In Islam, there are seven severe sins, one of them has to deal with taking someoneâs soul unlawfully. Now, imagine if that soul is the one of a child, a baby. Protecting the innocent and the weakest in society is primordial in Islam. That is why infanticides were forbidden in Islam. Some might say that this is only natural; well not for pagan Arabs who used to kill off some of their offspring from fear of poverty or if the child is not of male gender; similarly to what we see nowadays in India. Well, 1400 years ago, Islam put an end to infanticide.
Those will have lost who killed their children in foolishness without knowledge and prohibited what Allah had provided for them, inventing untruth about Allah. They have gone astray and were not [rightly] guided.
Surah Al-Anam (6 â 140)
Infanticide might seem abhorring to most, but what about abortion?!? Some might say, well one is born while the other is not. That is true, but youâre still making the decision to kill (even if unborn). You are deciding to take the soul of another person. Now I hear, well what about the mother, that baby might ruin her life. Possibly, but that unformed sucked-out foetus did not ask to be conceived out of 10 seconds of unprotected pleasure. So, instead of taking responsibility for oneâs actions, letâs just do away with Stillborn Embryo. Itâs not like the weakest denomination of society would complain or anythingâŠ
Once again, we use the slogan âpro-choiceâ to de-dramatize the situation and even to legitimize a womanâs right to kill. This might seem harsh to some, but the lifestyle of most people is what is in question. This situation reminds me of the lyrics of a song from the group Mes AĂŻeux:
Your great-great-grandmother, she had fourteen children.
Your great-grandmother had almost as many.
And your grandmother had three, it was enough!
And your mother didn’t want any; you were an accident!
As for you, my girl, you change partners all the time.
When you do something stupid, you get out of it with an abortion.
But there are mornings, you wake up crying,
When you dream at night of a big table surrounded by kids.
This might sound a little lousy because it does not rhyme in English (it sounds better in French, trust me), but you understand the message behind it. The moral of the story, we try to make the woman the victim, but we donât take a second to look at a dead human as the real victim. For the coming weeks In Sha Allah, we shall speak about areas in Islam that apply to women. Are some of you surprised?!? Islam is not a religion only for men!?! Those who know and understand Islam, fully know that Islam is a religion that curtails to everyone and has been and still is enforcing womenâs rights since its inception.
It has been now six months that the Prophet Muhammad (ppuh) is being insulted in France. As far as I know, the French government did not retract its words or actions, did not apologize, and only renewed its arrogance towards these degrading caricatures of OUR Prophet. Moreover, they are ostracizing French Muslims turning them into second-class citizens.
Criticizing the French governmentâs actions is not enough! The boycott of French products and companies is essential. It is only by staying united on this front that we can aspire to change something. Political pressure seems implausible because of hypocritic heads of state in the Muslim world that bend to Western and European powers. Therefore, economic pressure is our only outlet. However, as we have mentioned before, the purse is often mightier than the sword.
So remind your brothers and sisters in faith, make it a habit to check the origin of the product as well as the parent company. Do not despair or minimize this action. We already look at the ingredients list to see if the product is permissible for consumption, just give a look at the MADE IN section for good measure.
So if you want to know how to determine if a product is from France or belongs to a French company, here are a few sites with that info.
https://www.reddit.com/r/MuslimLounge/comments/jhsyuo/list_of_all_french_brands_to_boycott_due_to/
Barcode Prefixes and Product Country of Origin – Barcoding, Inc.
In this ever-changing world, there are a few constants in one’s life. One of these constants for Muslims is Ramadan. It is the 9th month in the Islamic calendar or Hijri calendar (Hijri for when the prophet Muhammad (ppuh) Emigrated from Mecca to Medina).
Even if the month of Ramadan is a staple in oneâs life, it is nonetheless the month of change; since the time of the prophet (ppuh) to nowadays. The Quran was brought down on the holiest night of this holiest month (Laylat ul-Qadr), the Battle of Badr was waged in this holy month (which is known as the decisive day since it was the first battle and victory for Muslims at the time of the prophet (ppuh)), the conquest of Mecca, that purged the Arabian peninsula of idolatry, was also in this holy month.
