The Rationale behind the Scientific Study of the Qur’ān Conflict between Religion and Science The relationship between science and religion has often been a turbulent one. Historically, scientists have scorned the advent of religious ideas seeing them as in conflict with rational thinking. Much of this prejudice has stemmed from opposition by religious authorities to new scientific discoveries in the past. Christendom in particular displays a history of confrontations between the Church and scientists. This conflicting situation made the Bible subject to adulterations. The European Bishops mutilated its teachings, changed its concepts and beliefs and added philosophy to it. Scientific errors were also assorted in it. The Christian followers adopted that belief as their own, which in fact was not theirs but was an outcome of the wrong concepts added by the priests. When the scientists, after having researched, raised voice against such wrong concepts, the priests started thinking that the scientists were negating religion as against science. So they started giving the verdict of infidelity against such scientists. Scientists were tortured and tormented. Countless scientists were buried alive as a result of their prejudiced laws. In the Sixteenth century the Polish philosopher Copernicus came to know of the Heliocentric Hypothesis, that the earth and other planets revolved around the sun, but was frightened to publish his findings for fear of Papal disapproval. However, it was Copernicus’s successor Galileo who suffered the full force of the Church’s Creation of Man disapproval. When he published his work “The Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems”, a masterful piece agreeing with the Copernican theory, Galileo was brought to trial by the Inquisition in Rome in 1632. He died in prison. These actions laid the foundations of a continuous struggle between scientific discoveries and church authorities. During the Renaissance period scientists inevitably took their revenge, which is still evident today.

Qur’ān and Invitation to Scientific Study The case with Islam differs. In the midst of ignorance and benightedness where scientific knowledge was scorned, the Qur’ān eloquently pointed out many new found facts with such remarkable accuracy that only the Creator of man could do. It has only been in the last three centuries with specific regard being given to the present century that scientific research has unfolded and clarified the workings of the universe. This has ranged from the development and function of our own bodies to the environment that we live in. Yet the Qur’ān has already described these natural phenomena to focus man’s attention on the wisdom, benevolence and authority of the Creator. Such liberal and advanced thinking led the way to an entire host of Islamic academics and scientists between the 8th and 12th centuries’ (A.D). At a time when Christianity laid down heavy penalties on scientific development, Muslim scholars flocked to the University of Cordoba, the cultural center of Islam, making new discoveries. There is a long list of scientists and scholars who made remarkable contributions in different fields of science. Abul Qāsim az-Zahrawī was a renowned The Rationale behind the Scientific . . . . 9 Muslim surgeon and physician. His fame rests in his book “al-Tasrīf”. This was an amazing work on medical science which laid the foundation of the development of surgery in Europe. Abu Ishāq was a great philosopher and translator. He translated and wrote commentaries on the philosophical works of Aristotle. He was also a famous mathematician, astronomer, optician, physicist and pharmacologist. Abū Raihān al-Bayrūni was the first to discover that light travels faster than sound. He was also a learned philosopher, geographer and a physicist. Abul Wafā al-Buzajānī was a notable mathematician. His contributions to the development of Trigonometry are remarkable. Ibn al- Haytham was a prominent Muslim physicist who made the first significant contributions to the optical theory. Ibn Sinā, a renowned Muslim scientist, produced a book “Kitab-ush-Shifā’”. It discusses the natural sciences including Metaphysics, Astronomy, Geometry and Psychology. Muhammad bin Mūsa al-Khawarzimī was a famous mathematician and astronomer. He accomplished the oldest works on Arithmetic and Algebra. He was the first person to use Zero. Al-Fārābī was a great Islamic thinker who transmitted the doctrines of Greek philosophers Plato and Aristotle to the Arab world. And last but not the least Jābir bin Hayyān is recognised as the father of modern Chemistry. He introduced experimental