West, Science, and Islam: A Comparative Study of Allama Asad’s Views

Abstract

Allama Asad (Leopold Weiss) belonged to an Astrian Jew family.\xa0 After accepting Islam, he had rendered valuable academic services for constructing a real Islamic Community against domination of western civilization. \nIn this article we discussed Asad’s view on science and Islam.\xa0 Asad said that it was Muslim culture and reign which enlightened the dark ages of the West.\xa0 Robert Briffault had expressed the same views in his famous book ‘Making of Humanity’.\xa0 Briffault also opined that up till the fifteenth century the whole activity in the field of science the West had been extracting from the Arabic Sciences.\xa0 The Roger Beacon had no more position than to teach Muslim Sciences to the West.\xa0 Roger Beacon itself confessed that the major source of true knowledge was the Arabic language and Arabic Science.\xa0 Asad was also of the view that it was Islamic teaching due to which Muslim became capable to develop grand culture and sciences.\xa0 Asad further insisted that the scope of science was Physics rather than metaphysics.\xa0 The same thoughts had been delivered by the Izzet Ali Begouch, the ex-President of Bosnia. \nAsad also stated that the blind worship of the science was Satanism.\xa0 He thought that it was silliness of the people who recognize knowledge and science as Divinity instead of thinking that all these were the grace and gift of Allah Almighty.\xa0 Although the Bertrand Russell, a famous philosopher and mathematician of 20th century, was an atheist but he also admitted that the worship of machines is the source of worship of devil. It was also claimed by the Asad that the power of science had been creating anarchy and chaos in the west despite to establish stability and strength.\xa0 We see it has been agreed by some western thinker such as Lewis Mumford who said that the modern man had been going to suicide horribly. \nIt is extra ordinary important opinion of Asad that we should learn from the west its natural sciences despite to adopt its philosophy.\xa0 Because the losses of backwardness of the Muslims in the field of science are much less than the ruthless and poisoned damages of the blind imitation of the west.\xa0 He insisted that the power of Iman and Ethics are far more precious than that of the western science.