INTEGRATING ISLAMIC AND MODERN KNOWLEDGE—PHILOSOPHICAL CONCEPTS AND THEIR PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

Shaikh Abdul Mabud

Abstract


The study of nature by itself will not lead to God no matter how deeply one delves into the world of matter. The heart of the observer must be responsive to the ‘wonders of God’ so that nature does not present itself as facts to be cast into neat mathematical formulas or just inspire awe and appreciation with no further elevation of the soul. Knowledge of the natural world reinforces evidence for the existence of the almighty Creator and strengthens the belief in meeting with Him (bi liqā’ rabbihim yūqinūn) for those who have opened their hearts to receive the eternal message contained in each speck of the universe. Doing more science will not make Muslims better morally or spiritually unless these values are actively sought and inculcated in their personal lives. Moral and spiritual training is an essential part of education and this training should be built into science education as well. Studying natural phenomena will lead to the knowledge of Allah (ma‘rifatullāh) only if they are recognized as the signs of Allah (āyātullāh).

 

Full Text:

Download PDF

References


Sunan Ibn Majah.

P H Hirst (1994), “Introduction”, in S A Ashraf and P H Hirst (Eds), Religion and Education: Islamic and Christian Approaches,The Islamic Academy, Cambridge.

S A Mabud (1988), “Editorial”, Muslim Education Quarterly, Vol. 18, No. 4, p. 1.

W A J Meijer (2006), Tradition and Future of Islamic Education, Amsterdam: Bulaaq, p. 176.

W A J Meijer (2006), Tradition and Future of Islamic Education, Amsterdam: Bulaaq, p. 176.

Qur’an 30:7.

Judy D. Saltzman, “The Concept of Spiritual Knowledge in the Philosophy of Seyyed Hossein Nasr,” in E Hahn, R E Auxier and L W Stone, Jr. (Ed.) (2001), The Philosophy of Seyyed Hossein Nasr, The Library of Living Philosophers, Vol. XXVIII, Chicago and La Salle, Illinois, Open Court, p. 597.

Hamidullah (1943) “Education System in the Time of the Prophet,” The Islamic Review, Vol. XXXI, No. 6 (June-July), pp. 179-187, and Vol. XXXI, No. 7 (Aug), pp. 227-237, The Woking Muslim Mission and Literary Trust, UK.

Bayard Dodge (1962), Muslim Education in Medieval Times, Washington DC, p. 17.

Quoted in Bilgrami, H. H. and S. A. Ashraf (1985), The Concept of an Islamic University, Hodder and Stoughton, Sevenoaks and The Islamic Academy, Cambridge, p. 24.

Syed Ali Ashraf (1987), “Education and Values: Islamic Vis-a-Vis the Secularist Approaches,” Muslim Education Quarterly, Vol. 4, No. 2, pp. 4-16.

Qur’an 38:72 “And when I have fashioned him and breathed into him of My Spirit, then fall down before him prostrate.” Every human being carries this spiritual spark within himself or herself.

S A Mabud (2000), “Editorial: The Current Debate on Spiritual and Ethical Education in the School Curriculum,” Muslim Education Quarterly, Vol. 17, No. 3. See this editorial for a discussion on Islamic spirituality.

Bilgrami, H. H. and S. A. Ashraf (1985), The Concept of an Islamic University, Hodder and Stoughton, Sevenoaks and The Islamic Academy, Cambridge, p. 40.

King Abdulaziz University, First World Conference on Muslim Education: Conference Book (Jeddah and Makkah: King Abdulaziz University, 1977), p. 23

E Hahn, R E Auxier and L W Stone, Jr. (Ed.) (2001), The Philosophy of Seyyed Hossein Nasr, The Library of Living Philosophers, Vol. XXVIII, Chicago and La Salle, Illinois, Open Court, p. 466.

Parvez Hoodbhoy (1991), Islam and Science: Religious Orthodoxy and the Battle for Rationality (London: Zed Books Ltd.), 88.

T S Kuhn (1996), The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, 3rd ed., Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.

J R Ravetz (1979), Scientific Knowledge and its Social Problems, 2nd ed., Oxford.

Nidhal Guessoum(2011), Islam’s Quantum Question: Reconciling Muslim Tradition and Modern Science, I B Tauris, London, p. 324.

S H Nasr (2006), “On the question of biological origins.” This is the transcript of an interview with Professor Seyyed Hossein Nasr recorded in Edmonton, Canada on September 22, 2006. Center for Islam & Science, USA.

https://www.theguardian.com/science/blog/2008/sep/11/michael.reiss.creationismAccessed 7 Oct 2016.

