In recent times, there has been a noteworthy emergence of a concept known as “Islamic science” in Pakistan. This phenomenon seeks to extend the influence of Islam beyond societal matters into the study of natural phenomena. Proponents assert that scientific knowledge was preconceived in the Holy Book, and the movement is supported by certain Muslim states and ample funding. It presents itself as an Islamic alternative to Western Science, challenging the role of secular Science in the nation.

Here, we provide a few examples of what passes for science in the “Land of the Pure.” These instances are so bizarre that one might think they are fabricated, but every single one of them has been taken from the book “Islam and Science: Religious Orthodoxy and the Battle for Rationality” by Dr. Pervez Hoodbhoy, a respected Pakistani nuclear physicist, author, media commentator, and social activist. For those interested, the book is available for free download from Islam and Science: Pervez Hoodbhoy: Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming: Internet Archive (refer to pages 140-145).

[Editor’s note: Dr. Hoodbhoy ‘s book makes an honest attempt to expose the irrationality behind the idea of ‘Islamic Science,’ not glorify it].

Theory of Mountains, Jinns, and a lot more…

Hoodbhoy describes his first-hand experiences at “The International Conference on Scientific Miracles of Qu’ran and Sunnah,” inaugurated by the then-president of Pakistan, Zia-ul-Haq, in Islamabad on October 18, 1987. This large-scale affair, one of many such events held in Pakistan, had been jointly organized by the International Islamic University in Islamabad and the Organization of Scientific Miracles in Mecca and attended by hundreds of delegates from various Muslim countries. Some six dozen papers on subjects like “composition of milk in relation to Verse 66 of Surat an-Nahl of The Holy Qur’an” were presented by the pious, bearded participants at this conference. There was even a panel discussion on “Things Known Only To Allah,” making one wonder what divine secrets the panelists were privy to!

One of the delegates to the Islamic Science Conference held in Islamabad in 1983 claimed to determine the Angle of God using mathematical topology.

• A scholarly paper by Dr. Mohammed Muttalib, a lecturer at the renowned Al-Azhar University in Egypt, examined the correlation between geological facts and Qur’anic verses. The report claimed that mountains had long roots, and Allah designed them to function like pegs for tents. The eminent scientist emphasized that without mountains, the earth’s rotation would lead to a catastrophic scenario, causing everything to disintegrate.
• Hypocrisy, known as Munafiqat, is undeniably a pervasive issue in modern society. Although many recognize this problem, only a handful have the courage and expertise to apply mathematical methods to quantify it. However, at the International Seminar on Qur’an and Science, held in June 1986 and organized by the Pakistan Association of Scientists and Scientific Professions, Dr. Arshad Ali Beg, a senior scientist at the PCSIR (Pakistan Council for Scientific and Industrial Research), presented a mathematical formula, which, according to him, could determine the degree of munafiqat in a society. His intricate calculations obtained a Munafiqat value of 22 for Western society, while Spain and Portugal had values of only 14. However, disappointingly, Dr. Beg omitted reporting the Munafiqat value for Pakistani society, which, according to many, is run by hypocrites.
• A German delegate to the Islamic Science Conference held in Islamabad in 1983 claimed to determine the Angle of God using mathematical topology.

The following example is from a paper published in “Science and Technology in the Islamic World,” a quarterly journal that disseminates the principles of the new Islamic Science. Its editorial board comprises influential figures from the Pakistani science establishment, with considerable influence over the trajectory of Science in Pakistan.

“I cannot help but say that the jinns are the white races” – Dr. Safdar Jang Rajput, senior scientist with Pakistan’s ‘Defense Science and Technology Organization

• A paper by Dr. Safdar Jang Rajput, a senior scientist with DESTO (the Defense Science & Technology Organization), reports on his work on “Jinnology.” Starting from the premise that God made Jinns out of fire at the time that He made man out of clay (or black mud, say some), Dr. Rajput’s research suggests that since no Jinn emitting smoke has been seen, they likely originate from methane gas and other saturated hydrocarbons, which are known to burn without smoke.
• The virginity and beauty of the heavenly houris are widely acknowledged. Additionally, it is asserted that they were created to be utilized equally by men and Jinns. Therefore, there must be an isogenetic relationship between men and Jinns.
• After a convoluted set of arguments, the good scientist concluded: “I cannot help but say that the jinns are the white races.”

Closure

It might be tempting to dismiss this stuff as absurdities from a bunch of loonies until one realizes there is a large reservoir of such looniness inhabiting a large piece of land along India’s Western border. What’s more, these loonies possess a significant arsenal of nuclear arms!

(The article was published on Hindudvesha.org on December 19, 2023 and has been reproduced here)