What do you think?
Rate this book
Islam, Science, Muslims and Technology
Islam, Science, Muslims, and Seyyed Hossein Nasr in Conversation with Muzaffar Iqbal brings into sharp relief important dilemmas faced by the Muslim world today, especially in reference to modern science and technology. In four focused conversations, Seyyed Hossein Nasr responds to Muzaffar Iqbal in exploring Islamic views on the origin of the cosmos and life, various dimensions of the relationship between Islam and science, Muslim attitudes toward modern science and technology, and the environmental crisis. At the heart of these wide-ranging conversations is what can perhaps be called the most pressing issue of our the future course of Islamic civilization.
Spanning the entire spectrum of Islamic thought, these conversations are supplemented by three related “The Context” sketches, in bold strokes, the background to these conversations; “The Cosmos as a Subject of Scientific Study” explores various aspects of the relationship between God, the cosmos, and humanity; and “The Islamic Worldview and Modern Science” is the text of the keynote address delivered by Seyyed Hossein Nasr at the International Conference on Science in Islamic Polity in the Twentieth Century held in Islamabad, Pakistan in March 1995— an occasion which brought the two scholars together for the first time and initiated a lifelong spiritual, intellectual, and emotional association.
By situating Islamic responses to modern science and technology within the historic encounter of Islamic civilization with the post-Renaissance Western civilization, the book provides reflective insights into the challenges faced by Islamic civilization as it struggles to preserve its spiritual character and tradition.
Islam, Science, Muslims, and Technology is accessible to both the general reader and the specialist. It provides a theoretical framework for understanding the nature of the dilemmas faced by the Muslim world, while also suggesting practical solutions. The book opens numerous paths for readers to gain deeper insights into some of the most important issues of our times
Spanning the entire spectrum of Islamic thought, these conversations are supplemented by three related “The Context” sketches, in bold strokes, the background to these conversations; “The Cosmos as a Subject of Scientific Study” explores various aspects of the relationship between God, the cosmos, and humanity; and “The Islamic Worldview and Modern Science” is the text of the keynote address delivered by Seyyed Hossein Nasr at the International Conference on Science in Islamic Polity in the Twentieth Century held in Islamabad, Pakistan in March 1995— an occasion which brought the two scholars together for the first time and initiated a lifelong spiritual, intellectual, and emotional association.
By situating Islamic responses to modern science and technology within the historic encounter of Islamic civilization with the post-Renaissance Western civilization, the book provides reflective insights into the challenges faced by Islamic civilization as it struggles to preserve its spiritual character and tradition.
Islam, Science, Muslims, and Technology is accessible to both the general reader and the specialist. It provides a theoretical framework for understanding the nature of the dilemmas faced by the Muslim world, while also suggesting practical solutions. The book opens numerous paths for readers to gain deeper insights into some of the most important issues of our times
212 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2007
About the author
Seyyed Hossein Nasr
259 books747 followersSeyyed Hossein Nasr was born on April 7, 1933 (19 Farvadin 1312 A.H. solar) in Tehran into a family of distinguished scholars and physicians. His father, Seyyed Valiallah, a man of great learning and piety, was a physician to the Iranian royal family, as was his father before him. The name "Nasr" which means "victory" was conferred on Professor Nasr's grandfather by the King of Persia. Nasr also comes from a family of Sufis. One of his ancestors was Mulla Seyyed Muhammad Taqi Poshtmashhad, who was a famous saint of Kashan, and his mausoleum which is located next to the tomb of the Safavid king Shah Abbas, is still visited by pilgrims to this day.
Seyyed Hossein Nasr, currently University Professor of Islamic Studies at the George Washington University, Washington D.C. is one of the most important and foremost scholars of Islamic, Religious and Comparative Studies in the world today. Author of over fifty books and five hundred articles which have been translated into several major Islamic, European and Asian languages, Professor Nasr is a well known and highly respected intellectual figure both in the West and the Islamic world. An eloquent speaker with a charismatic presence, Nasr is a much sought after speaker at academic conferences and seminars, university and public lectures and also radio and television programs in his area of expertise. Possessor of an impressive academic and intellectual record, his career as a teacher and scholar spans over four decades.
Professor Nasr began his illustrious teaching career in 1955 when he was still a young and promising, doctoral student at Harvard University. Over the years, he has taught and trained an innumerable number of students who have come from the different parts of the world, and many of whom have become important and prominent scholars in their fields of study.
