied in the corpus have been criticised but, apart from the question of their authenticity, it is to be emphasised that the major contribution of Jabir lies in the field of chemistry and not in religion. His various breakthroughs e.g., preparation of acids for the first time, notably nitric, hydrochloric, citric and tartaric acids, and emphasis on systematic experimentation are outstanding and it is on the basis of such work that he can justly be regarded as the father of modern chemistry. In the words of Max Mayerhaff, the development of chemistry in Europe can be traced directly to Jabir Ibn Haiyan.

 

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The above is an extract from an article that can be read in Full with references at:

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Science and Islam are In-seperable

To those who blame Islam itself for Middle Eastern decline, Bernard Lewis asks the question:

"... if Islam is an obstacle to freedom, to science, to economic development, how is it that Muslim society in the past was a pioneer in all three, and this when Muslims were much closer in time to the sources and inspiration of their faith than they are now?"

 

"Islam was once far more tolerant of Jews and Christians than Christendom was of Jews or "heretical" Christian sects.
Irony is that today, compared to the Islamic world, the West is a model of toleration, freedom of religion, freedom of expression, and protection of religious minorities.

"Islam represented the greatest military power on earth - its armies at the same time were invading Europe and Africa, India and China. It was the foremost economic power in the world, trading in a wide range of commodities through a far-flung network of commerce and communications in Asia, Europe, and Africa"

In the medieval era, Muslim scientists sought out Greek, Indian, and Persian knowledge, and made innovative contributions to mathematics,
astronomy, and medicine.

 

The Greeks systematized, generalized and theorized, but the patient ways of investigation, the accumulation of positive knowledge, the minute methods of science, detailed and prolonged observation, experimental inquiry was done by the Arab muslims"

 

"Earlier Islamic regimes, which embraced and integrated external cultural influences and non-Muslim expertise.
Baghdad, the capital city of the Abbasid dynasty, was laid out by a Jewish mathematician and a Persian astronomer.
Al-Khwarizmi, the Muslim mathematician, explained the Indian number system in Arabic, and made innovative contributions to algebra.
Abd al-Rachman III, the ruler of Muslim Spain at the height of its power and cultural influence, had a Jewish vizier, Hasdai ibn Shaprut.

 

Muslim scientists placed far greater emphasis on experimentation than any previous ancient civilization, due to the Qur'an's emphasis on empiricism, and they introduced quantification, precise observation, controlled experiment and careful records as a result.

 

 Without efforts for scientific knowledge, discipline, hard work, applied knowledge and experimentation, sound Economy, freedom of religion, and protection of religious minorities, removing corrupt leaders, and Peace Efforts among brothers, Allah swt will never revert the current situation of chaos, rites engulfing the Muslim world ,

Allay (swt) says '[008:053]  That is because ALLAH would never change a favour that HE has conferred upon a people until they change their own condition, and know that ALLAH is All-Hearing, All-Knowing .

Lets see the status of ISLAM when it was young and on the rise, then let the readers decide for themseves what we are lacking today!!!

 

 

Effect of Islamic Civilization on Modern Science

This figure shows a twelfth-century model of the solar system from Baghdad

C.H. Haskins7 said: 'The broad fact remains that the Arabs of Spain were the principal source of the new learning for Western Europe.'

They are the ones who placed the fundamentals from which modern civilization advanced. Whoever reviews the 'Dictionary of Technical Terms for Aerospace' 8 would certainly conclude that sixty percent of the known stars are given names that are derived from Arabic.

The books and works of early Muslim scholars were the main resource texts which the West benefited from, especially the Europeans who used these works during the Renaissance period. Many of these texts were used in European universities.

Marquis of Dufferin and Ava said:

'It is to Mussulman science, to Mussulman art, and to Mussulman literature that Europe has been in a great measure indebted for its extrication from the darkness of the Middle Ages.' 9

Scientific knowledge that originated in India, China and the Hellenistic world was sought out by Muslim scholars and then translated, refined, synthesized and augmented at different centers of learning in the Islamic world from where the knowledge spread to Western Europe. (History of Medicine, Arab roots of European Medicine, David W. Tschanz, MSPH, PhD. Also see: http://www.hmc.org.qa/hmc/heartviews/H-V-v4%20N2/9.htm )

Muslims had advanced in all technical, scientific and intellectual fields. Here we will mention a few of the outstanding scholars in various fields.