Ramadan is the month of change. It is a month for one to become better. And when one betters himself, he will surely better his surroundings. However, this change must be guided, and the best guide is the word of Allah: the Quran. Not only the Quran was first revealed in this month, but the Sahaba (companions of the prophet (ppuh)) would devote themselves to its recital and study even more than usual.
Now, we saw what makes this month so holy, but what is in it for us? Letâs see what the prophet Muhammad (ppuh) said on the matter:
âWhen Ramadan begins, the gates of mercy are opened and the gates of Hell are closed, and the devils are chained up.â
Sunan an-Nasa’i, Vol. 3, Book 22, Hadith 2107.
âWhoever fasts Ramadan out of faith and in the hope of reward, he will be forgiven his previous sins.â
Sunan an-Nasa’i, Vol. 3, Book 22, Hadith 2207.
âWhoever stands (in the voluntary night prayer of) Ramadan out of faith and in the hope of reward, his previous sins will be forgiven. And whoever spends the night of Laylat ul-Qadr in prayer out of faith and in the hope of reward, his previous sins will be forgiven.â
Sunan an-Nasa’i, Vol. 6, Book 47, Hadith 5030.
âWhen Laylat ul-Qadr comes Gabriel descends with a company of angels who invoke blessings on everyone who is standing or sitting and remembering God who is great and glorious. Then when their festival day comes (i.e. the day when they break their fast) God speaks proudly of them to His angels saying, âMy angels, what is the reward of a hired servant who has fully accomplished his work?â They reply, âOur Lord, his reward is that he should be paid his wage in full.â He says, âMy angels, my male and female servants have fulfilled what I have made obligatory for them, and then have come out raising their voices in supplication. By my might, glory, honour, high dignity, and exalted station, I will certainly answer them.â Then He says, âReturn, for I have forgiven you and changed your evil deeds into good deeds.ââ
Mishkat al-Masabih, Book 7, Hadith 137.
Can you imagine? Mercy, forgiveness, and reward, all in one month through sincerity and deeds! These are the keys as to how to succeed in this holy month. However, there are always going to be losers.
âThere are people who fast and get nothing from their fast except hunger, and there are those who pray and get nothing from their prayer but a sleepless night.â
Sunan Ibn Majah, Vol. 1, Book 7, Hadith 1690.
âWhoever does not give up evil and ignorant speech, and acting in accordance with that, Allah has no need of his giving up his food and drink.â
Sunan Ibn Majah, Vol. 1, Book 7, Hadith 1689.
May Allah avoid us from being losers and grant us success in this holy month of change.
Ramadan Kareem!
As we have mentioned last week, Islam and science do not contradict each other. False interpretation of a phenomenon is to blame, just as it is the case with the theory of evolution.
Now, as it goes for the greatest period of discoveries, this era wasnât in the 20th century with the atomic theories, the general relativity theory, and the quantum mechanics theory. It wasnât in the 18th century during the chemical revolution, inspired by Lavoisier, or the evolution revolution brought by Darwin. It wasnât even during the Renaissance when Europe finally pulled its head out of the Dark Ages. The golden age of scientific discoveries was between 800-1300, during the Islamic Empire.
There was this hub called the House of Wisdom; but it was more than a hub, it was like Harvard, Cambridge, Oxford, and Yale, but with way more beards. Scholars from across the Muslim world (and non-Muslim) would meet, research, and discuss. It was the largest gathering of minds and books in the world.
Amazing discoveries and revolutionary scientific contributions were made in this short period of time. The development of essential basics in math and science led to incredible progress in all scientific areas. Without algebra there is no physics, without algorithms there are no computers, without alchemy there is no chemistry, and the list goes on…
By the year 830, Alkhawarizmi combined Greek geometry with Indian arithmetic to obtain algebra. It is not like no one ever used it before intuitively, but he generalized it; it was no more empirical data, but problem-solving based on equations. The word algorithm is actually a Latin deformation of his name. The employment of the decimal point at his time made any number representable, even within whole numbers. As for Al-Battani (858-929), known as Albatenius, it is thanks to him that I almost flunked my high school math tests. He brought forth trigonometrical relations that link sine, cosine, and tangent together.
Alchemy lost its mystique with Jabir Ibn Hayyan (721-815), the father of chemistry. He is also known as Geber (the west has a lot of trouble with Arabic names). Contrary to his predecessors, he did not look for the life elixir (since life and death are in the hands of Allah) nor did he try to transform cheap metals into gold (if it would work and become available, all would stop working and nothing would get done). He practically single-handedly revolutionized the way that chemistry was seen and taught. Around 865, the chemist El-Razi (Rhazes) was the first to classify compounds based on their properties; not because of their philosophical attributes. Even though it was not the best classification, it was nonetheless the first classification done by experimentation. Muslim chemists were also responsible for progress done in metallurgy, especially regarding alloys, which greatly enhanced the crafts that came with it: minting, armament, transportation, toolmaking, tablewareâŠ
In the area of mechanics, Muslims of the time excelled in the field. In the 12th century, Al-Jazari devised a water pump that functioned with a crankshaft; this was the first known use of a crankshaft to draw water. He also built multiple automated devices, such as clocks, flush/refill tanks, celestial models, etc. Plus, he was the first to use a camshaft to allow automated repetition. What is the significance of this invention⊠imagine driving a car with no pistons? But his main work was The Book of Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices; this book contains over 100 mechanical applications. Writing a book is no big deal (hey, I was able to do it), but explaining how to reproduce those mechanisms with plans, stencils, and purposes; that is impressive! Letâs not forget Taqi Al-Din (16th century) who invented a 6 cylinder water pump, that later on became the basic model of the cylinder engine in cars. We almost forgot about Abbas Ibn Firnas (810-887), not only his name rimes but he was the first person to glide âsuccessfullyâ. When I say successfully, I mean glide from a good height, for a good distance, and not die.
Al-Zahrawy, known in the west by Albucasis, the father of surgery, performed cataract surgery, operated on migraines, developed specific surgical tools, described the hereditary nature of hemophilia, and wrote a 30 volume encyclopedia of medicine called Al-Tasrif. All this was done by the year 1000. Many of these techniques, although rudimentary, were still used until the 18th century in Europe. Innovations like quarantining before treating, hospitals with different orgs for different types of patients (even patients with mental problems), understanding that sickness and disease are passed by tiny particles through the air, a hospital pharmacy, The Hospital⊠Point… These are but a few medical breakthroughs of that time and the list goes on⊠There is also El-Razi, yes him once again, because when you are scientific, your inquiries do not limit themselves to one specific domain (and it was easier back then to specialize in multiple disciplines). Rhazes (as he was known in Europe) was a pioneer in experimental medicine; he helped differentiate between measles and smallpox. We cannot talk about medicine without mentioning Ibn Sina (Avicenna), his work The Cannon of Medicine was so complete that it was used and taught for a millennium. He is the father of modern medicine. If you want to discuss scientific breakthroughs in medicine, Ibn Al-Nafis is your man. He discovered and explained pulmonary circulation; meaning how air (oxygen) gets into your blood. Something so basic that no one even thinks about today, but needed elucidation 800 years ago. As for medication, one man repertoired more novel medicines than any company; Ibn Baitar. He recorded almost 400 types of medicine added by Muslim physicians at the time. That was more than a third of all known medicines at his time since antiquity.
Measurements were very important too. Whether it be time or space, they were meticulously measured. Around 830, the Caliph El-Maâmun commissioned his scientists to estimate the circumference of the Earth. And they did so, they came to the equivalent of 24 000 miles, which was 4% off the exact value. Not bad for that time you say. Well a century and a half later, Al-Biruni pretty much nailed it. By combining algebra and trigonometry, three simple measurements, an astrolabe, a flat shoreline, and a mountain overlooking the sea; he was able to determine the radius of the Earth, and was only about 10 miles off. As for time, El-Battani was able to calculate the almost exact duration of a year. He stated that it was 365 days, 5 hours, 46 minutes, and 24 seconds, which is a whopping 2 minutes off the ârealâ value. How did he come so close; he made an average on 40 years. Forty years for one measurement, not bad for reproducibility.
Astronomy was one of the strengths of Muslim scientists of that era. If the Greeks mastered the constellations, the Romans owned the planets, the Muslims named the stars; practically all of them. To this day over two-thirds of the stars have Arabic names (or originally named in Arabic). Even though it was Copernicus that proved that the Earth revolved around the sun in 1543 (he used data from Al-Batani and Al-Tusi), it was a scientist named Ibn Al-Haytham (Alhazen) that brought forth the incongruities of having the Earth at the center of the Solar system (i.e. having the Sun go around the Earth) based on collected data. He did not propose an alternative solution but brought forth fundamental reasoning problems to Ptolemyâs celestial theory. What was novel about this, his negation of Ptolemyâs theory was not a philosophical point of view but based on mathematical calculations and results. This might have been one of the first times in history that a scientific crosscheck was done to confirm or infirm a theory.
