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Written and
prepared by Professor Omar Hasan Kasule Sr. MB ChB (MUK), MPH (Harvard), DrPH
(Harvard) on February 21, 2014
SUMMARY (1)
·
Islamic
civilization started as a knowledge revolution in Makka (2): Islamic dawa in the
Arabian peninsula was a knowledge and methodology revolution that underlay the
Islamic civilization
·
Qur’anic
methodology inspired the empirical method and inductive logic (3). Muslim scientists
inspired by the Qur’anic methodology experimented and corrected mistakes in
Greek science
·
Muslim
empiricism triggered the European renaissance (4): the crusades in the
East and interactions in the West Europeans learned the empirical method from
Muslims that the knowledge renaissance in the 12th century and the
14-17th centuries.
·
Knowledge
renaissance was the basis of modern western power (5). Renaissance was
followed by a religious revolution (reformation), a thought revolution (enlightenment and
rationality), scientific revolution, agricultural revolution, industrial / technological
revolution, political revolutions,
communication and information revolution
·
The
expected Muslim world renaissance (6): Muslim world today is backward
technologically, politically, socially etc. Reform of society starts with
reform of education. 15th
century Islamic renaissance faces the crisis of duality in the education
system; it requires epistemological reform leading to integration of knowledge.
We need an epistemological revolution to pioneer social reform.
EPISTEMOLOGY (6b):
·
Definition
of epistemology (7): Epistemology, a major branch of philosophy, is the science
of knowledge, ‘ilm al ‘ilm. It is the
study of the origin, nature, methods, and limits of knowledge. The aim of
epistemology is certainty, yaqeen.
The scope of epistemology: distinguish reality from appearance & perception
from reality, evidence for truth of a claim
·
Islamic
epistemology (8) has fixed parameters from Qur’ an and sunnat within the
tauhid paradigm and space-time variables. It is characterized by objectivity
and its sources of knowledge.
·
Objectivity
(9)
comes only next to iman, as the
Prophet said 'qul amantu bi al laahi
thumma istaqim'.
·
Sources of
knowledge (10): wahy, ‘aql, and kawn (‘ilm tajriibi) related to causality,
sababiyyat
QUR’ANIC TERMINOLOGY FOR
KNOWLEDGE (10b)
·
Terms
referring to knowledge (11): ‘ilm, ma’arifat, hikmat, basiirat, ra’ay,
dhann, yaqeen, tadhkirat, shu’ur, lubb, nabau, burhan, dirayat, haqq, and
tasawwur.
·
Disciplines
of knowledge (12): human life, animal life, the earth, the seas and the
oceans, astronomy, agriculture, numbers, counting, addition, multiplication,
subtraction, division
·
Terms
for lack of knowledge (13): jahal, raib, dhann, shakk, and yaqeen.
·
Supremacy
of knowledge (14) and its basis for leadership. Those who know are a grade
higher than those who do not know.
·
Grades of
knowledge (15):
'Ilm al yaqeen,'ayn al yaqeen,haqq al yaqeen.
·
Evidence-based
knowledge (16)
challenge to prove allegations by evidence and the story of Ibrahim searching
for empirical proofs
METHODOLOGY OF KNOWLEDGE
(17)
·
Ummatic methodological heritage (18): ‘uluum al Qur’an, uluum al
hadith, ‘ilm al usuul al fiqh,
·
Research
to expand knowledge (19): Ijtihad
and knowledge renewal and expansion
·
Greek
scientific methodology (20): on logic, istidlaal, and definitions, ta’ariif,
deductive > inductive
·
Islamic
methodology (21) inspired by the Qur’an: inductive logic and empirical
·
Impact of
Greek encounter (22): Positive: new knowledge but knowledge changes and grows.
Muslims corrected many mistakes in Greek science and made fresh observations of
their own. Negative impact on the empirical methodology from the Qur’an was a
greater loss.
