By: Ab. Qayoom Shah| Shahid Bashir
In early days of Islam when sciences had not yet taken proper roots, the Greek philosophy was considered to be the measure of wisdom and rationality the world over. Our forerunners, the traditionalists, and the religious vanguards befittingly encountered the philosophical attacks against postulates and tenets of Islam, in terms of Greek philosophy. For that, they contrived the discipline of ‘logic’ known as ‘Ilm-e-Kalam.’ The present generation has opened eyes in the scientific age and a person even with slightest learning and knowhow of science is at least aware of scientific methods. The hard disk of the modern mans mind has been formatted in a manner that he won’t accept anything incompatible with scientific thinking. He knows that all scientific procedures produce logically correct results.
In the same way, we need modern logic (Ilm-e-Kalam Jadeed) to triumphantly communicate the Islamic teachings and concepts to the scientifically formatted mind. The old method to work out a ‘mean’ term of two extremes to infer corollary has gone archaic. Today, we need to observe and undergo successive experiments to deduce inference and formulate concepts. This scientific method is believed to be the rational method to arrive at the truth. In early centuries of Islam, in counter strike to Greek offensive attack against Islamic ideology, our Islamic vanguards, (the Aa’immah-e-Keram), approved and promoted ‘logic’ (Ilm-e-kalam) as the offensive-defensive strategy. They frustrated this way the atheist attacks and proved that Islam was verily the true DEEN. Today, our sincerity of purpose in spreading and defending Islam binds us to follow the footsteps of our ancestors.
To consolidate their position and ensure victory against the adversaries, they used the most effective weaponry of the day, the Greek philosophy itself. We too are required to follow the same strategy i.e. using the contemporary methods of offensive- defensive operations against the adversary. We need to administer the scientific method, which our forerunners were not even exposed to, as it was a non entity at that time. It is considered to be the touchstone of wisdom and reason. This is the ‘modern logic’, the Ilm-e-Kalam Jadeed. This device put to use would generate the desired results against the Western intellectual forces deployed to oust us from the civilized world.
This is the only strategy that would guarantee our success and stability and ensure effective communication of the message of Islam to all scientific cultures in the world. This may also confirm our emancipation ultimately with our heads bowed down, souls prostrated and tears quivering in our eyes, in the foremost and loftiest court of our most beloved ‘Prophet’ (saw). We will receive from him alms, benevolence, compassion, mercy, intercession and deliverance from acts of trespassing, slip and oversight. He will shower upon us his bliss and bounties and we shall drink to our fill from his ever-spurting spring of love, care and kindness. The need of the hour is to equip our coming generations with scientific knowledge and methodology. This would not only provide a solid foundation to Islam but also groom us to put the enemy on defensive through our counter offensive measures. Without that even the defense of our modest teachings of Islam is impracticable.
Our scholars absorbed the Greek philosophy to frustrate the Greek faith and concepts and their onslaught against the Muslim thought. We also have to follow the same path: acquire modern scientific learning; reject the adversaries’ concepts on scientific grounds; stun their wits and mute their antagonism. This is the secret of our survival as a dauntless and triumphant Muslim Ummah. The awful fact, however, is that we are far from our destination. Science is making rapid advancement and we are too slow to keep abreast with the modern developments. The situation is grievous and dreary. It warrants expeditious but wise and cautious planning to take most effective measures to equip our youth with the modern thought and defeat the foes on their ground. Otherwise a perpetual backwardness will bring us to a total subjugation leading to annihilation as an independent entity.
The writers are Ph. D Research Scholars, Department of Sociology, University of Kashmir. Email id: waanishahid@gmail.com
