I studied in Gordon College , Rawalpindi , an American Missionary College . In the Chemistry Laboratories was a Demonstrator , Anwar a local Christian young man . He , later , did his PhD in the same subject from the USA and is the Head of Department there .
The origin of Dr. Anwar ( PhD in Chemistry ) , Dr. Theodore Khan (Triple PhD in Philosophy ) Mr. Munawwar Shafqat (PhD in Physics ), Reverend Dr. Francis Xavier( PhD in English) , Dr. M.A.K. Daskawie, Mr. V.K.Mall . Mr. S.D.Luke etc. ( they were financed by the American Mission ) was very humble . Their parents and grandparents did the work which the Muslims were ashamed of doing . But their hallmark was modesty and not conceit as their Muslims counterparts have. The cardinal principle of a good teacher is that he should be free from vanity and easily accessible to his students and parents alike unlike the principals of Islamabad Model schools , ‘the pampered jades of Asia’ ( Timurlane’ by Christopher Marlowe ) living in their air conditioned cocoons.
I am a Muslim in name only because I was born in a Muslim home . I made no efforts to understand Islam . Like many of my co-religionists ,I read the Holy Quran by rote . Similarly , I offer prayers without understanding a single word .I am reminded of a female colleague who told yours truly that she was not taught Islam at home. She and I and so many others share the same predicament .
It is not our interest to know what others living in strange lands are achieving in fields in Science and medicine . The only interest the Pakistanis have is the interest in high living.
At the end of non- fiction book , there is a long list of references . Barring books on Islam , and ,too, written in English , including Islamic Economics, there is hardly Muslim name in these lists , particularly books on Science . There is no substitute to hard work.
I wrote ‘ Where is our Steve Jobs ? Still to be born’ on a blog (The Express Tribune ) dedicated to the Steve Jobs. While the Jews won almost two hundred Nobel Prizes , the Muslims have won hardly five . And except Dr. Abdus Salam , who won the Prize for Physics , