Praise of Knowledge and the Stimulation of the Desire to Study
No other revealed book praises and encourages science and knowledge
as does the Qur'an and it is for this reason that the Qur'an names the
age of the desert Arabs, together with their pagan cultures, before Islam
as the "age of ignorance." In over a hundred verses reference is made to
science and knowledge in a variety of ways; and many of these verses praise
the value of scientific knowledge. In XCVI:5 God indicates the favour he
has done man by bringing him out of his state of ignorance. "He teaches
man what he did not know."
Likewise, we read in LVIII:11, "God will exalt those who believe
among you and those who have knowledge to high ranks," and in XXXIX:9
God says, "Are those who know equal to those who do not"
Besides the many verses in the Qur'an concerning knowledge, there are also
countless traditions of the Prophet and the Imams on this subject which
rank second only in importance to the Qur'an.
The Sciences which the Qur'an Invites Men to Study
In verses too numerous to mention, the Qur'an invites one to reflect
upon the signs Of creation: the heavens, the shining stars and their astonishing
celestial movements, and the cosmic order which rules over them all. Similarly,
the Qur'an urges one to reflect upon the creation of the earth, the seas,
the mountains, the desert, and the wonders contained below the surface
of the earth, the difference between night and day and the changing cycle
of seasons. It urges mankind to meditate on the extraordinary creation
of the plants and the order and symmetry governing their growth, as well
as the multiplicity of the animal kingdom.
The Qur'an invites one to witness the interdependence of beings and
how all live in harmony with nature. It calls upon man also, to ponder
on his own make-up, on the secrets of creation which are hidden within
him, on his soul, on the depth of his perception, and on his relationship
with the world of the spirit.
The Qur'an commands man to travel in the world in order to witness other
cultures and to investigate the social orders, history and philosophies
of past people. Thus it calls man to a study of the natural sciences, mathematics,
philosophy, the arts and all sciences available to man, and to study them
for the benefit of man and the well-being of society.
The Qur'an recommends the study of these sciences on the condition that
it leads to truth and reality, that it produces a correct view of the world
based on an understanding of God.
Knowledge, which merely keeps a man occupied and prevents him from knowing
the reality of his own existence, is equated with ignorance. God says in
XXX:7, "They know only some appearance of the life of one world and
are heedless of the Hereafter" and in chapter XLV:23, "Have
you seen him who makes his Desire his goal, and God sends him astray purposely
and seals up his Heart and sets a covering on his Heart. Then who will
lead him after God (has condemned him)."
The Qur'an not only stimulates the desire for study but is itself a
complete system of education of divine knowledge; it provides, too, a model
for human behaviour and thought. This complete way of life is called Islam,
the way of submission.
The Sciences Particular to the Study of the Qur'an
There are many sciences devoted to the study of the Qur'an itself. The
development of such sciences dates from the first day of Qur'anic revelation;
over a period of time they were unified and perfected. Today countless
books are available on these sciences, fruit of the labour of different
researchers over the centuries.
Some of these sciences investigate the language and vocabulary of the
Qur'an, and some the meanings. Those concerned with language are the sciences
of correct Qur'anic pronunciation and reading (tajwad and qira'ah). They
explain the simple changes which certain letters undergo when occurring
in conjunction with others, the substitution of letters and the places
prescribed for breath-pausing, and other similar matters. They also study
the different ways the Qur'an has been written down and the several generally
accepted ways of recitation, together with the three lesser known ways
and the rarer modes of recitation.
Other works enumerate the number of chapters and their verses, while
others relate these numbers to the whole Qur'an.
They discuss the tradition of Qur'anic calligraphy and how it differs
from the normal Arabic script. They research, too, into the meanings of
the Qur'an and the general division of subject matter, such as the place
and circumstance of revelation, the interpretation of certain verses, the
outward and inner meanings, the muhkam (clear) or the mutashabih
(ambiguous), and the abrogating and the abrogated verses.
