Islam and Science

Science is an essential component of contemporary advancement. Within its tools lie solutions to nearly every problem that once perplexed the human mind. But where did science begin, and is it an exclusive achievement of the Western world? The answer is no. It was Islam that first invited humanity to reflect and ponder. The Holy Qur’an repeatedly calls upon us to contemplate the phenomena of the universe.

Translation: “Reflect upon religion.”
Translation: “Travel through the earth.”

Reflect upon the creations of the universe, and if even that is not possible, then reflect upon your own self. There are many such verses in the Holy Qur’an. By adopting these very principles, the Western nations and developed societies discovered the key to progress resolving problems through contemplation, deep thinking, and reflection. After this intellectual process comes the phase of experimentation—transforming thought into action, followed by analysing the results to determine their utility.

This is the very method that Muslims began practicing fourteen hundred years ago, which enabled them to dominate three-quarters of the known world. Today, the same principles have been adopted by advanced nations, and in accordance with the just laws of Allah Almighty, they are now reaping the fruits of that fruitful tree.

What is Science?

The branch of knowledge that we refer to as science is also known as the knowledge of the universe, which includes the understanding of human beings as well. The key to scientific knowledge lies in the observation of the natural conditions and events of the universe—or, in other words, the phenomena of nature—which we perceive through our five senses. A scientist draws conclusions from observing the universe, then organizes and compiles these findings in a coherent and comprehensible manner. Every accurate scientific conclusion is regarded as a consistent scientific truth or a law of nature. When the findings or scientific truths discovered through observation are systematically arranged and organized, this collective body of knowledge is what we call science.

The Four Stages of the Scientific Method

At times, a scientist observes the conditions and events of the universe directly in their natural state by seeking them out and approaching them closely. At other times, the scientist artificially recreates these conditions and events within a laboratory setting in order to observe them—essentially bringing them closer for study. In both cases, the scientist strives to create suitable conditions for the observation and study of the universe. This effort by the scientist is known as experimentation. The purpose of experimentation is observation, and the purpose of observation is to derive conclusions through contemplation. At times, various isolated scientific facts collectively point toward a greater reality that is not directly proven through observation and experimentation. However, since it helps organize and connect several established facts, the scientist incorporates it as a credible theory within the body of scientific knowledge. The reason for this is that, without such a theory, these scattered facts remain unintelligible and cannot be rationally structured or unified. Thus, until the scientific facts disprove it, the theory holds the status of a scientific truth, as it is also considered among the outcomes of observation.

This method of investigation, the essence of which is the observation and study of the universe, is called the Scientific Method. It becomes clear from this that the process of scientific investigation involves four stages:

1. Experimentation
2. Observation
3. Inference or Derivation of Results
4. Organization of Results

Branches of Scientific Knowledge Method

The universe can be divided into three distinct realms:

1. Matter
2. Living beings
3. The human self (soul or psyche)

Corresponding to these realms, the science of the universe scientific knowledge is also categorized into three major branches:

1. Physical Sciences – These relate to the nature of matter and include disciplines such as physics, chemistry, astronomy, geology, and others.
2. Biological Sciences – These pertain to the nature of life and include fields such as biology, botany, zoology, embryology, anatomy, and medicine.
3. Psychological or Human Sciences – These are concerned with the nature and phenomena of the human psyche or soul and include disciplines such as individual psychology, social psychology, history, political science, ethics, economics, law, and education.

Upon deeper reflection, even mathematics and logic can be considered branches of psychology, as they deal with the clarification and elaboration of the very principles according to which the human mind operates and reasons.

For the sake of simplicity, we can refer to these three major domains of science respectively as:

• Physics (Physical Sciences)
• Biology (Biological Sciences)
• Psychology (Human or Psychological Sciences)

The Fundamental Beliefs of a Scientist

It is sometimes assumed that science has no relation to belief, and that a modern scientist does not begin their research with any preconceived belief accepted without evidence; rather, they are thought to be entirely open-minded, going wherever their observations may lead. However, this assumption is incorrect.

