Science and Islam

"Healing with the Medicine of the Prophet (Al-Tibb al-Nabawi)” was compiled by Imam Ibn Qayyim al-Jauziyah some 650 years ago. Darussalam has brought this marvelous script with English translation. It’s an ideal compilation for those interested in Prophetic medicine.

Salient Features-
•The most popular collection of the health advices and treatments by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) –

•650 years old credible script.

•Comprehensive guidance for preservation and restoration of mental, physical and spiritual health.

•References to original sources from Qur’an and Ahadith.

•Dedicated glossary of remedies, herbs, and other natural substances to facilitate easy learning.

Looking at the contents, prevailing health issues of modern life, and Islamic context; this book becomes a must have for every Muslim household. Simple language and supportive images make the understanding much easier.

This discusses the influence of Islam on Science via examining the incentives to do science in the Qur'an and Hadith, inspiration from Ulama, atmosphere of knowledge, relationship between scientists and philosophers with Islam and views of modern scholars.

Timbuktu’s intellectual heritage has attracted new-found interest after the preservation of the city’s manuscripts was declared as the first cultural project of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD). The initiative created a space for researchers interested in studying the content of the manuscripts. This article maps a brief history of Timbuktu and provides some insight into its manuscript collections, before discussing the Timbuktu scientific heritage in light of contemporary debates on the history of science in Islamic societies. It is argued that the pre-modern Islamic legacy currently being unearthed in Timbuktu emphasises the need for a clearer articulation of the relationship between science and religion in Muslim societies.

دراسة نقدية في أشهر أمثلة الإعجاز العلمي وهي المعتمدة في المناهج الدراسية اليمنية، كما يناقش الكتاب أزمة العلم والدين في السياق الإسلامي التي أنتجت هذه الظاهرة. فالإعجاز العلمي يمثل أبرز تعبير عن الخلط بين الدين والعلم في ثقافتنا الإسلامية. قديماً وحديثاً.. مما شكل خطراًً على الدين نفسه وعائقاًً حقيقياًً للحركة العلمية والتعليمية.

يأتي هذا الكتاب كمساهمة في رفع هذه الجناية المُرتكبة في حق الدين والعلم، والنشء، وعلاجاً لترهل الدين جرّاء شدّه إلى غير ميدانه، باعتبار النصوص (الروحية) مصدراً صريحاً ومقدماً على غيره لفهم الكون (المادي) من حولنا. دون تأمل المقاصد الحقيقية من وراء هذه النصوص.

This paper presents some preliminary findings of my research about the history of educational thought and practice within the Muslim Brotherhood. It discusses some aspects of Hasan al-Banna's Letter of Instructions, which is the foundational text of Muslim Brotherhood pedagogical thought, and compares their interpretation in later Ikhwani commentaries. The paper demonstrates that the tension between an inward-looking, exclusivist tendency and an outward-looking, open-minded tendency is a fundamental paradox in Ikhwani education that also affects the political performance of the Muslim Brotherhood.

Abu Raihan Muhammad Ibn Ahmad al-Biru-ni (973 A.D.-1048 A.D.) is one of the greatest scientists of Islam who opened a new era of independent research and scientific discoveries , and at the end of the day he became one of greatest of all times. It is hardly possible to confine al-Biruni to any branch of scientific knowledge, since his genius astonishingly mastered the vast range of science subjects of astronomy, mathematics, chronology, mathematical geography, physics, chemistry, mineralogy , precious stones, pharmacy, geology, botany, etc., etc.,. Although it is argued that almost half of his works largely encompasses the various areas of astronomy and related areas. One of his major works on astronomy is Kitab al-Tafhim li Awa'il ana'at al-Tanjim (The book of Instruction in the Elements of the art of Astronomy) which consists 530 babs (sections). This book covers the information on geometry, arithmetic, geography, pure astronomy , geography, astrological astronomy, chronology , astrolabe, signs of astrology, planets, divisions of signs, judicial astronomy and so on. Moreover, he scholarly describes his view on astrology and validity of the verdicts of astrological calculations. Another major work of al-Biruni on astronomy is Qanun al-Mas'udi, which provides substantial information about the knowledge of astronomy and mathematics possessed in that time. This paper will focus on an analytical study of al-Biruni's invaluable contributions towards science, especially to astronomy, his scientific method along with an exploration to his stand on the findings of astrological computations.

