Why Does the Muslim World Lag in Science?
- Thread starter A.Rahman
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the last paragraph "lamented" about growth rates of gdp in arab countries. fact is gcc alone has invested more than a trillion dollar (going worthless now) in their economies. GCC gdp stands at over 720 billion dollars, with gdp/capita of around 20k$.
Tiki Tam Tam
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The fact is that you are an ostrich that cannot see beyond religion.
That is the main reason why the Moslem world is lagging behind.
Historically, Moslem world once led the world. It was because they had scientific temper and not make everything a be all and end all in religion.
Yes, the Moslem world lags behind. Instead of babbling yourself, address the issue face-on and get cracking rather than grousing that everyone else is wrong.
Bengalis the world over will not be Bangladeshi, for the simple reason, they don't live in Bangladesh. Some live in India and some around the world. Therefore, how can they be Bangladeshis? It appears that you do not know your own language. Bangladesh means the land of Bengalis. So, how can all Bengalis be Bangaldeshis? Bengalis who are not of Bangladesh will always be Bengalis,but they can not be Bangaldeshis! So much for your logic and your knowledge of the language!
Also, instead of bringing in religion in everything, it would lead to a better discussion if you address the facts.
niaz
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Until the beginning of the Middle Ages circa 1000 AD. Muslims chemists, astronomers and engineers were foremost in the sciences and medicine. Main reason was that wisdom of the ancient Greeks such as Galen, Hippocrates, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle and the Euclid had been translated into Arabic and made good use of. In Europe these books reached via the Islamic Spain and all centers of learning were Muslim. Besides, Church doctrines forbade any discussion of the subjects that appear in any way contradictory to the religious teaching. The result was advance of learning and sciences in the Islamic world whereas Europe continued to languish in the dark ages. However by the 1000 AD, enough scientific knowledge had tricked down to Europe that they began to catch up.
There have been two main events in the next 500 years which were to deeply impact growth of knowledge.
First were the Mongols, who destroyed what was then the flourishing civilization of Iran and ended the Abbasids Khilaafat. This killed off the door of Ijtehad and produced Islamic scholars such as Sh. Ibne Timiya who laid great stress on literal meaning of the Quran and Sunnah (from where the Salaafins originated). The main theme was that reason for the fall of Muslims (The sheikh meant Arabs as he had doubts over faith of the newly converted Turks) from grace is that they have forgotten the teaching of their forefathers.
The second was the fall of Constantinople in 1453, where helped spread the knowledge to Western Europe.
Until 15th century scientific learning in Europe and in the Islamic world was at par. However over next couple of centuries a series of geniuses were born in Europe which changed the face of Europe and were the principle reason why the West left the East far behind and has never looked back.
First of these giants was Nicolas Copernicus. (1477 to 1543). This Polish priest was the first person who philosophized that Earth was not the centre of the Universe. This went contrary to the teaching of the Church but he believed so none the less.
Tyco Brahe (1546 -1601) a Danish astronomer observed first super nova in 1572 and catalogued hundreds of stars. Tycho was helped by a German scientist called Kepler (1571-1630). Kepler concluded that planetary motion was not circular but elliptical in nature.
Galileo Galili (1546 – 1642). An Italian from Tuscany perfected telescope, discovered moons of Jupiter , analyzed sunspots and firmly established the fact that it was earth which went round the sun, not the vice versa.
In the meantime in the small rainy islands called Britain & Ireland some other scientific giants were being born. First was a Robert Boyle (1627 – 1691) of Boyle’s law fame. Followed by Robert Hook 1635-1703 who was mathematician par excellence. Edmond Halley of Halley’s Comet fame (1656-1742) and finally the Sir Isaac Newton (1643-1747).
It was Newton, who invented a reflecting telescope, discovered the law of gravitation, the famous inverse law and concluded that the universe worked on scientific principles and not on the whims of a universal super being. In my opinion, it was these personalities of incredible intellect who came one after another which created the vast gap in the scientific learning that we see today.
