SCIENCE AND ISLAM

Science is the pursuit and application of knowledge and understanding of the natural and social world following a systematic methodology based on evidence. In general, science involves a pursuit of knowledge covering general truths or the operations of fundamental laws. Science in the medieval Islamic world was the science developed and practiced during the Islamic golden age under the Umayyads, Abbasids, general, science and beyond, spanning the period roughly between 786 and 1258.The Muslim world observed science from different perspective. They observed and gave Qur’anic base to the western science and always viewed it through Islamic perspective.one must have knowledge on the history of science to know about what is Islamic science, what does it contribute and so on. A group of Muslim scholars says there is no inherent conflict between Islam and science. The charged relationship between science and religion is a problem for Christian fundamentalists, likewise modern science is also under fire in the Muslim world. Islamic creationist movements are gaining momentum and number of Muslims who looks at Quran for revelation about science.

Muslims scholars have developed a wide range of perspectives and views on science within the restraints of Islam. Scientist of medieval Muslim civilization like ibn-al Haytham contributed many discoveries of science from eighth to fifteenth century almost all fields of science. Apart from the contributions of Muslim scholars to the fields of science, it states very special bond between the religion of Islam and the discipline of science. It is proved all the scientific research are already claimed in Quran, which shows that Islamic science relies on Quran as base and an evidence.

Medieval Islamic scholars had practiced and proved the scientific facts. The significance of medieval Islamic science has been discussed by historians. Muslim scholars had a hand and significant role in almost all fields of science like astronomy, mathematics, medicine, geography, physics, alchemy, chemistry, and many more. Brains of Muslim scholars worked in field of science and there had many contributions to the whole world. The theoretical frameworks in alchemy and chemistry were established in the early Islamic period. In practical chemistry, the works of Jabir and many Persian alchemists and physicians like Abu Bakr al-Razi, contain the earliest systematic classifications of chemical substances. Astronomy became a major discipline within Islamic science at the early age itself. Islamic astronomers put effort in finding and understanding the nature of cosmos and they also brought forwarded this in practical field like finding the direction to face during prayer, qibla. In astrology, they used it in practical way in instances like the time to go for war. Islamic scholar al-Battani determined the length of the solar year and contributed the table of Toledo, which is used by the astronomers to predict the movements of sun, moon and planets across the sky, which was later used by many others including Copernicus. In the field of botany and agronomy, which studies a natural world examining plants, al-Dinawari in his six-volume book-kitab al-Nabath, popularizes botany to the Islamic world, in which only the part 3 and 5 existed. The surviving book consist 637 varieties of plants described in alphabetical order seen to ya, so it is predicted that the whole 6 volumes must be covering thousand kinds of plants. 

Geography gained attention with the spread of Islam across western Asia and north Africa encouraging growth in trade and travel. Islamic Geographers started working to compile maps. Many studied about the geographical sites, climates, resources and industries of the whole world at that time. Islamic mathematicians gathered and clarified the mathematics they inherited from ancient Egypt, Greece, India, Persia, and went on to make innovations of their own. They covered algebra, geometry and arithmetic. In practical geometry was used in surveying and for measuring figures. By the second half of 9th century, Islamic mathematicians made many contributions to most sophisticated parts of Greek geometry. Following a hadith, encouraging the preservation of good health, Islamic scholars gave attention to medicine. Advancement in botany and chemistry in the Islamic encouraged development in pharmacology. Many promoted the use of chemical compounds, pioneered the preparation of medicine, and many scholars like Ibn Sina, Sabur Ibn Sahal taught the use of drugs and described its varieties.

There has been fascinating interest and contributions in Islamic countries examining and determining the relationship between Islam and science over last 50 years. Many Islamic countries have been trying to figure out the religious beliefs with the western concept on science and education. As a result, a so-called cultural dichotomy is observed in between traditional and religious Islamic education and secular western education. The golden age, period between 7th to 15th centuries had a great emphasis on the goal of knowledge. Consequently, individuals like Ibn Sina, Al-Biruni, who lived scholarly and lead pious lives, gave importance to religious education and contributed in the field of science. This proves that Islam is not just a set of rules, beliefs, restrictions but set of ideas encompassing all aspects of human life.