the seventh issue: Religion, Science Artificial Cognitive Crisis

 Are they in a state of perpetual conflict, as some intellectual currents claim? Or, is there a complementarity between them that allows humans to achieve a deeper understanding of existence? Why has the discussion of science and religion often been associated with historical conflict, even though their ultimate goal is the pursuit of truth?

In the Western context, this issue has been linked to a long history of confrontation between the religious institution and scholars. During the Middle Ages, the Church exercised absolute authority over scientific knowledge, prohibiting any research that contradicted its worldview. This led to the development of a perception that science and religion could never meet, and that they were, in fact, opposing and conflicting forces. However, this historical experience was not necessarily a universal rule that applies to all religions. The question then arises: Does this conflict also apply to Islam, or is the relationship between religion and science in the Islamic perspective fundamentally different?

In the Holy Qur'an, there is no contradiction between belief in Allah, Almighty, and the pursuit of scientific knowledge; but in fact, the opposite is true. The Qur'an considers the pursuit of knowledge as both a religious and ethical duty, urging humanity to discover the secrets of the universe, reflect on nature, and use the mind as a tool to understand Allah, Almighty, signs in existence. Allah, Almighty, says: {Say, 'Look at what is in the heavens and the earth.} [Yunus,verse: 101]

This verse does not merely call for a look; rather, it is a divine command to reflect, contemplate, and analyze. This means that religion encourages knowledge and places it within a comprehensive concept of understanding, where knowledge serves as a means to comprehend the profound structure of the universe and connect it to divine wisdom.

Understanding and interpretation rely on inferential reasoning, and since the conventional meaning of words alone cannot determine the author’s intent, we formulate semantic hypotheses to grasp the intended meaning, hypotheses that can explain the textual evidence.

The optimal interpretation of such evidence is then regarded as the meaning derived from the text itself. This implies that interpretation relies on the same inferential process that forms the methodology of the empirical sciences. Thus, on one hand, both empirical sciences and the interpretation of sacred texts depend on inferential reasoning based on evidence. On the other hand, from a religious standpoint, the evidence present in both, natural phenomena and sacred texts is attributed to Allah, Almighty.

As a result, in the absence of independent evidence, a religious individual cannot give greater credibility to one over the other, nor prioritize one above the other, assuming an irreconcilable conflict exists between them.

 If we are studying a natural, material subject such as water, we must use the experimental method, because no matter how much a philosopher strains their abstract intellect, they would not be able to know that water is composed of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom.

On the other hand, if we are studying a subject related to the unseen world, the metaphysical or immaterial, is it epistemologically valid to employ the experimental method, which is based on sensory premises?

In this paper, we will demonstrate that the experimental method can be employed in the study of metaphysical issues, such as the knowledge of Allah, Almighty, Prophethood, Imamate, the afterlife, and the truthfulness of the Qur’an. However, due to limited space, we will focus solely on the issue of the existence of Allah, Almighty, as a model, rather than addressing all of these topics.

It begins with a central question: Do religion and science represent two parallel, and possibly conflicting, paths, or are they complementary within the authentic Islamic worldview upheld by the Imams of Ahl al-Bayt (A)?

The study demonstrates that Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) presented a unique model that elevates the value of science, considering it a means of drawing closer to God Almighty.

They encouraged their followers to seek beneficial knowledge, to reflect on the universe and existence, and regarded the scholar as the inheritor of the prophets. At the same time, they did not separate science from religion; rather, they emphasized the necessity for knowledge to be guided by divine direction and ethical values. The methodology adopted in this study is based on analysis and inference through the examination of reliable narrations, while also attempting to relate them to the contemporary intellectual context.

It concludes that, in the perspective of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them), religion and science are not adversaries but partners in the development of humanity and knowledge, and that their integration forms a foundation for civilizational and intellectual advancement.

As a result, many Islamic thinkers began to regard the Western model as an advanced paradigm, one without which prosperity in Muslim societies would be unattainable. This dominance extended beyond the technical and experimental sciences to also encompass thought and the human sciences. Clear evidence of this influence can be found in the various attempts by some Islamic intellectuals to reinterpret the Islamic epistemological framework, particularly the concept of religion, on the basis of Western epistemological methodologies.

These efforts gave rise to a strong presence of derivative intellectual approaches within the Islamic world that offered re-readings of religion. Among such approaches is the theory of epistemological relativism, which led some to dismiss religion as a valid epistemological system, while prompting others to call for a re-approach to religious understanding altogether.

In this article, we aim to examine the extent of influence that epistemological relativism can exert on the notion of religion. We will do so by first outlining the theory itself, then analyzing its impact on religion, and finally offering a critique of it based on the contributions of Muslim philosophers in the field of human knowledge.

From this perspective, the significance of this study lies in its ability to interrogate the philosophical foundations upon which the relationship between the two domains, science and religion, has been built, and to propose new pathways toward establishing an integrative vision that restores the balance between reason and values.

This orientation gives rise to a central research question: To what extent can integration between religious authority and scientific methodology contribute to formulating a contemporary ethical model capable of addressing the moral crisis in present-day scientific practice?

The preliminary conclusion suggests that the moral crisis in science does not stem from a lack of knowledge, but rather from the absence of value-oriented guidance that would ensure the responsible use of such knowledge.

In the modern era, dominated by empiricist philosophies, the prevailing view came to affirm the primacy of matter, holding that the soul and life are nothing more than products of material interactions. However, in recent decades, a growing number of researchers have argued that the mind, or consciousness, or the soul, is itself material, despite the fact that contemporary science remains unable to fully explain human consciousness or reduce it to specific material processes. This failure is largely due to the complexities inherent in the nature of the mind. Yet, many leading scientists today hold that consciousness is not material and that it can never be fully explained by empirical science. Some even consider consciousness to be a special gift or emanation from Allah, Almighty. This article explores recent developments and differing approaches to the question of consciousness and the soul, drawing on perspectives from both Islamic sages and contemporary Western scientists.

The book delves deeply into the nature of the relationship between science and religion, aiming to analyze the possibility of a science that emerges from a religious worldview, particularly within Islamic societies.

The authors of this book attempt to present a new epistemological framework for understanding the complex relationship between science and religion, and to recalibrate its direction and dynamics. This relationship has long been marked by various interpretations, readings, and often extreme or exaggerated perspectives, which have led to numerous misconceptions, confusions, and criticisms, not only regarding the nature of science but also religion itself. Over time, such misconceptions have evolved into deeply held beliefs and convictions among some individuals, distancing them from the true meanings of religion, reason, moderation, and the balanced approach that characterizes Islam.

In general, the book offers a profound critical vision of the nature of the relationship between science and religion within the context of contemporary Islamic thought. It also discusses the phenomenon of the "religionization of science," or the attempt to Islamize modern scientific knowledge, through a multidisciplinary and epistemologically diverse lens. Groups of specialized researchers contribute to this effort, offering their analyses of the complex interplay between the scientific method and religious understanding.