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Professor Omar
Hasan Kasule Sr. MB ChB (MUK), MPH (Harvard), DrPH (Harvard) February 21, 2014
SUMMARY (1)
·
Islamic civilization started as a knowledge
revolution in Makkah (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.