A study of the integration between faith and methodology in reading the verses of the Qur’anic revelation and the effects of this integration among Muslims

Author

Associate Professor of Islamic Philosophy Zayed University - United Arab Emirates

Abstract

This study deals with analyzing the mind exploration of the Quranic text semantics. Quranic text leads the spirit to faith, and the mind to the methodology of thinking. Every reading of the Quranic text brings a new understanding, and the first principle that establishes the understanding of Islam is based on the reading of revelation. There is nothing to support the religion better than paying attention to the texts of revelation, its verses, words, meanings, and particulars.
The attempt of mind to understand the Quranic text, perhaps gives its owner an opinion, it may enable him to build up his thoughts which will eventually lead him to the conception of science, or it may lead him directly to science. Besides, the Quranic text might direct the reader to specialize in science.
Muslims have presented an accurate scientific performance in their first experience in recordation, which began since the era of prophecy represented in the writing of Revelation and the holy Quran. They have also given the utmost importance to the medium in which a scientist grew and its impact on determining the credibility of his knowledge. This has led historians to allot full chapters to state the traits by which the scientist must be distinguished, which mostly focused on the mental, moral and behavioral traits, because the discipline and justice balance in science is the core meaning of the "scientific spirit" of which contemporary science is proud. The scientific spirit of Muslim scholars was not just a theoretical effort, since it has enabled them of science applications.
The most distinctive achievement of Muslims is the experimental mind, as they have realized the relationship between text and reality, what led them to come to empiricism that can be called "Islamic empiricism". They have used induction, employed the historical and critical approaches, explicitly identified an approach for comparison, which they termed " Moqaysa " ( i.e comparison) , established  the method of " systematic uncertainty ", which is a scientific method, and specified its rules, and introductions. Their finest findings in the field of science was " Isnad " (support), which is of no less value or impact than " empiricism " in science, until Isnad has become an autonomous science. Muslims innovations were widespread in all branches of science, which is an indication of encyclopedic scientists and their vast effort, exerted in all fields of science thanks to their reading of the texts of revelation.