Religion and Science: Islamization of Knowledge by Sayyed Husein Nasr and Al-Faruqi

The convergence of religion and science in the West commenced with the advent of scientific development. The evolution of science can be traced through various historical periods. The first era is recognized as the time when Christianity ruled Western culture, particularly in the 15th century. In this century, society is ruled by authoritative teachings that influence not just the character of religious rituals but also the limits of knowledge. At that time, when the church has great power, church experts do not hesitate to penalize violations of the standards of truth that they have established. The Renaissance, an era of intellectual and scientific resurgence that began with the French Industrial Revolution, comes next. Science, which was once thought to be in opposition to and at odds with religion, has now proclaimed victory in this era. Therefore, it is now typical to encounter atheist scientists who attempt to exclude religion from elements of social life.

New types of relationships between religion and science are created by the dynamics that emerge and grow in the interaction between the two, which are present in both Western and Islamic traditions. Both sides study the connection between knowledge and their respective religious practices, and scholars consider the ramifications of separating the two. Existing knowledge does not fill the psyche; it only fills the physique. In addition, awareness and empathy are undermined by knowledge, making people more individualistic. While Islam was dormant throughout the colonial era under the shadow of powerful Western countries, this backwardness was addressed by recreating science, which is nowadays greatly affected by the West, in accordance with Islamic principles and values. Scholars from this modern era, such as Seyyed H. Nashr and Ismail Raji al-Faruqi, have shared their opinions and beliefs on religion and science. Therefore, it is essential to understand their concept of Islamization. In his work titled "The Concept of 'Islamization of Knowledge' and its Philosophical Implications," Hasan Dhilo emphasizes that while both Ismail Faruqi and Sayedd Husain Nasr essentially focus on Tawhid, their approaches to bridging and reconciling religion and science are quite different.

Sayyed Husen Nasr criticized the secular, materialistic, and mechanical worldview. Nasr finds restriction, narrowness, and limitations in Western science, as well as spiritual, humanitarian, and environmental issues. According to Asfa Widiyanto in his paper, "The Reception of Seyyed Hossein Nasr's Ideas within the Indonesian Intellectual Landscape," Nasr stands for the idea of Islamic traditionalism. If one looks closely, Nasr's Islamic traditionalist movement is one that encourages people to return to the original roots of tradition. He aims to combine Western secularism with the aspect of divinity rooted in religious revelation. Nasr's approach is meant to allow the sacred values of Islam to inspire knowledge that is believed to have originated in the West and is therefore more advanced than the contemporary Islamic world. According to Nasr, Islamic traditionalism is an early description of the concept of mind in the form of Sophia Perenneis (eternity). Islamic traditionalism can also be regarded as a school of thought that can respond to modern Western schools of thought on a global scale. Nasr's idea is an alternative and a solution for modern individuals and countries who are infected and contaminated by modern secular thinking, with reference to Islamic teachings as the origins and foundations for the growth of science, so that it will bring greater benefits and not harm.

Modernity has made life more meaningless, which has led to modern rationalism's stupidity. They believe they can control nature using only empirical ratios because of their knowledge. Given these facts, Nasr proposed Metaphysics (Scientia Sacra) as the ground for human knowledge that is inspired by God's revelation. Nasr's understanding of metaphysics stems from his dissatisfaction with the metaphysics that emerged in the West. To put it another way, Nasr attempts to connect with all realities, both internal and external. This reality is incorporated into Tawhid as the foundational idea of Islam, which he interprets as Tawhid's most profound metaphysical formulation. Thus, Nasr's science is built on the idea of unity, or Tawhid, which involves understanding the unity and relationships of everything that exists from a holistic perspective. This allows knowledge and human action to be harmoniously combined.

Sayyed Husein Nasr was joined by Ismail Raji Al-Faruqi, who also contributed perspective on the Islamization of science. He also made an effort to redefine and re-Islamize modern science by incorporating the best scientific concepts into the context of Islamic philosophy. Ismail Raji al-Faruqi emphasized that Tawhid is the foundation of Islamic knowledge and culture. Every scientific area must be developed according to Islamic principles whose methodology is inspired by the Tawhid perspective. The Islamization of al-Faruqi's science focuses on Tawhid and reduces Western-style egocentricity. According to Ismail Raji al-Faruqi, the Islamization of science is an effort to reevaluate findings and interpretations, reshape objectives, and do so by enhancing the belief in and pursuit of Islam.

When given more consideration, the idea of Tawhid emerges as the primary factor in Islam, its culture, and its science. Tawhid is what gives Islamic civilization its distinctive character. Tawhis creates science and culture and shapes its constituent parts to be mutually beneficial and compatible with one another. Thus, Tawhid is God's highest and most important commandment. Tawhid is also thought of as a general perspective on reality, truth, space, and time for all people. Tawhid can create an identity in Islamic civilization by collaborating with integral and organic elements. Al-Faruqi essentially contends that not all of the science that is now being developed is in opposition to Islamic principles. Faruqi considers Islamization to be a filter of existing knowledge. 

According to al-Faruqi, the Islamization of knowledge requires a reciprocal interaction between reality and the element of revelation, prompting the use of knowledge by Muslims. Muslims will continue to fall behind other people if they don't use science to interpret revelation. Because in reality, science plays a very important role in determining the level of human advancement. Looking at the explanation of the concept of Islamization by the two figures, it is necessary to explain how the implications and application of the concept of Islamization are carried out by the two figures, which are not explained in Hasan Dhilo's works. Given that there has been criticism of the concept of Islamization directed towards the pioneers of Islamization in science, particularly al-Faruqi. One of the critiques thrown at him is that his conventional Islamization is fundamentally flawed. As a result, it is critical to understand which sciences must and have been Islamized, as well as why they must be Islamized. Another counterargument made by those opposed to the Islamization of science is that since science is untainted and error-free, it cannot be Islamized. Science itself does not make mistakes rather the errors come from its users.

Shofiatul Jannah Akademisi & Kader Ulama Perempuan Indonesia (KUPI)

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