He has trained different generations of students over the years since 1958 when he was a professor at Tehran University and then, in America since the Iranian revolution in 1979, specifically at Temple University in Philadelphia from 1979 to 1984 and at the George Washington University since 1984 to the present day. The range of subjects and areas of study which Professor Nasr has involved and engaged himself with in his academic career and intellectual life are immense. As demonstrated by his numerous writings, lectures and speeches, Professor Nasr speaks and writes with great authority on a wide variety of subjects, ranging from philosophy to religion to spirituality, to music and art and architecture, to science and literature, to civilizational dialogues and the natural environment.
For Professor Seyyed Hossein Nasr, the quest for knowledge, specifically knowledge which enables man to understand the true nature of things and which furthermore, "liberates and delivers him from the fetters and limitations of earthly existence," has been and continues to be the central concern and determinant of his intellectual life.
Seyyed Hossein Nasr, currently University Professor of Islamic Studies at the George Washington University, Washington D.C. is one of the most important and foremost scholars of Islamic, Religious and Comparative Studies in the world today. Author of over fifty books and five hundred articles which have been translated into several major Islamic, European and Asian languages, Professor Nasr is a well known and highly respected intellectual figure both in the West and the Islamic world. An eloquent speaker with a charismatic presence, Nasr is a much sought after speaker at academic conferences and seminars, university and public lectures and also radio and television programs in his area of expertise. Possessor of an impressive academic and intellectual record, his career as a teacher and scholar spans over four decades.
Professor Nasr began his illustrious teaching career in 1955 when he was still a young and promising, doctoral student at Harvard University. Over the years, he has taught and trained an innumerable number of students who have come from the different parts of the world, and many of whom have become important and prominent scholars in their fields of study.
He has trained different generations of students over the years since 1958 when he was a professor at Tehran University and then, in America since the Iranian revolution in 1979, specifically at Temple University in Philadelphia from 1979 to 1984 and at the George Washington University since 1984 to the present day. The range of subjects and areas of study which Professor Nasr has involved and engaged himself with in his academic career and intellectual life are immense. As demonstrated by his numerous writings, lectures and speeches, Professor Nasr speaks and writes with great authority on a wide variety of subjects, ranging from philosophy to religion to spirituality, to music and art and architecture, to science and literature, to civilizational dialogues and the natural environment.
For Professor Seyyed Hossein Nasr, the quest for knowledge, specifically knowledge which enables man to understand the true nature of things and which furthermore, "liberates and delivers him from the fetters and limitations of earthly existence," has been and continues to be the central concern and determinant of his intellectual life.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
August 20, 2022
برای آشنایی با یکی از سنتگرایانهترین دیدگاهها در باب علم و فناوری -از یکی از بزرگان سنتگرایی- کتاب مفیدیست.
دیدگاه دکتر نصر در مورد علم اسلامی بهطور خلاصه این است که نباید علم مدرن را اسلاممالی کنیم و برای تولید علم اسلامی باید رجوع کرد به سنت عقلی و علمی مسلمانان در یکی دو قرن پیش. این کتاب دلایل ایشان و تصورشان از علم مطلوبشان را شرح میدهد.
اکثر متن کتاب در قالب گفتگوست و به همین دلیل فهمش راحت است.
دیدگاه دکتر نصر در مورد علم اسلامی بهطور خلاصه این است که نباید علم مدرن را اسلاممالی کنیم و برای تولید علم اسلامی باید رجوع کرد به سنت عقلی و علمی مسلمانان در یکی دو قرن پیش. این کتاب دلایل ایشان و تصورشان از علم مطلوبشان را شرح میدهد.
اکثر متن کتاب در قالب گفتگوست و به همین دلیل فهمش راحت است.
July 23, 2026
I grab this book after reading Tawhid and Science by Prof. Osman Bakar because Prof. Osman Bakar highly recommended it in order to understand the Islamisation of knowledge proposed by S. H. Nasr particularly in the field of technology. Overall, this book promises a satisfiable and excellent read especially on reductionism and scientism in the Western conception of science.
One of the good things about this book is, it can be read within few days because it is a collection of conversations between S. H. Nasr and Muzaffar Iqbal. Nasr begins the discussion by outlining five traits of modern science:
i. Secular view of universe
ii. Mechanization of the world-picture
iii. Rationalism and empiricism
iv. Cartesian dualism
v. Exploitation of nature as a source of power
Then, he moves to the modern conception of time, where in reality, all time-saving devices of modern technology, actually destroy the time itself. The email (nowadays, WhatsApp etc.) curtails the time in which we have to answer; it puts pressure upon us to answer immediately.
