It has been widely accepted that science, whether understood in a specific modern sense to refer to any division of the natural sciences or construed in a broad sense to cover any organized knowledge and discipline of study, is an integral component of any civilization.
As a matter of fact, the flourishing of science in any society or civilization contributes a lot to its survival.
Science, however, can only flourish in a society where knowledge is deemed possible and is highly valued.
As such, a study of any society or civilization is not complete unless and until due attention is paid to its system of knowledge.
The manner knowledge is understood in any given society very much determines the way sciences develop, whereas the way any given society regards knowledge depends on its predominant worldview, or intellectual framework.
In spite of some elements which may be common to and are perceived to be overlapping among different cultures and civilizations, ultimately it is the worldview which gives rise to the system of knowledge, and subsequently of science, in a particular society with its distinct characteristics.
As a revealed religion which projects a certain worldview, Islam promotes an understanding of knowledge and science which is different from what is prevalent in other societies and civilizations, including that of the modern West, and which gives rise to a particular intellectual tradition and civilization.
In fact, when one talks about sciences as being “Islamic,” one basically refers to the aforementioned implication. And one should bear in mind that the difference lies primarily at the level of understanding, at the level of concepts and conception. In short, one is concerned with a distinct epistemology.
One important way to know the distinct conception and formulation of knowledge in the Islamic intellectual and scientific tradition is by scrutinizing the various definitions and descriptions of knowledge which that tradition offers.
One distinctive feature of the Islamic conception and formulation of knowledge is its emphasis on the symbolic content and function of knowledge.
In fact, this feature is made possible by the scientific nature of the linguistic medium of the Qur’an with its unique characteristics and well-preserved root system, which in turn projects a particular way of understanding Reality.
To briefly illustrate this point, let us consider the word `ilm (ilmu in Malay), the most commonly used term in Arabic referring to knowledge, which is in fact part of the vocabulary of the Muslims worldwide.
This term stems from a root comprising three letters, `ain-lam-mim. The basic meaning inherent in that root-word is that of `alamah (alamat in Malay), meaning, “sign” or “symbol.”
This is exactly the same root for another widely used term, `alam (alam in Malay), which generally means the world-the universe-and which covers not only all that is around us, but also whatever is in us, which can be studied and known.
In the Islamic scientific tradition, based upon the intellectual framework projected by the Qur’an, all the individual things and events in the universe are considered to be God’s ayat, viz. God’s signs and symbols. Taken as a totality, these signs are referred to as `alam, theologically defined as “everything other than God which points to Him.”
As far as man is concerned, the process of knowing the various objects of knowledge is almost inconceivable without involving any kind of linguistic medium.
Thus far, the human act of knowing almost always involves man’s recognition of the various objects by their names. In fact, scientific discoveries almost always result in naming things with terms that are scientifically befitting.
The term for “name” in Arabic is “ism,” a derivative of the root-verb “wasm” or “simah,” again meaning “sign” or “mark.” It functions as an indicator to point to something so that it may be found and subsequently grasped by the searching mind.
In fact, to have a proper understanding and appreciation of names and terms, one will have to view them in the light of language as a system which eloquently projects one’s worldview. As such, language reflects a person’s mind and philosophy on the one hand and it also shapes a person’s mind and philosophy on the other.
On a higher plane, or within a larger scope, it portrays and records the collective consciousness of a nation. What is this collective consciousness if not the worldview which defines the identity of a nation, of which each individual is its necessary constituent?
A person, with the above mental grasp, will surely deal with the objects of knowledge and science differently. At the very least, he is not going to treat such objects as mere things to which he may do as he wishes.
For as signs, the various objects are never existentially and epistemologically independent from God.
To treat them simply as mere things, as objects-in-themselves with no other point of reference, is to deny the fact that they are signs. And any scientist who does so while proclaiming to be a Muslim, does not in fact know what he or she is saying.
It is therefore important for us to realize that such an understanding, if rightly nourished through proper education, can determine a totally different path and direction for the development of science in Muslim societies.