Maurice Bucaille (1920-98) was a French physician whose fame relies primarily on his book La Bible, le Coran et la science, first published in 1976, which was translated into English  two years later. It had a global impact on both Muslim and non-Muslim apologists and scholars and paved the way for scientists to (re-)join the large number of Qurʾān commentators (mufassirūn, sing. mufassir) since it enabled them to interpret the Qurʾān from a so-called scientific perspective. Very soon after its publication, Bucaille’s book became an instrument by which Muslims not only tried to prove the inimitability (iʿjāz) of the Qurʾān but also to promote “the Qurʾān’s immunity from distortion” (e.g., Ḥaqqānī, Barrasi-yi ārā-yi duktur Bucaille, 89-96). Some scholars claim that after Bucaille a new trend emerged, called “Bucaill(e)ism,” which is sometimes used interchangeably with iʿjāz ʿilmī, or scientific inimitability (Bigliardi, Iʿjāz, 682-5).

This book attempts to equip the reader with a holistic and accessible account of Islam and evolution. It guides the reader through the different variables that have played a part in the ongoing dialogue between Muslim creationists and evolutionists.

This work views the discussion through the lens of al-Ghazālī (1058–1111), a widely known and well-respected Islamic intellectual from the medieval period. By understanding al-Ghazālī as an Ashʿarite theologian, a particular strand of Sunnī theology, his metaphysical and hermeneutic ideas are taken to explore if and how much Neo-Darwinian evolution can be accepted. It is shown that his framework can be used to reach an alignment between Islam and Neo-Darwinian evolution.

This book offers a detailed examination that seeks to offer clarity if not agreement in the midst of an intense intellectual conflict and polarity amongst Muslims. As such, it will be of great interest to scholars of Science and Religion, Theology, Philosophy of Religion, Islamic Studies, and Religious Studies more generally.

Two-volume Set

Editor-in-chief: Ibrahim Kalin, Editorial board member: Salim Ayduz, and Caner Dagli

Oxford Encyclopedias of Islamic Studies

More than 250 A-Z entries, by more than 130 international scholars, make this the authoritative resource on the subject.
Includes complete coverage of Islamic philosophy, sciences, and technologies from the classical through contemporary periods.
Provides scholarly overviews of the thinkers, movements, instruments, theories, institutions, processes, events, and historical developments related to Islamic classical history and the contemporary quest for knowledge

AUTHOR: HILLEL OFEK

An examination of the decline of scientific discovery and achievement in the Arab world compared to the history of scientific achievement in the Arab world / Islamic world during Islam's "golden age" from the 8th to the 13th centuries.

It was his energetic leadership, political insight that laid the solid foundation of Islamic Empire. Muslim conquests of Syria, Palestine, Iraq, Iran and Egypt during his caliphate displaced the two super powers of Byzantine and Persia. He was a great statesman, military planner, wise ruler, and a strict administrator. He was stern towards the offenders and himself ascetic to the point of harshness. (1) On the day he took charge of his office, he delivered the following inaugural speech to the citizens of Medina. " O people, you have some rights on me which you can always claim. One of your rights is that if anyone of you comes to me with a claim, he should leave satisfied. Another of your rights is that you can demand that I take nothing unjustly from the revenues of the state. You can also demand that …. I fortify your frontiers and do not put you in danger. It is also your right that if you go to battle I should look after your families as a father would while you are away. O people, remain conscious of Allah, forgive me my faults and help me in my task. Assist me in enforcing what is good and forbidding what is evil. Advise me regarding the obligations that have been imposed upon me by Allah. " Masjid al-Aqsa was originally built by Umar ibn al-Khattab in 637 During the lifetime of the Prophet of Islam, four persons were designated to give verdict in religious matters, Hazrat Umar, HazratAli, Hazrat Muaaz, and Hazrat Aboo Musa al-Ashari. Once Hazrat Umar instructed Hazrat Abu Musa Ashari, " if you are faced with a difficult problem, and cannot find solution from the Quran and Hadith, and you are in doubt concerning it, you should reflect on it judiciously, try to find similar events and cases, finally, use your discretion." interior of the al-Aqsa mosque A visitor from Iraq came to Medina and obverved; I went to a festival outside Medina, and I saw Umar, tall, bald, and grey, he walked barefoot, drawing a red embroidered cloth about his body with his hands and, he towered above the people as though he were on a horseback. (2) He was a firm believer in the efficacy of prayer. It is said that once the Christian Copts of Egypt became worried when the yearly flood in the Nile was delayed. This would have threatened their crops. They decided, according to an old custom, to cast into the river an effigy of a beautiful woman, The Bride of the Nile. They sought permission from the Caliph. Hazrat Umar sent the following reply to them: " From Commander of the Faithful, to river Nile. Greetings, If in times you have risen on your own will, then stay your flood; but if by will of Almighty Allah, then to Him we pray that your waters may rise and overspread the land. Hazrat Umar instructed that this letter should be cast into the river, it will be enough. It was done, and tide began to rise in large quantities. Once bubonic plague broke out in Syria, which devastated the cities of Damascus, Hims and reached as far as Basra. Hazrat Umar decided to travel to Syria to inspect the devastation first hand. Hazrat Abu Obeida, the commander in chief in Syria and other notables met him near to the border. People advised the Caliph to return to Medina, he yielded to their request. However one of the courtiers remarked, " Why should we run away from the decree of Allah". The wise Caliph replied " if we flee, it will be from one decree of Allah into another."

When Abbasid Caliph al-Mansoor (754-775) the second ruler of Baghdad fell sick and his physician could not cure him, he sent for a Persian physician from the medical academy of Jundi Shapur, Iran. Thereafter the Caliph began to favor physicians and patronize medicine.

We live in a modern world, where there appears to be many atheists and extremists in religion, as one wonders to what extent the Islamic and physical view agree regarding the creation and fate of our universe.
I have chosen to tackle the points of view from both perspectives equally. From the physics perspective, I have referred to books of physicists, such as Steven Hawking and Tim Kirk. From the Islamic perspective, I have referred to knowledgeable researchers in both physics and Islam, such as Dr. M. B Altaie, whom I conducted an interview with, as well as Islamic scholars who possess a wide understanding of the Islamic religion and the language of the Quran, such as Mr. Maudoudi and Al-Jalalayn script.
There are similarities and differences, which both physics and Islam share. The similarities are the discovery of the expanding universe found through Hubble’s observations of distant galaxies, as stated in the Quran, “We are [its] expander” (51:47), as well as the Big Bang theory, which is proven to be true through evidence from Penzias and Wilson’s observation of the Cosmic Microwave background, “the heavens and the earth were a joined entity, then We separated them” (21:30).  However, the sole difference between the two perspectives lies in the issue of the fate of the universe: Physics provides us with three possibilities regarding the fate of our universe; the open, closed and flat universes, whereas the Islamic perspective only supports the closed universe theory, which is mentioned in the Quran, ‘fold the heaven like the folding of a [written] sheet for the records’ (21:104). After all, how the universe works is just far more complicated that goes beyond what human can properly comprehend; obtaining a complete understanding of our universe is not yet feasible.

Peace has been a long cherished dream of humanity since times immemorial; but its relevance and scope in the
modern world has increased manifolds. The term "peace" has innumerable connotations. The oldest understanding
of peace is that synonymous to equilibrium and stability. Peace is the greatest concern of man; all religions attach
much importance to it. But Islam’s concept of peace needs to be studied in more detail as, in the present times;
violence is mostly spoken of with reference to Islam. The primary texts of Islam; the Holy Quran and the Hadith of
Prophet (PBUH); are replete with instructions and exhortations for peace.
An escalation of violence in recent years and its attribution to Islam in the name of Jihad has drawn attention of
religious scholars all over the world. Many western and Muslims scholars have taken to study of primary Islamic
texts afresh, to make an analysis to sift facts from fiction and suggest remedies for this malaise.
Maulana Wahiduddin Khan (b. 1925) is a noted Islamic scholar, scholastic theologian, philosopher and peace
activist. He has developed his own, in some ways unique, understanding of Islam and its place in the modern world.
Having made significant contributions to the cause of Islam particularly in form of his scientific theology and
response to modern challenges, he for the past few decades has focused his efforts on Spirituality, Peace and
Dialogue with other communities. This paper, tries to analyze with scientific objectivity, his perspective of peace in
Islam and the ways and means for achieving this goal. The paper concludes with the argument that taken in right
perspective, the recommendations made by Maulana are both practicable and result oriented making it possible for
Muslims to reap the dividends of peace with patience and wisdom.