It would be an error on my part if I miss out the Royal Society and Gresham College. Gresham College was the first seat of learning established outside Oxford and Cambridge. It was established by Sir Thomas Gresham in 1597. It was here that Royal Society was formed meant for the advancement and dissemination of scientific knowledge. It received its Royal Charter in 1662 and even to date being an FRS is considered hall mark of a scientist.
Even to this day, Islamic world has not managed to catch up with the organization and nor demonstrated the will to spend vast sums of money and energy on the scientific and industrial research. Until that happens Muslims will continue to lag behind the West.
There have been two main events in the next 500 years which were to deeply impact growth of knowledge.
First were the Mongols, who destroyed what was then the flourishing civilization of Iran and ended the Abbasids Khilaafat. This killed off the door of Ijtehad and produced Islamic scholars such as Sh. Ibne Timiya who laid great stress on literal meaning of the Quran and Sunnah (from where the Salaafins originated). The main theme was that reason for the fall of Muslims (The sheikh meant Arabs as he had doubts over faith of the newly converted Turks) from grace is that they have forgotten the teaching of their forefathers.
The second was the fall of Constantinople in 1453, where helped spread the knowledge to Western Europe.
Until 15th century scientific learning in Europe and in the Islamic world was at par. However over next couple of centuries a series of geniuses were born in Europe which changed the face of Europe and were the principle reason why the West left the East far behind and has never looked back.
First of these giants was Nicolas Copernicus. (1477 to 1543). This Polish priest was the first person who philosophized that Earth was not the centre of the Universe. This went contrary to the teaching of the Church but he believed so none the less.
Tyco Brahe (1546 -1601) a Danish astronomer observed first super nova in 1572 and catalogued hundreds of stars. Tycho was helped by a German scientist called Kepler (1571-1630). Kepler concluded that planetary motion was not circular but elliptical in nature.
Galileo Galili (1546 – 1642). An Italian from Tuscany perfected telescope, discovered moons of Jupiter , analyzed sunspots and firmly established the fact that it was earth which went round the sun, not the vice versa.
In the meantime in the small rainy islands called Britain & Ireland some other scientific giants were being born. First was a Robert Boyle (1627 – 1691) of Boyle’s law fame. Followed by Robert Hook 1635-1703 who was mathematician par excellence. Edmond Halley of Halley’s Comet fame (1656-1742) and finally the Sir Isaac Newton (1643-1747).
It was Newton, who invented a reflecting telescope, discovered the law of gravitation, the famous inverse law and concluded that the universe worked on scientific principles and not on the whims of a universal super being. In my opinion, it was these personalities of incredible intellect who came one after another which created the vast gap in the scientific learning that we see today.
It would be an error on my part if I miss out the Royal Society and Gresham College. Gresham College was the first seat of learning established outside Oxford and Cambridge. It was established by Sir Thomas Gresham in 1597. It was here that Royal Society was formed meant for the advancement and dissemination of scientific knowledge. It received its Royal Charter in 1662 and even to date being an FRS is considered hall mark of a scientist.
Even to this day, Islamic world has not managed to catch up with the organization and nor demonstrated the will to spend vast sums of money and energy on the scientific and industrial research. Until that happens Muslims will continue to lag behind the West.
r4rehan
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hm.............
B'coz The Muslimz are not reading or searching in QURAN,
ALLAH Says in QURAN
if JINO INSS (GOST AND HUMAN) u can go out of This EATHER then go but u can't without POWER.
in URDU
Eh Jino Inss Ager tum ZAMEEN aur ASMAAN ke KINARO se Nikalna cahao tu nikal jao mager Bagher Takat ke tu tum nikal sakne ke hi nahi...
( AGER mujhe se koi Ghalti hoi hoto ALLAH mujhe maf kare.. )
and today we know that with out power we can't go out of this EARTH
and lots of things. ALLAH told us before 1400 Years in QURAN
ALLAH Halps us but we don't search this is our fault ....
