May-Aug 2021
These words of Imam al-Ghazali (RA) are worthy of being written in golden ink, in which he said that there are only two things in this universe: the first is the deed of God and the second is the word of God. The deed of God is our universe and what’s in it, whereas the word of God is Qur’an and Hadith. Apart from these two things, there is no third thing in our universe. Therefore contemplation and reflection in both of these lead to the realization of the Creator of the universe and His various attributes. And according to Allama Mohammad Shihabuddin Nadwi (RA), this is the reason why both the cosmic phenomena and the Qur’anic verses have been termed as ‘ayahs’ (signs) in the Holy Qur’an. That is to say, these are the two signs by which the Creator of the universe and His attributes are realized.
Therefore, in order to achieve these great goals, the Qur’an invited man to reflect on the universe and to ponder on its manifestations, and encouraged them to do so in various ways. Therefore, inspired by these teachings of the Qur’an and Hadith, Muslims in their heyday laid the foundation of modern experimental science and left no stone unturned in its promotion and development. This was the first period of the development and rise of modern science.
After the decline of the Muslims, the second phase of the advancement of science began under the auspices of the Western nations, which has reached its peak today. Today, the realm of scientific progress is such that, not hundreds but thousands of sub-disciplines of science have been established and a library of research and investigation on each of these subjects has come into existence.
It is not only a matter of pleasure but also a matter of wonder and amazement that as the scope of modern scientific research is widening, so is the scope of the scientific marvels of the Qur’an and the hadiths. It provides new arguments for the completeness and universality of the Qur’an and the hadiths, on the one hand, and on the other, it also hints at a great plan of the Creator of the universe behind it, which reflects the fact that the plant Islam has nurtured fourteen centuries ago, by bowing the seeds of modern science, now is the time to reap its harvest.
The fact is that today the understanding and interpretation of Islamic teachings (beliefs, sharia, social and ethical values) has become incredibly easy in the light of modern scientific research. Therefore, in the present era, if the argument of Islam can be fulfilled on the nations of the world and a scientific revolution can be carried out, then it is possible through the same teachings of the Qur’an and Hadith and their scientific marvels alone. The following Qur’anic verse is of great importance in this regard in many ways:
“Soon We will show them Our signs both in the universe and in their own souls, which will make it clear to them that this book is true.” (Qur’an: 41:53)
In this verse, while Allah Almighty promises to prove the veracity of the Holy Qur’an and to complete the argument of Islam on the nations of the world through modern science, at the same time, this verse also defines the path of action for the Muslim Ummah as a nation and what is required to be done in this in this era? Similarly, this verse also refers to an Islamic and scientific revolution which will take place as a result of the scientific revolution. Therefore, the present age is not only the age of scientific revolution in the true sense of the word, but also the age of proving the veracity of the divine word (Holy Qur’an and hadith) from the Qur’anic point of view, which will take place through research and compilation of the scientific marvels of the Qur’an and Hadith.
It should be borne in mind here that the great task of research and compilation of scientific marvels of the Qur’an and Hadith is an all-inclusive and comprehensive work. It cannot be accomplished by one or two individuals or even by one or two institutions, but it can be done with the cooperation and collaboration of teams of religious scholars, scientists, institutions and universities with diverse specialties. Therefore, the followers of Islam need to accomplish this great task with full force and energy for the sake of the exalted word of Allah alone, rising above regional and sectarian interests.