Issues and Agendas of Islam and Science

Abstract

The publication of Islam's Quantum Question coincided with a burst of interest in the subject of Islam and science. This article first places the book in context (academic and cultural); in particular, an update is given on the two strong current trends of I'jaz, the “miraculous scientific content in the Qur’an” and Muslim creationism, and a note is made of the “Arab Spring” and its potential effect on science in the Arab‐Muslim world. The second part is devoted to a discussion of the views presented by the four reviewers (Brooke, Hameed, Dajani, and Bagir): my “theistic science” approach, the similarities and contrasts between Christian and Islamic approaches to the scientific exploration of the world, the importance of relating religion and science in practice, not just in theory, the need for a theology of nature versus natural theology in Islam, and so on. The article concludes with an outlook on the issues that still need to be addressed in the field of Islam and Science.

Food Ethics: A Critique of Some Islamic Perspectives on Genetically Modified Food

“…Indeed, “Muslims find it difficult to digest any ‘separation’ of domains, widely believing (quite erroneously) that Islam is a complete system, which covers every aspect of life. That is why Muslim societies are the only ones to continue to resist ‘secularism’” (Guessoum ).…”

Islam and Bioethics in the Context of “Religion and Science”

“…So far, “Islam and science” has not received much attention within “religion and science.” As for the limited attention given to Islam, an explanation might be that most of the contemporary literature on “religion and science” has its roots in the Christian, humanist, and naturalist discourses of the West, and Zygon: Journal of Religion and Science is no exception to this background. Though the first article on Islam and science, “Science and Traditional Values in Islamic Society” appeared already in Zygon 's second year of publication (al Fārūqi ), it seems that the topic increasingly has attracted attention in recent years (Al‐Hayani ; Bigliardi , ; Elshakry ; Guessoum , ; plus the invited papers discussing Nidhal Guessoum's book Islam's Quantum Question : Bagir ; Brooke ; Dajani ; Guessoum ; Hameed ).…”

Constructive Theology, Bioethics, and Bodily Existence

“…Henk ten Have places Islamic bioethics in the context of global bioethics, alongside issues of social justice and economic power. I discuss Islamic bioethics as “religion and science.” To my surprise, Zygon had more contributions relating Islam to bioethics than on another facet of “Islam and science,” though we have covered this broader topic too, for example, with responses to Islam's Quantum Question (Bagir ; Brooke ; Dajani ; Guessoum , ; Hameed ). In Ghaly's opening paper for this section, he explores and explains the rise of Islamic bioethics in recent years.…”