Others study the verses containing the laws (which, in fact, are part
of what is known as Islamic fiqh or jurisprudence). Others specialize in
the commentary of the meanings (already seen in a previous section of the
book). Specialists in each of the different sciences have published numerous
works on each subject.
The Sciences which Developed because of the Qur'an
The sciences of the din of Islam came into being at the beginning of
the Prophet's mission and the revelation of the Qur'an, including laws
governing the behaviour and transactions of Muslims. Study of these sciences
developed in the first century after the Hijrah although initially, not
in any formal way. Since the Caliphs had prohibited the writing down of
the tradition, they were handed down by word of mouth by the companions
and their followers.
A small number of Scholars wrote on jurisprudence and on the science
of the traditions at the beginning of the second century when the prohibition
was lifted, allowing Scholars to record the traditions.
It was at this point that a number of disciplines came into being including
the Science of Traditions and the Science of establishing the authority
and sincerity of those men who transmitted it; the Science of analysis
of the text of the traditions; the Science of the foundations of jurisprudence
and jurisprudence itself; the Science of belief in the judgement after
death and the after-life. Even philosophy, which entered the Islamic arena
via the Greek, and remained there for some time in its original Greek,
took on the colour and beliefs of the people after a time.
Changes in the subject matter and the structure of disciplines took
place such that today, amongst Muslims, all subject matter concerning divine
gnosis is supported by proofs and reasons taken from the Qur'an and the
traditions.
All these subjects were also studied as an integral part of the Arabic
language: mastery of the science of verb declensions grammar, meanings
of words, commentary and explanation, the art of metaphors and good style,
and the philosophy and science of derived meanings allowed greater precision
and clarity in the study of the Islamic Sciences as a whole.
Indeed what stimulated scholars to record and arrange coherently the
laws of the Arabic language was the sense that they were serving God; love
of Him drew them to a clarity and sweetness of style which in turn generated
the Science of correct speech and composition.
It is thus related that Ibn 'Abbas, who was one of the commentators
amongst the companions, explained the mean- ings of verses by taking examples
of the vocabulary in question from Arabic poetry. He advised people to
collect and learn Arabic poetry saying, Poetry is the court of the Arabs
(meaning the place where the finest language may be heard).
The famous Shi'ite scholar Khahl ibn Ahmad al-Farahidi wrote the book
al-'Ayn on the subject of language and also described the science of poetic
rhyme.
Many others also wrote on the same subjects. The subject of history
was initially derived in Islam from stories of the lives of prophets, in
particular that of the Prophet Muhammad, and the description of the course
of past nations. To this basic material was added an account of the events
during the period immediately following the appearance of Islam. All this
was developed into a history of the world in the writings of such men as
al-Tabari, al-Mas'udi, al-Ya'qubi and al-Waqidi.
The original reason the Muslims translated and transmitted the natural
Sciences and mathematics from other cultures and languages into Arabic
was the cultural stimulation given to them by the Qur'an. Many different
Sciences were translated from Greek, Syriac and Sanskrit into Arabic.
Access to these sciences was at first available only to the Caliph (who
was at that time leader of only Arab Muslims). Gradually they were made
available to all Muslims and improved upon as research methods, structuring,
classification and ordering of the subjects developed.
One of the main reasons the civilization of Islam, which formed after
the death of the Prophet, came to include a large part of the inhabited
world (and which today numbers over six hundred million inhabitants), was
the Qur'an. We as Shi'ahs, however, deny that the caliphs and the kings
who followed them had legitimate claim to the guardianship and execution
of the law even though they expanded Islamic civilization, and do not fully
agree with the way they explained the realities of Islam.
Indeed the light of wisdom which illuminated the world was from the
light of the miracle of the Qur'an. The apppearance and diffusion of the
revelation caused a change in the direction of history and generated a
chain of important events resulting in the progress and development of
the culture of man.