Furthermore, modern technology takes away spirituality from human being. It takes away creativity, love, devotion and spiritual content of work especially in the sector of mass production. That is why, working in modern factory and most other places has become so boring, tedious and people need to have long vacations. In traditional societies, they did not go on vacation because vacation already integrated into their life. Weekends were not necessary like today. Nowadays, many people hate Monday because work has been emptied from spiritual content.
According to Nasr, in order to make sure Islamisation works, we need to:
i. Preserve Islamic worldview (*The proper and correct term is “Worldview of Islam” as mentioned by Prof. al-Attas)
ii. Protect our religious and natural environment
iii. Try to understand Western sciences and integrate into Islamic perspective
iv. Create islands within Muslim world to practice alternative technologies based on Islamic view of nature and science.
The author suggests a number of works on critique of technology like works by Jacques Ellul (The Technological Society), Theodore Roszak (Where the Wasteland Ends), Ivan Illich (Tools for Conviviality) and Titus Burckhardt (Mirror of the Intellect) before suggesting works on critique of Darwin’s theory from perspective of biologists like Giuseppe Sermonti (Dopo Darwin), Douglas Dewar (The Transformist Illusion) and Michael Behe (Darwin’s Black Box). He also cites other works by great scholars like Toshihiko Izutsu, Wolfgang Smith, William Chittick, Martin Lings, Prof. al-Attas and Prof. Osman Bakar.
One of the good things about this book is, it can be read within few days because it is a collection of conversations between S. H. Nasr and Muzaffar Iqbal. Nasr begins the discussion by outlining five traits of modern science:
i. Secular view of universe
ii. Mechanization of the world-picture
iii. Rationalism and empiricism
iv. Cartesian dualism
v. Exploitation of nature as a source of power
Then, he moves to the modern conception of time, where in reality, all time-saving devices of modern technology, actually destroy the time itself. The email (nowadays, WhatsApp etc.) curtails the time in which we have to answer; it puts pressure upon us to answer immediately.
Furthermore, modern technology takes away spirituality from human being. It takes away creativity, love, devotion and spiritual content of work especially in the sector of mass production. That is why, working in modern factory and most other places has become so boring, tedious and people need to have long vacations. In traditional societies, they did not go on vacation because vacation already integrated into their life. Weekends were not necessary like today. Nowadays, many people hate Monday because work has been emptied from spiritual content.
According to Nasr, in order to make sure Islamisation works, we need to:
i. Preserve Islamic worldview (*The proper and correct term is “Worldview of Islam” as mentioned by Prof. al-Attas)
ii. Protect our religious and natural environment
iii. Try to understand Western sciences and integrate into Islamic perspective
iv. Create islands within Muslim world to practice alternative technologies based on Islamic view of nature and science.
The author suggests a number of works on critique of technology like works by Jacques Ellul (The Technological Society), Theodore Roszak (Where the Wasteland Ends), Ivan Illich (Tools for Conviviality) and Titus Burckhardt (Mirror of the Intellect) before suggesting works on critique of Darwin’s theory from perspective of biologists like Giuseppe Sermonti (Dopo Darwin), Douglas Dewar (The Transformist Illusion) and Michael Behe (Darwin’s Black Box). He also cites other works by great scholars like Toshihiko Izutsu, Wolfgang Smith, William Chittick, Martin Lings, Prof. al-Attas and Prof. Osman Bakar.
Read
November 8, 2015Dalam sidang yang 'kering' pandangan Islam atau pengalaman umat Islam menangani cabaran semasa, sempat juga saya habiskan buku ini. Prof. Nasr berbicara mengenai apa itu sains, bagaimana sains seharusnya dibangunkan oleh umat Islam, dan teknologi.
December 29, 2022
Terjemahannya perlu diperbaiki.
