Operationalising Islamic Sciences

I attended a seminar where Syeikh Abdul Halim spoke about Islam and Science while Dr Adi Setia provided clarity in vision about what is Islamic Science. Truly, Islam is beautiful - every creation in the ecosystem already has its proper place in the scheme of things. And Islam and Science are not separate, instead they are integrated in a consilient manner, reflecting unity (Tawheed).

So, besides ta'dib (the instilling and inculcation of adab in man), one must tafakur (contemplate) the perfect creation and miraculous workings of the ecosystems by Allah SWT (ayatulLah) to realise that scientific findings validate and strengthen the Haqq (Truth).

The next time you drink a drop of water - contemplate the water cycle, how blessings of the rain provided food a bounty for mankind, sea water produces different food supplies from water from streams, how water comes in many forms, some permissible for ablution, while some are not, think about how you use your 5 fingers to hold the glass of water and bring it to your mouth, how the water you drink flows through your throat to quench your thirst and flush out toxins from your body so that you maintain a healthy well-being, subhan Allah. May we not take for granted the countless ni'mah from Allah SWT as though they are a 'given'.

May these wahyu bring our hearts closer to the Creator, Allah SWT, insya Allah:

"... remember Allah, standing, sitting, and reclining, and consider the creation of the heavens and the earth, (and say): Our Lord! Thou createdst not this in vain. Glory be to Thee! Preserve us from the doom of Fire." [Surah al-E-Imran: 191]

"He (Allah) hath created the heavens and the earth with truth. High be He Exalted above all that they associate (with Him)." [Surah an-Nahl: 3]

"Allah, it is Who raised up the heavens without visible supports, then mounted the Throne, and compelled the sun and the moon to be of service, each runneth unto an appointed term; He ordereth the course; He detaileth the revelations, that haply ye may be certain of the meeting with your Lord." [Surah al-Rad: 2]

"Allah is He Who created the heavens and the earth, and causeth water to descend from the sky, thereby producing fruits as food for you, and maketh the ships to be of service unto you, that they may run upon the sea at His command, and hath made of service unto you the rivers; And maketh the sun and the moon, constant in their courses, to be of service unto you, and hath made of service unto you the night and the day. And He giveth you of all ye ask of Him, and if ye would count the bounty of Allah ye cannot reckon it. Lo! man is verily a wrong-doer, an ingrate." [Surah Ibrahim: 32-34]

The key message is that the core of our belief system (Islamic Worldview) must be rock-solid such that our speech, thoughts and deeds are aligned (not fragmented). Only then can we discern if prevalent theories of other Worldviews do not fit our Islamic Worldview and recommend a counter theory (that appreciates nature, not exploit it) that is aligned to the Islamic Reality (Haqq) as we engage Allah's creations in a harmonious manner (la darar wa la dirar: no harming and no reciprocating harm, muamalat alam al-tabiah: ethics of mercy)  in this physical world (al-Tabi'ah).

Afternote: BBC has a series on Islam and Science. Our da'wah is to approach Science that respects and preserves Allah's creations (Intelligent Design), whether it is biomimicry, bio-intensive agriculture, green chemistry, organic living, etc.