• Al-Khawarizmi (780-850CE) was a great scholar in the fields of mathematics, algebra, logarithms and geometry. He was perhaps one of the greatest mathematicians who ever lived, as, in fact, he was the founder of several branches and basic concepts of mathematics. He was also the founder of Algebra. Al-Biruni (973-1050AD) was a great scholar in many fields. He wrote on topics ranging from astronomy to mathematics, mathematical geography to mechanics, pharmacology and history.
• Al-Biruni discussed the theory of the earth rotating on its own axis six hundred years before Galileo!

The German Orientalist E. Sachau said about Al-Biruni:

'He was the greatest intellectual known to man.'

In the field of medicine and pharmacy, Muslim scholars left behind a wealth of knowledge in their works, which were used to advance modern day medicine. Among these scholars were:

• Ibn Rushd (Averroes 1126-1198 CE) was an Andalusian philosopher and physician, a master of philosophy and Islamic law, mathematics and medicine.

• Ibn an-Nafees (1213-1288 CE) was a physician who is mostly famous for being the first to describe the pulmonary circulation of the blood. He discovered blood circulation before the Englishman Harvey and the Spaniard Michael Servetus by hundreds of years.

• Am'maar b. Ali al-Mo'sili b. Eesa al-Kah'haal was highly skilled in ophthalmology. He invented specialized instruments used in operations, such as the "injection syringe", a hollow needle.

• Al-Hasan b. al-Haitham (Alhazen 965- 1040AH) was a great mathematician. He was a pioneer in optics, engineering and astronomy. According to Giambattista della Porta, Al-Hasan was the first to explain the apparent increase in the size of the moon and sun when near the horizon. His seven volume treatise on optics Kitab al- Manadhir (Book of Optics) is possibly the earliest work to use the scientific method. He used the results of experiments to test theories.

• Al-Mansoori and Abu Bakr ar-Razi were renowned, versatile physicians. They made fundamental and enduring contributions to the fields of medicine and philosophy.

• Muwaf'faq al-Baghdadi and Abul-Qasim az-Zahrawi were renowned in dental practices. They wrote books concerning this, and put illustrative pictures of the tools used in surgical operations and how to use the tools.

In the field of geography and geology many notable scholars can be mentioned, among whom are:

• Shareef al-Idrisi (1100-1165H) was a cartographer, geographer and traveler. He was renowned for his excellent maps of the world. He also invented navigational instruments. There are many Muslim scholars who participated and took part in advancing civilization. Whoever wants to know more, should review books that are written specifically on this topic. Numerous times, researches written by Muslims were plagiarized and wrongfully attributed to others.

The map of the world - An image taken from a book of a Muslim scholar in geography

The Virtues of Islamic Civilization

• Seeking knowledge is a religious duty, which Islam encourages Muslims to fulfill.

• Muslim scholars in the past used their knowledge to strengthen people's belief in contrast to the scholars of this age, who use their knowledge to weaken people's belief.

• Muslim scholars in the past used their knowledge to serve mankind, in contrast to most of the scholars today who use their knowledge for exploitive and selfish ends.

• Muslim scholars of the past spread their knowledge so that people could benefit from it, in contrast to the scholars of today who withhold knowledge for themselves or for their own country and prevent others from accessing it.

• Muslim scholars of the past aimed to attain the mercy of Allah and His reward, in contrast to the scholars of today who try their best to benefit materialistically from their discoveries.

Bernard Lewis writes

"Islam represented the greatest military power on earth - its armies at the same time were invading Europe and Africa, India and China. It was the foremost economic power in the world, trading in a wide range of commodities through a far-flung network of commerce and communications in Asia, Europe, and Africa , importing slaves and gold from Africa, slaves and wool from Europe, and exchanging a variety of foodstuffs, materials, and manufactures with the civilized countries of Asia. It had achieved the highest level so far in human history in the arts and sciences of civilization. Inheriting the knowledge and skills of the ancient Middle East, of Greece and of Persia, it added to them new and important innovations from outside, such as the use and manufacture of paper from China and decimal positional numbering from India...It was in the Islamic Middle East that Indian numbers were for the first time incorporated into the inherited body of mathematical learning. From the Middle East they were transmitted to the West...To this rich inheritance scholars and scientists in the Islamic world added an immensely important contribution through their own observations, experiments, and ideas. In most of the arts and sciences of civilization, medieval Europe was a pupil of the Islamic world.. 

"Islam was once far more tolerant of Jews and Christians than Christendom was of Jews or "heretical" Christian sects.
Irony is that today, compared to the Islamic world, the West is a model of toleration, freedom of religion, freedom of expression, and protection of religious minorities.

In the medieval era, the Muslim world was a key link in a world
system of trade that linked Europe and Asia.

