Maulana Wahiduddin Khan I Islam and Science
Knowledge is of two distinct kinds: that which we have been blessed with in the Quran and the Hadith and that which we acquire as a result of our own research and endeavour. The first kind acquaints us with our Lord and makes plain the issues to be faced in the everlasting world which awaits us after death. More importantly, it shows us how, in the course of our present life, we may prepare ourselves to meet those issues. The second kind of knowledge provides solution to the social and economic problems which we encounter in everyday life.
It is imperative that Muslims should seek both forms of knowledge, but they should never lose sight of the fact that they vary considerably in importance. Their primary aim in life should be a knowledge of the Quran and Hadith, while the acquisition of a knowledge of the other sciences should come about as a matter of worldly necessity. Without a knowledge of religion, what must be done in this world to earn an everlasting reward, will constantly elude one’s understanding and it goes without saying that one can never consider oneself a Muslim in the true sense of the word.
The secular sciences guide us only in worldly matters, giving us instruction in the agricultural, industrial and civic practicalities of life. But it is the Quran and Hadith which set our feet on the path to eternal development. Clearly, it is just as important for Muslims as it is for anyone else to study various branches of knowledge, but they must distinguish between ultimate objectives and adventitious necessities. Muslims must not only study the Quran and the Hadith, but must keenly be aware that the real reasons for studying them are very different from those which prompt them to seek worldly knowledge: they must constantly bear in mind that they take moral priority over all other forms of knowledge.