Islam, Science, Muslims, and Technology: Seyyed Hossein Nasr in Conversation with Muzaffar Iqbal brings into sharp relief impor- tant dilemmas faced by the Muslim world today, especially in reference to modern science and technology. In four focused conversations Seyyed Hossein Nasr responds to Muzaffar Iqbal in exploring Islamic views on the origin of the cosmos and life, various dimensions of the relationship between Islam and science, Muslim attitudes toward modern science and technology, and the environmental crisis. At the heart of these wide-ranging conversa- tions is what can perhaps be called the most pressing issue of our times: the future course of Islamic civilization. Spanning the entire spectrum of Islamic thought, these conver- sations are supplemented by three related texts: “The Context” sketches, in bold strokes, the background to these conversations; “The Cosmos as a Subject of Scientific Study” explores various aspects of the relationship between God, the cosmos, and hu- manity; and “The Islamic Worldview and Modern Science” is the text of the keynote address delivered by Seyyed Hossein Nasr at the International Conference on Science in Islamic Polity in the Twentieth Century held in Islamabad, Pakistan in March 1995— an occasion which brought the two scholars together for the first time and initiated a lifelong spiritual, intellectual, and emotional association. By situating Islamic responses to modern science and technol- ogy within the historic encounter of Islamic civilization with the post-Renaissance Western civilization, the book provides reflec- tive insights into the challenges faced by Islamic civilization as it struggles to preserve its spiritual character and tradition. Islam, Science, Muslims, and Technology is accessible to both the general reader and the specialist. It provides a theoretical frame- work for understanding the nature of the dilemmas faced by the Muslim world, while also suggesting practical solutions. The book opens numerous paths for readers to gain deeper insights into some of the most important issues of our times. Also by Muzaffar Iqbal Islam and Science God, Life, and the Cosmos: Christian and Muslim Perspectives (co-ed) Science and Islam Dew on Sunburnt Roses and other Quantum Notes Colours of Loneliness (ed) DiwĀn al-ČallĀj (Arabic-Urdu) InkhilĀĂ (Urdu) InqtĀĂ (Urdu) Dawn in Madinah: A Pilgrim’s Passage The Occident in an Islamic Mirror (Forthcoming) ISLAM, SCIENCE, MUSLIMS, AND TECHNOLOGY Seyyed Hossein Nasr in Conversation with Muzaffar Iqbal DOST PUBLICATIONS ISLAMABAD LAHORE KARACHI © 2009 by Seyyed Hossein Nasr and Muzaffar Iqbal All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be re- produced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, pho- tocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior per- mission of the publisher. The authors have asserted their moral rights under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as the authors of this work. Published by Dost Publications Plot 110, Street 15 I-9/2, Islamabad Pakistan Tel: 92-51-4102784-85 [email protected] Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication Nasr, Seyyed Hossein Islam, science, Muslims and technology / Seyyed Hossein Nasr in conversation with Muzaffar Iqbal. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-9738744-2-6 1. Islam and science. 2. Civilization, Islamic. I. Iqbal, Muzaffar, 1954- II. Title. BP190.5.S3N38 2007 297.2’65 C2007-904510-3 Cover design: Printed and bound in Pakistan g Verily, in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the succession of night and day, there are signs for those who are endowed with insight. (Ċl-ĂImrĀn: 190) C O N T E N T S Transliteration Scheme ix Preface xi 1 The Context 1 Muzaffar Iqbal 2 The Cosmos as Subject of Scientific Study 27 Seyyed Hossein Nasr FOUR CONVERSATIONS 3 Islam, Science, and Muslims 51 4 Islam, Muslims, and Modern Technology 91 5 On the Environmental Crisis 119 6 On Biological Origins 149 KEYNOTE ADDRESS 7 The Islamic Worldview and Modern Science 177 Seyyed Hossein Nasr Suggested Readings 203 Index 205 q ﻕ z ﺯ b ﺀ k ﻙ s ﺱ b ﺏ l ﻝ sh ﺵ t ﺕ m ﻡ s ﺹ th ﺙ j d n ﻥ q ﻕ ﺽ z ﺯ ﺝ b ﺀ TRANSLit ERA btiON SCHEME h s t k w ﻭ ﻙ ﻁ ﺱ ﺡ ﺏ kh z y ﻱ l ﻝ ﻅ sh ﺵ ﺥ t ﺕ d c -ah or -at ﺓ m ﻡ ﻉ s ﺹ ﺩ th ﺙ q