Page 14 - The Qur'an Leads the Way to Science

THE QUR'AN LEADS THE W A Y TO SCIENCE

RELIGION ENCOURAGES

SCIENCE

Islam is the religion of reason and conscience. A person recognizes the
truth proclaimed by God through the use of his wisdom, but derives
conclusions from the truth he has seen by following his conscience. A
person using the faculty of his reason and conscience, upon examining the
features of any given object in the universe, even though he be not an
expert in such matters, would understand that it was created by a
Possessor of great Wisdom, Knowledge and Might. And, while perhaps

only discovering a few of the thousands of factors that render life possible
on the earth, it is sufficient for him to understand that the world was
designed to sustain life in it. Therefore, one who makes use of his reason
and follows his conscience quickly apprehends the absurdity of the claim
that the world came into being by chance. In brief, one who applies his
mind by using these faculties recognizes God's signs in their full clarity. A
verse refers to such people in the following manner:
Those who remember God, standing, sitting and lying on their sides,
and reflect on the creation of the heavens and the earth: 'Our Lord,
You have not created this for nothing. Glory be to You! So safeguard
us from the punishment of the Fire. (Surat Al 'Imran: 191)
In the Qur'an, God calls on people to reflect upon and examine the
signs of creation around them. The Prophet Muhammad, God's
Messenger, peace be upon him, also enjoined people to acquire
knowledge. He even stressed that it is our obligation to search for
knowledge. We read the following authentic Ahâdîth:
Seeking of knowledge is incumbent upon every Muslim. 1

Acquire the knowledge and impart it to the people. 2

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