ALLAH Give as HIDAYAH to Read QURAN and search on QURAN's WORD
<(_|_)| AKBAR
B'coz The Muslimz are not reading or searching in QURAN,
ALLAH Says in QURAN
if JINO INSS (GOST AND HUMAN) u can go out of This EATHER then go but u can't without POWER.
in URDU
Eh Jino Inss Ager tum ZAMEEN aur ASMAAN ke KINARO se Nikalna cahao tu nikal jao mager Bagher Takat ke tu tum nikal sakne ke hi nahi...
( AGER mujhe se koi Ghalti hoi hoto ALLAH mujhe maf kare.. )
and today we know that with out power we can't go out of this EARTH
and lots of things. ALLAH told us before 1400 Years in QURAN
ALLAH Halps us but we don't search this is our fault ....
ALLAH Give as HIDAYAH to Read QURAN and search on QURAN's WORD
<(_|_)| AKBAR
mujahideen
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The reason why we Muslims lag behind in Science and almost everything is that we dont have time for these kinds of things, because we are too busy fighting each other.
salman nedian
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Awareness for education is a must also we are developing Universities but not promoting R&D in our institutions all things are related to each other better law and order relates to better economy better economy relates to better living standard and better integration of industries to educational institutions.
muse
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Why does the Muslim World Lag behind in the Sciences??
First a couple of preambles : Recall that in it's original sense "secular" referred to a world view of the world without reference to the "religious" but with reference to the "scientific" in the sense of the study of the physical world.
In other words, the alternate of the religious was a world view based on the study of the physical world.
Now before you can study anything you must have a system with which you justify that which you know, i.e. epistemology - the science or study of KNOWLEDGE.
In recent years, in Islamia we have opted to be deluded that the alternate of "religious" is "godlessness" -- whereas the alternate of the religious is "ILMANIYAT” -- ILM
Now if we justify what we know as being only religious, how can we even begin to ask why we lag behind in science??
See, at the core of this question is the question "WHAT IS THE NATURE OF KNOWLEDGE"? Is it human, man made or Divine?? -- Is there just one type of KNOWLEDGE?? In other words, is there a single epistemology??
The so called "Islamist" as opposed to the "Muslim" will have us believe that there is but one source of KNOWLEDGE, that which is their INTERPRETATION.
However; the Muslim does not negate that the unique field of "religious knowledge" may have a separate epistemology.
The Muslim acknowledges that KNOWLEDGE is an entirely human Endeavour and that KNOWLEDGE changes and EVOLVES, it is in different era of time, like the waves of the ocean upon the coast, it crests, expands and in other times, it recedes -- now if KNOWLEDGE does change, does expand, does recede, is this not proof of it's entirely human origin??
On the other hand if one argues as the so called Islamist, does that all that is knowable is already known, that there exists nothing to discover, because all is already known -- what then is the need for greater study, exploration, innovation and leaps of imagination??
Indeed - is this not the reason Islamia lags behind in the sciences??
Now, some argue that if this were indeed the case, how do we explain that Islamia were once leaders in the fields of science? Those who would pose such a obvious question are invited to review the kinds of ideas about KNOWLEDGE that existed in madaress then and the kinds that exist now - indeed a more productive course may be to study and evaluate the role, in particular of the beloved, benevolent and learned Imam Al-Ghazzali in the turning away of Islamia from the course of reason into obscuritanism, along with events mentioned above, such as the Mongol Invasion and crusades and a awareness of the law of unintended consequences would be helpful.
The Heart of the Matter is the question of KNOWLEDGE, of Epistemology. Today we lag behind in the sciences, whereas once we were leaders in the fields, today we close ourselves from the world, whereas once we were open to the world such was the hunger that we translated all manner of works and studied them and improved upon them, we built the house of KNOWLEDGE, today we reject it and find it only a utility in the furtherance of one interpretation of one kind of science, namely religious knowledge as understood by Islamist.