Every scientist holds certain beliefs about the nature of science and knowledge as the foundation of their research. These beliefs are often derived from a broader belief in the reality of the universe and have a direct influence on the outcomes of their investigations. For instance, every scientist inherently believes that the universe is a coherent whole, not divided into segments or regions where different or contradictory laws of nature apply based on distance or time.

They hold that the laws of the universe are uniform and consistent not only do they apply equally in all places, but they remain unchanged across all times. Undoubtedly, this belief has proven to be correct, and one strong piece of evidence supporting its truth is that it has never been proven wrong. In fact, this belief is the starting point of scientific inquiry, not its conclusion. All scientific progress to date has been made possible because of this foundational belief.

If scientists did not begin with this conviction, and if this belief were not valid, science itself would not be possible. It is this very conviction that motivates scientists to pursue research and gives them confidence in their results, encouraging them to move forward in their work.
It is evident that if a scientist were to believe that the scientific truth they have discovered at a particular place and time is merely local or temporary and that numerous alternate or parallel scientific truths might also exist or emerge in the universe then they would consider their findings to be meaningless and abandon the investigation.

For example, if a scientist believed that water boils at 100 degrees Celsius at sea level in one location but at 85 degrees in another, or that it boils at 100 degrees at one moment and 50 degrees at another without any identifiable cause, they would consider their research invalid and pointless.

Consequences of the Unity of the Universe

Due to this inherent unity of the universe, a scientist also holds without requiring formal proof or evidence—the belief that science itself is a unified whole. All established scientific facts, whether they belong to the physical, biological, or psychological sciences, are considered logically interrelated. They are interconnected in knowledge, support and validate one another, shed light on each other, and never contradict or oppose one another scientifically or logically.

A scientist believes, without prior proof, that all scientific truths together form such a coherent rational and intellectual system that if a so-called “scientific fact” is introduced into it which is not genuinely true, it will not fit into this system. This is because all other scientific truths will logically and intellectually reject it. It is on the basis of this conviction that when a scientist encounters a supposed scientific fact emerging from their research which conflicts with an already known and established fact, they begin to doubt the accuracy of their findings. They either reject this new so-called fact or begin to question the previously known fact. The scientist re-examines it, and if found incorrect, discards it.

The result of this unity of scientific truths is that if any one branch of science progresses in error, it negatively impacts the overall advancement of science, sometimes even halting the progress of entire fields. A scientist also firmly believes—again, without needing proof—that each authentic scientific truth illuminates many other scientific truths. If a scientist mistakenly rejects one genuine scientific truth, many related truths may remain hidden or undiscovered, and progress in that domain may come to a standstill.

These are the foundational beliefs with which a scientist begins their inquiry. These beliefs are pre-existing assumptions, deeply embedded within the scientist’s mind before any investigation begins. They are not proven by the scientist; instead, they are accepted as axiomatic truths, and it is in their light and support that all scientific facts are tested and established.

The Unity of Science is Due to the Unity of the Reality of the Universe

Why does a scientist hold an unquestioned and unsupported belief in the unity of the universe and the unity of science? The reason is that, as a human being, he is compelled by his very nature to do so. It is ingrained in human nature that the reality of the universe is one, and the entire cosmos is its manifestation. Whether a scientist consciously acknowledges this intuitive belief or not, it remains embedded in his subconscious as an inseparable part of his nature, and he is compelled to act according to this belief.

Until the reality of the universe is accepted consciously or subconsciously as one, it is impossible to accept the unity of scientific facts. This is because unity cannot exist without order or harmony, and order or harmony cannot exist without a central principle to unify and organize. Therefore, it is necessary that there be a principle that unites and organizes all scientific facts and serves as their essence, soul, or ultimate reality—that is, the ultimate truth of realities or the final truth of the universe. All scientific facts are components and elements of its explanation and interpretation, and the reason for their intellectual coherence and order is that they all have a rational and intellectual connection and harmony with the reality of the universe.

A scientist’s conscious or subconscious concept of reality always accompanies him and continues to influence his scientific results. Since scientific facts only correspond to a correct perception of reality and cannot be consistent with a false concept of reality, if a scientist’s concept of reality is correct, his scientific research will be accurate and will lead him to correct results. Otherwise, it will go wrong and ultimately come to a halt.

