070516L - TAJDID & ISLAAH

Outline of an address to 3000 students of Dar al Uluum Nadwat al Ulama Lucknow India 0n 16^th May 2007 by Professor Omar Hasan Kasule Sr. MB ChB (MUK), MPH (Harvard), DrPH (Harvard) Professor of Epidemiology and Islamic Medicine University of Brunei Darussalam

1.0 MANIFESTATIONS OF TAJDID IN THE UMMAH

1.1   Islamic Schools: Indonesia, Brunei, USA, Europe, South Africa

1.2   Islamic Universities: Malaysia, Indonesia

1.3   Islamic Medical Faculties

1.4   Islamic Faculties of Economics

1.5   Islamic Nursing Colleges

1.6   Islamic banks

1.7   Islamic Hospitals

1.8   Halal Food Industry

1.9   Spread of Islam in Europe, America, Africa

2.0 UNITY OF THE UMMAH

2.1   The people are united; the leaders quarrel

2.2   Geographical continuity: From Morocco to Indonesia

2.3   Common language based on Arabic: Urdu, Turkish, Hausa, Swahili, Melayu

2.4   Common culture based on the book of fiqh

3.0 CRISIS OF THE UMMAH

3.1   Dichotomy of education

3.2   Migration from the Qur’an

3.3   Low self confidence

4.0 SOLUTION: RETURN TO THE QUR’AN

4.1   Qur’an based education

4.2   Combine the two readings: Qur’an and nature

4.3   Qur’anic scientific culture: evidence-based knowledge, tafakkur, tadabbur, rejection of taqliid, adab al hiwaar

4.4   Ulama to learn new skills: management, leadership, communication

5.0 SOLUTION: STICK TO SUNNAT

6.0 COMPREHENSIVE VIEW

6.1 Use of the 5 purposes of the law, maqasid al shari’at in solving social problems

070816L - CREATION OF THE UNIVSERSE: RELATION TO SCIENCE AND ETHICS:

Background reading material for Year 1 Medical students for PPSD session on 16^th August by Professor Omar Hasan Kasule Sr.

THE UNIVERSE

Everything in the universe was created. The universe consists of the earth, the sky, the space that encloses them both, and the space between them. It includes the stars, the planets, comets, galaxies, meteors, empty space, human and other all forms of life. The earth and its contents were created before creation of humans. About 70% of its surface covered with water. Only a very small part of the earth’s surface, called the biosphere (soil and atmosphere), supports life. The universe is expanding. The galaxies are moving away from one another at a speed of thousands of miles a second.

ULTIMATE QUESTIONS

There are ultimate questions that are: start of creation, end of creation, purpose of creation, and the ultimate destiny of the human. Answers to these questions are found in metaphysics (understanding ultimate reality by reason), various religious beliefs, folklore, and empirical science.

SIGNS IN THE CREATION

Study of science especially medicine is part of observation and reflecting on creation. It enables us discover many secrets of creation and many signs in the universe for education, intellectual growth and development. The creation of everything in pairs, the creation of opposites, symmetry, and harmony are some of the constant features of the universe that convince the human that there must be a grand design behind all this creation.

PHYSICAL LAWS

The physical laws such as the law of gravity accurately describe phenomena that appear complicated and very detailed. They serve as a reminder that the empirical world is simple and straightforward running on a few basic principles and paradigms. They serve as a basis for predictability of empirical phenomena. They explain the consistency, repetition, parity, symmetry, harmony, co-ordination, and purposive ness of physical phenomena in the universe. Even apparent differences and exceptions follow some fixed laws. The purpose of all scientific investigation is to find these laws, understand them, and use them for the benefit of humans.

ORDER

The universe is orderly, systematic, harmonious, and predictable. The human body in its gross and microscopic anatomy is a reflection of a high level of order. There is organizational order in all physiological functions. Existence of orderly relationships is the basis of medical treatment. If the chemical reactions were not predictable and orderly, each instance of disease would require new research to discover the right medicine for it. Scientific research would not be possible if there was no order in the universe. The universe has a stable state to which it returns after temporary disturbances. This state is referred to as homeostasis in physiology.

CHANGE:

Only the Creator is permanent. Everything else changes continuously and change is a constant phenomenon in the universe. Changes are regulated and are coordinated. They follow a system. Changes are not chaotic. They follow a fixed predictable order.

BALANCE and EQUILIBRIUM

Even with changes the universe maintains a balance or equilibrium which is the average or the normal expectation. The law of action and reaction is necessary to restore and maintain order. Being objective allows humans to maintain order. Minimizing changes and maintaining constancy is desirable in some physical phenomena in order to maintain order. The Creator allows changes because rigid constancy would not allow response and adjustment to changing circumstances.

070822L - CREATION OF THE HUMAN: RELATION TO SCIENCE AND ETHICS:

Background reading material for Year 1 Medical students for PPSD session on 22^nd August by Professor Omar Hasan Kasule Sr.

CREATION OF HUMANS

Humans were created after animals and plants. Humans were created de novo as humans. All humans have a common biological origin and are different from other creations. Human creation was a deliberate and not a random or accidental event. It was revolutionary and not evolutionary. Evolution by natural selection is denial of the existence of a Creator. Parity found in human creation is part of the general phenomenon of parity found in other creations: in animals, in plants, and in physical phenomena like day and night.

UNIQUENESS OF HUMAN CREATION

Human creation is optimal in structure and function. It is beautiful, orderly, harmonious, organized, and precise. It is superior to and is honored above all other creations. It is unique and the most sophisticated. The human is dual being both body and soul; matter and spirit. Humans carry responsibility while all other creations do not. Humans were placed at the top of the food pyramid and all other creations were made subservient to them.

NATURE OF THE HUMAN

Humans were created in a perfect natural state. This is the best state both biologically, morally, socially, and psychologically. It however can be degraded or distorted by human behavior biologically, and morally. Both nature and nurture play a role in human action and behavior. The relative role of each varies according to what aspects of human biology and behavior are being considered. The basic human nature enables humans to know the bad from the good in most cases. Humans have innate strengths and weaknesses in their nature. Humans are dualistic in nature having a material part (the body) and a non-material part (the soul or spirit). Thus human behavior is under dual control. Humans live in the empirical world of the seen world. Their interaction with the unseen world can only be through religious media. It is a unique duality of the human that he has both negative attributes such as aggression and positive attributes such as gratitude. The most important attribute of humans is intelligence that is highly developed, sophisticated, specialized, and capable of abstract thought and problem solving.

HUMAN SUPERIORITY

Humans are superior to all other creations because of their intellect, a free will, a sense of responsibility and a sense of moral guidance. Superior intellect is due to a better-developed and sophisticated cerebral cortex. The intellect enables humans analyze, understand, and expand knowledge through research. The intellect enables humans control their physical environment. Closely related to intellect is the power of speech and communication that enables humans to carry out social intercourse and thus succeed in living in families and communities. Human intellect can be used positively or can be used for destruction of society and the ecosystem.

DIVERSITY OF HUMANS

All humans have a common biological origin based on DNA. They also have a common social origin and human cultures resemble one another in many ways. Variations in body structure and skin color are used to identify 3 human races: mongoloid, negroid, and caucasoid. Variations exist within each race. All humans regardless of race are from the same species and can interbreed. Humans vary by gender, race, customs, language, and social organization.