Reported in The Guardian, The Telegraph, etc. on 16 September 2008.

Ibid.

S A Mabud (1991), Theory of Evolution: An Assessment from the Islamic Point of View, The Islamic Academy, Cambridge and The Islamic Academy of Science, Kuala Lumpur.

Mehdi Golshani (2004), Issues in Islam and Science, Tehran: Institute for Humanities and Cultural studies, pp. 143-147.

Muhammad Sultan Shah, “Pre-Darwinian Muslim Scholars’ Views on Evolution”

http://pu.edu.pk/images/journal/uoc/PDF-FILES/(11)%20Dr.%20Sultan%20Shah_86_2.pdf . Accessed 9 Oct 2016.

Abdul Majid, “The Muslim Responses to Evolution,”

http://www.irfi.org/articles/articles_151_200/muslim_responses_to_evolution.htm

Accessed 9 Oct 2016.

Al-Jazeera TV (Al-Shari‘ah wal Hayat, Arabic), 3 March 2009.

Franz Rosenthal (2007), The Muqaddimah, Chapter 1, pp. 74-75. http://www.muslimphilosophy.com/ik/Muqaddimah/Chapter1/Ch_1_06.htm. Accessed 7 Oct 2016.

Jalal ed-DinRumi (1207-1273), Translated by A.J. Arberry. http://www.angelfire.com/rnb/bashiri/Poets/Rumi.html

S A Mabud (2007), Teaching about Scientific Origins: taking Account of Creationism, Eds. Leslie S. Jones and Michael J Reiss, NY: Peter Lang.

Mark Ryland and Michael Behe (2004), “Intelligent Design” Challenges Evolutionary Theory: The complexity of creation itself is evidence of a higher power at work. Darwin? Not a chance,” Discovery Institute and Centre for Science and Culture. http://www.discovery.org/a/2230

Accessed 9 Oct 2016.

“Evolution Uproar: What To Do When A Famous Author Dismisses Darwin”, http://www.npr.org/2016/08/27/491492977/in-tom-wolfes-kingdom-speech-is-the-one-weird-trick

Accessed 9 Oct 2016.

“Radio 4 Live Debate Between Golshani and Dawkins,” http://www.markedbyteachers.com/gcse/religious-studies-philosophy-and-ethics/golshani-and-dawkins.html

Accessed 9 Oct 2016.

Gould, Stephen Jay (2002). Rocks of Ages: Science and Religion in the Fullness of Life. New York: Ballantine Books.

King Abdulaziz University, First World Conference on Muslim Education: Conference Book, Jeddah and Makkah: King Abdulaziz University, 1977, p. 7.

S A Ashraf (1985), New Horizons in Muslim Education, Hodder and Stoughton, Sevenoaks and The Islamic Academy, Cambridge, pp. 49-73

W.Rudloff, “The Two Faces of Janus: Where is High-Technology Leading Human Society?”, in Advances in Socio-Cybernetics and Human Development, 1997, Ed. George E. Lasker, IIAS Publication, Windsor. Quoted in Winfried K. Rudloff, “Proliferation of Knowledge: A Global Perspective,” a Keynote Lecture presented at the Intersymp ’98, The 10th International Conference on Systems Research, Informatics, and Cybernetics, August 17-21, 1998, Baden-Baden, Germany, published in Advances in Socio-Cybernetics and Human Development, Volume VII, pp. 17-23, 1999, Ed. George E. Lasker, IIAS Publication, Windsor.

S H Nasr (1985), “Foreword” to S A Ashraf, New Horizons in Muslim Education, Hodder and Stoughton, Sevenoaks and The Islamic Academy, Cambridge.

N Anas, E A Z E Alwi, M H H Razali, R N Subki, and N A A Bakar (2013), “The Integration of Knowledge in Islam: Concept and Challenges”, Global Journal of Human Social Science Linguistics and Education, Vol. 13, Issue 10, Version 1.0; S Yaacob, R Embong, W M A W M Amin, R Chik, A Yaacob, S Man and M F Ghalib, “Revisiting the Concept of an Integrated Curriculum and Its Implications for Contemporary Islamic Schools”, US-China Education Review B, August 2014, Vol. 4, No. 8, pp. 550-559;

J Casewit (2011), Education in the Light of Tradition, Bloomington: World Wisdom.


Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Copyright (c) 2017 Proceedings