·
Muslim
pioneers of the empirical method (23): Al Hasan Ibn Haytham, Jabir Ibn Hayyan,
·
Usul al
fiqh as a methodological discipline (24): Ulama usul al fiqh
used inductive logic as illustrated by the concepts of takhriij al manaat and tard
THE EMPIRICAL
METHODOLOGY OF THE QUR’AN (25):
·
The tauhidi
paradigm (tauhid al rubuubbiyyat)(26):
basis for unity, causal relations, and a rational
predictable universe within one tauhidi frame of reference
·
Physical
laws, sunan llah fi al kawn (27): sunan explain the complex world. Sunan
are uniformly, consistent, and explain causality. They cover relative unseen, ghaib nisbi and not the absolute unseen,
ghaib mutlaq.
·
Inductive methodology (28): The Qur’an uses mostly
the inductive. Interaction with Greek science did actually hamper
methodological development in the ummat for centuries.
·
Empirical
observation and interpretation in ayat
kawniyyat (29): nadhar, tabassur, tadabbur, tafakkur, i’itibaar, tafaquhu, bayyinat, burhan. Rejection of taqliid and dhann.
·
Objectivity (30): istiqimat & sirat
mustaqim, equilibrium: ’adl, wasatiyyat, tawazun, hikmat, and i’itidaal. Rejection of hiwa
al nafs, dhann, usturat, khurafat,
kadhb, lahw, and wahm, taqlid.
·
Evidence
based knowledge (31): burhan, daliil,
bayyinat, tathabbut, and sidq,
and hujjat. The Qur’an teaches
checking information (32): al tahaqquq min al khabar.
·
Basis for
technology (‘ilm nafei) (33): istikhlaf,
taskhir, isti’imar.
QUR’ANIC SCIENTIFIC
TARBIYYAT: basic (34)
·
The Qur’anic methodology (1): a methodological inspiration to observe and
interpret the physical world, ‘aalam al
shahadat, while providing information about the unseen world, ‘aalam al ghaib.
·
The
intellect (35): Intellect is
correlated with signs, al ‘aql wa al aayaat and with knowledge, al
‘aql wa al ‘ilm. Condemnation of not using the intellect, dhamm
ta’atiil al ‘aql Condemnation of blind following, dhamm al taqliid al
a’ama. The prophet forewarned the blind following of Jews and Christians.
·
Knowledge
(36): Human knowledge
is limited, mahdudiyat ‘ilm al insaan. Humans can only know some unseen
things by empirical observations, ghaib nisbi. The keys to the unseen
are with Allah, mafatiih al ghaib ‘inda al llaah. Knowledge by itself is
not useful unless it is associated with work, la ‘ilm biduun ‘amal.
·
Understanding
(37): The Qur’an has used the
term fiqh to refer to understanding which is deeper than knowing. Mu’adh bin
Jabal was considered to have high understanding of the ddiin, fiqh mu’adh fi
a ddiin. He will be the prince of scholars on the day of resurrection, mu’adh
sayyid al ‘ulama yawm al khashr. Aisha had high undertanding of the ddiin, tafaqquh
aishah fi al ddiin and she was the most knowledgeable person, kaanat
a’lam al naas.
·
Thinking
(38): The Qur’an puts emphasis
on thinking, al hatth ‘ala al tafakkur. The intellect can reach a
conclusion, al hukm al ‘aqli. Thinking by looking at space/horizons, al
tafakkur bi al nadhar fi al aafaaq. Thinking by looking at humans, al
tafakkur bi al nadhar fi al anfus. Thinking by looking at the signs of
allah, al tafakkur bi al nadhar fi ayaat al allaah. Thinking about
Allah’s creation, al tafakkur fi khalq llaah. The Qur’an emphasizes
freedom of thought in the form of freedom of belief, hurriyat al aqidat.
·
Innovation
& creativity (39): bid’at vs ibdaa’u: Innovations are prohibited, nahyu al bid’at.
All innovations are a misguidance, kullu bid’at dhalaalat.
QUR’ANIC SCIENTIFIC
TARBIYYAT: Descriptive knowledge (39)
·
Description
of things in the environment (40): The Qur’an described mountains as elevated, stable, refuge, colored,
powdered dust, mobile, erect. The Qur’an described the barrier between two
oceans. Iron was described as beneficial to humans. Its manufacture and
softening were also described. The wind, riih, was described as a
necessity for life, dharurat al riih li al hayat, raising clouds,
turning in direction of blowing, tasrif al riyaah, seeding clouds to
cause rain, talqiih al sihaab, pushing boats in the water, daf’u al
safinat. Plants, al zara’u, were described as of different kinds.
