Page 130 - The Vision of Islam

Modern Possibilities

become established, it had to be demonstrable. But now
this concept is no longer subscribed to. The latest academic
stand in this regard is that if such facts exist as may enable
a scientist to infer a theory therefrom, the theory thus
inferred will be accepted as a scientifically established fact.
According to this same modern criterion, evolution has
been claimed to be an established fact for, even if it cannot
be demonstrated, biologists hold that such facts have been
discovered as prove evolution through scientific inference.
This method of reasoning being validated by modern scientific
discoveries is highly significant from the Islamic viewpoint. Fifty
years ago, it was not possible to prove religious beliefs on the
basis of scientific criteria, for science at that time accepted only
demonstrable truths. It gave no credence to inferred truths.
But now the Quranic method of reasoning, explaining the
unseen world with reference to the seen world has become, in
principle, an argument which is scientific in nature. Half a century
ago, no one was willing to accept this argument as scientific.
Now with this new development, we can formulate an effective
theology (al-Kalam) in favour of Islam.
The intellectual framework of the time of Averroes (1126-1198)
was based on the Aristotleian system of logic (syllogism). When
Averroes saw the universe within the framework of hypothetical
logic, he did not know how to reject the eternity of matter. He
thus accepted matter as being primordial and based his divine
philosophy thereon. If matter is taken as eternal, i.e. never having
had a beginning, then there remains no real basis for divinity. To
accept matter as having existed for all time is to openly reject God
as the Creator of all things. Then God, at best, is equated with
the ‘First Cause.’ In modern times, however, such discoveries as
the second law of thermodynamics have quite finally rejected the
notion of matter being eternal. Innumerable truths of a similar
nature have provided us with very firm grounds for presenting
Islamic beliefs on a strong rational basis.
This had been a great, unsolved problem which engaged the
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