October 27, 2026
Başta ilgimi çekmişti de cıık
March 11, 2023
Bacain buku ini versi terjemahan. Jujur ga kebayang sama isi bukunya pas dibeli karna beli di online marketplace dengan alasan “dari pada beli ongkir mending beli barang” hahaha. Jadi ngebayanginnya isi buku ini tentang realitas fenomena alam dan suatu teknologi yang dikaitkan dengan agama Islam gitu, ternyata aku salah. Ini tuh buku hasil dari percakapan wawancara antara Seyyed Hossein Nasr dan Muzaffar Iqbal yang aslinya diterbitkan dalam jurnal “Islam and Science”
Ada 3 bagian dalam buku ini. Pertama pengenalan antara filsafat sains modern dan filsafat Islam mengenai sains tradisional yang masih murni dalam mentauhidkan Allah
Bagian kedua menjelaskan tentang krisis lingkungan dan dampak dari bahayanya teknologi modern. Nasr beranggapan bahwa dengan mengklaim tidak berbahaya sama sekali. Apapun bentuk teknologi modern yang diadopsi, bahkan jika positif pada tingkat tertentu, ia akan membawa efek negatifnya sendiri, meskipun seseorang dapat dengan bijaksana mengurangi efek ini. Tetapi ini tidak dapat dihindari
Umat Islam harus berusaha menguasai ilmu-ilmu Barat; tidak ada keraguan tentang itu, tetapi harus dikombinasikan dengan perspektif kritis berdasarkan tradisi intelektual Islam
Bagian ketiga tentang pandangan dunia Islam dan sains modern dan solusinya yaitu analisis dan kritik mendalam terhadap sains modern dan kaitannya dengan agama dari sudut pandang Islam dan sepenuhnya menentang reaksi intelektual yang dilemahkan sehingga terebih dahulu menerima teori, hipotesis dan dugaan sains modern sebagai kebenaran mutlak
Menurut ku percakapan Nasr disini menolak adanya revolusi industri yang berdampak pada peradaban Islam. Jadi memang harus ada filter dalam menghadapi teknologi apalagi ideologi Barat itu sendiri seperti contohnya teori Darwin
Jujur berat banget bagi ku bahasa buku ini maklumlah ya pembahasannya filsafat ditambah lagi yang dibahas itu tentang teknologi juga apalagi aku jarang juga baca buku yang bahasannya berat, kudu pelan-pelan bacanya. Alhamdulillah bisa selesai bacainnya. Kalo yang suka tentang filsafat teknologi ini boleh dibaca, lumayan juga banyak banget index nya buat nambah kosa kata
Belinya disini
https://s.shopee.co.id/2LVKGZyuQ6
Ada 3 bagian dalam buku ini. Pertama pengenalan antara filsafat sains modern dan filsafat Islam mengenai sains tradisional yang masih murni dalam mentauhidkan Allah
Bagian kedua menjelaskan tentang krisis lingkungan dan dampak dari bahayanya teknologi modern. Nasr beranggapan bahwa dengan mengklaim tidak berbahaya sama sekali. Apapun bentuk teknologi modern yang diadopsi, bahkan jika positif pada tingkat tertentu, ia akan membawa efek negatifnya sendiri, meskipun seseorang dapat dengan bijaksana mengurangi efek ini. Tetapi ini tidak dapat dihindari
Umat Islam harus berusaha menguasai ilmu-ilmu Barat; tidak ada keraguan tentang itu, tetapi harus dikombinasikan dengan perspektif kritis berdasarkan tradisi intelektual Islam
Bagian ketiga tentang pandangan dunia Islam dan sains modern dan solusinya yaitu analisis dan kritik mendalam terhadap sains modern dan kaitannya dengan agama dari sudut pandang Islam dan sepenuhnya menentang reaksi intelektual yang dilemahkan sehingga terebih dahulu menerima teori, hipotesis dan dugaan sains modern sebagai kebenaran mutlak
Menurut ku percakapan Nasr disini menolak adanya revolusi industri yang berdampak pada peradaban Islam. Jadi memang harus ada filter dalam menghadapi teknologi apalagi ideologi Barat itu sendiri seperti contohnya teori Darwin
Jujur berat banget bagi ku bahasa buku ini maklumlah ya pembahasannya filsafat ditambah lagi yang dibahas itu tentang teknologi juga apalagi aku jarang juga baca buku yang bahasannya berat, kudu pelan-pelan bacanya. Alhamdulillah bisa selesai bacainnya. Kalo yang suka tentang filsafat teknologi ini boleh dibaca, lumayan juga banyak banget index nya buat nambah kosa kata
Belinya disini
https://s.shopee.co.id/2LVKGZyuQ6
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews