For centuries, the Muslim world stood at the forefront of human civilisation. From astronomy and medicine to mathematics, philosophy, and technology, Muslim scholars once shaped the intellectual destiny of the world. Names such as Ibn Sina, Al-Biruni, Al-Khwarizmi, Ibn al-Haytham, and Al-Razi symbolised a civilisation where faith and reason worked in harmony. Yet today, a painful paradox confronts Muslim societies: despite possessing a scripture that persistently calls for reflection, observation, and rational inquiry, large parts of the Muslim world remain intellectually stagnant and scientifically marginalised. This crisis is not merely political or economic. At its core, it is an intellectual and epistemological crisis—a rupture between revelation and reason, faith and inquiry, morality and science. The Qur’an, far from discouraging intellectual engagement, repeatedly urges humanity to ponder, reflect, observe, and understand the signs of God scattered throughout the universe and within the human self. However, over time, Muslim intellectual life gradually retreated into ritualism, reducing knowledge to memorisation and divorcing religious learning from the sciences of nature and society. It was against this troubled historical and intellectual backdrop that a three-day International Conference on “Qur’an and Science” was organised by the Department of Islamic Studies, Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI), in collaboration with the Welayat Foundation and Shahid Beheshti University, Iran, from 28 to 30 January 2026. The conference sought not merely to celebrate past glories, but to critically interrogate the reasons for Muslim intellectual decline and explore pathways for revival grounded in the Qur’anic worldview.
The Qur’an And The Question of Knowledge: One of the central concerns repeatedly raised during the conference was the misunderstanding of knowledge (‘ilm) in contemporary Muslim thought. Historically, Muslim civilisation never recognised a rigid divide between “religious” and “worldly” sciences. Astronomy was pursued to understand the heavens as divine signs; medicine was developed as a form of service to humanity; mathematics and physics were tools to comprehend the order embedded in creation. Yet, as several speakers noted, a false dichotomy gradually emerged—one that treated religious sciences as sacred and worldly sciences as morally neutral or even suspect. This division proved disastrous. Scientific disciplines were marginalised, critical thinking was discouraged, and intellectual curiosity was replaced by blind imitation (taqlid). The result was not greater religiosity, but stagnation. Addressing this issue, Aslam Parvaiz, speaking on Qur’an, Reason (‘Aql), and the Unity of Knowledge, argued that the crisis of the Muslim world is fundamentally a crisis of thought. The Qur’an, he reminded the audience, does not address passive believers; it speaks to thinking human beings. Those who refuse to use reason are described as “like cattle”, while those who engage deeply with reality are honoured as Ahl al-Albāb—people of insight. Crucially, Parvaiz emphasised that the use of reason is not merely permissible in Islam; it constitutes an essential dimension of worship (‘ibādah). Neglecting reflection over the signs of God—whether in nature or society—is not intellectual humility, but moral failure. The Qur’an repeatedly condemns heedlessness toward divine signs and links such neglect to spiritual ruin.
Science, Revelation, And The Limits Of Both: A recurring theme throughout the conference was the need for balance. Several speakers cautioned against two equally flawed approaches: rejecting science in the name of faith, or subordinating revelation entirely to scientific theories. The Qur’an, participants emphasised, is not a science textbook. It does not present detailed empirical explanations of natural phenomena, nor does it compete with scientific theories. Instead, it offers a worldview, a moral and metaphysical framework that gives meaning and direction to human inquiry. Scientific knowledge, by contrast, deals with the mechanics of creation, not its ultimate purpose. Parvaiz drew attention to Qur’anic verses describing the heavens and the earth as once joined before being separated, and life as originating from water. These verses, he clarified, should not be reduced to simplistic “scientific miracles”. Rather, they invite reflection and investigation. The Qur’an encourages inquiry, not intellectual complacency.
At the same time, participants warned Muslims against repeating historical mistakes made in certain strands of Christian theology, where scripture was forced to conform to changing scientific paradigms. When scientific theories shifted, faith itself was shaken. The conference issued a collective caution: science should remain a tool to understand reality, not the ultimate judge of revelation.
“Modern global crises like climate change and AI development transcend purely technical fixes. The text argues that these challenges demand a foundation of moral imagination, ethical restraint, and human responsibility. Drawing on the Qur’anic perspective, it suggests that approaching the universe with wonder and humility is a vital, timeless necessity for navigating today’s world.”
