Science and Islam (Greenwood Guides to Science and Religion Series) » (New Edition)

MUZAFFAR IQBAL is the President of the Center for Islam and Science (cis-ca.org), Canada. A scientist by training, an Islamic scholar by vocation, a novelist and a poet, his previous works include Islam and Science (2002) and God, Life, and the Cosmos: Christian and Islamic Perspectives (co-editor, 2002).

Science and Islam provides a detailed account of the relationship between Islam and science from the emergence of the Islamic scientific tradition in the eighth century to the present time. This relationship has gone through three distinct phases. The first phase began with the emergence of science in the Islamic civilization in the eighth century and ended with the rise of modern science in the West; the second period is characterized by the arrival of modern science in the Muslim world, most of which at that time was under colonial occupation; and the third period, which began around 1950, is characterized by a more mature approach to the major questions that modern science has posed for all religious traditions.

Based on primary sources, the book presents a panorama of Islamic views on some of the major issues in the current science and religion discourse. Written in accessible language, Science and Islam is an authentic account of the multi-faceted and complex issues that arise at the interface of Islamic intellectual tradition and science. Rich in historical details, the book is a fascinating survey of the interaction of Islamic beliefs with the enterprise of science.