It is clear that this phenomenon is more pronounced in the fields of psychological or human sciences, where the concept of reality has a closer connection. The reason science goes wrong due to an incorrect concept of reality is that, in such cases, scientists unconsciously alter some correct scientific facts to fit their incorrect perception of reality and accept some false or so-called “scientific facts” that align with their belief as true.

The role of philosophy is to explicitly present a concept of reality and to demonstrate the logical and intellectual coherence of all scientific facts with that concept. Philosophers have proposed various theories of the correct concept of reality, and naturally, each philosopher has tried to show that all scientific facts are consistent only with their own concept of reality, and therefore, their concept is the correct one. However, since only one concept of reality can unify and organize all scientific facts, it is evident that there can be only one true concept of reality.

Qur’anic Evidence for the Existence of God from the Unity of the Universe

The reason for the unity of the universe is that it has a purpose, and that purpose is one. The cause of this unity of purpose is that the universe has a Creator, and that Creator is One. The unconscious intuitive belief of scientists in the unity of the universe stems from a hidden and unconscious requirement of their nature: they accept that the universe has a purpose, that this purpose is singular, and that there is one Creator who is the source of this purpose.
The Holy Qur’an draws attention strongly to the unity of the universe and presents it as evidence for the existence of a Creator who is One.

(Translation) “O Prophet! You will not see any difference in the creation of Allah. Look again—do you see any flaw in the creation of the universe? Then look again; your sight will return to you humbled and exhausted, having found no flaw in Allah’s creation.” (Surah Al-Mulk)

Does not this unity of the universe testify to its purposeful creation, and does that purpose not, in turn, testify to the existence and unity of its Creator?

(Translation) “Say to them, ‘Do you know if you were to be left behind after death, whom would you call upon?’ Tell Me, have they a share in the creation of the earth, or do they have a part in the heavens?” (Surah Fatir: 40)

This means that if there were any partners alongside God in creating the universe, then there should be some trace of their creation in the earth or the heavens some place where different laws of nature apply. Clearly, those who deny the Qur’an cannot reasonably claim that any part of the universe was created by a partner of God they believe in, because the laws of nature are consistent throughout the entire universe. Therefore, how can it be said that the Creator of one part is not the Creator of the whole?

Philosophy Is a Branch of Science

Due to the close relationship between philosophy and science, we cannot separate philosophy from science. As long as the role of science is to formulate theories for the interpretation, explanation, or organization of the facts it discovers, there is no clear distinction between philosophy and science. Rather, it can only be said that philosophy is the fourth and final stage of scientific inquiry into the entire universe, where all scientific knowledge of the cosmos—after passing through the three stages of experimentation, observation, and inference enters the fourth stage of organization. In fact, when scientific investigation reaches its ultimate level as a whole, we call it philosophy.

Muslims Were the Inventors of the Scientific Method and Founders of Scientific Knowledge

Due to the misrepresentations by some European writers, the world was for a long time under the false impression that the inventors of scientific knowledge and the scientific method were Europeans. Consequently, some believed that the scientific method was invented by Roger Bacon or another namesake, Francis Bacon. However, recent scholarly research on the history of scientific knowledge has revealed this indisputable historical fact: the scientific method, through which modern scientific knowledge emerged and developed, was invented by Muslims. Moreover, Muslims laid the foundations of modern European scientific knowledge.

Furthermore, some believed that Muslims learned the scientific method from the Greeks and based their scientific knowledge on Greek science, but this notion is also incorrect.

