This happens so rarely I feel I have to blog about it whenever it does. Over on the F.I.E.L.D. Ismaili Heritage website in the Forums section, a dude called 'truthmostimportant' made the following comment to me:
dear brother,
I am new to this forum, but I was surprised to find that you can spam here all you want without anybody stopping you, or advertise your blog I will do it too once I have a blog.
I want to ask a very basic question, I am not as well read as you, so appreciate if you can answer in simple English.
"known scientific facts" change every day, do u think it is wise to place ones beleif on such things which are changing constantly...for example for quite sometime newtons laws of gravity were assumed to be definitive until einstein challanged them - this is just one example.
If you say Quran is consistent with lets say how sience describles the earths atmosphere. what will happen if scientiets discover another layer, will you say Quran is not valid or will you look again for a Ayat to match the new scientific "fact".
I responded as follows:
I do not beleive in the kind of rigidity that you describe, where one or two particular facts recently discovered may match a particular verse or two in the Quran. I much prefer a fluid and general approach and have talked and quoted about it extensively in my blog, for example, just to give you a few samples to demonstrate the solid doctrinal basis for the link between the study of science and religion in Islam and, in particular, Ismailism:
Education has been important to my family for a long time. My forefathers founded al-Azhar University in Cairo some 1000 years ago, at the time of the Fatimid Caliphate in Egypt. Discovery of knowledge was seen by those founders as an embodiment of religious faith, and faith as reinforced by knowledge of workings of the Creator's physical world.
(Aga Khan IV, Speech,1994, Cambridge, Massachusets, U.S.A.)
In this context, would it not also be relevant to consider how, above all, it has been the Qur'anic notion of the universe as an expression of Allah's will and creation that has inspired, in diverse Muslim communities, generations of artists, scientists and philosophers? Scientific pursuits, philosophic inquiry and artistic endeavour are all seen as the response of the faithful to the recurring call of the Qur'an to ponder the creation as a way to understand Allah's benevolent majesty. As Sura al-Baqara proclaims: 'Wherever you turn, there is the face of Allah'.
(Aga Khan IV,Speech, 2003, London, U.K.)
Quote from a letter written by Our 48th Imam to a friend in 1952 under the title: "What have we forgotten in Islam?":
Islam is fundamentally in its very nature a natural religion. Throughout the Quran God's signs (Ayats) are referred to as the natural phenomenon, the law and order of the universe, the exactitudes and consequences of the relations between natural phenomenon in cause and effect. Alas, Islam which is a natural religion in which God's miracles are the very law and order of nature drifted away and is still drifting away, even in Pakistan, from science which is the study of those very laws and orders of nature.……Islam is a natural religion of which the Ayats are the universe in which we live and move and have our being………..The God of the Quran is the one whose Ayats are the universe……
(Aga Khan III, 1952)
Indeed, one strength of Islam has always lain in its belief that creation is not static but continuous, that through scientific and other endeavours, God has opened and continues to open new windows for us to see the marvels of His creation.
(Aga Khan IV,Speech, 16 March 1983, Karachi, Pakistan)
There are many more examples as expositioned by those who mean the most to us, namely, our Imams, our Prophet and others. I refer you to the following posts:
http://easynash.blogspot.com/2007/07/213the-creation-according-to-prophet.html
http://easynash.blogspot.com/2007/07/208selected-speech-excerpts-of-aga-khan.html
http://easynash.blogspot.com/2007/02/129quotes-of-aga-khan-4-consolidated.html
http://easynash.blogspot.com/2007/02/133timeless-sayings-of-aga-khan-iii.html
http://easynash.blogspot.com/2006/12/what-have-we-forgotten-in-islam-aga.html
Regarding being able to blog at will, since you are new to this forum, a little bit of a history lesson is in order here. I actually began to write on this topic, "The Link between Science and Religion in Islam" on this Forum in March 2006 and only converted it into a personal blog on Google Blogger in December 2006. Regarding your reference to spam, I'm not sure I understand what you are talking about. I hope I have explained myself in English simple enough for you.
Should you decide to start a like-minded blog please let me know and I will be sure to link to it.
easynash
Islam, eminently logical, placing the greatest emphasis on knowledge, purports to understand God's creation:Aga Khan 4(2006)
The God of the Quran is the One whose Ayats(Signs) are the Universe in which we live, move and have our being:Aga Khan 3(1952)
Our interpretation of Islam places enormous value on knowledge. Knowledge is the reflection of faith if it is used properly. Seek out that knowledge and use it properly:Aga Khan 4(2005)