The sky, samaau, was descibed as layers, al samaau tibaaqan, held
in place, imsaak al samaau, raised without pillars, rafa’u al smaau
biduun ‘imad, of wide expanse, si’at al samaau, and having smoke, dukhaan
al samaau. Honey was described as a cure, al ‘asal shafau. Water, maau,
was described as the source of life, al maau asl al hayat.
·
Description
of changes and motion (41):
The Qur’an described the attractive force of the earth, jadhibiyyat al ardh.
It described the motion of the earth, the boats, the sun, the moon, the water,
and of the wind. Air pressure, dhaght jawwi.
·
Description
of processes (42): Making of
iron, sina’at al hadiid, armor, sina’at al durru’u, dams, boats. Creation of the human from dust,
khalq al insaan min tiin. The Human was created from water, khalq al
insaan min al maau.
·
Description
of the constant laws of nature (43): The laws are fixed and stable, thabaat sunnat al llaah. The laws operate in various situations: in
change, sunnat al llaah fi al taghyiir, in the offspring, sunnat al
laah fi al dhuriyat, in parity, sunnat al allah fi al zawjiyat, in
the past generations, sunnat al allah fi al saabiqiin. Order was
mentioned as a law of nature.
·
Recording
of observations (44): The
first creation was the pen, awal makhluuq al qalam. The collection of the
Qur’an was an exercise in careful documentation. Recording of hadith was
forbidden because of possible confusion with the Qur’an; later Omar changed his
opinion on the matter.
QUR’ANIC
SCIENTIFIC TARBIYYAT: Analytic knowledge (45)
·
Evidence-based
knowledge and action (46): The
Qur’an calls for evidence, al burhan. It called for establishment of
evidence, iqamat al hujjat. False evidence is rejected. There are
conditions for accepting evidence, shuruut qubuul al shahadat.
·
Condemnation of non-evidence-based
knowledge (47): Sorcery was
prohibited as a form of shirk. Consulting fortune tellers was prohibited, nahyu
istisharat kaahin. Speculation or conjecture, al dhann, were
forbidden as they are the most untruthful discourse, al dhann akdhaba al
hadiith. Speculative or hypothetical thinking was condemned. Human
thought is a tool and not an end in itself. It operates on the basis of
empirical observations and revelation, both objective sources of information,
Thought that is not based on an empirical basis or revelation is speculative
and leads to wrong conclusions. Hypothetical thinking, ra ay, was discouraged especially if it contradicts Qur’an and sunnat. It is however allowed in
situations in which there is not authoritative text. Care should be taken in
giving opinions on matters for which there is no evidence in the Qur’an and
sunnat.
·
Objectivity
(48): The Qur’an calls
for objectivity in measurement. It condemns turning away from truth, i’iraadh
‘an al haqq. Truth must be revealed, idhaar al haqq. Subjective
feelings should not be followed, nahy itibau al hawa fi al ‘adl. The
unbelievers hate the truth, kurh al kafirin li al haqq. They follow
their subjective feelings, itibau al hawa li al kafirin. The prophet
condemned hiwa because it blinds and deafens. The people of hiwa
must be avoided.
·
Drawing
conclusions from empirical observation (49): Reliance of observation and not speculation was
emphasized in the prophet’s hadith about the start of the fasting when he said
that we were an illiterate society that did not count or calculate and that the
start of the fasting should be based on sighting the crescent. Learning a
lesson from phenomena, al ‘ibrat. The Qur’an calls upon humans to
observe Allah’s signs of Allah in the universe and in humans. Ibrahim by his
empirical observation of the sun and the moon was able to reach true knowledge
of Allah. His heart was calmed in his belief in resurrection when Allah showed
him the revival of birds that he had killed. The Qur’an has described many
natural phenomena in detail for example the earth’s gravitational attraction, jaadhibiyat
al ardh. Mountains were also described in detail: height, iritifa’u al
jibaal. The Qur’an however made it clear that human senses have
limitations. For example human vision is limited and can be deceived when it
confuses a mirage for water. Human hearing is also limited.
