ISLAMIC APPROACH TO SCIENCE AND SUPERSTITIONS BY YAQEEN UL HAQ AHMAD SIKANDER

The growth of scientific knowledge and intellect has certainly diminished the belief in superstitions but it hasn't eradicated them completely. Scientific knowledge is based on reason but superstitions are completely based upon ignorance and prove as a great hindrance in the way to progress of the society, nation and ultimately mankind. Superstitious beliefs have resulted in a lot of misconceptions and regressions among the masses. All of us have to correspond to the fact that science has just helped to relieve mankind of superstitions but so far it hasn't been successful in annihilating them completely. Even Niels Bohr, a great scientist had hanged a horse-shoe outside his laboratory door which clearly proves his belief in the superstitions. Superstition is nothing but an irrational belief which arises due to ignorance or sometimes due to fear. Huge masses of people even today believe in Astrology which is a pseudoscience. But the major and the most significant cause of the rise of these unpleasant circumstances is the lack of faith in Allah (SWT). It's not science alone which can put an end to all the superstitions because science itself is silent on many major issues governing this world like the creation of life, etc. but its the faith in Allah through which we can overcome and supersede all the superstitions. Religion is the primary source for providing man with the most accurate knowledge regarding the creation of the universe and of life. Therefore, science will advance speedily only if it is guided by the Qur'an, adopting its revelations, for only then may science adhere to way of God. There are hundreds of scientists which had a complete faith in God because there comes a stage in science when a person is left with no other alternative except to believe in a Divine Creator i.e. The God. Johannes Kepler, Samuel Morse, Isaac Newton, Michael Faraday, James Prescott Joule, Louis Pasteur, J J Thomson, Maxwell, Max Planck, John Dalton are some of the many examples of great scientists who had a staunch belief in God. Albert Einstein, who is one of the most important scientists of the last century, was also known for his faith in God. He did not hesitate to defend that science could not exist without religion. As he put it: "I cannot conceive of a genuine scientist without that profound faith. The situation may be expressed by an image: science without religion is lame" (Science, Philosophy and Religion, New York 1941). Each scientific discovery points to a perfect design, order, and plan, in every part of nature, living or non-living. Themselves testifying to this truth, many scientists have seen that the design of the entire universe is the work of a superior Wisdom, and have gone on to defend

the Fact of Creation, recognizing that everything has been created by the Almighty God. Today, there are many respected academic organizations in the West, particularly in the USA, which have been established by believing scientists. These institutions work to make clear that scientific evidence confirms the perfect design of the universe. In the 7th century, when the Qur'an was revealed, Arab society had many superstitious and groundless beliefs where scientific issues were concerned. Lacking the technology to examine the universe and nature, these early Arabs believed in legends inherited from past generations. They supposed, for example, that mountains supported the sky above. They believed that the earth was flat and that there were high mountains at its both ends. It was thought that these mountains were pillars that kept the vault of heaven high above. However all these superstitious beliefs of Arab society were eliminated with the Qur'an. In Surah Sad, verse 2, it was said: "God is He who raised up the heavens without any support..."(The Qur'an, 38:2). This verse invalidated the belief that the sky remains above because of the mountains. In many other subjects, important facts were revealed at a time when no one could have known them. If we follow the teachings of the Qur'an, apart from eradicating the superstitions completely, we will also be the leaders of science and intellect because it is the Qur'an which leads the way to the science as many of the wonders of science were declared in the Qur'an more than 1400 years ago! About a thousand verses of the Qur'an are just dealing with modern science. In all other fields of endeavour, the way to be followed in the scientific field is again the "way" commanded by God in the Qur'an. As God proclaims, "This Qur'an guides to the most upright Way..." (Surah al- Isra: 9)

(The Author can be reached at www.yaqeenulhaq.info or can be mailed at yaqeen@ymail.com)