IFSA - The accumulation of knowledge

Re-Islamisation of Learning

The accumulation of knowledge as a collective and individual wisdom, education and a Re-Islamisation of the learning of all disciplines in general and world-wide are the key to unity of the Muslim community (ummah). The purpose is to play an active part in discovering scientific phenomena and support them as signs of Allah, make technological inventions for the benefit of mankind and nature and to invite people effectively into Islam, if Allah pleases (inshallah). This was the practice of the early Muslims. Allah has subjected to us the whole creation and we are being tested as to our kindness and justice. Muslims should be deeply involved in the process of both science and religion because Islam is a message to mankind and Muslims should benefit everyone in the whole world in order to be seen as an attractive group. The achievement of these ideals and establishing multidisciplinary learning are the mission of our Forum and unity is the goal of our co-operation with other bodies/groups/parties. Violence is the last solution.

Muslim scholars are nowadays understood as knowledgeable in Quran, Hadith, Fiqh-us-Sunnah and possibly Muslim history. If we compare that to the middle ages, this is a strong reduction to the spiritual side of learning as it is the case in the secular societies. The secular world wants to separate between sciences and religion. That is not an Islamic principle. In fact it is contraproductive and our so-called Muslim countries have adapted that from the "West". They are so fond of this thinking that they find it deviant to go back to the Islamic principle of multidisciplinary learning. The majority of people as a result study either "Oriental Studies", or "Medicine/Engineering/Business/IT". This leaves a gap and a vacuum. Nobody learns both and how both interlink. In most cases they don't even know that the Quran explains it all (S18: V54).

Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) said: Do you know who is most generous? They said: Allah and His Messenger know best. Whereupon he said: Allah is the Most Generous, then I am most generous to mankind, and the most generous people after me would be those who will acquire knowledge and then disseminate it. He will come on the Day of Resurrection singly, like a ruler, or he said: As a single Ummah.

Bayhaqi transmitted in Shu'ab al-Iman.
Al-Tirmidhi Hadith
Hadith 259 Narrated by
Anas ibn Malik

We have spoken about the importance of knowledge in the beginning of part one, under "Allah tests and rewards believers" and build the bridge from belief (iman) to certainty (jaqeen). There are easily over hundred Ayahs in the Quran stressing the importance of knowledge and our Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him) has repeatedly stressed the importance of such learning throughout his life. Some say it is the responsibility of all Muslims. Others reduce learning to Quran and Hadith. All learning is important, in order to know what others think. For example, if ones faith as a Muslim were correct and strong, nothing would hold him/her back to read the Bible. Of course, because like that one can find out the truth about it and be prepared for questions by Christians. This does not mean that the Bible is correct or perfect or better or worse or anything. It is just to find out, what it actually says. The same is true for the Torah, the Tao, the Buddhist Sutra, etc. and philosophy, sciences and so on. Reading something does not mean, that one is convinced by it being the truth but rather that one wants to find out, what the author says or whether it was an original revelation which men have distorted during the course of history. We have to know and "argue beautifully" (S16: V125). In the same way we should encourage non-Muslims to read the Quran in order to give them a chance to compare, reflect and understand and maybe even receive guidance. Allah will judge in any case. If they read the Quran themselves, they can decide whether they accept it as the truth without asking Muslims or Jews or the Pope about it. That is called logic and reason. You do not buy a book about the Quran, you read the Quran, if you want to know what it is. I think, also Muslims should reconsider this. It is the final word of Allah until the last day and everything else is manwritten.

Here is a very effective way of spreading Islam, inshallah: Start saying verses from the Quran to your colleagues, if they are non-Muslims (or Muslims or born-Muslims or so-called Muslims) and do not mention that they are from the Quran. You will find everyone agreeing to what you are saying, automatically. Do so more often and inshallah one day people may find out that you are quoting the true revelation, inshallah. In this way you trick those who are islamophobic, afraid of everything related to Islam.

The scientific signs of the Quran, applied correctly within beautiful argumentation (, a difficult task and balance,) can be a good way of spreading Islam among people. Education has to go hand in hand with Islam in order to achieve that. In fact the sciences were integrated, established and developed, one can say cultivated, by the Muslims first. That is because Allah challenges us in the Quran to experiment and check the perfect nature of his creation:

3 He Who created the seven heavens one above another; no want of proportion wilt thou see in the Creation of (Allah) Most Gracious so turn thy vision again: Seest thou any flaw? 5559
4. Again turn thy vision a second time; (thy) vision will come back to thee dull and discomfited in a state worn out.