 Muslim merchants spent their lives in caravans and ships; there were longstanding Muslim
settlements in Southeast Asia and China.

Muslim scientists placed far greater emphasis on experimentation than any previous ancient civilization, due to the Qur'an's emphasis on empiricism,[12][13][14] and they introduced quantification, precise observation, controlled experiment and careful records as a result. Their new approach to scientific inquiry led to the development of the scientific method. In particular, the empirical observations and quantitative experiments of Ibn al-Haytham (Alhacen) in his Book of Optics (1021) is seen as the beginning of the modern scientific method,[15] which he first introduced to optics and psychology. Other leading exponents of the experimental method included Jabbar (who introduced it to chemistry), Alkindus (who introduced it to the Earth sciences),[16] Avicenna (who introduced it to medicine), Abu Rayhan al-Biruni (who introduced it to astronomy and mechanics),[17] and Ibn Khaldun (who introduced it to the social sciences).[18] The most important development of the scientific method, the use of experimentation and quantification to distinguish between competing scientific theories set within a generally empirical orientation, was introduced by Muslim scientists.

Rosanna Gorini writes:

"According to the majority of the historians al-Haytham was the pioneer of the modern scientific method. With his book he changed the meaning of the term optics and established experiments as the norm of proof in the field. His investigations are based not on abstract theories, but on experimental evidences and his experiments were systematic and repeatable."[19]

Ibn al-Haytham's scientific method was very similar to the modern scientific method and consisted of the following procedures

Observation
Statement of problem
Formulation of hypothesis
Testing of hypothesis using experimentation
Analysis of experimental results
Interpretation of data and formulation of conclusion
Publication of findings
The development of the scientific method is considered to be so fundamental to modern science that some — especially philosophers of science and practicing scientists — have described Ibn al-Haytham as the " first scientist" for this reason.[24]

In The Model of the Motions, Ibn al-Haytham also describes an early version of Occam's razor, where he employs only minimal hypotheses regarding the properties that characterize astronomical motions, as he attempts to eliminate from his planetary model the cosmological hypotheses that cannot be observed from Earth.[25]

Robert Briffault wrote in The Making of Humanity:

"The debt of our science to that of the Arabs does not consist in startling discoveries or revolutionary theories; science owes a great deal more to Arab culture, it owes its existence. The ancient world was, as we saw, pre- scientific. The astronomy and mathematics of the Greeks were a foreign importation never thoroughly acclimatized in Greek culture. The Greeks systematized, generalized and theorized, but the patient ways of investigation, the accumulation of positive knowledge, the minute methods of science, detailed and prolonged observation, experimental inquiry, were altogether alien to the Greek temperament. [...] What we call science arose in Europe as a result of a new spirit of inquiry, of new methods of investigation, of the method of experiment, observation, measurement, of the development of mathematics in a form unknown to the Greeks. That spirit and those methods were introduced into the European world by the Arabs ."[26]

George Sarton, the father of the history of science, wrote:

"The main, as well as the least obvious, achievement of the Middle Ages was the creation of the experimental spirit and this was primarily due to the Muslims down to the 12th century ."[28]

Oliver Joseph Lodge wrote in the Pioneers of Science:

"The only effective link between the old and the new science is afforded by the Arabs. The dark ages come as an utter gap in the scientific history of Europe, and for more than a thousand years there was not a scientific man of note except in Arabia."[ 29]

University education
The first universities which issued diplomas were the Bimaristan medical university-hospitals of the medieval Islamic world, where medical diplomas were issued to students of Islamic medicine who were qualified to be practicing doctors of medicine from the 9th century. Sir John Bagot Glubb wrote:[31]

"By Mamun's time medical schools were extremely active in Baghdad. The first free public hospital was opened in Baghdad during the Caliphate of Haroon-ar-Rashid. As the system developed, physicians and surgeons were appointed who gave lectures to medical students and issued diplomas to those who were considered qualified to practice. The first hospital in Egypt was opened in 872 AD and thereafter public hospitals sprang up all over the empire from Spain and the Maghrib to Persia. "

The Guinness Book of World Records recognizes the University of Al Karaouine in Fez, Morocco as the oldest university in the world with its founding in 859 AD 

Al-Azhar University, founded in Cairo, Egypt in the 10th century, offered a variety of academic degrees, including postgraduate degrees, and is often considered the first full-fledged university.