·
Rational thinking and assertions based
on reason (50): In many
prohibitions the Qur’an provides logical reasons. For example with regard to
alcohol both the benefits and the harms were mentioned and the reason for
prohibition was given.
·
Logical operations (51): The use of similitude, tashbiih, of
two things and phenomena is seen in the following verses: the earth and the
movement of the clouds, Islam and light, resurrection with revival of dead
earth, mountains in the hereafter with wool, the rebellious heart with the
rock. The unbeliever is described as the similitude of the mute, the deaf, the
blind, cattle, donkey, dog, the dead, foam, darkness. The hypocrite, munafiq,
is the similitude of the mute, the blind, blocks of wood. The believer is
described as the similitude of far-sightedness, basiir, the free, the hearer.
Humans on the Last day are described as the similitude of the bed, firaash.
Unity is described as the similitude of a strong building (61:4). Boy servants
in paradise are described as the similitude of pearls. The Qur’an also employed
many examples, mithl, to illustrate concepts.
·
Prudence
in reaching conclusions (52):
Al tawaqi fi al fitya
QUR’ANIC
SCIENTIFIC TARBIYYAT: Etiquette of scientific discourse (53)
·
Asking
questions (54): Questions can
be for finding out information, suaal
istifhaami. The prophet prohibited too much speculative questioning on
hypothetical situations as in verses 5:101 and 2:108. The prophet allowed
questions towards the end of his life, ibahat
al su aal fi akhir hayatihi or even ordered it, al amr bi al suaal.
·
Respecting
the other opinion (55): One of
the greatest lessons in respect for the opposing opinion is the verbatim
recording by the Qur’an of the false pronouncements of the worst people on
earth for example Fir’aun. He claimed that he was God, iddi’au fir’aun al
uluhiyyat, was arrogant, istikbaar fir’aun, batash fir’aun, takdhiib
fir’aun, fir’aun and the magicians.
·
Etiquette
of discussion (56): Differences
on scientific matters can arise and are natural. Discussion and exchange of
views is a necessity for humans, dharurat
al hiwar. The Qur’an has taught the best methods of discussing with others
even in controversial matters. Discussion has its own etiquette, adab al
hiwar. Truth must be revealed. Contradictions must be avoided. Arrogance is
condemned. The following are attributes of good discussion: objectivity, tajarrud, truthfulness, asking for
evidence, and knowledge. Humans have a tendency to purposeless disputation,
jadal, is frowned upon. Jadal and differences were forbidden, al nahyu ‘an al jadal wa al ikhtilaaf
because it eventually destroys Islam and is a sign of being lost after
guidance.
·
Abandoning
false premises (57): If a
person gives an opinion on a matter and then receives a contrary knowledge from
the prophet, he gives up his previous opinion
·
Truth
(57b): Fear of people should
be no reaason for not revealing the truth. Deception is condemned, dhamm al
khida’u. The truth of any assertion must be checked, al taakkud min
sihat al khabar. Yaqeen is the basis of ‘ilm but dhann
is not. Hadiths of the prophet were at the beginning quoted without having to
provide the chain of transmitters. When the possibility of fraud was suspected,
it became necessary to provide a chain of transmitters before a hadith could be
accepted. Abu Hudaifah was very careful in his reports from the prophet.
Abdullah bin Masa’ud was very scared of narrating hadith.
PIONEERS OF THE
EMPIRICAL METHOD (58):
·
Greek science
was conjectural and hypothetical (59). Greeks preferred reasoning and looked
down upon perceptual knowledge. They would spend years in their comfortable
arm-chairs reasoning instead of going out of the room and making observation or
setting up a simple experiment to close the issue. Aristotle for example never
thought of testing his theory about the speed of fall of heavy and light
objects.
·
Muslims
criticized Greek logic (60): Greek logic was qiyaas al mantiqi. Muslim scientists in the golden era of Islam
were pioneers of the systematic use of the empirical method. Muslims developed
a complete empirical methodology in the form of qiyaas usuuli.