Bryfalt, the author of The Builder of Humanity, emphatically denies all such misconceptions, writing:

“In the modern era, a magnificent part of Arab civilization was science, but its fruits took time to ripen. Until the civilization of the Spanish Arabs was lost in darkness again, the giant it had given birth to did not rise to its full strength. It was not only science that revived Europe; many other influences of Islamic civilization adorned Europe’s life with its first brilliance.” (p. 202)

“Although no aspect of Europe’s development exists without decisive influence from Islamic civilization, nowhere is this influence as clear and important as in the emergence of the power which is the distinct and enduring force of the modern world, and the greatest secret of its success—namely science and scientific thinking.” (p. 109)

“Our science is not only indebted to Arab knowledge for the astonishing discovery of revolutionary theories but owes an even greater debt to Arab civilization. The truth is that science itself owes its very existence to this indebtedness. The ancient world, i.e., Greek civilization, as we have seen, was a world before science. Greek astronomy and mathematics were imports from other countries that the Greek cultural climate never fully accommodated. The Greeks organized facts, derived general results and principles, and formulated theories, but the painstaking path of research and investigation, the provision of positive knowledge, the scientific method of detailed and long observation and experimental inquiry were alien to Greek nature. If the scholarly work of the classical ancient world approached scientific research at any point, it was in the Alexandria of the Greek era. What we call science emerged in Europe as a new spirit of inquiry and new methods of investigation—experiment, observation, measurement, and developments in mathematics—that the Greeks were entirely unaware of. This spirit and these methods were introduced to Europe by the Arabs.” (p. 190)

The revival of sciences in Europe did not occur in the fifteenth century but when the civilization of Arabs and Moors breathed new life into European civilization. The cradle of this new European life was not Italy but Spain. After long periods of barbarism, Europe had sunk into the darkest depths of ignorance and degradation. When Arab cities like Baghdad, Cairo, Cordoba, and Toledo were centers of civilization and scholarly activity, this new life began, manifesting a new stage in human evolution. Since the influence of Arab civilization was felt, this new life started moving. (p. 188)

“But the perspective with which Arabs approached existing materials was entirely opposite to that of the Greeks. This perspective provided exactly what was lacking in the weak and deficient mindset of the Greeks. The Greeks were interested in theory creation and principle formation; they were indifferent to and ignored concrete observational facts. In contrast, Arab researchers’ taste for discovery was indifferent to theory creation; their goal was to bring together solid facts and to bring their knowledge to standards of accuracy and quantity. The difference between reliable and lasting science and a loose scientific taste is that the former speaks not of quality but of quantity and is eager to measure itself as accurately as possible. All the vast scientific work of the Arabs was carried out under the influence of this objective research and the taste for quantitative accuracy and cleanliness. Roger Bacon studied Arabic language and Arabic science under the successors of those people at Oxford. Neither Roger Bacon nor his other namesake deserves the honor of being called the inventor of the scientific method. Roger Bacon was merely one of the messengers or ambassadors of Muslim science to Christian Europe, and he never tired of saying that learning Arabic language and Arabic science was the only way for his contemporaries to gain knowledge. The question of who invented the scientific method is based on a great misrepresentation of the sources of European civilization. The truth is that before Bacon, the experimental method of research was already common among the Arabs, and its pursuit throughout Europe was done with great enthusiasm.”

How Did Muslims Attain This Distinction?

The question arises: What is the reason that among all the nations of the world, only Muslims were granted the distinction of adopting deep observation and study of nature as their guiding principle, to the extent that they became capable of inventing the scientific method and laying the foundations of scientific knowledge? A brief look at the teachings of the Quran leaves no doubt that the cause is the Quran itself, which in nearly one-third of its text draws attention to the various phenomena of nature and emphasizes the observation and study of the universe. In fact, the very first effective call for observation and study of nature ever raised in the world is the voice of the Quran.

The Quranic Call for Observation and Study of Nature

Why does the Quran emphasize observation and study of nature? The essence of the Quran’s teaching is that the love of God is placed within human nature, and until a person expresses this love for God through praise, worship, and obedience, their personality cannot grow and reach its perfection. Without this, they cannot attain the happiness and comfort in this life and the hereafter that are connected to their perfection.

Just as the love for food sustains human personality, the love of God inherent in human nature cannot be awakened without knowledge of God. The way to acquire knowledge of God is through observing and reflecting on God’s creation the universe and through it come to know, recognize, and appreciate the attributes, virtues, and perfections of its Creator.
The universe cannot have come into existence by itself according to human understanding; therefore, the testimony to the existence and attributes of the Being who created the universe is found nowhere more clearly than in the universe itself.

