Science And Philosophy

?
The Relationship Between Science And Islam
...
1 of 37
Give 3 Quran quotes promoting scientific learning, critical enquires and reflection on God's creation
“Lord, increase my knowledge!”
“There are truly signs in the creation of the heavens and earth, and in the alternation of night and day, for those with understanding.”
“You will not see any disparity in what the Lord of Mercy creates. Look again! Can you
2 of 37
Give 1 Hadith quote promoting scientific learning, critical enquires and reflection on God's creation
“The ink of a scholar is more sacred than the blood of a martyr.”
3 of 37
What happened in the Islamic Golden Age?
When did the Islamic Golden Age occur?
Pursuit of academic excellence reached its pinnacle.
A little over a century after the Prophet’s death, under the Abbasid caliphate, Muslims entered a ground breaking era of discovery.
4 of 37
What enabled the Islamic Golden Age?
With the expansion of the Islamic empire into Europe, Muslims enjoyed access to a vast range of works, especially those by ancient Greek philosophers and scientists. These were translated into Arabic and used as a basis for further study.
5 of 37
What is the House of Wisdom?
How much did the largest library in Europe at the time hold?
A library in Baghdad, which is said to have boasted a collection of 1 million books and at one point, the caliphal library in Al-Andalus had 400,000 books.
Around 400 manuscripts.
6 of 37
How were popular ideas challenged?
What did Golden Age philosophers become known as?
Some popular ideas, like Aristotle’s concept of an eternal universe, were challenged through philosophical arguments inspired by the Quran’s call to investigate creation and its origins.
Polymaths on account of their multiple areas of expertise due to th
7 of 37
Who was Al-Biruni?
Who was Al-Khwarizmi?
Who was Ibn Sina?
Contributed to calculating the circumference of the Earth to 99.7% accuracy, centuries before satellites and modern measuring techniques. Revolutionised arithmetic by introducing the digit 0 (sifr) and developed algebra.
Wrote ‘The Cannon of Medicine’, w
8 of 37
Who was Ibn Al-Haytham?
Who was Al Razi?
Popularly knowns as ‘the father of chemistry’. He made the first classification of chemical substances and wrote the earliest known instruction for deriving inorganic compounds from original substances.
Wrote important scientific treatises on infectious
9 of 37
Who was Omar Khayyam?
Devised the Jalali solar calendar, considered even more accurate than the Gregorian calendar.
10 of 37
What impact did the Islamic Golden Age have on Europe?
What did historian George Sarton say?
These intellectual and scientific achievements inspired the Renaissance in Europe a few centuries later and were instrumental in shaping the direction later taken in Western science, medicine and education.
From 750CE to 1100CE, Muslims ‘held the world s
11 of 37
What did anthropologist Robert Briffault say?
What did Ibn Al-Haytham argue?
Describes modern science as ‘the most momentous contribution of Islamic civilisation’.
It was wrong to trust ‘writings of the ancients’ and that is the duty of all scholars to approach everything. Critical examination is necessary to ‘avoid falling into e
12 of 37
Give 11 ways Islam and science are compatible
The scientists of the Islamic Golden Age were hugely important. They were inspired by Quranic passages promoting the use of reason to understand God and his creation, inspiring later scientists.
The Quran encourages investigation, enquiry and discovery r
13 of 37
Give 11 ways Islam and science are compatible (continued)
Muslims believe the Quran is a scripture for all people and all times, therefore its language had to be accessible by different individuals and societies at different periods from the 7th century onwards. Its lack of scientific language doesn’t equate to
14 of 37
Give 11 ways Islam and science are compatible (continued)
A lack of knowledge about things doesn’t invalidate their existence as they can be verified in the future. Muslims believe divine revelation is a source of knowledge and granted to those God chooses (Quran 2:255)
The Quran reflects so many modern scientif
15 of 37
Give 11 ways Islam and science are compatible (continued)
How could an illiterate man like the Prophet in the Arab desert in the 7th century have known or guessed things that were confirmed under scientific scrutiny centuries later?
Scientific theories can and do change (Big Bang as opposed to eternal universe)
16 of 37
Give 11 ways Islam and science are compatible (continued)
The word of God (Quran) and work of God (universe) must be in harmony.
Some Muslims welcome scientific developments, like genetic engineering on ethical grounds as long as it is used responsibly and for social benefit, like enhancing agricultural produce
17 of 37
Give 11 ways Islam and science are compatible (continued)
Science has many limitations and can’t go further than empiricism and therefore, it’s not yet fully able to account for whether matter emerged, the nature of consciousness or what it means to be human. Yet these are areas the Quran does address.
18 of 37
Give 11 ways Islam and science are compatible (continued)
Only 5% of the known universe is detectable; the rest is dark matter and dark energy, yet we don’t doubt that it’s real. Why can’t the same principle be applied to God?
19 of 37
Give 9 ways Islam and science are incompatible
Muslims used to have interest in science but after 14th century, most scientific progresses took place in Christian Europe and gradually Islam and science started to drift apart from each other.
The Quran says things can come into existence instantly (Qur
20 of 37
Give 9 ways Islam and science are incompatible (continued)