·
Muslim
pioneers of empiricism (61): Allama Muhammad Iqbal in his ‘Reconstruction
of Religious Thought in Islam’ argued that the empirical method was not a
European discovery. He quoted contributions of Ghazzali, Ibn Taymiyyat, Abubakr
al Razi, and Ibn Hazm. Other pioneers of the empirical method were: Ibn Sina,
Al Biruni, al Kindi (d. 260H), Jabir Ibn Hayyan (d. 200H), Ibn Haytham (d.
340H), al Khawarizmi (d. 387H).
·
European
pioneers of the empiricism (62): European history ascribes ‘discovery’ of the
empirical method to Roger Bacon (1561-1626H). Roger Bacon learned the empirical
method from Arabs?. Francis Bacon was inspired by Ibn Taymiyyat.
IBN HYTHAM AND THE
SCIENTIFIC EMPIRICAL METHOD (63)
·
Hypotheses
(64):
Scientific investigation starts with hypothesis formulation. The hypotheses are
tested by empirical observation and deductions/inductions are made.
·
Ibn Hytham
and the scientific empirical method (64): Ibn Haytham, in his
‘Book of Optics’, kitaab al Manadhir[1],
illustrates the use of the empirical method. He did a lot of experiments
and interpreted the findings. He realized the importance of mathematics. He
used a combination of both inductive and deductive logic. Ibn Hytham formulated
hypotheses in 2 way: observation and analogy.
·
Light
travels in straight lines (65): In his observation of natural phenomena, he
observed that that light passing through a hole has the shape of that hole and
therefore formed a hypothesis that light travels in straight lines.
·
Stars emit
their light (66): He concluded by analogy that since the moon gets its light
from the sun, the stars cannot get light from the sun. To verify the hypotheses
about the stars above, Ibn Hytham made the observation that unlike the moon,
the shapes of the stars did not change with distance from the sun. He concluded
that the stars must emit light of their own.
·
Generalization
from observation (65): Ibn Hytham moved from experiment to generalize
into a law by making 2 conclusions. The first was that light of whatever type
travels in straight lines. The second was that the incident ray, the reflected
ray, and the normal are in the same plane.
TRANSFER OF THE
EMPIRICAL METHODOLOGY TO EUROPE (66)
·
Golden era
of Muslim science (67): Early centuries H translation and selective
absorption as well as correction of Greek knowledge. Correction based on Qur’an
inspired empirical methodology. Explosion of scientific knowledge in the Muslim
world.
·
Transfer
of empirical methodology to Europe (68): during the Crusades and
contacts in Andalusia and Southern Europe triggered the 12th century
European scientific renaissance. Translation of books by Muslim authors: Ibn
Hytham, Ibn SIna, Al Zahrawi. 14-17th European renaissance built on
empirical foundations that started in the 12th century renaissance.
Roger Bacon, the founder of the European empirical methodology ?plagiarized.
Francis Bacon.
·
Collapse
of Muslim science (69): The golden era of Muslim science was during
the early Abassid period. Mongol invasion in the East (conquest of Baghdad
1258G) and catholic invasions in the West (reconquisita 1491G) contributed to
collapse of Muslim societies and of science
·
Colonization
of the Muslim world (70): In the colonial and post-colonial period,
13-15th centuries H, the Muslims were only consumers and not
producers of S&T because they had lost their methodology and could not make
original contributions. Lack of methodological originality led to neglect of
pure sciences.
·
The new
empiricism from Europe (71): the imported empirical method came in a
‘European philosophical context’ away from its ‘tauhidi context’. Example of a
bad copy from a good product.
12th CENTURY
SCIENTIFIC RENAISSANCE (72)
·
Renaissance
triggered by translation of Arabic manuscripts (73) manuscripts of natural science, philosophy and mathematics.
Europe reconnected with ancient Greek and Roman knowledge preserved by the
Muslims as well as additions by Muslim researchers. The most significant Muslim
contribution was the empirical method.