Moral Crisis And The Role Of Desire: Beyond intellectual stagnation, speakers highlighted a deeper moral crisis afflicting modern societies, Muslim and non-Muslim alike. Parvaiz framed this crisis through a powerful Qur’anic lens: humanity follows either waḥy (revelation) or hawā (desire). When desire replaces divine guidance, it becomes a false god. This substitution, he argued, lies at the root of social injustice, economic exploitation, and moral chaos. Modern economic systems prioritise greed over need, accumulation over equity. By contrast, Islamic principles of distribution are rooted in compassion and social responsibility. Science, when divorced from moral guidance, becomes a tool of domination rather than service. Parvaiz posed a profound question: if the entire universe follows the laws set by God without resistance, why does humanity insist on rebelling against them? The Qur’an repeatedly reminds humans to observe the harmony of creation—a harmony disrupted only by human arrogance.
Youth, Ideology And Alienation: The moral and intellectual crisis was further explored by Engineer Abbas from Kuwait, who spoke on Youth, Ideology, and Moral Disintegration. He questioned why a book of guidance and knowledge like the Qur’an provokes hostility and even public desecration in parts of the world today. According to Abbas, the problem lies not in the Qur’an, but in the failure to cultivate love for it among younger generations. Parents, he argued, have increasingly neglected moral and spiritual upbringing, outsourcing education entirely to institutions that often prioritise autonomy over responsibility. Modern ideological currents—radical individualism, self-worship, and unrestrained freedom—have weakened family structures and social cohesion. Universities, as suggested by one speaker ,often celebrate independence without grounding it in ethics, leading to alienation, violence, and social conflict.
In contrast, she highlighted prophetic models of moral perseverance. Citing Prophet Ibrāhīm’s declaration—“Indeed, I am going to my Lord; He will guide me”—he emphasised that true freedom lies not in abandoning moral limits, but in submitting to a higher ethical purpose.
Revelation, Science, And Human Integration: Akhtar-ul-Wasey addressed the integrated nature of the Qur’anic worldview, emphasising that revelation, science, morality, and human purpose are inseparable. The Qur’an does not merely direct attention to the cosmos; it also urges reflection on the human self (nafs). Both are arenas of divine signs. He reminded the audience that classical Muslim scholars never perceived a contradiction between scientific inquiry and faith. The assumption of conflict, he argued, is a modern construction rooted in Western historical experience, not Islamic intellectual history.
Interdisciplinary Futures: The need for interdisciplinary approaches was forcefully articulated by Prof. Mohammad Fathi Ali Ambaso. While reaffirming that the Qur’an is not a scientific manual, he argued that it provides a comprehensive vision of humanity and reality that can guide scientific and technological development. Today’s world faces crises—climate change, artificial intelligence, global health emergencies—that cannot be solved through technical solutions alone. They require moral imagination, ethical restraint, and a renewed sense of human responsibility. The Qur’an’s invitation to ponder the universe with wonder and humility, Ambaso argued, is more relevant than ever.
Conclusion|Reclaiming Science Through The Qur’an: The conference concluded with a clear and measured message: the revival of Muslim civilisation does not lie in rejecting modern science, nor in uncritically absorbing it. It lies in reclaiming science through the Qur’anic vision of knowledge, reason, and moral responsibility. Participants collectively warned against superficial “scientific readings” of the Qur’an that reduce revelation to temporary theories. Such approaches risk hollowing out the Qur’an’s moral authority. Instead, the Qur’an must remain the criterion (furqān) that gives science ethical direction and meaning.
Reflecting on the immense sacrifices made by earlier generations to preserve the Qur’an, Parvaiz posed a haunting question for the modern age: How much of our life is shaped by the Qur’an, and how much of the Qur’an is reflected in our daily lives? Obedience to divine guidance, he suggested, should be as disciplined and consistent as obedience to traffic laws. In the final analysis, the conference affirmed that the crisis of Muslim decline is neither inevitable nor irreversible. What is required is not nostalgia for the past, but a courageous re-engagement with the Qur’an’s call to knowledge, reflection, and ethical responsibility. Only then can science once again become not a force of domination, but a means of serving humanity in accordance with divine guidance.
(The author a veteran academician is a former Professor and Head Department of Islamic Studies, Kashmir University. The views, opinions and conclusions expressed in this article are those of the author and aren’t necessarily in accord with the views of “Kashmir Horizon”)
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