Islam and science is a relatively nascent field. With the steady rise of publications in the past three decades, a handful of thinkers have suggested various proposals on how to understand the relationship between the two domains, with the theory of evolution being one of the most, if not the most, important issue in the budding field of Islam and science (Guessoum 2016; Malik 2021). Using the theory of evolution as a case study, this article reviews the proposals of three thinkers – Seyyed Hossein Nasr, Shoaib Ahmed Malik, and Nidhal Guessoum. This focused analysis reveals that the theological/metaphysical presuppositions of each thinker significantly affect their approaches and conclusions when looking at the relationship between Islam and evolution.

In 1997, the distinguished linguistics professor ʿAbd al-Ṣabūr Shāhīn of Cairo University published his re-reading of the Qur’anic story of creation, entitled Abī Ādam (‘My Father Adam’). Although the book was met with a storm of refutations, televised debates and a blasphemy charge against the author, the Islamic Research Council of Al-Azhar University concluded that the book was flawed but not blasphemous. This paper sheds light on Shāhīn’s key strategies in arguing for an evolutionary reading of the Qur’an, in which Adam was the first full human (insān) endowed with divine spirit, but born on earth to hominid parents (bashar). Responses by two other linguistics scholars, ʿAbd al-ʿAẓīm Ibrāhīm al-Maṭʿanī of Al-Azhar and Ḥamza b. Qublān al-Muzaynī of King Saud University, illustrate the contemporary underdevelopment of Qur’anic hermeneutics (uṣūl al-tafsīr) as a discipline. The paper draws attention to current scholarly developments in the Muslim world and the move from refutations of individual projects, to constructive accounts based on tradition.

Kegemilangan Sains dan Teknologi dalam Tamadun Islam: Mengambil Iktibar Pengalaman Kerajaan Abbasiyyah Roziah Sidik@ Mat Sidek, Farid Mat Zain, Izziah Suryani Arshad & Ezad Azraai Jamsari Abstrak Kertas kerja ini mengupas pengalaman kerajaan Abbasiyyah ...

Scientific productivity has been in decline in the Muslim world since as early as the 15th century and is only now reviving. Many factors have been attributed to the rise and decline, falling under two broad categories: external and internal influences. The popular understanding of scientific decline in the Muslim world, known as the 'classical narrative' promulgated by orientalists, suggests that only external influences – mainly the synthesis of Persian and Greek elements of civilisation into the Arab imperialist project – were the reasons for the sharp rise of the sciences within Islamic civilisation. Simultaneously, this narrative also suggests that internal influences, exemplified in the impact of Al-Ghazālī’s thought towards a more conservative religious approach, as opposed to the more 'rationalist' elements of the Mutazilite School of theology – played the most significant role in decline. This paper shows that the classical narrative is invalid, that there were more legitimate factors at play in both the rise and decline of science in the Muslim world, and that the contemporary stagnation in scientific productivity is a result of this misunderstanding.

This introduction provides an overview of the significance of the Symposium on Islam and evolution that results from a conference hosted by the Leiden University Shīʿī Studies Initiative (LUSSI) in July 2021. The objective of this conference was to stimulate further research in the area. Scientists, theologians and philosophers participated in the conference to discuss the topic from various angles. The selected articles that were accepted for this thematic section are summarized.

Shaykh Ṭanṭāwī Jawharī was an Egyptian exegete known for having produced a scientific interpretation of the Qurʾān. A pioneering scholar in terms of familiarising the people of his time with many previously neglected matters regarding Islam and science, his publications shocked the Cairo educational system and other Muslim places of learning in the early twentieth century.