Ibn Al-Haythamâs innovations do not stop there. He reinforced the scientific method as the only way to explore natural phenomena. For Ibn Al-Haytham, scientific ideas are only valid if they are mathematically consistent to reflect reality. Research must be based on theory and experiment:
âWe do not go beyond experience, and we cannot be content to use pure concepts in investigating natural phenomenaâ.
Contrary to the ancient empires who viewed mathematics or science as perfect, unworldly, or divine; Muslim scientists saw it fitting in using it to explain the creation of Allah. Physical proposition plus mathematical representation lead to experimentation and interpretation.
These assertions were obvious in Ibn Al-Haythamâs Book of Optics. Using observation, geometry, and experimentation; he was able to explain reflection, refraction, sight, estimate the thickness of the atmosphere⊠he laid the foundation of optics for generations to come. No wonder, it is with good reason, he is known in physics as the father of optics. It is also Ibn Al-Haytham who instilled the scientific method or process. It is this approach that came to be the founding block of modern science. Through 7 steps: Observation of the natural world; Stating a definite problem; Formulating a robust hypothesis; Test the hypothesis through experimentation; Assess and analyze the results; Interpret the data and draw conclusions; Publish the findings, he was able to resume the logical sequence in problem-solving. The notion of replicability in experiments and peer reviews were also introduced at that time.
Speaking about Muslim scholars without mentioning the Second Master would be incoherent. This surname was given to him by other scholars of his time to compare this person to Aristotle (the First Master): this scholar is Al-Farabi (Alpharabius). He was well versed in a multitude of disciplines, and not just in science; politics, philosophy, economics, ethics, jurist⊠the list goes on. He is probably the foremost scholar who saved ancient Greek writings from extinction.
On a less scientific note, in 1377, Ibn Khaldun, the father of sociology, wrote an amazing work that we know as the Prolegomena (in Arabic Muquaddima). Funnily enough, this was just an introduction to his book Kitab al-Ibar (Book of Lessons). The Prolegomena might as well be the first book that treats about; social sciences, philosophy of history, cultural history, and economics in ways that have never been discussed before. Not only does it touch base with social sciences, but with natural sciences, theology, philosophy, and politics. It is a reference on how to conduct research; Ibn Khaldun managed to apply the scientific method to social sciences. There is also (as if it is something out of the ordinary) Al-Biruni who is credited to be the father of anthropology. As for exploration, and accounts of trips; Ibn Battuta is unmatched (1304-1369), he traveled most of the known world of the time and recounted his experiences in The Travels. The great cartographer Piri Reiss (1465-1553) was unmatched in his renderings of world maps. Not only are they practically exact to satellite images, but he is the first to correctly map the coast of the Americas (hydrography that is found inland also) and Antarctica⊠No one knew about Antarctica at the time. Just as a sidenote, Al-Khawarismi led a group of geographers and cartographers to draw a replica of the world map (known at the time). Its detail was remarkable, and yes… it was round.
What was amazing about that era is that there was no contradiction between faith and the laws governing the natural world. And if a theory or proposition was infirmed or replaced, there was no uproar, people being burned, persecuted, or jailed because they were of a different opinion. As long as it did not go against the Quran or Sunnah (in the assumptions and interpretations), anything and everything else is acceptable in the domain of science; especially the facts.
What is also important to point out is that practically all of the names aforementioned studied the Quran, teachings of the prophet Muhammad, Islamic jurisprudence⊠i.e. religious aspects of Islam before embracing the endeavor of science. It gave them a framework to work with and within, it gave the limitations of what man can accomplish and discover, it did not allow them to waste their time on wild goose hunts or inconceivable explorations. It allowed them to better mankind and the world as a whole.
During the Islamic Empire (the golden age for scientific discoveries), science and technology were encouraged, not just for economic, entertainment, or military reasons; but because it is a cornerstone of their faith. So the argument of science and religion not being able to coexist, doesnât make sense.
