MUSLIMS & SCIENCE THE PRESENT SITUATION

THE RESPONSIBILITY OF MUSLIMS

IN THE FIELD OF SCIENCE THE PRESENT EVIL SITUATION

Ever since the first atom-bomb presented the picture of appalling destruction and devastation in the unfortunate city of Hiroshima, the menacing scope of the destructive powers of Modern Science has been progressively emerging, causing an ever-increasing anxiety in the minds of all those who love and cherish the higher values of life. The A-Bomb was followed by the invention of the H-Bomb, which was declared to be a deadlier weapon. Then came the news about the C-Bomb, which was proudly proclaimed to be capable of destroying the entire world "at one shot". The latest addition is a mysterious weapon invented by the Soviet scientists which can "freeze all life solid." A report to this effect was broadcast on Feb, 10 by a London magazine, the "Intelligence Digest'', which said.

"The new weapon was tested on September 28, 29 and 30 last, "A number of light fighter-bombers—jet-propelled—flew over the area for the test at a height of about 600 meters (about 2,000 feet). Our observer could not see exactly what they did. It seemed that they were ejecting a light spray. "The result, however, was an intense killing cold for a period of about half-an-hour. All vegetation was killed; trees became so brittle that they burst. The soil froze hard. "A later test was carried out over a village built of wood, stone and cement. At a distance, the building looked strong, and seemed to have double windows. Animals had been put in some of the houses, some of them exceptionally well-covered with several clothes".

The evil of the situation does not lie in scientific enquiry as such. For, the pursuit of Science as science cannot be regarded as an evil by any stretch of imagination and on any ground. It is, rather, a positive good, and for Muslims it has been prescribed by their religion as a sacred obligation. Testimony to this effect is not only theoretically borne by the Holy Quran and the Hadith but is also grounded in the practical achievements of Muslims in the pa.st.

IN WHAT DOES THE EVIL CONSIST?

The actual source of trouble is man himself. It is the perverted outlook of the possessors of scientific knowledge which is evil. It is the misuse of science which is bad. For, science, being a means to the harnessing of the forces of nature, places a power in the hands of its votaries; and "this power", in the words of the Soviet scientist Professor Nicholai Nuzhdin, "could be used for man's benefit or to his detriment." It is, indeed, the materialistic bias introduced into the field of science which is playing havoc with the life of mankind today and which tends to outweigh the advantages that the world may have derived from science with regard to technical efficiency and the advancement of human knowledge.