This book examines the intersection between Ṭanṭāwī Jawharī and Egyptian history and culture, and demonstrates that his approach to science in the Qurʾān was intimately connected to his social concerns. Divided into three parts, part one contains three chapters which each introduce different aspects of Ṭanṭāwī Jawharī himself. The second part explores the main aspects of his tafsīr, discussing his approach to science and the Qurʾān, and how he presented Europeans in his tafsīr, and then addressing the impact of his tafsīr on wider Muslim and non-Muslim society. The third section draws attention to the themes from all 114 sūras of the Qurʾān that are discussed within his commentary. It then analyses the current status of his views and the post-Jawharism perspective on science and the Qurʾān, both today and in an imaginary future, in 2154.

Providing new English translations of Ṭanṭāwī Jawharī’s work, the book delivers a comprehensive assessment of this unique figure, and emphasises the distinctive nature of his reading of the Qurʾān. The book will be a valuable resource for anyone studying modern Egypt, the Qurʾān, Islam and Science, and scientific interpretation and inimitability.

This piece responds to the article by Arif Rachmatullah, Soonhye Park, and Minsu Ha "Crossing borders between science and religion: Muslim Indonesian biology teachers' perceptions of teaching the theory of evolution," in which the authors are among the first researchers to explore the views of Indonesian science teachers regarding evolution instruction. This new context is important for furthering a global perspective on evolution education. However, the authors use preexisting taxonomies for their analyses that were developed in studies executed in mostly Christian contexts. In this response, we argue that investigations into new geographical and religious milieus, such as the teachers in the study by Rachmatullah and colleagues, could instead be used to develop more attuned categorizations for the burgeoning research area of the interaction of Islam, Judaism, and other traditions with evolution. We reflect upon experiences from our own work in studying Jewish and Muslim views of evolution, as well as on alternative taxonomies developed regarding Islam and evolution; we close with a brief rationale for a current initiative to create a researchers' network for those who study the interface of science, religion, and society in the Middle East and North Africa.