·
Robert Grosseteste (ca. 1168–1253) (74):
Was the first to make extensive use of the thought of Aristotle, Ibn Sina and Ibn Rushd. He is thought to be the first in the
Latin West to develop an account of an experimental method in science and to
use make systematic use of a method of experimental verification and falsification.
·
Roger Bacon (c. 1214–1294) (75) was inspired by the writings of Grosseteste. He mastered Arabic texts on
the science of optics. In his account of a method, Bacon described a repeating
cycle of observation, hypothesis, experimentation, and the need for independent verification.
·
Return to
the Greco-Roman roots (76): Reconnection with past after wasted years of
the Middle Ages. Roman revival (Latin classics, Latin poetry, Roman law)
·
Start of
European universities (77): Arabic books in translation were used.
14-17th
CENTURY CENTURY RENAISSANCE (78)
·
Renaissance and the empirical method (77): (a) Francis Bacon (1561-1626) called the creator of empiricism,
popularised inductive methods for scientific inquiry also Baconian method or
scientific method. He emphasized experimentation and observation and advocated
methodology – planned procedure of investigating all things natural. Influenced
by Ibn Taymiyah. (b) Rene Descartes (1596-1650) emphasized reasoning.
·
Renaissance
as a scientific revolution (78): Nicolas Corpenicus (1473-1543) proposed a
heliocentric view of the cosmos that was proved by telescopic observation by
Tycho Brahe (1546-1601). Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) proposed the theory that the earth moves. Johannes Kepler
(1571-1630) proposed laws of planetary movements. Andreas Vesalius (1514-1564)
and anatomy. Ambroise Pare (1510-1590) and medicine. William Harvey (1578-1657)
and blood circulation. Anton van Leeuwenhoek (1632-1723) and the microscope.
Robert Boyle (1627-1691) and atomistic view. Isaac Newton (1642-1727) gravity
and laws of motion
·
Renaissance
as cultural movement (79): Started in Italy as a cultural movement and
spread to the rest of Europe when Johann Gutenberg discovered printing in 1455.
Developments in literature, philosophy, art, architecture, and music.
Artist-scientists like Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) Michangelo Buonarroti
(1475-1564). Writers such as Baldassare Castiglione (), Niccolo Machiavelli
(1469-1527)
·
Renaissance
as a religious movement (80) : Protestant protest against the Catholic Church
and reformation: Martin Luther
(1483-1546), John Calvin (1509-1564), Henry VIII (1491-1547)
·
Renaissance
as a philosophical movement (81): Humanism put the human in the center. It
was the forerunner of secularism. Humanist thinkers like Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus (1466 –1536), Sir Thomas Moore (1478-1535), Francois Rabelais (1483 –1553), William Shakespeare (1564-1616).
AGE OF ENLIGHTENMENT (81)
·
The age of reason
(82): The scientific revolution of 1500s and 1600s sparked the age of
enlightenment. Scientific discoveries showed that natural laws existed and that
these laws could be discovered by reasoning.
·
Enlightenment thinkers (83): Immanuel Kant (1724-1804), Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679), John Locke
(1632-1704), Montesquieu (1689-1755), Francois-Marie Arouet aka Voltaire (1694-1778), Jean-Jacques
Rousseau (1712-1778), Adam Smith (1723-1790).
·
Major political and social revolutions (84): French Revolution, American Independence and democracy
·
Age of exploration (85):
Spread enlightenment ideas overseas. Colonial domination that persists until
today
AGRICULTURAL and INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION (starting 1750-) (86)
·
1750 Agricultural revolution (87): improved farming methods and equipment. More food bigger population.
·
Energy revolution (88):
coal in 1700s and steam power in 1712. Late 1800s electric power replaced steam
power
·
Iron and Steel (89):
Improved iron smelting, 1856 Bessemer discovered new ways of making steel.
·
Transport revolution (90):
turnpikes, canals, trains, automobile, the plane
·
Production (91):
Factory system of production and urbanization. New methods of production:
assembly line
·
Communication revolution (92): telegraph, telephone, radio, internet
·
Medical revolution (93):
population explosion?
·
The Industrial age and new imperialism 1800-1914 (94)
CRITIQUE OF THE
EMPIRICAL METHOD (95)
·
The major strength of the empirical methodology (96) is that it
enables rapid growth of knowledge.