Fortunately, I had the privilege to visit the Museum of the History of Science and Technology in Islam in Istanbul, Turkey. This was a whole other experience; it is one thing to hear, read or learn about these inventions, innovations, scientists, and pioneers⊠but it is something else to literally see what and how it was done.
To get an overview of these discoveries and inventions that changed history, check out the following website. It will blow your mind away!
https://www.1001inventions.com/
More often than not, it is our experiences that forge and consolidate our ideas and our ideals. In my case, I have a scientific background, I studied in biochemistry; and the more I discovered about how our body functions, the more I believed as a Muslim. On the other hand, I never really was challenged on my faith at University. Sure I had discussions with other students, and practically all the time, even if they were not Muslim or did not become Muslim, they came out of that discussion thinking. Therefore, I would like to share a couple of anecdotes from my years in University.
First off, as I was about to enter University in Biochemistry, one of my sports buddies was intrigued by my field of studies. How could I enter the domain of science if I am a Muslim; isnât there a contradiction? I told him jokingly, thatâs where the chemistry part comes into play; I wasnât interested in the bio part, just interested in bomb-making, the rest was irrelevant. Iâm sure that Muslim student pilots get the same kick out of the reaction of people when they say theyâre not interested in landings; just in takeoffs. After a couple of chuckles, I explained to him that there are no contradictions between science and Islam, more specifically creation and science. The only contradiction involving science and creation is evolution; for everything else, especially for Muslims, science and religion go hand in hand. As Muslims believe that there were laws given to man to follow, God has also instituted laws that maintain the Universe. So extrapolating and understanding these laws are encouraged in Islam. On the other hand, all that is not explicable by being a one-time phenomenon is characterized by being a miracle.
Secondly, in my microbiology class at University back in 2004, the subject of belief arose and our professor was asked about his point of view on the matter at hand. So our teacher made a simple parallel between God and radio waves:
âLike it or not, radio waves are passing through, pretty much wherever you are. Even at this instance, they are bouncing off you, penetrating you, and the best part of it; you are completely oblivious to them. Until!… you get a tool called a receptor (TV, radio, cell phone), then you get the picture loud and clear. God is something like the radio wave, and the receptor is your spirit (soul); some chose to use it, others turn it off.â
Being honest and stating that the divine and the soul are mysteries is reproached by atheists as being a simplistic way of getting out of the discussion. Just to play the devilâs advocate, doesnât saying everything is a fluke sound simplistic to you?
Keeping with the same argument, this last anecdote happened the same year in my enzymology class. Each teacher has a distinct character, like every single person; some are jolly, some are brash, others are irritating. But this professor was pompous and pretentious, the type that loves to hear himself speak. I must say, he was interesting, competent, was and still is highly regarded in the field of molecular medicine as well as cancer prevention via neutratherapy.
The long and the short of it is that this professor started to speak about cellular functions, and for some reason, a lot of people have difficulty speaking about biology without involving evolution. But once you imply evolution, more often than not, you exclude creation; and that is exactly what happened. He then went on to say that using god as a way for people to explain the appearance of the Universe or life, in general, is a simplistic explanation. Unfortunately, I stayed mute; I didnât stand up for my convictions. Maybe I was shy, intimidated; I felt like a heel. Suddenly a young lady, with more character than me, interjected and stopped his line of assertion by asking sarcastically if what he was talking about would be in the exam. Understanding that he did not have an audience for his words, he came back to the subject at hand. Thankfully, you always get a second chance to make things right, and this time I wouldnât pass it up.
A little while later, during the same class, the teacher mentioned that enzymes are responsible for many interactions in the human body. However, these reactions must be regulated in order to keep a certain balance in any organism. Therefore, as there are enzymes, there are anti-enzymes that counter or repress the action of the enzymes that first produced the action. They are all enzymes, only one has a certain effect; the other one, an opposite effect. That is when I raised my hand and spoke.
-So if these anti-enzymes regulate enzymes, they must have appeared pretty much at the same instance in the evolutionary timeline as the enzymes themselves.
He agreed and pointed out that my comment was a very good observation. I then pursued by saying, in his opinion, didnât he think that this explanation is pretty simplistic! He grinned slightly and continued on with the class. Next week, In Sha Allah, we shall visit how well science faired during the Islamic period and see if there was any contradiction between Islam and Science.