A. Yusuf Ali Quran Translation
Surah Al-Mulk Surah 67 30 Ayahs

30 Behold thy Lord said to the angels: "I will create a vicegerent# on earth." They said "Wilt thou place therein one who will make mischief therein and shed blood? Whilst we do celebrate Thy praises and glorify Thy holy (name)?" He said: "I know what ye know not." 47
31 And He taught Adam the nature of all things; then He placed them before the angels and said: "Tell Me the nature of these if ye are right." 48
32 They said: "Glory to Thee of knowledge we have none save that Thou hast taught us: in truth it is Thou who art perfect in knowledge and wisdom."
33 He said: "O Adam! tell them their natures." When he had told them Allah said: "Did I not tell you that I know the secrets of heaven and earth and I know what ye reveal and what ye conceal?"

A. Yusuf Ali Quran Translation
Surah Al-Baqara Surah 2 286 Ayahs

Then we gave this "cultural flame" over to Europe and lost it due to certain reasons I have given. However, now is the age of science, technology, fast travelling and communication, telecommunication and in fact we can get it back. We can spread Islam, inshallah. Mankind is ruling over the earth and in an age of progress the majority of mankind haven't ever used a computer or been inside an aeroplane. At the same time we are overproducing and consuming and polluting the earth, thereby influencing the climate in an extreme way. It all comes down to "transgressing the balance" (S55: V8).

We have been made rulers over the earth (see above, vicegerent# and below, S16: V12) in order to test us and we can only pass the test through true guidance from Allah by submitting to him out of our free will which we have been granted. We have taken it on us intentionally:

70 O ye who believe! Guard your duty to Allah, and speak words straight to the point;
71 He will adjust your works for you and will forgive you your sins. Whosoever obeyeth Allah and His messenger, he verily hath gained a signal victory.
72 Lo! We offered the trust unto the heavens and the earth and the hills, but they shrank from bearing it and were afraid of it. And man assumed it. Lo! he hath proved a tyrant and a fool.
73 Allah punisheth hypocritical men and hypocritical women, and idolatrous men and idolatrous women. But Allah pardoneth believing men and believing women, and Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.

M. Pickthall Quran Translation
Surah Al-Ahzab Surah 33 73 Ayahs

12. He has made subject to you the Night and the Day; the Sun and the Moon; and the Stars are in subjection by His Command: verily in this are Signs for men who are wise.

A. Yusuf Ali Quran Translation
Surah An-Nahl Surah 16 128 Ayahs

We must become one intelligent Ummah again which practices sciences and knows about the moral of the Quran as well, like the scholars of the middle ages did (I will talk about that during the course). And that is only possible through the gnosis of Allah and the "assurance of the hereafter" Sura-tul-Baqrah, S2: V4) which we can only get through knowledge and thought and the scientific proofs, inshallah. Only then Allah will unite us and guide us:

4. Who doth greater wrong than one who invents falsehood against Allah even as he is being invited to Islam? And Allah guides not those who do wrong.

A. Yusuf Ali Quran Translation
Surah As-Saff Surah 61 14 Ayahs

We Muslims have to be just and good. We have to be attractive as a group. We have to be smart in appearance and intelligent in speech and active in action. That is the middle path in-between prosperous and ascetic, like the seal of the prophets Mohammed (peace be upon him) was.
We Muslims are not allowed to do the same mistakes as the seculars on our way to progress, like pollution, because we should praise Allah and fear his judgement on the last day whose timespan will be long and whose exact timing only the master of that very day knows (Malik-e-Joumeddine). We should establish regular prayer and charity. So we should be humble and live between fear and hope while we ought to be longing for wisdom and knowledge and become the active contributors to the real progress of mankind leading into an age of harmony between races and classes and technology and nature. An idealistic view that could then become reality. As said, "Allah does not change the state of a people, until they change it themselves" (S13: V11).
And certainly we must do all this in order to be guided and to be forgiven the sins we have committed. We have to pay thanks, ask for forgiveness and praise Allah, fulfil the five pillars and the Sunnas of the seal of the prophets Mohammed (peace be upon him) in terms of behaviour. We have to obey the command of Allah in his final message to mankind, which is the book called "Reading".

We need to establish teaching Islamic morals in each and every Institute and make Muslims and non-Muslims eager to learn about Islam and the benefits of it. We need to do that in each and every university/school/college and at work. This is the mission of the Islamic Forum on Science and Art.

Therefore we want to participate with other organisations and unite on the long run, inshallah.

Introduction for Muslims

Re-Islamisation of Learning