How frequently have you questioned yourself in this manner?, “Do science and religion or science and the Qur’an seem to have a similar view on everything?”
When most people think about science and religion or science and the Qur’an, they often assume that they are two completely different sides of the same coin. However, while scientific discovery may be viewed as an important development in human history, it is still not really understood enough. People often confuse these fields, thinking they are fundamentally opposed. This is especially true for religious beliefs in the form of Islam and Christianity, which are the two oldest religions ever known for their faith.
Science and the Qur’an
As such, the topic of the relationship between religion and science has been discussed by scholars and scientists alike. A lot of them believe religion holds some truths more than others, but there is also always room for both parties to disagree and find truth. So what actually may be said?
In his book Sacred Questions: What Religion Says, David Niebauer says that the Qur’an says something different from science in the case of God’s creations. In this case, the Quran says:
“In the sight of Allah, we hold not equal rights over all creatures, but that each is a good gift.” Surah al-Baqarah al-Bukhari
The verse clearly states that God gives everyone rights. But this does not mean God grants complete equality to every creature. Instead, he offers a range of privileges to one animal out of another, but he does so only at the end of the day when all conditions are met. For example, in the case of man, God grants him life, strength, and courage, but at the moment of death, without any prerequisites. To add further to this, God provides creatures with a number of options in any action. To name a few examples, He said He could give you life and strength or grant you life and power. If he grants you life or strength at the first option, then you will not have any other option but death, or if he grants you power at the second option, you will already have died.
According to the Islamic tradition
This verse shows how God grants people some choices at once when doing certain actions. On the other hand, in our understanding of science, we have no such concept of choice. There are no circumstances or places where God is able to grant animals the privilege to choose their own fate instead of simply being given one. In fact, according to the Islamic tradition, it is said that science has never existed until now and that God created only the theory, that God created humans from animals. The Qur’an tells us that God has given mankind an ability to ask questions and seek answers. Thus, they can now ask why God would create someone from a beast. But unfortunately, the answer to this question is in the nature or essence of God. No scientist knows what God did or created. Asking why the world exists is like asking what happened to light after the big bang—to make a connection. It cannot be explained like this.
According to evolutionists
Scientists know that the earth will not exist on Day One. Also, the reason for how the water was formed is unknown. According to evolutionists, nothing came into existence as a result of any accident, regardless of how much evidence there is for something else. Nevertheless, the Qur’an reveals that people have no idea. According to them, there is no such thing as a coincidence. Therefore, the connection between science and religion is not the opposite. Rather, science and religion are separate entities that live within each other, and they coexist side by side. They should stay that way because they seem to have quite close roots in each other.
Conclusion of science and the Qur’an
This conclusion is drawn from the fact that science and the Islamic Holy Scripture, both claim to have different views and theories of the universe. This explains why there are multiple branches of Islam that come up and interpret the Quran differently. Therefore, it can be considered that the Holy Scriptures say something that the Qur’an says.