The Quran instructs Muslims to believe in its revelation and in the unseen – this is inconsistent with scientific principles and methods based on experiment and observation.
Muslims believe that the Quran is the revealed truth and put it above any scient
21 of 37
Give 9 ways Islam and science are incompatible (continued)
Some Muslims have rejected the scientific approach and been reluctant to engage with science. The Nizamiyya schools under Nizam al-Mulk in the Seljuk dynasty shifted towards a focus on religious learning at the expense of independent inquiry.
22 of 37
Give 9 ways Islam and science are incompatible (continued)
Muslims believe that the Quran is the revealed truth and put it above any scientific claim or theories.
There’s scientific evidence for the Big Bang and the evolution by natural selection, but not for God.
23 of 37
Give 9 ways Islam and science are incompatible (continued)
Quran has proven to be right in matters relating to the universe does not mean that Islam as a whole is scientifically valid (the Quran is not a book of science).
Interpretations of the Quran play catch-up to science, rather than leading scientific enquir
24 of 37
Give 9 ways Islam and science are incompatible (continued)
Other Muslims oppose genetic engineering on ethical grounds as they believe it’s playing God and changing the creation of God, showing Islam to be more invested in belief than scientific advancement.
25 of 37
Why are Islam and science not compatible?
Telescopes wouldn’t be used for observing the inner workings of cells nor can a Geiger counter help with assessing earthquake activity. Similarly, God can’t be proven through laboratory experiments.
26 of 37
How did Professor Abdus Salam make an important contribution to science and Islam?
How was Professor Abdus Salam rewarded for his findings?
Made important contribution to the discovery of subatomic Higgs Boson particle (God particle) present at the Big Bang.
He received Nobel Prize for Physics in 1979 as described as ‘one of the greatest physicists of the last 100 years, anywhere in the worl
27 of 37
What did Professor Abdus Salam attribute his scientific achievements to?
The Quran due to its emphasis on the laws of nature. Pointed out 750 verses of Quran (almost 1/8) ‘exhort believers to study nature, to reflect, to make the best use of reason in their search for the ultimate and to make the acquiring of knowledge and sci
28 of 37
What did Seyyed Hossein Nasr say about Islam and science compatibility?
Spoken on the importance of science in contemporary Islam as being rooted in the Quran: “In Islam the inseparable link between man and nature, and also between the sciences of nature and religion, is found to be in the Quran itself.”
29 of 37
The Dialogue Between Islam And Philosophy
...
30 of 37
How does the Quran reference to using intellect?
How are Muslims involved in philosophy?
Reflects over creation and acquire knowledge. This was basis for use of ijtihad and qiyas in Islamic thought.
Muslims involved in translating Greek works into Arabic and Persian were influenced by the ideas of Plato and Aristotle and wrote their own comm
31 of 37
Describe a conflict between some theologians regarding philosophy and science
What influence did Ibn Rushd's work have on philosophy?
Al-Ghazali and Ibn Rushd, about enlightenment through divinely revealed truths and mysticism alone and the use of human reason.
Had major influence on later figures like Aquinas and Maimonides and were the catalyst for a reformation of both Christian and
32 of 37
How can Muslims understand God?
There's limits to the use of reason and the furthest rational thinking can take a person is to accept God’s existence but given spiritual faculties through which they can reach certainty God exists (e.g. revelation - verifies existence and way to live lif
33 of 37
Why don't Muslims see any incoherence in their beliefs?
They see all sources of authority as compatible with each other, with the Quran as the most important.
34 of 37
What are the two definitions of miracles?
Instances of divine action that defy the laws of nature.
Rare, highly significant or inexplicable events that don’t – or only seem to – violate scientific laws.
35 of 37
Why are miracles important in Islam?
What was Musa's miracle?
Miracles are unique events performed by God or with God’s permission. For centuries, they’ve contributed to establishing the truth of God’s prophets and his own existence.
When he parted the Red Sea to lead the Israelites from Egypt to Palestine to escap
36 of 37
How do the two definitions of miracles apply to Musa's miracle?
Many believe God enabled Musa to perform his miracle, directly intervening against known laws of nature.
Others believe God worked through nature to make it possible by using the ebb tide when water receded enough to make a crossing by foot possible but
37 of 37

Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

Give 3 Quran quotes promoting scientific learning, critical enquires and reflection on God's creation

Back

“Lord, increase my knowledge!”
“There are truly signs in the creation of the heavens and earth, and in the alternation of night and day, for those with understanding.”
“You will not see any disparity in what the Lord of Mercy creates. Look again! Can you

Card 3

Front

Give 1 Hadith quote promoting scientific learning, critical enquires and reflection on God's creation

Back

Preview of the front of card 3

Card 4

Front

What happened in the Islamic Golden Age?
When did the Islamic Golden Age occur?

Back

Preview of the front of card 4

Card 5

Front

What enabled the Islamic Golden Age?

Back

Preview of the front of card 5
View more cards

Comments

No comments have yet been made

Similar Religious Studies resources:

See all Religious Studies resources »See all Islam resources »