Abstract
Every scientific system relies on a particular civilization and cultural origin. Islamic science is no exception to this rule and is dependent on Islamic civilization and derived from its specific intellectual and epistemological system. This intellectual system that relies on the teachings of the revelation gives rise to an insight into the world as a metaphysical backbone and philosophical presuppositions in science and scientific work. Islamic science, based on Islamic epistemology, is influenced by religious propositions in various aspects. An Islamic scholarly tradition that emerged in the golden age of Islam is an example of this science. In this period of history, a close connection between Islamic worldview and epistemological foundations in all branches of science, especially natural sciences, can be established. Here, we have addressed the theory of Islamic science and discussed about the foundations of Islamic epistemology and its impact on determining the subject, purpose, and methods of research in the natural sciences in Islamic civilization. The present study discerns Islamic science as a science based on Islamic epistemology.
Highlights
We have addressed the theory of Islamic science and discussed about the foundations of Islamic epistemology and its impact on determining the subject, purpose, and methods of research in the natural sciences in Islamic civilization
Given that falsification is a feature of scientific propositions and scientific statements are fallible, if one tries to adapt scientific facts to the holy texts, the invalidation of scientific fact over time will discredit sacred texts as well (Golshani, 2005). Another existing thought is that Islamic science is a science which is based on Islamic epistemology and its subject, purpose, and method are influenced by religious propositions
Natural sciences were regarded as part of philosophy; they were taught along with mathematics and theology and all of them were embedded within a single metaphysical framework, called as Islamic worldview (Abdullah & Nadvi, 2011; Qutb, 2006)
Summary
The debate on “science and religion” raised during the Renaissance. As a result of these struggles, it was gradually conceived that science and religion were considered as two separate entities and a two-entity model of science and religion was formed which put these two elements in front of each other. Modern science was devoid of any religious and divine dimensions and lacked qualitative aspects, and only paid attention to quantities. This epistemological system recognized only itself to be able to identify the nature, and regarded any other knowledge system preceding it and in general, except itself (such as natural philosophy, natural history, occult sciences) as non-authoritative, or in other words, non-scientific (Barbour, 1968). Religion provides a metaphysical background for science (Golshani, 2005)
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