لماذا هُدم مرصد إسطنبول؟

لماذا بُني المرصد أصلاً؟ ما هي الضرورات العلمية وغير العلمية التي اقتضت بناؤه؟ هل بُني لأغراض تنجيمية كما هو شائع؟ وهل هُدم لأسباب تنجيمية كما هو شائع أيضاً؟ ماهي المصادر التاريخية المتوفرة عن المرصد، وماهي الروايات الشائعة عن حادثة هدمه؟ من هو ذلك الفلكي الدمشقي تقي الدين بن معروف الذي قاد حملة تأسيس وإنشاء المرصد؟ ما هي مهاراته العلمية والفلكية؟ وما هي المواضيع العلمية التي برع فيها وكتب عنها؟ هل كانت له اهتمامات تنجيمة وكتابات مشهورة في علم أحكام النجوم؟ ما الذي دفعه للتفكير في هذا المشروع العلمي الكبير؟ وما هي العوامل التي ساعدته على تحقيق هدفه؟
من هو السلطان مراد الثالث الذي تبنّى بناء المرصد، وذرّ عليه الأموال كالرمل، ثم لم يلبث أن أصدر القرار بهدمه؟ ماهي اهتماماته العلمية وتوجهاته الدينية والثقافية؟ هل كانت شخصيته مزاجية متذبذبة غير مستقرة، أم أن عوامل أخرى هي التي دفعته للتذبذب في موضوع المرصد؟ ما الذي كان يطمح إليه عندما قرر بناء المرصد، وما الذي أصبح يخشىاه عندما قرر هدمه؟
ما هو الوضع العلمي في أوروبا في فترة بناء المرصد؟ وما هي المراصد التي أنشأت في أوروبا بالتزامن مع مرصد إسطنبول؟ من هو تايكو براهي الذي أسس مرصداً بالتزامن مع مرصد تقي الدين؟ كيف كانت علاقته بالملك فريدريك الثاني في الدنمارك، وما هو الدعم المادي والمعنوي الذي تلقاه منه؟ ما هو وضع المؤسسات العلمية في أوروبا في تلك الفترة؟ وما هو المستوى العلمي لتايكو والوضع التقني لمرصده؟ كيف تعامل مع نظرية مركزية الشمس؟ وماهي الإنجازات التي حققها في مجالات علم الفلك؟
ما هي العلاقة بين علم الفلك والتنجيم في الزمن الذي بُني فيه المرصد؟ هل كان هناك تداخل بين علوم الفلك والتنجيم، أم كان هناك فصل صريح بينهما؟ وما هي مواقف علماء الدين، بحكم الشرع، من علوم الفلك عامة والتنجيم خاصة؟ هل كان هناك إجماع بين علماء الدين حول هذا الموضوع؟ وهل كان للدين دور في هدم المرصد؟ من هم علماء الدين المسلمون الذين كان لهم حضور فاعل وتأثير واسع في الأوساط العربية والعثمانية في فترة بناء وهدم المرصد؟ وما هو وضع العلوم العقلية والنقلية في تلك الفترة؟
ماهي التوجهات والأفكار الدينية حول علم الفلك، وما هي المرجعية الإسلامية للأفكار الفلكية التي ظهرت في فترة بناء المرصد؟ من هو جلال الدين السيوطي الذي أعاد تقديم علم الهيئة على الأصول الدينية الإسلامية؟ لماذا كتب كتابه في علم الهيئة السُنيّة، ولماذا لاقى ذلك الكتاب رواجاً واسعاً في تلك الفترة؟ ما هو تأثير رواج الأفكار الأسطورية عن الفلك والكون التي قدّمها السيوطي على مسيرة العلم الطبيعي في السياق العربي-العثماني؟ وهل كان هذا سبباً لظهور النزعات الأصولية المتشددة أم نتيجة له؟ وهل كان للتعصب الديني دور في هدم المرصد؟
تحدد هذه الأسئلة حدود مجال الفضول المعرفي الذي تحوم في فضائه مباحث هدم الرصد، عنوان القسم الأول من هذه الدراسة، كما تحدد مسارات التحريض الفكري للبحث عن أجوبة، أشافيه كانت أم غير شافية، لإلقاء بعض الضوء على مسيرة استكشاف التطور العلمي في العالم العربي-العثماني بعد ظهور نظرية كوبرنيكوس. لا نسعى من خلال هذه الأسئلة للوصول إلى جواب نهائي في موضوع هدم المرصد، فليس هناك باعتقادنا جواب نهائي في موضوع كهذا، وإنما نسعى لتحديد نقطة بداية ذات إحداثيات معرفية جديدة، نقطة انطلاق من تحت ظلال الهدم لتقصي مسيرة العلوم عند العرب باتجاه لطالما تجاهله المؤرخون، ربما لأنه لا يقدم معالم مضيئة وشيقة للمفاخرة والتباهي، ولكنه يرسم مساراً تاريخياً هاماً لابد من استكشافه لمعرفة الخيارات الفكرية التي حددت مساره، والمحطات العلمية التي وقف عندها، والحاضر الذي صنعه لنا.

Majid Daneshgar, The Book of Muḥammad b. Kathīr al-Farghānī: On the Motion of Celestial Bodies and General Aspects of Astrology (forthcoming, 2019).
Abū l-ʿAbbās Aḥmad b. Muḥammad b. Kathīr al-Farghānī (800/805-870 AD; also known as Alfraganus in the West) was one of the most famous Muslim astronomers in the 9th century who worked in the court of the Abbasid Caliph, al-Ma’mun.

Evolutionary biology states that all biological life forms are connected through a bio-historical lineage. In direct contrast to the traditional Islamic view, this entails that humans, and all other species, in fact, were not directly or instantaneously created by God as informed by Islamic scripture. More specifically, evolutionary biology questions the creation narrative of Adam, Eve, and the Fall (henceforth referred to as the AEF narrative); it entails that Adam and Eve must have had parents.

Muslims have responded to this challenge through various strategies. Some accept evolution without question, while others completely reject it. From the former camp, one way of reconciling Islamicscripture with evolutionary biology is by interpreting the story of AEF non-literally. The most well-known advocate of this line of reasoning is the eminent molecular biologist, Rana Dajani, and Pakistaniphilosopher-poet, Muhammed Iqbal. Dajani observes that the AEF narrative is a story about moral lessons and therefore need not conflict with her belief in evolution. Iqbal believes that Adam is a symbol of humanity rather than a real agent.

