progress towards its goal.
The objection may be raised at this point that the view we have
been expounding is nothing but a brand of naturalism with theism
grafted into it. By calling on the 'Ulamaa, who are "divines," to engage
in scientific research, we are making them mere men of science and
asking them to relinquish their proper field which is "religion." We
agree that in the context of what goes as "religion" it would be
sacrilegious to ask the "divines" to turn to scientific research. But
Islam is not a "religion," it is deen, and deen is a balanced amalgam of
worldly and godly affairs. To conquer the forces of nature and utilise
them for the benefit of mankind in accordance with permanent
values as laid down by Revelation, is deen. You have to master the
forces of nature first before you can make any good use of them.
Science is not only an ally but a prerequisite of deen. If persons who
claim to be scholars of deen are strangers to its spirit and are content
in their ignorance of scientific knowledge, they can serve no interest
of deen. They should allow the winds of science to blow freely over
their minds. Scientific knowledge will deepen their insight into deen
as it is the knowledge of "the signs and portents of God." This
pregnant Qur'anic phrase means that the knowledge of the sign –
nature – is prelude to the knowledge of God to whom it points.
This will be possible only if the basic (prevalent) concept of
Islam is changed and it is taken out of the realm of "religion" This,
unfortunately, our 'Ulamaa consider Irtidaad (apostasy). So let us
proceed further.
As regards nations who have gained mastery over the forces of
nature but who do not utilise them in the light of the Divine Law –
permanent values – they too cannot evade the doom that awaits
them. Says the Qur'an:
And verily We had empowered them (nations of the past) with that
wherewith We have not empowered you, and had assigned them ears
and eyes and hearts, but their ears and eyes and hearts availed them not
since they rejected the revelations of Allah, and what they used to
mock befell them (46:26).
The main points to note are:
- People engaged in understanding and controlling the forces
of nature and shaping their lives according to the Divine
Law are Mumins and Muttaqees. They enjoy happiness in this
Man and his Environment^290