2. The Fundamental Point of View
The thought pattern which is
operative at the basis of present-day culture and civilization was not hatched
in a day, nor is it a simple and abstract phenomenon. Over the past hundred and
fifty or two hundred years European philosophers developed a number of schools
of thought about the nature of man and human life, but one central attitude
that persisted all through these variegated philosophical theories and went on
gaining momentum was the disregard for ideational and transcendental concepts.
Concrete fact and physical phenomena became the core and object of human
inquiry and philosophical quest. God, soul, and the Hereafter gradually
disappeared from the spectrum of thought, yielding place respectively to
discussions about the nature of the physical universe, matter, and human
terrestrial existence. Though at the academic level it was said that we neither
affirm nor reject the doctrines about God, soul, and life-after-death, yet this
avowedly agnostic position quite understandably led to the gradual elimination
of these ideas from philosophical inquiry and discussion.
God has imbued man with a great many capacities and mental faculties to exploit to his benefit any field or domain in which he applies them. Every earnest research worker can explore a new world in the domain of his selected field of inquiry. Compared with the vastness and grandeur of the universe the shining sun itself is nothing more than a tiny speck, while a tiny particle of dust may open up for a scientist realms hardly less in complexity and fascination than the shining sun. Similarly, the universe, matter, and terrestrial existence may look extremely trivial in contrast to God, the soul, and the life Hereafter, but if these mundane concerns are made the subject of study and research, they may lead to boundless vistas of knowledge.
This actually happened in Europe. When the universe and matter were brought under scientific investigation, man gradually discovered to his utter astonishment a clue to power and energy in apparently dead and inert material phenomena. And this led to a new revolution in the realm of knowledge and technology. A series of scientific discoveries led to greater control and exploitation of nature, and a wealth of new inventions made Europe an invisible power. The great impact and efficacy of the properties of matter became reasons for focusing attention on physical laws in place of the spirit. As against the age-old discussions about God, His attributes, and spiritual entities, the physical universe and exploitation of natural forces were given prime importance in human inquiry.
Source: Islamic Renaissance - The Real Task Ahead
To be Continued....
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