This narrow view of science, of KNOWLEDGE and its nature and of its genesis is at the root of our inability to joyously, wondrously, purposefully trek the path to reclaim and disseminate as benevolence, our patrimony of developing knowledge.
First a couple of preambles : Recall that in it's original sense "secular" referred to a world view of the world without reference to the "religious" but with reference to the "scientific" in the sense of the study of the physical world.
In other words, the alternate of the religious was a world view based on the study of the physical world.
Now before you can study anything you must have a system with which you justify that which you know, i.e. epistemology - the science or study of KNOWLEDGE.
In recent years, in Islamia we have opted to be deluded that the alternate of "religious" is "godlessness" -- whereas the alternate of the religious is "ILMANIYAT” -- ILM
Now if we justify what we know as being only religious, how can we even begin to ask why we lag behind in science??
See, at the core of this question is the question "WHAT IS THE NATURE OF KNOWLEDGE"? Is it human, man made or Divine?? -- Is there just one type of KNOWLEDGE?? In other words, is there a single epistemology??
The so called "Islamist" as opposed to the "Muslim" will have us believe that there is but one source of KNOWLEDGE, that which is their INTERPRETATION.
However; the Muslim does not negate that the unique field of "religious knowledge" may have a separate epistemology.
The Muslim acknowledges that KNOWLEDGE is an entirely human Endeavour and that KNOWLEDGE changes and EVOLVES, it is in different era of time, like the waves of the ocean upon the coast, it crests, expands and in other times, it recedes -- now if KNOWLEDGE does change, does expand, does recede, is this not proof of it's entirely human origin??
On the other hand if one argues as the so called Islamist, does that all that is knowable is already known, that there exists nothing to discover, because all is already known -- what then is the need for greater study, exploration, innovation and leaps of imagination??
Indeed - is this not the reason Islamia lags behind in the sciences??
Now, some argue that if this were indeed the case, how do we explain that Islamia were once leaders in the fields of science? Those who would pose such a obvious question are invited to review the kinds of ideas about KNOWLEDGE that existed in madaress then and the kinds that exist now - indeed a more productive course may be to study and evaluate the role, in particular of the beloved, benevolent and learned Imam Al-Ghazzali in the turning away of Islamia from the course of reason into obscuritanism, along with events mentioned above, such as the Mongol Invasion and crusades and a awareness of the law of unintended consequences would be helpful.
The Heart of the Matter is the question of KNOWLEDGE, of Epistemology. Today we lag behind in the sciences, whereas once we were leaders in the fields, today we close ourselves from the world, whereas once we were open to the world such was the hunger that we translated all manner of works and studied them and improved upon them, we built the house of KNOWLEDGE, today we reject it and find it only a utility in the furtherance of one interpretation of one kind of science, namely religious knowledge as understood by Islamist.
This narrow view of science, of KNOWLEDGE and its nature and of its genesis is at the root of our inability to joyously, wondrously, purposefully trek the path to reclaim and disseminate as benevolence, our patrimony of developing knowledge.
Ali.009
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You all are missing something
Please note that all Europeran renaissance era started in 14th century, right after the decline of muslim era. All the muslim achivments and advancments were transfered to europe after the fall of spain etc. And europerans used that muslim knowledge to become what they are today.
Please note that all Europeran renaissance era started in 14th century, right after the decline of muslim era. All the muslim achivments and advancments were transfered to europe after the fall of spain etc. And europerans used that muslim knowledge to become what they are today.
Flintlock
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You're a funny guy Ali009!
Well European used Muslim knowledge and muslin dont use their knowledge ?
Saudi Arabia which is one of the Richest Country Dont have any Science Knowledge, Ne Muslim apart from Turkey Have any Sci Knowledge.
While other Civilization grows and Muslims always find other religion to blame. Even Brazil have more advance in S&T then Any Muslim Country.
Because everything they see though religion, while other keep separate.
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