Preface
Thave been doing research on the Philosophy of Science and I the History of Science for a long time now. These researches showed me that many views in Sufism, especially on creation, the universe and the physical and spiritual structures of humans, are very close to and parallel with today's data of modern science and the modern theories. Here, in this grand book called Sufism and Modern Science, I want to show the closeness between Sufism and science in a short but concise and understandable language. I hope it can be useful. Effort is from us; guidance is from Allah.
Introduction
The term modern science is used to express the science of our age. Of course, this implies that the science of our age is different from the sciences of ancient times. This difference is explained as the difference in subject, method and the understanding of science. However, there are differences of opinion on this issue between philosophers and historians of science. With the advent of the inept positivists in the 19th century who did not know about the rich human history, a fashion called "modernity" entered the picture. Of course, with the amount of knowledge flowing from history, there are some new things emerging in our age that did not exist earlier, but this does not mean that the old is worthless or primitive. What will be the name of our era in the 40th century? Each era will have its own innovations compared to the earlier ones, and this is quite natural. Could we rename the theory that we still use in geometry, known as "Pythagoras Theorem", as Chinese theory since it was recorded in the primitive language around 1000 BCE, roughly 650 years before Pythagoras? Could we call the knowledge of astronomy that Babylonians, who lived in 2000 BCE, and could precisely calculate and determine the solar and lunar eclipses beforehand, as primitive? Isn't there something ideological in the 19th century Westerners' representation of the ancients as primitive? To put it more clearly, is s not a false, ideological trick or delusion that some 19th century and later period cultural historians have put forward certain theories to glorify the West, where scientific research have increased in number with time, and to establish the creativity of the Western mind and therefore the superiority and domination of the Western race, as if it were a miracle, without having a past?
Many Western science and cultural historians, along with many other thinkers, testify that the belief of a number of their colleagues that the birth of modern science happened with positivism is something that is delusional and unreal. For example, while Ritchie Calder, a science historian and ideologist, states the beginning of so-called modern science with Francis Bacon (1561-1626). A thinker and a scientist, who both grew up in the early New Age, that is, the Renaissance, Daniel E. Gershenson and Daniel A. Greenberg, also assert that modern science started with Anaxagoras (500-428 bce), one of the ancient Greek thinkers, in their book Anaxagoras and the Birth of Scientific Method. Especially when it comes to astronomy, there are those in the West who claim that modern science started with Copernicus (d. 1543). For example, Thomas S. Kuhn says so in his book The Copernican Revolution. If modern science is to be given such an arbitrary start, Muslim scientists are more worthy of it than Westerners. Because, on the one hand, the Westerners, who were credited for the birth of modern science, themselves say that they were inspired by the Muslim scientists. And even if they do not say so, historically there is a lot of evidence to prove it. On the other hand, there are several Westerners who have called Muslims "modern".
About The Author
Dr Mohsin All is a faculty at the Department of Persian Language and Literature, Faculty of Humanities and Languages, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India. He specializes in the Persianate world studies through literature, cultural and historical perspectives. He obtained PhD in Persian Language le Literature, Centre for Persian & Central Asian Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi and Master's degree in Turkish Language & Literature from Erciyes University, Kayseri, Republic of Turkey. He has been been pursuing specialization uninterruptedly in studies of Turkic world through Turkish language, culture and historical perspectives. He has been associated with Turkish Language & Literature Programme since the day of its inception at Jamia Millia Islamia and is presiding over its evolutionary process. He has been teaching Turkish language at different levels, ranging from the certificate gree. He has been to the Honours level of Bachelor of Arts degree. en rendering his services in formulating syllabi and every other course curriculum concerning Turkish studies programme. Dr Ali has contributed research papers to more than forty international and national seminars and conferences in India and abroad. He has translated eight volumes of Qissehay-e-Khoob Baraye Bachchehay-e-Khoob from Persian language to Urdu language and many articles in Persian and Turkish languages. He has visited centres of higher learning and research of Central Asian & West Asian countries. He has contributed enormously to the pool of existing literature and ideas through academic interaction and paper presentation.
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