By, Md Maruf Hasan
“The surface of the Earth is the shore of the cosmic ocean. On this shore, we’ve learned most of what we know. Recently, we’ve waded a little way out, maybe ankle-deep, and the water seems inviting. Some part of our being knows this is where we came from. We long to return, and we can, because the cosmos is also within us. We’re made of star stuff. We are a way for the cosmos to know itself.” – Carl Sagan, Cosmos.
Most of us have come to this Islamic University hoping to graduate with a degree. Out of nowhere, new students are hearing some words like “Islamic Epistemology”, “Islamization of Knowledge”, “Integration of Knowledge”, etc. The senior students may have some courses on the Islamic Worldview. Not all the departments require Islamic subjects, yet as an Islamic university, it offers few courses on Islam. Each year thousands of Students graduate and leave the university and serve humanity and Islam. This Islamic university, no doubt, has produced successful graduates working in different sector.
What does an Islamic university want from its graduates? First of all, the goal of any Islamic University is to share the Quranic Wisdom against all the ideologies and worldviews in the world. Secular universities are missing this very point. Unfortunately, most of our universities within Muslim countries full of secular education curriculum. Hence, the challenge is huge for the graduates who are completing degrees from Islamic universities in the real world. The graduates from Islamic universities are still minority within Muslim countries.
After the appointment of Osman Bakar as a rector at our Islamic University, we have noticed the number of seminars and writings on Islamic Epistemology from the Rector and other university lecturers. Why is it important to understand for students at the first place? Many students cannot comprehend that it is a battle of methodologies to shape the worldview of a person. In other words, without Islamization or Integration of knowledge, a Muslim youth’s worldview or lens can be changed gradually. For example, in science subjects the source of knowledge is accumulated following the methodological naturalism. This methodology does not allow any supernatural explanation from any religious worldview. I quoted famous American Astrophysicist, Carl Sagan who was famous for popularizing science in the late 20th century through his Cosmos series.
Science is universal and its methodologies are also pragmatic, but there is a danger in it in the very next stage. That is called philosophical naturalism which New Atheist writers Like Richard Dawkins , Lawrence Krauss and other science writers mix up with methodological naturalism when they write popular science books for general public. In other words, they intellectually attack all the world religions including Islamic worldview from the lens of the scientific worldview, which is based on philosophical naturalism. In this juncture, Osman Bakar and other proponents of Islamic epistemology are highly relevant in Academic discussions. Graduates from Islamic universities must be able to understand the tensions between Islamic Worldview and Contemporary Worldviews due to the rise of new knowledge based on science. When they are capable of distinguishing Islamic worldview from other worldviews, they can survive and adapt in real world while sticking to the Islamic Worldview.
Why is the Quran relevant in this case? Again, when Muslim students are bound to do research using methodological naturalism, they tend to incline to believe in philosophical naturalism subconsciously or consciously, the Quran is there to intervene at this juncture to save Muslim students and intellectuals to fall into this error. The secular scientific methodologies that are practiced by universities today to affirm knowledge like democratic system, the Quran seems to offer beyond these methodologies to affirm knowledge. The Quran narrates the conversation between Prophet Musa (peace be upon him) and Khidhir (Peace be upon him) about a different type of knowledge that is not familiar to Prophet Musa (Peace be upon him). The Quran mentions:
There they found a servant of Ours, to whom We had granted mercy from Us and enlightened with knowledge of Our Own. Moses said to him, “May I follow you, provided that you teach me some of the right guidance you have been taught?” He said, “You certainly cannot be patient ˹enough˺ with me. And how can you be patient with what is beyond your ˹realm of˺ knowledge?” (18:65-68)
In Secular Academia, there is a danger with epistemology since it does not confess the source of knowledge from revealed sources. Muslim Academicians and students must be concerned about this issue. That is why Islamization or Integration of Knowledge is being very necessary day by day within Muslim countries since science-based education and their methodologies are being popular within Muslim countries. Also, due to dominance of social media and artificial intelligence, we are witnessing how Muslim narratives are being systematically suppressed using algorithmic game. Allah even warns the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon Him) regarding pitfalls of human knowledge to divert from Allah’s path. The Quran mentions the following:
˹O Prophet!˺ If you were to obey most of those on earth, they would lead you away from Allah’s Way. They follow nothing but assumptions and do nothing but lie. (6:116)
Other epistemologies and methodologies may sound and perfect at initial stage, but they can work as virous and gradually affect among Muslim students and intellectuals’ minds. Hence, the poetry of Islamic science is more elegant, beautiful, natural and real for whole of humanity to understand our Lord of everything. The Cosmic or existential nihilism that scientific worldview offers , the Quran is very against it. The Quran mentions beautifully :
And ˹remember˺ when Luqmân said to his son, while advising him, “O my dear son! Never associate ˹anything˺ with Allah ˹in worship˺, for associating ˹others with Him˺ is truly the worst of all wrongs.” …˹Luqmân added,˺ “O my dear son! ˹Even˺ if a deed were the weight of a mustard seed—be it ˹hidden˺ in a rock or in the heavens or the earth—Allah will bring it forth. Surely Allah is Most Subtle, All-Aware. “O my dear son! Establish prayer, encourage what is good and forbid what is evil, and endure patiently whatever befalls you. Surely this is a resolve to aspire to. “And do not turn your nose up to people, nor walk pridefully upon the earth. Surely Allah does not like whoever is arrogant, boastful. (31: 13 & 16-16)
In another place, the Quran mentions :
“And We did not create the heaven and the earth and that between them aimlessly. That is the assumption of those who disbelieve, so woe to those who disbelieve from the Fire.” (38:27)
The Quran is not confining any intellectuals to search for knowledge using different methodologies. In fact, Muslim students and intellectuals are free to do inquiry whatever they wish in academia. The Quran only reminds whole of humanity that they have Lord (ALLAH SWT) who can make his servant accountable for not reconsidering the Quranic Knowledge which was revealed on Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) for the guidance of whole of humanity.***
