Muslims - Then & Now

‘Read in the name of your Lord, who created; created man from a clinging clot. Read, and your Lord is the most Generous, who taught by the pen; taught man that which he knew not.’ [Qur'an 96:1-5] 

The first revelation Muhammad (pbuh) received from Allah. 

These were the verses which catalysed the revolution for which the subsequent Islamic World was to be credited. It was to dispel the darkness and gloom of ignorance that had for so long gripped the world. 

Knowledge, worldly or religious, is deemed necessary, and the Qur’an exhorts people to acquire it for the benefit of all. Muslims from earlier generations understood this and surpassed other nations in scientific advancement and carried the torch of knowledge for many centuries. On the basis of the teachings of Islam, they made great advances in all fields of knowledge. But when failing to heed the message of the Qur’an, they were gripped in the intellectual quagmire which they find themselves in today. In this article we would like to make the distinction between the terms ‘Islam’ and ‘Muslims’ in this respect and portray a picture of the earlier Muslims by contrast.

We would like to begin with a few quotes.T.W. Wallbank and A. Schrier wrote:

“In medicine, mathematics, astronomy, chemistry and physics, Muslim achievements were particularly noteworthy. Well-equipped hospitals, usually associated with medical schools, were located in the principal cities. At a time when superstitions still hampered the practice of medicine in Western countries, Muslim physicians were diagnosing diseases, prescribing cures and performing advanced surgery.

“Probably the greatest of all physicians was the 9th century figure, al-Razi, known in the West as Rhazes. He was the author of scores of scientific works, including a comprehensive medical encyclopaedia and a pioneering handbook on smallpox and measles. A 10th century physician, Avicenna, (Ibn Sina) compiled a huge Cannon of Medicine which was considered the standard guide in European medical circles until the late 17th century. Important advances were made in algebra, analytical geometry and plane spherical trigonometry.” 

Living WorldHistory, Scott Forseman and Company,1990, p.191-2

Carly Fiorina, former CEO of Hewlett-Packard, made the following comments during her famous speech of Minneapolis:

“There was once a civilization that was the greatest in the world. It was able to create a continental super-state that stretched from ocean to ocean, and from northern climes to tropics and deserts. Within its dominion lived hundreds of millions of people, of different creeds and ethnic origins. One of its languages became the universal language of much of the world, the bridge between the peoples of a hundred lands. Its armies were made up of people of many nationalities, and its military protection allowed a degree of peace and prosperity that had never been known. The reach of this civilization's commerce extended from Latin America to China, and everywhere in between.

“And this civilization was driven more than anything, by invention. Its architects designed buildings that defied gravity. It's Mathematicians created the algebra and algorithms that would enable the building of computers and the creation of encryption. Its doctors examined the human body and found new cures for disease. It's astronomers looked into the heavens, named the stars, and paved the way for space travel and exploration. Its writers created thousands of stories; stories of courage, romance and magic. Its poets wrote of love when others before them were too steeped in fear to think of such things.

“When other nations were afraid of ideas, this civilization thrived on them, and kept them alive. When censors threatened to wipe out knowledge from past civilizations, this civilization kept the knowledge alive, and passed it onto others. While modern Western civilization shares many of these traits, the civilization I’m talking about was the Islamic world from the year 800 to1600, which included the Ottoman Empire And the courts of Baghdad, Damascus and Cairo, and enlightened rulers like Suleiman The Magnificent. 

“Although we are often unaware of our indebtedness to this other civilization, it's gifts are very much a part of our heritage. The technology industry wouldn't exist without the contributions of Arab mathematicians. Sufi poet-philosophers like Rumi challenged our notions of self and truth. Leaders like Suleiman contributed to our notions of tolerance and civic leadership. And perhaps we can learn a lesson from his example. It was leadership based on meritocracy, not inheritance. It is leadership that harnessed the full capabilities of a very diverse population that included Christian, Islamic, and Jewish traditions.This kind of enlightened leadership that nurtured culture, sustainability, diversity and courage led to 800 years of inventions and prosperity.