Decline of Islamic Science

One reason for the scientific decline can be traced back to the 10th century, when the orthodox school of Ash'ari theology challenged the more rational school of Mu'tazili theology . Other reasons include conflicts between the Sunni and Shia Muslims, and invasions by Crusaders and Mongols on Islamic lands between the 11th and 13th centuries. The Mongols destroyed Muslim libraries, observatories, hospitals, and universities, culminating in the destruction of Baghdad, the Abbasid capital and intellectual centre, in 1258, which marked the end of the Islamic Golden Age.[36]

By the 13th century, the more strict Ash'ari school replaced Mu'tazili thoughts in Islamic lands. With the fall of Islamic Spain in 1492, scientific and technological initiative generally passed to Christian Europe and led to what are now known as the European Renaissance and Scientific Revolution

 

" If in the long run scientific thought and intellectual creativity in general are to keep themselves alive and advance into new domains of conquest and creativity, multiple spheres of freedom, what we may call neutral zones – must exist within which large groups of people can pursue their geniusfree from the censure of political and religious authorities. Insofar as science is concerned, individuals must be conceived to be endowed with reason, the world must be thought to be a rational and consistent whole, and various levels of universal representation, participation, and discourse must be available. It is precisely here that one finds the great weakness of Arabic-Islamic civilization as an incubator(suppresor) of modern science. (Toby E. Huff)
 
 By virtue of patronage at the highest level during the Abbasid caliphate in Baghdad, the foundations of building the structures of rational and natural sciences were laid and House of Wisdom (Bait-el-Hikmah) was formed in which the scholars of all creeds, religions and beliefs were invited to work. Works of science, philosophy and metaphysics, mathematics, etc. were acquired from the Greek, Indian, and other sources; they were translated into Arabic, the lingua franca of that time, and the scholars were encouraged to advance the frontiers of the existing knowledge further. The result of such consistent efforts emerged in excellence in science that was unique and unequalled in the previous history of science. 

 The Muslims all over the world became defensive in as much as the creative and natural sciences were concerned and at times, they became irrational in minimizing the importance and relevance of these sciences to humanity. They regressed more and more into the religious shell and ascribed the cause of their decline in the world power (hence in science and the creative arts also) as due to deviation of the ummah from the straight religious path that Islam had prescribed. This kind of rationalization is irrational but they tried (and continue to do so) to find reasons and rationale for every thing in religious terms . This mode of thinking which some like to call Islamic occasionalism is part of the collective psyche of the orthodox Muslim world.
 
 
  The natural and rational sciences are now considered secular (in the sense of irreligious) and foreign to Islam. Many mutakallimun considered them (the sciences) as innovations in Islam and therefore reprehensible. They were not allowed to develop in their own right for fear that the practitioners will be misled. The Muslim students may be receiving instruction at schools in the theory of biological evolution but it cannot be discussed in public with any degree of conviction. For any meaningful research in science, the Muslim students have still to go to the western universities. 

Why are the Muslims suffering all over the world today?  One of the answers is to be found in the story of Bani Israel in the Qur'an.  Bani Israel were the first ummah created with the specific responsibility to spread the message of God to the rest of the world. As long as they fulfilled their responsibilities the nation of Bani Israel was enormously and splendidly rewarded with honor and leadership of the world.  When the same nation turned its back to the message of God it faced severe punishment in the form of humiliation and disintegration.  Muslims are the second ummah created on the basis of revealed knowledge.  Muslims are suffering today because they followed the footsteps of the nation of Bani Israel.

Who is responsible for the degeneration of Muslims?  There are three groups of people who are responsible:  The first category of people are the kings and rulers.  The second group comprises the ulema who take this world as their goal. And the last group includes the rahibs and the Sufis who profess the purification of the soul but are after the materialistic gains.

Allama Muhammad Iqbal, the great poet and philosopher of South Asia, blamed the following three groups for the corruption of the Deen: 

(a)    the mullahs
(b)    the Sultans and
(c)     the peers

Today Islam is interpreted only in terms of its five pillars, viz.: Tawhid, Salat, Siyam, Zakat and Hajj.  The other important values of Islam such as: Diyanat, Sadaqat, Husn-e-Sulook, Ad'l and Ehsan have been brushed aside.  Today, we attach great importance to imitate the outward aspects of Prophet Muhammad's (pbuh) personality- such as wearing a beard-but do not give importance to practicing the teachings in his behavior and actions; such as, his humility, tolerance, patience, sacrifice, charity (he used to give away his possessions before sunset), and many other Islamic characteristics and virtues.

Solutions

Every one agrees that the first and the most important solution is education. 

It is education which transforms a casual person into a
- responsible citizen, 
- accelerates socio-economic development of the masses,
- promotes national integration (feeling of belonging to the Muslim ummah) and
- upholds individual dignity.

