The Glorious Qur’an heralded a new era of enlightenment in the Dark Ages by pulling out the humanity from the darkness of superstitions and blind Faith and opened new doors of Discovery and investigation. The primary tool of the Qur’an in this effort was to exhort the mankind to prove into the manifestation of nature and to extend an open invitation to have a profound investigation into it’s causes and consequences. This provided a firm bulwark for modern rationalism and empiricism.
The primary motivation for this Qur’nic invitation was to unravel the laws of nature and thereby, correlate the Islamic faith with them and them no scope for the humanity to deny the basic the basic beliefs of Islam. This approach has led the scientific discoveries to negate all forms of polytheism, agnosticism, and materislism. In one way, it has helped in sealing the fate of materislism.
Scientific discoveries in the twentieth century, several of the flaws of scientific arguments as carried on during the ninteenth century too are making themselves evident to the growing tribe of scientists. Its claims to holistic knowledge have been renderd hollow and it is no longer taken as a judge to evaluate things. Indeed the science claim to have insight both into the reality of matter as well as soul have been invalidated. How could this, be taken to be an arbiter on matters that combine both matter and soul? This explains why scientists and philosophers both have failed to suggest a judicious code or way of life for the human existence. While reality of soul is still far from its grip, even the reality of matter seems to have eluded the knowledge of the scientists. For all those who are bereft of divine belief, the mysteries of nature are merely gathering knots.
Islam laid the foundation for empirical science in order to bring about compatibility between physics and metaphysics. This was also in order to revive the spiritual values. Several verses of the Holy Qur’an could be qouted here:
Tell them O Mohammed: “observe what is in the heaven and earth” 10:101
There are indeed signs for the men of understanding in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the alteration of the night and the day 3:190
Indeed there are signs for the believers in the heavens and the earth, and in the creation of yourselves and the beasts that he has scattered are signs for the people of the assured faith. 45:3-4
On the earth, as also in your own selves, are signs for those of assured faith. Can’t you see those signs then? 51:20-21
Do they not see as to how does Allah originate the creation and repeat it? Indeed that is easy for Allah. 29:19
Say: “Go about in the land and see how did he originate the creation. Then Allah shall originate another productiin. Indeed Allah is potent over everything. 29:20
Didn’t they look to the sky above them as to how have we made and adorned it,and that there is no fissure in it. Likewise, we have spread forth the earth,cast firm mountains upon it,and caused to grow every beautiful pair in it. All these to serve as an insight and admonition to every remorseful servent.” 59:6-8
Of all his servents, only the knowledgeable fear Allah. 35:28
Take warning, O you with eyes! 59: 2
The Qur’an boasts of innumerable such verses which motivate man to apply his knowledge, intellect and insight and ponder over the natural phenomena. On the other hand, those who refuse to reflect and belie the signs of the Almighty have been eaquated with the worst of the beasts:
Indeed, the worst of the beasts in the sight of Allah are those who are deaf, dumb and do not understand. 8:22
Those who belie our signs are deaf dumb and in the darkness. 6:39
Thus, the Qur’an extends man an open invitation to reflect upon the natural phenomena and seek appropriate lessons from the admonitory truths hidden beneath them. It likens those who act to the contrary to the beasts which can not percieve things, nor can see or comprehend them. There can be a more rationalistic and equitable approach than the present one. Obviously, such an invitation has to come from a being who is well aware of the internal mechanism of entire physical world and who does not run the risk of attracting the allegation of falsehood to His own revealed book.https://amzn.to/3issNe7