“In dark and serious times like this, we must affirm our commitment to building societies and institutions that aspire to this kind of greatness. More than ever, we must focus on the importance of leadership - bold acts of leadership and decidedly personal acts of leadership.”

– Carly Fiorina, quoted from the speech of Minneapolis

It is a fact that it is the Glorious Qur'an that inspired the Muslims to take up the scientific study of the universe. For Fulfilling their obligations of the religion, it urged the Muslims, in varied styles, to reflect upon the natural phenomena, fathom deep into the systems that are upholding the whole administration of this universe and evolve means and methods of seeking benefits from them. 

Numerous verses exhort man to cast deep investigating looks at every object and phenomenon of nature and find out for himself the facts underlying them. Thus it has pointed out the very first principles of “experimental science” namely “observation” and “study”.

When the Glorious Qur’an has time and again exhorted to investigate the phenomena governing this entire universe and to discover the principles, facts and causes underlying them, a question arises as to what might be the reason and aim for such stress. The first of these purposes is that human research should alone be the vehicle of revealing the Divine Signs (i.e., Divine Arguments) inherent in the manifestations of Nature. This will provide an irrefutable and irrevocable basis for accepting the existence of One God. 

Divine arguments involve such characteristics as His Unity, Creativity, Sustenance and Divinity which come out as natural results of reflection, research and experimentation on the materials of the universe. These arguments and proofs will themselves be a deterrent for polytheism, naturalism, heresy and all prevalent material philosophies. 

The divine guidance in this regard runs as follows: 

“Behold! In the creation of the heavens and the earth; in the alternation of the Night and the Day; in the sailing of the ships through the ocean for the profit of mankind; in the rain which God sends down from the skies, and the life which He gives therewith to an earth that is dead; in the breasts of all kinds that He scatters through the earth; in the change of the winds, and the clouds which they trail like their slaves between the sky and the earth;- (here) indeed are Signs for people that are wise.” [Qur’an, 2:164]

Abdul Aleem Siddiqui, in his book ‘Cultivation of Science by the Muslims’ writes:

“The stress which the Holy Quran has laid on the scientific study of the universe is a phenomenon unique in the religious literature of the world. Repeatedly it calls our attention to the multifarious phenomena of nature occurring around us. 

“Repeatedly it exhorts humankind that the pursuit of scientific knowledge is one of their religious duties. Repeatedly it emphasises the great truth unknown to the pre-Quranic world that everything in nature is for the service of man and should be harnessed by him for his use.

“It exhorts us to study the structure and function of the human organism; the structure, functions and distribution of animals; the form, structure, functions, classification and distribution of plants, and these are problems of Biology.

“It exhorts us to study the order of nature and the general properties of matter is affected by energy, which is the problem of modern Physics.

“It exhorts us to study the properties of substances both elementary and compound, and the laws of their combination and action one upon another which is the problem of modern Chemistry.

“It exhorts us to study the structure and mineral constitution of the globe, the different strata of which it is composed, the changes that take place in its organic and inorganic matter, etc, etc., which are the problems of modern Geology.

“It exhorts us to study the construct of the earth, its physical divisions into seas, rivers, mountains, plains, etc., and the minerals, plants and animals in each, and its political divisions, which are the problems of modern Geography.

“It exhorts us to study the causes which bring about the alternation of day and night, the variation of the seasons, the movement of the planets and other celestial phenomena, which are the problems of modern Astronomy.

“It exhorts us to study the movements of winds, the formation and evolution of clouds and the production of rain, and other similar phenomena, which are the problems of modern Meteorology.”

– Abdul Aleem Siddiqui, in ‘Cultivation of Science by the Muslims’

If such was the exhortation of the Qur’an, what then led to the intellectual downfall of the Muslims in the field of Science? This Is a rather extensive subject, which cannot be dealt with satisfactorily here. However, briefly it can be stated that the blame has to be laid at the doors of Muslims themselves.It was their apathy, inaction and failure to continue in the footsteps of their predecessors that brought upon them the intellectual pall of gloom which they find themselves under today. Despite centuries of stagnation, the current situation, unfortunately, remains the same.