How to Make Sense of ‘Islamic Science’?

Abstract

The idea of Islamic Science has been around for at least three decades,and it has generated a lot of controversy. Some people deny that thisidea makes any sense. They argue that science is an objective and universalenterprise, and it does not depend on any creed or ideology. Webelieve that this is a nave interpretation of scientific activity and that‘Islamic Science,’ or for that matter, ‘religious science,’ has relevance attwo levels: the theoretical level and the practical level. At the theoreticallevel, the philosophical and ideological presuppositions of the scientistare very effective in his or her theory-making or choice of theories.As for the practical orientation of science, the cultural traditions ofthe scientist make a difference. Thus, ‘Islamic science’ ascertains therelevance of scientific activities to Islamic worldview, which has implicationsfor both the theoretical and the practical aspects of science.’