Islamization of Knowledge and the Scientific Worldview: Reflections from Prof. Mumtaz Ali’s Talk

By, Md Maruf Hasan

As Initiated by Kulliyah AHAS IRKHS Dean Prof Dr. Hafiz Zakariyah, in this monthly intellectual discussion series, Professor Dr. Muhammad Mumtaz Ali , author of new book “Mohd Kamal Hassan: The Pearl of the Malay World” (2025) was a speaker. The title of discussion was “ The Contributions of Scholars of Islamization of Knowledge”. 

In this series, Professor Mumtaz Ali highlighted Mohd Kamal Hassan’s legacy to Islamization of Knowledge. After the speech, Dato Baharudin Ahmad asked an interesting question to Prof Mumtaz. I would extend that discussion for the readers of IIUM TODAY as I felt necessary to share this key point for all the academic staffs and IIUM students. It was the question about natural science. Is it possible for natural science to be Islamicized since physics, chemistry and other sciences are objective. Professor Mumtaz replied by giving example of H2O water molecule. Nobody denies this objectivity in research, but he emphasized the worldview is a problem that Mohd Kamal Hassan emphasized through all of his writings. He then gave examples of Surah Mulk from Quran asking how Allah (SWT) asked to observe empirical universe to witness the signatures of the very existence of Allah. 

The answer seems simple but there is profound message for Muslim academics and students that they often forget. At first glance, Islamization of knowledge seems irrelevant when it is natural sciences, but if you read the works of New atheism which mainly based on natural sciences, you can easily feel the urgency of Islamization of Knowledge in natural sciences, because secular scientists misuse science to subscribe scientific worldview. For example, all the world religions confess that there is a God behind all the creation, but for the new atheists, they are interested and limited to only “How” question instead of “Who” question. “Who” question is considered by new atheists as silly question because who created who or what is the explanation of how the “Who” came to existence? Professor Mumtaz was limited to H2O example, but let’s extend the argument for holistic understanding. So, you are interested in scientific objectivity in the process of How these matter works. You see water and you learned that it came from H2O and how all the molecules were formed, it was during the evolutionary process after the big bang and inflation of our universe.

 How universe came into existence, it is from plank space and time from quantum fluctuation deriving from nothingness. So, it was not from any divine creator rather the universe came naturally from nothingness. Then, you can read more hypothesis llike multiverses from trillion of quantum events from nothingness etc. Hence, you can see how new atheists try to misuse science by following how questions through evolutionary explanation of physics,chemistry, biology. The existence of Allah (SWT) has been systematically eliminated by these new atheist scientists. It is a problem of worldview, not the problem of science. That’s why Islamization of knowledge in natural science is important which ultimately promotes Tawhidic epistemology that the Quran addresse for whole of humanity emphasizing that the Universe has a Lord and Creator who is Allah. If Islamization of knowledge is implemented within natural science, Islamic worldview will be automatically injected within Muslim students, academics and scientists and secular worldview that new atheists try to inject within Muslim minds will be automatically revoked. It is necessary to extend another point that is related to Islamic worldview. The claim often comes since universe is self-created as secularists try to claim and it has been created by blind watchmaker like nature. Hence, so many inconsistency is observed in the creation of the universe . 

For examples, trillion of galaxies are probably empty and only some got prevalence for biosignature llike our planet and it is by chance. Now to answer this question, we need to see the teleology of the universe. The fact that this beautiful planet exists and with beautiful creations. These teleological result ultimately cancel the objection of wastage of matters aross the universe. In Quran it is clearly remined that nothing in this universe was produced in vain. 95% are dark matter and dark energy that we never saw, yet if these were not there , our teleological planet or solar system or galaxies never formed, then, how do you accuse Allah (SWT) that these abandoned galaxies and dark matters and dark energies were unnecessary to create our planet and our life on this earth? 

The problem is you simply wanted to eliminate the concept of Allah’s existence from the current body of secular knowledge to divert people from the natural way of Allah (SWT) that He wanted humanity to understand about humans and their relation with the universe and which ultimately leads to bow down the Ever-Living Creator , Allah SWT. Lastly, regarding the question of who created or How Allah (SWT) came into existence, there is very simple answer. When we learn about quantum mechanics, especially the result in the double slid experiment or quantum entanglement phenomenon, it is said that human brain did not evolve yet to understand how these things happen. Why do not you apply similar argument to this question. 

Allah (SWT) clearly says in the Quran that there is nothing llike Him and he is not gotten or not begotten. It shows human brain was not created to understand this complex answer. That’s why Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) mentions in Bukhari if anyone reach to the point when it comes to his or her mind that who created Allah (SWT), they should say to seek refugee from Devil. It means no prophets or no creatures were granted this knowledge by Allah (SWT). In other words, from secular perspective Human brains did not evolve to understand this very Fact that Allah exists as our Creator and Lord of the Universe.***