Is There Any Doubt About God, Who Is the Creator of the Universe?

In every creation, the attributes of the creator are manifest, and through the creation, one can discern the purposes, intentions, capabilities, and qualities of its maker. Although God’s personality is hidden from human eyes, His attributes and wonderful deeds are clearly evident before us. Concealment from physical and material sight is a characteristic of personality, whether it is human or divine. Just as the only way for us to know and recognize a person who later becomes our closest friend is by observing and studying the manifestations of their hidden qualities expressed through their actions and behaviours, similarly, the only way to know and recognize God’s personality is by observing and studying the manifestations of His hidden attributes, which appear in His actions and deeds. God being the Creator of the universe means that God is present within the universe through His attributes, and the universe and God cannot be separated from one another. The universe is nothing but a visible form of God’s attributes. If the manifestation of God’s attributes, which is present in the universe, were to disappear, the entire universe would cease to exist.

This is why the Holy Quran expects the believers to remember God constantly whether standing, sitting, or lying down and also expects them to reflect deeply upon the creation of the universe.

“And those who remember Allah while standing, sitting, and lying on their sides and contemplate the creation of the heavens and the earth, [saying], ‘Our Lord, You did not create this aimlessly; exalted are You [above such a thing]; then protect us from the punishment of the Fire.”

This is why the Holy Quran refers to the phenomena of nature as signs (Ayat) of God’s existence and His attributes of creation and lordship:

“Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day are signs for those of understanding.”

“And on the earth are signs for the certain [in faith], and in yourselves. Then will you not see?”

“And [mention] the sign of He who resurrected the earth after its lifelessness. We produced from it grain, and from it they eat.”

“Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day and the [great] ships which sail through the sea with that which benefits people, and what Allah sends down from the sky of rain, giving life thereby to the earth after its lifelessness and dispersing therein every [kind of] moving creature, and [His] directing of the winds and the clouds controlled between the heaven and the earth are signs for a people who use reason.”

“And of His signs is that He created for you from yourselves mates that you may find tranquillity in them; and He placed between you affection and mercy. Indeed, in that are signs for a people who give thought.”

“And of His signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth and the diversity of your languages and your colors. Indeed in that are signs for those of knowledge. And in the alternation of the night and the day and [in] what Allah sends down from the sky of provision and gives life thereby to the earth after its lifelessness are signs for a people who listen.”

“And among the signs for them is that We carried their descendants in the laden ship.”

Using the senses to observe the phenomena of nature, reflecting on them with the heart, and drawing accurate conclusions from them is made obligatory upon Muslims because, according to the Quran, this forms the basis of true faith and righteous deeds.

Those who have eyes but do not see, ears but do not hear, and hearts but do not think are considered worse than cattle and deserving of the punishment of Hell:

“And indeed, We will drive to Hell many of the jinn and mankind together, having hearts with which they do not understand, and eyes with which they do not see, and ears with which they do not hear. Those are like livestock; rather, they are more astray. It is they who are the heedless.”

Those who do not use their senses or think with their hearts—or who think wrongly due to prejudice—will be held accountable for wasting these faculties.

“Indeed, the hearing, the sight, and the heart—about all those [one] will be questioned.”

The Quran forbids passing over the signs of creation in the heavens and earth without pondering them because doing so results in missed opportunities to know God and prevents the growth of human love and personality:

“How many signs in the heavens and earth do they pass over while they, therefrom, are turning away.”

Turning away from pondering any sign of God before its true reality is fully revealed is a form of neglect. This means a Muslim is commanded not to ignore any phenomenon that comes to their attention but to observe and study it thoroughly, understand its truth and essence, and strive to fully comprehend the wisdoms hidden within it. In other words, until the true nature of something is completely clear, it is essential for a Muslim to continue their investigation and inquiry.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) taught the Ummah a supplication that confirms this principle:

“O Allah, show us truth as truth and grant us the ability to follow it, and show us falsehood as falsehood and grant us the ability to avoid it. O Allah, show us things as they truly are.”