·
Problem in
use and not in essence (97): The empirical
methodology is innately good but the manner and context of its use lead
to the following 4 problems:
·
Biases
(98):
due to a priori assumptions related to materialism and atheism
·
Limitations
of observation by human senses (99)
·
Limitations
of human intellect in interpreting empirical observations (100)
·
Lack of an
integrating paradigm like tauhid (101):
leading to problems: (a) LACK OF BALANCE: people of Thamud., (b) LACK OF
PURPOSE: building structures for amusement only with no underlying purpose.
·
CRISIS
OF KNOWLEDGE and EDUCATION (102)
·
Manifestations
of the crisis (103): There is pervasive ignorance of uluum al diin and uluum al
dunia. There is little respect for scholarship. There is neglect of the
empirical sciences. There is a dichotomy in the education system: traditional
Islamic vs. imported European, ulum al
diin vs ulum al dunia.
Integration of the 2 systems has failed or has been difficult because it has
been mechanical and not conceptual. The
process of secularization in education has removed the moral dimension from the education and violated the
aim of Islamic education to produce an integrated and perfect individual, insan
kaamil. The brain drain from Muslim countries has compounded the
educational crisis.
·
Ummatic
malaise due to the knowledge crises (104): Knowledge deficiency
and intellectual weakness are the most significant manifestation of ummat’s decadence. The intellectual
crisis of the ummat is worsened by
copying and using poorly digested alien ideas and concepts. The prophet warned
the ummat about the lizard-hole
phenomenon in which the ummat in
later times would follow its enemies unquestionably like the lizard running
into its hole. Among the manifestations of the ummatic malaise are action deficiency, political weakness, economic
dependency, military weakness, dependence in science and technology, and
erosion of the Islamic identity in life-style.
·
Knowledge,
a pre requisite for tajdiid (105): Reform and revival of
the ummat will occur through
educational and knowledge reform. Tajdid
is a recurring phenomenon in the ummat
and is a sign of its health and dynamism. It is a basic characteristic of the ummat that periods of reform/revival
alternate with periods of decay and return to jahiliyyat. Tajdid
requires knowledge, ideas and action related by the following mathematical
equation: tajdid = idea + action.
Action without knowledge and guiding ideas will not lead to true change. Ideas
without action are not change at all. Tajdid
requires and is preceded by a reform in knowledge to provide ideas and
motivation on which to build. All successful societal reform starts with change
in knowledge. The ideal society cannot be created without a knowledge base.
That knowledge base must be correct, relevant, and useful. Successful revival
movements throughout Muslim history have always been led by scholars.
·
New
knowledge strategy (106): The Muslim ummat is a potential economic and
political bloc whose potential is not
yet realized. The contemporary tajdid
movement has a lot of strengths but also has basic deficiencies that must be
corrected. The knowledge and intellectual crises are still a barrier. Reform movements
unguided by correct knowledge and understanding will falter and fail or will be
deviated from their paths. Social change requires change in attitudes, values,
convictions and behavior of a critical mass of the population. Attitudes,
values, convictions, and behaviors are determined by the knowledge base. The
vision of the knowledge strategy is an upright balanced person who understands
the creator, knows his place, his roles, his rights, and his responsibilities
in the cosmic order. The mission of the knowledge strategy is conceptual
transformation of the education system from kindergarten to post graduate
studies to reflect tauhid, positive
moral values, objectivity, universality, and serving the larger causes of
humanity.
·
Towards an
Islamic methodology (107): A tauhidi
universal, objective and unbiased methodology must replace the Euro-centric and
philosophically biased context and not the practical experimental methods. The
precepts of tauhidi science are: unity of knowledge, comprehensiveness;
causality is the basis for human action, human knowledge is limited,
investigation of causal relations is based on constant and fixed natural laws,
harmony between the seen and the unseen, 3
sources of knowledge (wahy, aql & empirical observation); khilafat;
moral accountability; creation and
existence have a purpose, truth is both absolute and relative, human
free will is the basis of accountability, and tawakkul.
NOTE