Most people think very highly of science to point of even thinking that it is greater than religion. They base their lives on this. The Rabbiul Awwal Special compares them both to show that Islam is greater than science.
With the name of Allah most Beneficient ever Merciful.
To fully understand science in our world today, we have to understand western culture. The West was influenced by Christianity in the 16th and 17th century but with the Renaissance there was an increasing shift towards being influenced by science and technology.
The result: At present more than a third of the western populations do not believe in God or religion and those that do believe in God are still strongly influenced by modern scientific thought.
Our world today is ruled by the western powers which is synonymous with science and they are propagating they way of life as if it is a religion.
The very first word revealed to the Holy Prophet Salallhu Alayhe Wasallam was “Iqra” which means read. The Prophet Sallallahu Alayhe Wasallam has further said that “….The superiority of the learned man over the devout is like that of the moon on the night when it is full over the stars. The learned are the heirs of the Prophets….”AL Hadith.
So we see that from the very onset of his mission our Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu Alayhe Wasallam stressed knowledge instead of blind belief and mere rituals. A religion based on a combination of faith and knowledge, we will discover, is greater than science.
Science as we know it today is defined by searching, questioning and experimenting to eventually arrive at the truth. Because it is
experimental, quite often what it teaches turns out to be untrue as new information comes to light.
As an example, at one stage formula milk was highly recommended for children but today breast feeding is once again stressed because formula milk was found to cause obesity, type 1 & 2 diabetes, asthma and leukemia in the growing child.
In the fifties and early sixties, thalidomide, an over the counter sedative was eventually found to cause brain damage to fetuses of pregnant women and more than 10 000 birth defects in 46 over countries was attributed to this drug.
While science is still searching by trial and error to arrive at the truth, the teachings of Muhammad Sallallahu Alayhe Wasallam, are perfect because it is Divine revelations sent down to him, from The All Knowing Creator for the guidance of Humanity.
“….This day have I perfected for you your faith and completed My blessings upon you and have chosen Islam for your religion….” Al Quran 5:3
There is no need for searching for the truth because we already have the truth. It is common for science today to make discoveries that Muhammad Sallallahu Alayhe Wasallam already put into place 1400 years ago.
As an example: Just recently, scientific research in the medical field has discovered that male circumcision is an important part to the prevention of HIV Aids. They no longer regard this as an unnecessary operation but now encourage it.
Muhammad Sallallahu Alayhe wasallam encouraged this practice 1400 years ago.
A few decades ago, only maths, physics, chemistry and biology were regarded as science because these branches of knowledge produced tangible results that could be verified by our five senses.
In recent times, science has broadened its scope to accept other branches of knowledge such as Psychology and Sociology even though the results of these branches of knowledge are not so easily verified.
Most recently it has even begun to recognise history as a science and when it comes to recording history, modern day scientists are amazed at the scientific way in which the Holy Quraan and the traditions of the Holy Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu Alayhe Wasallam were not only recorded but even preserved.
The recording of Hadith is known today, as the science of Hadith methodology. Thus, we see that science is restricted to certain branches of knowledge while the teachings of Muhammad (SAW) are all embracing, giving guide lines on every aspect of human life such as cleanliness and hygiene, personal and state finances, marriage and divorce, judicial, health, war, inheritance, child rearing, government and anything else we can think off.
“He has revealed to you gradually this perfect Book (-the Qur’an) which meets all your requirements…” Al Quran Sura Al Imraan 3:3.
By limiting itself to what can be verified by the five senses, science has completely ignored the existence of the human soul.
It has not researched subjects such as love, greed, hate, empathy, pride, jealousy, remorse and self consciousness. These emotions certainly exist because each and every one of us feels and experiences them. Because these feelings exist then there has to be more to it than just words.
There are so many scientific questions to be asked about these feelings, such as: Why do they exist? Which part of our bodies do they stem from? How do we use them? Which of them are good and which of them are bad? How do we control these feelings to enhance the good in us and how do we repress the bad?
These feelings of love etc. are associated with our spirits or our souls which we cannot see but feel and this is what the Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu Alayhe Wasallam and all other prophets concentrated on: perfecting the soul.
This is Muhammad Sallallahu Alayhe Wasallam’s greatest contribution to humanity. This is the mother of all knowledge because it results in enlightenment and wisdom which is the by-product of a strengthened soul.