Education has always received great importance in Islam. Islam emerged in the barren Arabian land, which was both culturally and socially backward. Thus education was put forward as the lamp to illumine darkness. In Qur'an, the word, 'Ilm is used, which means knowledge.  Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) asked Muslims to "Acquire knowledge from cradle to grave."  The captives who were taken from the battle of "Badr" were freed on different conditions. One of the conditions was that if a prisoner could educate ten Muslims he would win his emancipation.

The acquisition of knowledge and learning, both religious and scientific is considered an act of religious merit in Islam. The followers of Islam were encouraged by the Prophet Muhammad to acquire knowledge wherever it was available. Consequently, the Muslims learned reading and writing with zeal from the very beginning. Soon the need was felt to establish educational institutions for the Muslims. During the second century of Islam, educational institutions came to be known as Madaris. Inspired by the Abbasid ruler's traditions Fatimid rulers of Egypt and Nizamul Mulk Tusi, the Wazir of Slajuq Sultans ( d.1092 A.D.) founded institutions of higher learning.

When Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) asked the Muslims to go to China to acquire knowledge or to get educated from non-Muslim prisoners obviously implied to inclination to religious teachings. Islam essentially, in several ways, directs acquiring knowledge of the world and modern education. 

For the past five hundred years our elders have separated the religious education from the secular education (natural sciences, medicine, technology, etc.). 
Religious schools or Deeni Madaris have mushroomed in all developing Muslim countries. 
The disadvantage of educating in Deeni Madaris is that the graduates do not receive modern knowledge and are unable to cope with the changing world where computers and technology are playing pivotal role . In a modern Madrasa, subjects such as English, Mathematics, History and Geography are taught to a comparatively lesser extent and studies in Islamic theology get the greatest share and importance.

 

A Student from Middle East in America

A student from a Middle Eastern country came to the United States to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree from one of the American Universities.  Due to his weakness in the English language, he took English 101 course.  As a final Exam, the English Professor asked him to write a paper on any book he read in the English literature.  After extensive struggle and after a few weeks, he submitted the required final exam paper.  The English Professor gave him 'F" grade, that means the student flunked the course.  The student told the professor that he worked very hard to write that paper and wondered why the professor flunked him.  The professor replied that what he wrote was the summary of the book and there was no critical analysis such as criticism of the characters, plot or theme, etc. The student said in High School, he learned how to memorize the Qur'an and Hadith and excelled in rote learning rather than criticism or critical thinking.  The student failed the course and could not complete his B.A. Hence he went back to another Middle Eastern University and finally obtained the coveted B.A. degree. He returned to his home country, which has been hiring Foreign Nationals for all the jobs that were available.  He applied for a job in the Government and in many private firms. He never got a single job anywhere-neither in the Government nor in a private Firm. The reason for not getting a job, he was told was that his skills were not marketable.

Deeni Madaris attract pupils of average intelligence from remote villages. One of the reasons is that here they can get free boarding and lodging and get education without paying any tution fee. The graduates of these schools have narrow and limited knowledge of Islam and do not have any understanding of the present day world.   They lack self-esteem that comes with a well-rounded education.  And most critical of all, because of these limitations, are unable to exercise ijtehad.  Early Muslim scholars paid close attention to developing a system of jurisprudence. However, today, most traditional ulema insist on the need to blindly follow past jurisprudential precedent (taqlid), while ignoring the need to exercise independent judgment ( ijtihad), based on a thorough understanding of the principles of fiqh (usul-i-fiqh), which, unfortunately, are not much stressed in the Madaris today. Such Shaykhs and ulema with their  radical rhetoric are projecting a distorted image of Islam.  It is futile to argue with them because they do not understand logic and rationality (the foundations of Islam), they promote obscurantism; and oppose different points of view which are the bedrock for intellectual development. 

It is also not right to blame the Madaris for the current rise of terrorism in the world.

The time has come for Muslims to get together and face the reality and think loudly on issues facing them and their survival. 

If the Muslims cannot compete, excel and advance, then it is very easy for those in power (West) to enslave the Muslims through colonization or some other method.  Should Muslims allow history to repeat itself?  Or unite and work for the Islamic renaissance.  

I pray to Allah (SWT) to show us the right path and awaken to Muslim ummah from the dangers of status quo, enlighten us, and give us the strength to compete, excel, and advance.  Ameen ! 

 

References

Ibrahim B. Syed, Ph. D. Islamic Research Foundation International, Inc.http://www.irfi.org/articles/articles_101_150/need_for_islamic_renaissance.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_science

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