The Prophet’s (peace be upon him) supplication effectively supports the scientific method of investigation, because the scientific method emphasizes deriving conclusions from observations with utmost care and strives for the highest degree of accuracy. Its purpose is precisely that things be seen and understood as they truly are in reality.

The Inevitable Outcome of Reflecting on Creation

According to the Quran, the signs of God’s Creatorhood and Lordship exist on all three levels of the universe. Drawing attention to the phenomena of the material world, the Quran mentions the movement of the moon, sun, and stars; the lightning and clouds; the changing winds; the alternation of night and day; the falling rain; the waxing and waning of the moon; the mountains; the earth’s smooth surface; the initial joining and subsequent separation of the heavens and the earth; and many such natural phenomena, inviting people to observe and study them.

If we properly observe and study these natural phenomena and fully understand their reality and essence, becoming fully aware of their all-encompassing mysteries and the divine wisdom hidden within them, the result will be that all the physical sciences will emerge. The reason, as mentioned before, is that all scientific facts form a sequence or system, maintaining practical and logical coherence with one another, and they mutually guide and indicate each other.
Similarly, drawing attention to the phenomena of the biological world, the Quran refers to the emergence of vegetation on earth, the waving fields, the production of crops, the fruits of various colors and flavors, the life of every creature through water, the creation of man from clay, the rise of humankind from the earth, the spread of all kinds of living beings in the earth, the flying of birds, the animals used for riding and milk production, the pairs of plants and animals, the astonishing physical structure of the camel, the human faculties of comprehension, sight, and hearing, the gradual stages of human embryonic development in the mother’s womb, and other similar natural phenomena, inviting their observation and study. Clearly, if we fully observe and study these biological phenomena until we become acquainted with all their mysteries and secrets, the result will be the complete emergence of all biological sciences.

Likewise, directing attention to the psychological or human world, the Quran mentions some important events and laws of human history and some fundamental principles and facts of human nature. For example, the Quran tells us how throughout history there have appeared successive people who claimed to be God’s messengers and told people that their true God is the Creator of the universe. How some accepted the message of the messengers while others did not. How the hearts of those who accepted were filled with peace and joy, to the extent that they became ready to endure all kinds of suffering and humiliation, even death, for God’s sake. How those who rejected the message faced destruction and annihilation until they perished. How the love of God and religion is innate and eternal in human nature. How worship of God brings tranquillity to the heart. How humankind has become fragmented by forgetting its essential nature and adopting false gods of various kinds. And how the only way to unite them is for their children to submit humbly before the true God. How there is an inherent standard in the human heart to distinguish right from wrong, good from evil, beautiful from ugly, which operates continuously even if one tries to avoid it.

Then, indicating some functions of human consciousness that psychologists have only recently come to understand, the Quran tells us how all the actions of a person, big or small, are preserved in a “record of deeds” within their being. And how this record will be revealed after death, and a person will say that not a single one of their deeds, big or small, has been left out of it. And by analogy, if we fully analyze these facts, their meanings, implications, causes, and factors, then all the human sciences will come into existence in their full detail.
In other words, if we act on the Quranic command to deeply ponder the phenomena of creation, the inevitable result is that all scientific disciplines emerge as a connected series of the Signs of God. The Muslims who invented the scientific method and laid the foundations of scientific knowledge originally derived it from this very teaching of the Quran.

The Universe as Observed and Studied by Those Who Deny God

At this point, the question may arise: If the phenomena of nature are indeed the Signs of God, then why do many scientists who observe and study these natural phenomena not come to believe in God? The reason is that the heart of a person who denies God is filled with love for something other than God. Therefore, they view the phenomena of nature through the lens of this false love and try to relate them to their incorrect deity.

Since their concept of reality is flawed, they cannot draw correct conclusions from observing the phenomena of nature. It is obvious that if the phenomena of nature are truly the Signs of God—indications of God’s existence and His attributes of Creatorhood and Lordship—then they can only be properly understood as Signs of God, that is, in the light of the belief in God’s Creatorhood and Lordship.

