Islam, Science & Technology

8/3/2019 Islam, Science & Technology

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ISLAM, SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

CONTEMPORARY CHALLENGES & PRESENTPREDICAMENTS

Muslims & Muslim world todayRepresent one fifth's of world's population

Economic potentials are enormous

But, live in very difficult and challenging times

Yet, we are told:

"You are the best nation (ummah) produced formankind, enjoining what is right, forbidding what iswrong, and believing in Allah ."

Islamic Knowledge & Science


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CONTEMPORARY CHALLENGES & PRESENTPREDICAMENTS

To rebuild Islamic civilization, Muslims mustundertake a critical evaluation of past failures

and successes in both the Muslim world andthe West besides taking account ofcontemporary situations.

Islam does not neglect the role of science inhelping to deliver material goods to man:

Muslims must acquire scientific knowledge andtechnological know-how to the point of being self-reliant and competitive, and even assuming world

leadership! Islamic Knowledge & Science


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BUT..Muslims must realize that the current andprevalent secular view of science andtechnology is alien to the Islamic worldview and

the Quranic teachings on human civilization,progress and development.

Science and technology should be theinstruments to serve the spiritual and moral

goals of manScience and technology can't solve the problemof unequitable distribution of wealth amongnations and their misuse by man. Intervention of

spirituality, and values and morality is needed.Islamic Knowledge & Science


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Factors Which Influenced The

Rise of Science & Technology in

The Muslim World

Religion and the Cultural Unity of

IslamThe State and Its Science Policy

Other Important Factors

Religious consciousnessPhilosophy and intellectual climate

International trade



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Religion and the Cultural Unityof Islam

Without Islam, probably no renaissance inArab civilization would have taken place.

Islam achieved a unique historical feat in the

history of mankindIslam abolished the barriers which hadisolated many regions and countries fromeach other.

Under this system of government, they nowhad one religion and one literary andscientific language: Arabic

Cultural unity provides free passage andtrade with China in the East to Spain in the

west. Islamic Knowledge & Science


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The State and Its Science Policy

With a stable government and a wisescience policy, the interest and pursuant ofscience and scientific knowledge expand

tremendously. Academies, schools,observatories and libraries wereestablished to implement the science

policy.Bayt al-Hikmah(House of Wisdom)Khinazat al-Hikmah(Library of Wisdom)

Dar al-Hikmah(House of

Wisdom/Science) Islamic Knowledge & Science


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Arabicising and the Role of Arabic

Arabic is the language of the Quran

Islamic religion and the Arabic

language are two unifying forces ofthe Islamic state

The caliph's vision: the sciences of

other civilizations were translated intoArabic

Flexibility of the Arabic language



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Other Important Factors

Religious consciousness &faithfulness to the shari'ah

Motivating factor for the quest of science

Understanding the spirit of Tauhid

A healthy philosophy and intellectualclimate

The flowering of philosophy that isdedicated to scientific learning, progressand advancement

intellectual debates in frank and rationalmanner

International trade Islamic Knowledge & Science

FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THE


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FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THEDECLINE OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

IN MUSLIM WORLD

INTERNAL and EXTERNAL forces causegradual disappearance of the positive factorsmentioned above

EXTERNAL - Destruction and devastationcaused by the Mongols.

INTERNAL forces - include politicalcorruption, internal strife, rise of religious

legalism and sectarianism, neglect of theinner dimension of knowledge in the religion.More devastating effect than, probably, theexternal force


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