This theological puzzle will explore if such non-literal readings are forms of hermeneutic scientism. In other words, it explores the question: does replacing the standard reading of AEF with a non-literal reading in light of evolutionary biology entail hermeneutic scientism?

This lecture will introduce the evolution debate within the context of Islam’s other foundational source, hadith. First, some theoretical parameters will be discussed including how science and religion interact and relate. Second, some important hermeneutical considerations will be outlined that are either overlooked or understated in this debate. Thirdly, arguments for the compatibility of evolution and Islam based on evidence from hadith texts will be explored followed by counterarguments to that. Finally, some concluding remarks will be given on the issue that relate to theological matters beyond the evolution controversy.

The Contemporary Islamic Studies programme at the Middle East Centre of St Antony’s College at the University of Oxford is hosting a two-day online conference on Islam, Secularism, and Atheism.

There has been a steady number of publications on the subjects of secularism and atheism in the past few decades. However, Islamic perspectives on these topics have been somewhat marginal in the literature. Accordingly, this conference aims to break new ground in these areas by offering scholars an opportunity to explore and discuss Islamic perspectives on and engagements with secularism and atheism.

Of all scientific theories the theory of evolution arguably poses the greatest challenge to theistic religions because it threatens to undermine teleology and the central position of mankind in nature. Nevertheless, modernist thinkers among South Asian Muslims like Sayyid Ahmad Khān and Abū l-Kalām Āzād strove to demonstrate its compatibility with the Qur'ān. Their efforts were rejected by Islamists like Mawdūdī and more traditional scholars writing on the subject. They defended the concept of a consciously designed universe instead. That the defence of this idea is the main motivation for resentment against the theory of evolution among Muslims is underscored by the fact the even a thinker like Ghulām Ahmad Parwez, who readily dismissed central concepts of traditional theology, accepted the concept of evolution only without the principle of natural selection. Although negative assessments prevail, the theory of evolution did not foment a campaign among South Asian Muslims as it did in Turkey. This is most likely due to the lack of awareness among many 'ulamā' and the fact that the theory of evolution was not ideologically appropriated by adversaries of Islamic groups.

Darul-" Ulum Deoband had been established at a time when the Madrasahs for religious education had altogether become extinct in India and it appeared that the religious education will be overlapped and surpassed by the modern education. In this critical situation the Darul-" Ulum disproved any such possibility. The present paper is an attempt to highlight the role of Darul Ulum Deoband in the development of an important religious science-Fiqh. The role played by Deobandi scholars and the institutions and academies established by these scholars in this regard will also be discussed.

The present essay focuses on the figure of Maurice Bucaille and on his contribution to the discourse on Islam and science. Its purpose is twofold. First of all, it aims to provide the reader with a concise map of the ideas of the French author, reconstructing their core and their interrelations. Furthermore, it aims to question what I define as "the apparent naivety" of Bucaille's work, a reason why he can sometimes be too easily dismissed, by pinpointing a number of original features of his intellectual activity. My argument is that Bucaille deserves more attention for two good reasons: firstly, because of the influence that he de facto exerts on Muslim societies, secondly, because of some highly specific characteristics of his discourse. Such features not only distinguish his contribution from analogous ones, but also give rise to interpretative questions, which have as yet been either overlooked or unsatisfactorily addressed. Closely connected to this thesis is the idea that Bucaille's work constitutes a good starting point for a discussion amongst scholars of different disciplines and from different cultural backgrounds. The first section reconstructs Bucaille's life and works. The second section focuses on his method and ideas regarding science. The third section is devoted to Bucaille's conclusions following his study of the Bible and the Qur'an, and therefore deals more closely with the core of his ideas. The fourth section covers Bucaille's complementary criticism of the theory of evolution. In the fifth section I examine the possible reasons behind the scant scholarly attention concerning Bucaille. In the final section I propose an interpretative model of Bucaille's figure conceived as a system of concentric spheres and I raise, for each one of them, several questions, which have so far been, in my view, insufficiently investigated, thus setting an agenda for further scholarly work.

