The relationship between Islam and Science To explore

The relationship between Islam and Science • To explore the early scientific developments in the Muslim world. • To evaluate whether modern science is a continuation of Islamic science. Do Now: look at the diagram and think about the Golden Age of Islam. What is the difference between the historic and current relationship between Islam and science? Why do you think this is?

Read this news paper clipping and add to your do now with an alternative opinion.

Read p 1 -7. Find the point in the article which corresponds with the grid and colour code.

‘Islamic Science is equal to western Science’. (Nasr ) Arguably western science and Islamic science had the same heritage, as the earliest Muslim scientists had early expertise in maths, astronomy, pharmacology and medicine. These were transferred to the Christian west in the second millennium of the Christian era via Islamic sources. But both were benefactors of Mediterranean developments e. g. Greek advancements in this area. However, the west went through scientific revolution with the likes of Descartes, Galileo and Newton. This new era rejected the spiritual realm and focussed on quantity. Conversely, in the Islamic world the sacred character of Gods creation still dominated intellectual Horizons. The focus was still on metaphysical and cosmological principles derived from the Quran. This arguably held Islamic science back. The Islamic world was further afield in symmetry and the making of tiles and dyes. Thus, they were more advanced in architecture and produced works such as the Taj Mahal and the Shah Mosque of Isfahan. Advancements were at an equal rate they were just in different areas. The West began to develop science viewing nature as a ‘thing’ or an ‘it’. They ‘raped it with such a ferocity’ that it turned on them and became a danger to human life. Furthermore, they then used this manipulated form of nature to attack Islamic civilizations which held them back further. Islam had a lot in common with medieval Christianity, they both shared a worldview based on revelation and metaphysical knowledge, both respected the heavens more than the earth. Both at their origins were interested in wisdom rather than power. The decline of Christianity and therefore the doubt cast upon the reality of heaven meant that western scientists were more keen to discover more about the earth. The west became immune to the concept of symbolism and became only interested in mathematically and empirically verifiable facts. Nature as symbolic of Gods power was lost.

Watch the video by Jim Al-Khalili. • Take notes on the relationship between Islam and Science. • Historically what was the Islamic position on science? • What changed? • Who are the key figures?

What are the reasons why some Muslims are in favour of science and other Muslims are against it? Highlight reasons for science in one colour and reasons against in another colour.

Answer the eight mark question and pick one twelve mark question to do. • Explore the problems modern science poses to traditional Islamic thought (8 Marks). • Assess the view that modern science is the continuation of Islamic science. (12 Marks). • Assess the view that there is no such thing as Islamic science. (12 Marks). • Assess the view that Science holds importance in Islam. (12 Marks).

Islam and Science Learning Objectives To express an understanding of the challenges that exist between Islam and Science. To explore how these challenges have changed over the centuries. To evaluate to what extent science is compatible with Islam. Starter: Who was al-Ghazali? How did al-Ghazali contribute to the scientific debate within Islam? The Challenges of Science to Islam

Al-Ghazali (1058 -1111) • A Persian theologian, jurist, philosopher and mystic. • One of the most influential Muslim thinkers. • Sunni Muslim and Shaf’i school of thought. • He combined marginal Sufi thought with orthodox theology (kalam) • He argued for the separation of Islamic philosophy and science.

Al-Ghazali (1058 -1111) Firas Alkhateeb: "When one reads Imam al-Ghazali’s works at a very superficial level, one can easily misunderstand what he is saying as anti-scientific in general. The truth, however, is that al. Ghazali’s only warning to students is to not fully accept all the beliefs and ideas of a scholar simply because of his achievements in mathematics and science. By issuing such a warning, al-Ghazali is in fact protecting the scientific enterprise for future generations by insulating it from being mixed with theoretical philosophy that could eventually dilute science itself to a field based on conjecture and reasoning alone. "

Al-Ghazali (1058 -1111) • “The mathematical sciences…nothing in them entails denial or affirmation of religious matters…from them, however, two evils have been caused…” • 1. The Imam continued: “One of these is that whoever takes up these mathematical sciences marvels at the fine precision of their details and the clarity of their proofs. Because of that, he forms a high opinion of the philosophers [who were the mathematicians at that time] and assumes that all their sciences have the same lucidity and rational solidarity as this science of mathematics” • 2. “The second evil likely to follow from the study of the mathematical sciences derives from the case of an ignorant friend of Islam who supposed that our religion must be championed by the rejection of every science ascribed to the philosophers…” • ‘Deliverance from Error’, Al-Ghazali

Assess to what extent al-Ghazali’s theology led to the decline of Islamic science. (12)

Challenges posed by science to contemporary Islam. • Create a mind map of the challenges that science poses to contemporary Islam. • Which challenges does S Nasr raise in his article ‘Traditional Islamic Science and Western Science? ’

S Nasr’s thinking – The contributions of Islam to Science • There is such a thing as Islamic science with a twelve-hundred-year tradition of its own…with a cosmology rooted in Islamic revelation. • The sciences of India and ancient Persia, which never reached the Occident (countries of the west) save through Islamic science itself. ’ • Aristotelian heritage, Hermeticism and Pythagoreanism became known in Europe ‘mostly through Islamic sources. ’

S Nasr’s thinking – The challenge of science to Islam • The West developed a science based on considering nature ‘a thing’ or an ‘it’ to be quantititely studied and manipulated. • ‘The goal of science in the minds of many, if not all, of its practioners has become the control and manipulation of nature, not its contemplation. ’ • Science has led to military technology – horrors of modern war. Exploitation of the environment has led to disasters. • ‘The applications of science based on power rather than contemplative wisdom provided such military advantage to the West that it was able to colonize most of the Islamic world and finally destroy if not completely, to a large extent the homogenous Islamic civilization. ’ • Western Science has led to the easy victory of secularism, rationalism and empiricism.

Nasr – Islam’s solution to science • To view nature contemplatively. • Restore the metaphysical (abstract, supernatural) dimension of science in Islam. • Emphasise the spiritual significance of nature. Remove the rigid line between nature and supernature. • Qur’an: “All things hymn the praise of God. ’ • Nature has a spiritual message to be heard and understood. • Islam needs to preserve its own scientific tradition.

‘Modern science is compatible with Islam’ Agree § Islamic thought could be adapted to new developments in science. § Verses in the Qur’an have supported scientific discoveries such as the earth orbiting the sun. § Modern technology has carbon-dated a Qur’an from Birmingham university to the period between 568 -645. Soon after the death of Muhammad. Surahs 18 & 20. § ‘Text has undergone little or no alteration. ’ § Al-Ghazali warned against completely rejecting and ignoring science and Maths. Disagree § Scientific empiricism directly rejects Islam because the existence of God can’t be empirically verified. § Modern technology could bring into doubt Muslim beliefs and the Qur’an. § The theory of evolution contradicts Muslim teaching about creation. § Muslim majority countries contribute very little to scientific research output. § Al-Ghazali argued that science shouldn’t influence Muslim thought too much as theology is not as precise/clear as science.

Bibliography http: //mustafaumar. com/2012/01/the-dangers-of-science-imamghazzali%E 2%80%99 s-advice-on-philosophy/