q ﻕ z z q ﺯ b b z ﺀ b -gh article al ﻕ dh ﻕ ﺯ ﺯ ﺀ ﺀ ﺍﻝ n ﻥ q ﻍ d ﺽ z ﺫ j ﺝ b ﻕ k ﺯ s ﺀ b k ﻙ s k ﺱ b s ﺏ b f ﻙ r ﻙ ﺱ ﺱ ﺏ ﺏ w ﻭ k ﻑ t ﻁ s ﺭ h ﺡ b ﻙ l ﺱ sh ﺏ t l ﻝ sh l ﺵ t sh ﺕ t y ﻝ z ﻝ ﺵ kh ﺵ ﺕ ﺕ ﻱ l ﻅ Short sh vowels ﺥ t ﻝ m ﺵ s ﺕ th m ﻡ s m ﺹ th s ﺙ th ah or -at- ﻡ a c ﻡﺹ d ﺹ ﺙ ﺙ ﺓ m ﻉ s َ ﺩ th ﻡ n ﺹ d ﺙ j n ﻥ ﻥ d n ﻥ ﺽ ﺽ j d ﺽ ﺝ ﺝ j ﺝ -article al ﺍﻝ gh n ﻍ dh ُ d u ﺫ j ﻥ w ﺽ t ﺝ h w ﻭ ﻭ t w ﻭ ﻁ ﻁ h t ﻁ ﺡ ﺡ h ﺡ f w ﻑ r ِ t i ﺭ h ﻭ y ﻁ z ﺡ kh y ﻱ ﻱ z y ﻱ ﻅ ﻅ kh z ﻅ ﺥ ﺥ kh ﺥ kh z y ﻱLong vowels -ah or -at ﻅ Short c vowels ﺥ d ah or -at- ﺓ ﺓ c -ah or -at ﺓ ﻉ ﻉ d c ﻉ ﺩ ﺩ d ﺩ d a c a -ah or -at ﺓ-article al َ ﺍ ﻉ gh َ ﺩ dh -article al ﺍﻝ ﺍﻝ -gh article al ﺍﻝ ﻍ ﻍ dh gh ﻍ ﺫ ﺫ dh ﺫ -article al ﺍﻝ gh u ُ ﻭ ﻍ dh ُ u ﺫ r r r f f f ﻑ ﻑ ﻑ ﺭ ﺭ ﺭ r i f i ِ ﻱ ﻑ ِ ﺭ Short vowels Short vowels Short vowels Short vowels Long vowels Diphthongs a a a َ َ َ a a aw ــــﻮ َ ﺍ َ u u ُ ُ u ُ ay ــــﻲ u ُ ﻭ u ُ i i i ِ ِ ِ i i ِ ﻱ ِ Long vowels Long vowels Long vowels Long vowels Diphthongs a a a َ ﺍ َ ﺍ َ ﺍ a aw ــــﻮ َ ﺍ u u ُ ﻭ ُ ﻭ u ُ ﻭ ay ــــﻲ u ُ ﻭ i i i ِ ﻱ ِ ﻱ ِ ﻱ i ِ ﻱ Diphthongs Diphthongs Diphthongs aw Diphthongs aw ــــﻮ ــــﻮ aw ــــﻮ aw ــــﻮ ay ay ــــﻲ ــــﻲ ay ــــﻲ ay ــــﻲ PREFACE his book consists of three self-contained and interrelated sections exploring various di- mensions of the relationship between Islam, science, Muslims, and technology. The first section,T consisting of two chapters, sets the broad frame- work for the four conversations that follow. In “The Context” Muzaffar Iqbal sketches, in bold strokes, the background to these conversations and situates them in the larger context of the Islam and science discourse. “The Cosmos as a Subject of Scientific Study” by Seyyed Hossein Nasr explores various aspects of the relationship between God, the cosmos, and humanity, and serves as a theoretical framework for the conversations which constitute the second section of the book. The second section contains four interview-styled con- versations between Seyyed Hossein Nasr and Muzaffar Iqbal originally published in the journal Islam & Science. Spanning the entire spectrum of Islamic thought, these conversations explore a variety of issues including the relationship be- tween Islam and science, Muslim attitudes toward modern science and technology, differences between that science which existed in Islamic civilization prior to the modern era and modern science, Islamic perspectives on biological ori- gins, and the impact of modern science and technology on Islamic thought and civilization. The third section, “The Islamic Worldview and Modern Science”, contains the text of the keynote address delivered by Seyyed Hossein Nasr at the International Conference on Science in Islamic Polity in the Twenty-First Century, held at Islamabad in March 1995—an occasion which brought the two scholars together for the first time and initiated a life- xii Islam, Science, Muslims, and Technology long spiritual, intellectual, and emotional association. A book of this nature cannot avoid a certain degree of repetitiveness while exploring its central themes. This repe- tition, however, serves to underscore different dimensions of the discourse and adds to the richness of the dialogue. The book is also stylistically heterogeneous due to the presence of research articles, conversations, and a keynote address in a single volume. This variety, however, makes the book ac- cessible to a larger readership. 1 THE CONTEXT n a bright spring day, I stood inside the large arrival hall of the Islamabad International Airport waiting for Professor Nasr. It was that season when the jasmine and jaca- randaO trees don that wonderful attire of new colors which creates longing and thirst for the beatific vision in initiated hearts. Nasr was our keynote speaker for the International Conference on Science in Islamic Polity in the Twenty- First Century, which was to be held on March 26-30, 1995. The Conference had been organized by the OIC Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation (COMSTECH), an inter-governmental body established by the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) in 1983 to improve the state of scientific research in the Muslim world and to enhance cooperation among member states in the twin fields of science and technology.