Is Islam Opposed To Knowledge And Science?

Islam is not opposed to knowledge and science. Knowledge is of two types: religious, which has to do with understanding of the religious duties one is required to carry out, and worldly, which has to do with all that is needed to know with a view to living a comfortable and beneficial life. A Muslim is required to acquire both types of knowledge. In fact, Islam advocated attaining knowledge and education at a time when the whole world was surrounded with darkness and steeped in utter ignorance. The first revelation the Glorious Prophet of Islam (صَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہِ وَسَلَّم) received from Almighty Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ was:

ٱقْرَأْ بِٱسْمِ رَبِّكَ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ ﴿١﴾ خَلَقَ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ مِنْ عَلَقٍ ﴿٢﴾ ٱقْرَأْ وَرَبُّكَ ٱلْأَكْرَمُ ﴿٣﴾ ٱلَّذِى عَلَّمَ بِٱلْقَلَمِ ﴿٤﴾ عَلَّمَ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ مَا لَمْ يَعْلَمْ ﴿٥﴾

Read with the name of your Lord Who created. Created man from a clot. Read, and your Lord only is the Most beneficent, The One Who taught to write with the pen. The One Who taught man all what he did not know. [A’laq 96:1-5]

These verses represent the first spark ever to dispel the darkness of ignorance and barbarianism in which the world had long been engrossed in. And Allah Almighty عَزَّوَجَلَّ reminded the Muslims of His immense favor to humankind, saying:

هُوَ ٱلَّذِى بَعَثَ فِى ٱلْأُمِّيِّۦنَ رَسُولًا مِّنْهُمْ يَتْلُوا۟ عَلَيْهِمْ ءَايَـٰتِهِۦ وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ وَٱلْحِكْمَةَ وَإِن كَانُوا۟ مِن قَبْلُ لَفِى ضَلَـٰلٍ مُّبِينٍ

It is He Who has send among the unlettered people a Noble Messenger (صَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہِ وَسَلَّم) from themselves, who recites His verses to them and purifies them, and bestows them the knowledge of the Book and wisdom; and indeed before this, they were in open error. [Jumu’ah 62:2]

The early generation of Muslims became, in a matter of years, a learned and refined nation in religious as well as worldly matters, after having remained in the darkness of ignorance for centuries. Islam awakened in man the faculty of intellect and motivated him to serve Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ, the one true God.

Religious knowledge is essential, because, without it, one will not be able to perform his or her obligations in the prescribed manner. Almighty Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ ordered the Beloved Prophet Muhammad صَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہِ وَسَلَّم to pray to him for advancement of knowledge:

وَقُل رَّبِّ زِدْنِى عِلْمًا

… and pray, “My Lord, bestow me more knowledge.” 

[Ta-Ha 20:114]

Beneficial worldly knowledge is also necessary, and Muslims are encouraged to acquire it in order to benefit themselves and their fellow humans. When the early Muslims understood this fact, they surpassed other nations in development and productivity and carried the torch of knowledge for many centuries. Islam made great advances in the fields of medicine, mathematics, physics, astronomy, geography, architecture, literature and history, to mention but a few. Many important new procedures such as the use of algebra, Arabic numerals, and the concept of the zero – which was vital to the advancement of mathematics, were transmitted to medieval Europe from Muslim countries. It was the Muslims who developed sophisticated instruments, including the astrolabe, the quadrant and good navigational maps which were to make possible the European voyages of discovery to the New World.

In medicine, mathematics, astronomy, chemistry and physics, Muslims achievements were particularly noteworthy. Well-equipped hospitals, usually associated with medical schools, were located in the principal cities. At a time especially during the ‘Dark Ages’ of the ‘medieval Times’ when superstition still hampered the practice of medicine in western countries, Muslim physicians were diagnosing diseases, prescribing treatments and performing advanced surgery… probably the greatest of all physicians was the 19^th century figure, ‘Al-Raazi’, known in the west as ‘Rhazes’. He was the author of numerous scientific works, including a comprehensive medical encyclopedia and a pioneering handbook on smallpox and measles. A 10^th century physician, Avicenna, (Ibn Sina) complied a huge Cannon of Medicine which was considered the standard guide in European medical circles until the late 17^th century… Important advances were made in algebra, analytical geometry and plane spherical trigonometry.

The Glorious Quran itself is a book of guidance and it contains some amazing scientific fact. They are amazing because although they were revealed to the Prophet Muhammad صَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہِ وَسَلَّم or of any person, but divine revelation of Allah Almighty عَزَّوَجَلَّ.