""I identified a select number of Muslim authors notable for their recent publications and media interventions on Islam and science. After assimilating their works, I embarked on a series of travels to different countries in the Middle East, where I have conducted interviews with them in order to reconstruct, in a highly readable form, their main ideas on Islam and science as well as their positions on specific sensitive issues taken up by past and present colleagues and adversaries. (...) While working on this book I regarded myself as an explorer and a mediator. Hopefully I could convey at least an idea of the complexity and diversity of the ideas at stake. (...) The dialogues offered here as well as the introductory remarks and afterthoughts will achieve their aim if they provide their readers with a general survey of the debate, a sense of its scope and a glimpse at its complex conceptual knots and ambitious agenda. It is my hope the readers will be enticed into reading the work of these six authors and others and, ultimately, to join the debate itself either as newcomers or with their specific expertise."

From the Introduction

"Muslims as well a as believers in all religions have always grappled with how to religiously understand and explain developments in society. In more recent times, the many interpretations that exist regarding almost all issues in human life display a plurality of opinions on the true meaning of Islam. Islam and the Quest for Modern Science is an excellent introduction to questions that, from a Muslim and confessional position, can be understood either as a challenge, a threat or a possibility. Muslim approaches, confessional or not, toward modern science are undoubtedly diverse, and how to Islamically understand modern science is a key topic at the core of today¹s discussion on the function of Islam. Therefore, this book is an important contribution that not only fills a gap in the study of Islam, but also portrays a discourse that touches upon fundamental questions in the production of Islamic theologies and the understanding of Islam among Muslims in general."

From the Foreword by Leif Stenberg."

Öz İslam bilim tarihiyle ilgili çalışmalarını temel İslam ilimlerinin ötesine taşıyan Fuat Sezgin; astronomi, coğrafya, meteoroloji, kimya, matematik, geometri, tıp, genetik, optik ve felsefe gibi alanlarda faaliyetler gerçekleştirmiştir. İslam bilim tarihi alanındaki çalışmaları ile bilimler tarihine yeni paradigmalar kazandırmıştır. Bu durum İslam bilimler tarihiyle ilgili bilinçli ve/veya bilinçsiz bir biçimde yok sayılan hakikatlerin ortaya çıkarılmasında önemli bir rol oynamıştır. Buna karşın Batı dünyasında ortaya çıkan Rönesans fikir hareketi, İslam medeniyetinin insanlığa katkısını nerdeyse yok saymıştır. Bu bağlamda makalemizin temel yazım amacı, tüm yaşamını İslam dünyasındaki bilimsel ve teknolojik faaliyetlerin objektif bir biçimde bilinmesine adayan Fuat Sezgin'i hayatı, eserleri, şahsiyeti ve insani değerleri üzerinden tanımaktır. Bu noktada çocukluğu, gençliği, olgunluk yılları, eğitim/öğrenim hayatı ve hayatındaki dönüm noktaları tespit edilecektir. Bununla birlikte Sezgin'in İslam bilim ve teknoloji tarihi üzerine yazdığı eserler tanıtılmaya çalışılacaktır. Sezgin'in günümüze kadar yazmış olduğu eserlerin türleri ve bilim dünyasına katkısı değerlendirilecektir. Eserleri ile İslam bilim ve teknoloji tarihi üzerinde mevcut ezberleri nasıl tartışmaya açtığı gösterilecektir. Ayrıca makalemizde, idealist bir bilim insanı Sezgin'in Türk-İslam kültürü ile yoğrulmuş ilkeli yaşantısı çerçevesinde gelişen şahsiyeti ve insani değerleri ortaya koyulacaktır. Böylece Fuat Sezgin'in hayatı, eserleri, şahsiyeti, insani değerleri ve idealleri ile şekillenmiş yaşam portresi bir bütün olarak sunulacaktır.

The book analyses developments in Qur’anic exegesis and Islamic thought in the modern period, attempting to present the methodology of Said Nursi (d. 1960) and modernist exegesis.

It focuses on Qur’an and exegesis, new kalām movement, ihya’ (revival) and tajdīd (renewal) attempts in early Muslim modernism. Special focus on Said Nursi with Muhammad ‘Abduh and S. Ahmad Khan. It analyses and critically evaluates kalām based renewal vs tafsír based tajdīd.