For such people, the ruling gods are progress, science…
““For such people, the ruling gods are progress, science, and development. They imagine that we know so much more about the world than those people of olden times, because "we" have science. Of course, they themselves do not have science, they have simply heard and believed that scientific knowledge is real knowledge. They know little about the goals and methods of science, and nothing about the Islamic Intellectual tradition. They are blind imitators in intellectual issues, that is, on the level where they should be striving for their own understanding. What is worse, this is a selective imitation, since they only accept the authority of the "scientists" and the "experts", not that of the great Muslim thinkers of the past. If Einstein said it, it must be true, but if Al-Ghazali or Mulla Sadra said it, then it can't be true, because it isn't scientific.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Blindly following scientific authority without understanding its foundations leads to superficial knowledge.
In simple terms: Science without understanding is shallow.
Key Takeaway
Seek deeper understanding of knowledge sources.
Themes
science
authority
knowledge
criticism
Mood
critical
analytical
Type
Islam:1
Real knowledge:1
Science:1
Scientific knowledge:1
Time:0
Einstein Said:0
Science Islamic:1
Muslim Thinkers:1
Islamic Intellectual:1
Ruling Gods:0
When to use this quote
- academic study
- interfaith dialogue
- personal belief
- critical thinking
Key Concepts
epistemology
Islamic thought
Questions to Reflect On
- What sources do you trust and why?
- How can you integrate diverse intellectual traditions?
A Different Perspective
Overemphasis on Western science can ignore valuable traditions.