When religion and science are mentioned together one imagines opposing forces, systems of thought that are anathema of each other, there being no sign of reconciliation between the two. One classic historical example is Galileo's indictment by the Catholic Church for supporting the idea that Earth was not the center of the universe (and even stationary), an idea that verged on heresy and demanded immediate reprehension. However, upon researching Islam's history, one does not come across a situation where Islam and science were diametrically opposed to each other. In fact, classical Muslim orthodoxy adopted science as a tool in both realms of academia and daily life. In 1987, Islam studies specialist and historian A.I. Sabra submitted a ground-breaking paper that described the three stages in which Muslims adopted the scientific tradition. David C. Lindberg, author of The Beginnings of Western Science, informs the reader about the conclusion of Sabra's research:
"A. I. Sabra proposed three stages in the fortunes of the classical tradition in Islam. In the first stage, he argued, 'Greek science entered the world of Islam, not as an invading force...but as an invited guest'--a guest, moreover, whose Hellenistic worldview experienced 'an almost immediate and almost unreserved adoption...by Muslim members of the household.' In the second stage,the guest, now a comfortable member of the community, was the source and inspiration for remarkable scientific achievements by outstanding scholars, who accepted the fundamental assumptions of the classical tradition, took up its unresolved problems, and corrected, refined, and extended its conclusions. This was not the beginning of a new scientific tradition, as some have argued, but a continuation of the Greek classical tradition on Islamic soil and with an Islamic voice. Finally, by the time the third stage made its appearance, the pioneers of Hellenistic science had passed away, to be replaced by a generation of scholars, almost every one of whom 'had undergone a thorough Muslim education' and 'were imbued with Muslim learning and tradition.' The result was the integration of Greek disciplines with traditional learning and Islamic culture more generally. Thus logic became incorporated into theology and law; astronomy became an indispensable tool for the muwwaqqit, who was responsible for determining the times of daily prayer in his locale; and mathematics became essential for a wide variety of commercial, legal, and scientific purposes. In this stage, which Sabra calls 'naturalization', the classical tradition had become fully assimilated and put to use. The guest had become a member of the household in the role of handmaiden [1]."
This information is easily summarized in three succinct points:
1. Greek science entered Islamic world as an invited guest within the Muslim household.
2. As a member of the community, served as source of scientific inspiration & innovation.
3. The final result was that the guest had become a member of household as handmaiden.
Atheists, especially the bulldog of Atheism, Richard Dawkins, considers religiosity a brazen affront to empirical observation and rationale. The only problem with this thesis is that Muslims played a major role in shaping science for centuries to come before the torch was passed on to Europeans, who then further refined the ideals of science during the Renaissance. However, how much thought and consideration should medieval Muslims be given for the extent of their scientific achievements? David C. Lindberg writes,
"The scientific movement in Islam was distinguished and of long duration. Translation of Greek works into Arabic began in the second half of the eighth century; by end of the ninth century translation activity had crested, and serious scholarship was under way. From the middle of the ninth century until well into the fourteenth, we find impressive scientific work in major branches of Greek science, carried forward in widely scattered cities of the Islamic world. If we concentrate our attention on mathematics and astronomy, where many of Islam's greatest achievements lay, we find serious research by capable mathematicians and astronomers as late as the first half of the sixteenth century. This period of Islamic preeminence in the mathematical sciences lasted well over half a millennium -- a longer period than the interval between Copernicus and ourselves [2]."
Furthermore, the pioneer of the scientific method, the very intellectual bastion of empiricism, is none other than Ibn al-Haytham (ca. 965 - ca. 1039), a Muslim known for his outstanding accomplishments in the realm of mathematics and astronomy [3] [4]. This is a stark reminder to atheists who proudly contend that science is purely secular endeavor.
Works Cited
[1] Lindberg, D. C. (2007). Islamic Reception and Appropriation of Greek Science. The beginnings of western science: the European scientific tradition in philosophical, religious, and institutional context, prehistory to A.D. 1450 (2nd ed., p. 174). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
[2] Ibid, pg. 189
[3] Ibid, pg. 179
[4] Heinen, A. M., & Biruni International Congress. (1973). Al-Biruni and ibn al-Haytham: A comparative study of scientific method. Pakistan.