This enlightenment is like the vast ocean while modern day science is like a drop of this ocean.
Development of the soul is the key to unlocking the latent potential of each and every one of us so that we could tap into that vast, pure, untainted knowledge that the Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu Alayhe Wasallam himself tapped into.
By only concentrating on improving on the physical aspects of our lives, science has indirectly created a whole lot of problems. Its teachings have resulted in people becoming selfish and materialistic which in turn has resulted in all sorts of problems.
Our environment is in a crisis, our economic systems are collapsing and worst of all, we are faced with a wide range of ever increasing social problems from a drastic increase in divorce to racial ethnic problems, to an increase in violent crimes and the list goes on and on.
Muhammad (SAW)’s teachings on the other hand are all embracing for the grander purpose of advancing humanity both physically as well as spiritually so that people could live a balanced life in tune with everything and everyone around them.
Science today, although expanding its scope to include other branches of knowledge, is still very restricted by only concentrating on those branches of knowledge that are financially viable and this fact can be verified by the laws pertaining to patents which apply even in the medical field.
On the contrary, the teachings of Muhammad Sallallahu Alayhe Wasallam is firmly based on philanthropic, humanitarian and charitable grounds so that we could not only live a good life on this earth, all together, but also become spiritually enlightened so that our spirits, when freed from our bodies, would be at peace.
Because science concentrates on the physical aspect of our beings, it makes us want the good things and the good times that are pleasing to our baser desires. The problem with giving a little to our “nafs” or baser desires is that it would want more and more, eventually leading us to moral and spiritual bankruptcy.
Take the following example: European women dressed modestly right up to the 1960’s, but today they have no modesty left. When Marilyn Monroe paraded with a knee length dress which was much more conservative than some of the outfits that our Muslim girls wear today, she was regarded as a sex icon.
Before long western women were parading with bikinis and sun bathing top-less. As Muslims today we are also tending to move along the same lines as our western counterparts did because this style of life is attractive to our baser desires.
If we are not careful then our children and grandchildren could be dancing and drinking in parties, swapping wives, bed hopping, becoming homosexuals and even getting involved in satan worship.
There can be nothing more modern or more scientific than what the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) taught. The westernization of Turkey as led by Kemal Ataturk in the early 20th century was the fall of the last bastion of the Islamic caliphate and Dr Sir Mohammed Iqbal says of them:
“Mustafa sang the song of Modernism, he said all the old (observations) should be erased: new life cannot be injected into the Khaba through importing idols from the west: No new melody is there in the harp of the Turks, modern with them is what in the west is now obsolete: No trace of fresh life the Turks can produce, Their soul is empty of a vision of the new world: They melt like wax in the heat of the west.”
Science is a manmade system and it has proven itself to be riddled with flaws. Instead of advancing humanity it is taking us back to the days of ignorance.
As Muslims today, we need to strengthen our faith in Muhammad Sallallahu Alayhe Wasallam and his teachings. We need to rekindle an interest in Tasawaff which embodies the development of our souls.
We need to face the fact that most of us are Muslims because we are born into Muslim homes. If we were born into, as an example, a Christian home then we, in all probability would have been Christians and just like them we would not have changed.
We do not question, search or explore the Truth and if ever we do then we will become Muslims by choice. Our beliefs would not stem from what we have heard or read, but it would stem from our actual experiences.
By actually experiencing we would have certainty of faith which comes with enlightenment and when we have attained this then, instead of blindly following the west, we would once again lead by being the torch bearers of truth.
“And thus have We made you a nation exalted and justly balanced so that you may be a guiding example for all mankind (by carrying to them what you have learnt about Islam), and this perfect Messenger (of God) may be a guiding example for you…” Al Quran Sura Al Bakara 2:143.
End.
Peace and Salutations be upon Muhammad Salallahu Alayhe Wasallam.
Published by Anjuman e Waris e Mohammedi in 2012.
Anjuman e Waris e Mohammedi was founded by Dr Hakim Hazrath Khwaja Sayed Shareef Ahmed Ali Shah RA (lovingly known as Hazrath Poona Wale Shah Saab RA)
– Author: Mohammed Hassan Gaffoor (WhatsApp +27849101486)