If we separate their observation and study from the belief in God, we will not be able to understand them correctly. In that case, we will try to interpret them in the light of some other belief, such as considering matter itself to be the absolute, omnipotent Creator and Lord. Since such a belief is incorrect, it will mislead us, and the conclusions we reach from our observation and study will be wrong, incomplete, or deficient.

Sight of the Eyes and Blindness of the Heart

According to the Quran, God is the Light of the universe (Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth). Every particle of the universe is illuminated by this Light. If we try to understand the universe without this Light, it will be like a person wandering in a room in total darkness at night after switching off the electric lamp.

A believer sees in the phenomena of creation the clear signs of creation, nurture, beautification, organization, mercy, justice, protection, refinement, wisdom, knowledge, power, life, vision, and hearing. Therefore, the believer’s conviction becomes firm that the universe must have a Creator, who is the Lord, the Merciful, the Powerful, the Protector, the Beautiful, the Wise, the All-Knowing, the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing, the Ever-Living, and the Sustainer.

It appears strange to such a believer that someone would deny God yet claim that creation exists but no Creator; Lordship exists but no Lord; protection exists but no Protector; beauty exists but no Beautiful; mercy, justice, wisdom, knowledge, power, life, vision, and hearing exist but no Merciful, All-Knowing, Powerful, All-Hearing, All-Seeing, Ever-Living, and Sustainer.

But this is beyond the ability of the denier of God. Such a person can neither see God’s attributes in the universe nor God Himself, because the natural love created in children for God is occupied by another false god, so the children cannot be prepared for the true God.
This leads to a wrong interpretation of the facts because their eyes see, but their heart does not see. The Quran describes this state as follows: Those who observe the phenomena of nature but still arrive at wrong conclusions have eyes that work but hearts that are blind.

Translation of the Quranic statement:

“The eyes do not become blind, but the hearts within the chests become blind.”
“This means they think wrongly and draw incorrect conclusions from observations.”

Regarding this verse of the Holy Quran, Iqbal’s couplet also refers to a “seeing heart” as one in which the natural inclination for the love of God has not been diverted or consumed by the love of anything other than Allah. In other words, it is a heart in which dissatisfaction with unnatural love for anything other than Allah still remains—just as the heart of Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) was restless because he could not accept the star, the moon, or the sun as his Lord for long.

Human nature is created in such a way that wherever, whenever, and for however long a person remains away from the belief in God, it becomes necessary for that person, in practice if not in words, to adopt the belief in another god—i.e., a false god—as the creator, owner, and Lord of the universe. Theoretical neutrality or uncertainty is impossible for humans. The human heart can never be without a deity or god, and a person cannot perform any action that does not originate from their heart. When the belief in God is removed from a person’s heart, at that time the belief in a false god inevitably replaces it. If any of a person’s actions (whether spiritual, intellectual, ethical, or aesthetic) do not arise under the belief in God, then they arise under the belief in a false god, and are therefore wrong. Hence, according to the teachings of the Quran, disbelieving in idols is an essential condition for practical faith in God.

(Translation of Quranic verse):

“Whoever disbelieves in Taghut (false gods) and believes in Allah has grasped the most trustworthy handhold that will never break.” (Quran 2:256)

Denial of all kinds of idols is a condition imposed by human nature for acknowledgment of God. Avoiding this denial is impossible even for a scientist in the fields of scientific research and education.

Foundations of the Philosophy of Science in the Quran

From these premises, it is clear that the foundation of the Quran’s philosophy regarding the knowledge of the universe is that knowledge of the created (the effect) is not possible without the Creator, and knowledge of the Creator is not possible without the created. Both are necessary and interdependent, because the created is an external manifestation of the internal perfections and excellences of the Creator. Therefore, knowledge of the Creator’s attributes forms a part of the knowledge of the created. The universe is created and made, and God is its Creator and Maker. Hence, true knowledge of the universe cannot be obtained without knowledge of God. If we seek to know God, we must carefully observe and reflect upon the universe that God has created, until we see within it the manifestation of God’s attributes of creation and lordship. Likewise, if we want to properly understand the universe, we must observe and study it in the light of the belief that God is its Creator and Lord, and that His attributes are manifested within it.