The Science and Religion in Islam research group is the result of a collaboration between a number of Muslim academics who have decided to work together to explore the interface between science and religion from the perspective of different disciplinary horizons. We hope to contribute to the emergence of a working culture which is based on a double perspective: on one hand that of a rationality that is open to problems of a metaphysical, spiritual or theological order and, on the other hand, that of a spiritual life, of a religious conscience, and an inner experience that is open to philosophical problems that arise from investigations in the area of contemporary science. We advocate this double perspective in the sense that we consider that science and religion have things to say to one another. But, at the same time, this requires a great deal of clarity in our intentions as well as rigour in our method. The bringing together in a illusory side-by-side, or a fallacious analogy, of Islamic religious knowledge and the findings of contemporary science can lead to disappointing results since, by ignoring the specificities of the two areas and the singularity of the principles which govern their respective movements, this approach prevents, in reality, the emergence of a real "convergence" between science and religion. For this reason, unlike a certain reading which dominates in the Islamic World, we do not think that these two spheres of knowledge can seriously enter into dialogue with each other in a direct fashion. In our opinion, the nature of the relationship between the two areas requires an "internal", philosophical, theological or spiritual inquiry. Hence we will be able to phrase the question as follows: what is it within science that can enter into a meaningful dialogue with Islam? And what is it within Islam that can enter into a meaningful dialogue with science?   When we speak of Islam we are not only talking about the religious component. In order to promote the emergence of a serious dialogue between science and religion in the perspective of religion, we need to consider all the dimensions of the culture that has arisen from the civilisation that has been nurtured by this religion. It is one of the reasons why our research group includes not only mathematicians, physicists, and astrophysicists but also theologians, historians and philosophers. An interdisciplinary approach is an important aspect of our work: creating links between the findings of each discipline while keeping within the rules of each discipline.   The science-islam site intends to function as a knowledge forum in view of the emergence of a genuine scientific modernity that is rooted in the conscience of intellectual, spiritual and ethical values. Under these four section-headings (articles, abstracts, bibliographical references and links) our site will propose a certain number of tools, concepts and methods, theses and structures which may, in some way, contribute to the renewal or, more accurately, the "revitalisation", of Islamic thought based on a profound comprehension of the challenges and the advancements that are being made in the 21st century. 

Cosmology

‘A Different Universe’    Nidhal Guessoum A Review of ‘A Different Universe’ by Robert B. Laughlin Basic Books – 2005 Being interested in all cosmic issues, and knowing that Robert Laughlin has been a strong advocate for the “new paradigm” of “emergence”, I quickly ordered this book, confident that I would find in it a bold new (...) Read   The Theory of Expansion and Contraction of Religion    Hossein Kamali [Attempts at] revitalization or reconstruction of religious thought have extensive roots and [an] expansive spread within the Islamic civilization. Indeed, Sufism (Islamic mysticism), dating back to the earlier centuries of Islam, [is] a primordial example of such a reconstructive endeavor, (...) Read   Progress in Solving the Problem of the Crescent-based Islamic Calendar    Nidhal Guessoum Societies and Calendars No civilization can arise, let alone flourish, without setting up for itself a reliable calendar. Indeed, when people want to live together, interact properly, and plan for various common activities, whether temporal or religious, individual or collective ones, they (...) Read   Islamic model may have fuelled astronomical discoveries    Tom Murray March 15, 2006 - Nicolaus Copernicus is often cited as the man who gave us the heliocentric theory of the solar system, but there is some question as to the crucial influence that earlier Islamic scientists may have had on many of his ideas about the motion of the Earth. F. Jamil Ragep, a (...) Read   ISLAM AND COSMOLOGY    Riaz Hussain Cosmology is the study of universe as a whole including its distant past and its future. It is the study of the general nature of the universe. (1) What the universe is now? What it was in the past and what it likely to be in the future? How was the universe created? These are the basic themes (...) Read