The World Founded on Religion
Divine Craftsmanship and the Religious Nature of the Cosmos
Although the Holy Quran does not speak in exhaustive detail about every type of human science, it has addressed their philosophical principles. Indeed, it considers the formulation of scientific and philosophical problems to arise from reflection and remembrance (tafakur and tadhakkur) concerning these principles. For example, a noble verse states: “Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day are signs for those of understanding” (Quran 3:190). In other words, the principle of divine craftsmanship (san’at) underlying all scientific and empirical artifacts and products is expressed in the Quran, and this principle is the foundational postulate of every science, which is derived solely from the Quran.
Therefore, just as humanity has a religious and Quranic nature, the universe and all beings also have a religious and divine nature, which is the creative artifice of the Exalted Truth within the system of creation. As Saadi says:
The narrow-eyed look only at the fruit;
We are the spectators of the garden.
You gaze merely upon the outward form;
We stand bewildered by the Maker’s artistry.
Whatever we have said, save for the tale of the Friend,
In our entire lives, we regret it.
Al-Farabi’s Classification of the Sciences and the Monotheistic Worldview
The great thinker Al-Farabi, in his classification of the sciences, pointed to a noteworthy matter: although the various branches of the natural and human sciences are different, they speak of a common genus, for they are generated by and rooted in human thought and intellect. And since humanity has a religious nature, its approach to the different sciences is certainly connected to a philosophical perspective and an awareness of the universe’s intelligence. This view can lend a researcher’s scientific output a universal and ontological character, leading him to reflect upon existence and declare: “Our Lord, You have not created this in vain; exalted are You. Then protect us from the punishment of the Fire” (Quran 3:191).
If a person attains this worldview, looks at the universe from a monotheistic perspective, and realizes the absolute truth and unfalsifiability of existence, then the verificationism of the positivists is doomed to failure in the course of experience, and any classification of the sciences founded upon it lacks philosophical and logical validity.
Beyond Verificationism and Falsifiability: The Universal Scope of Islamic Human Sciences
Karl Popper, who engaged in extensive reflections refuting the central claim of the logical positivists, proposed the theory of falsifiability in place of verifiability. Popper’s reflection is noteworthy from this perspective: the falsifiability of propositions applies strictly to the domain of empirical science. Religious propositions, grounded firmly in the metaphysical nature of humanity and the cosmos, lie outside the scope of empirical falsification. Therefore, we must distinguish between the human world and the natural world, which, while different in their propositions, are common in their nature and essence. Researchers in the human sciences must consider this aspect and essence when conceptualizing and classifying the sciences. They should pursue scientific discourse and formulate theories through frameworks that account for both the outward reality and the inner essence, or the exoteric and esoteric, of the realities in the world. Imam Ali (peace be upon him) expressed this essence regarding the Holy Quran most beautifully: “Indeed, the Quran’s exoteric aspect is elegant, and its esoteric aspect is profound; its wonders will not cease, its marvels will not end, and darkness is not dispelled except by it.”
From this philosophical perspective, the Islamic human sciences extend beyond Muslims to offer valuable insights for all researchers in the human sciences, regardless of their religious persuasion. For Islam is the perfection of the divine religions and is based on the nature of humanity, qua humanity, in relation to the universe: “And We have not sent you except comprehensively to mankind as a bringer of good tidings and a warner, but most of the people do not know” (Quran 34:28).
Notes:
- This article is Part 3 of the series “Are Religious Propositions Not Empirically Realizable?”, focusing on the teleological and religious foundation of the cosmos (The World Founded on Religion).
- Al-Farabi (c. 872–950 CE), known as the “Second Teacher” (al-Mu’allim al-Thani), authored Ihsa’ al-‘Ulum (Enumeration of the Sciences), providing a systematic philosophical classification of human knowledge.
- Karl Popper (1902–1994) introduced empirical falsifiability as the criterion of demarcation for empirical sciences, rejecting the verificationism of the Vienna Circle (logical positivism).
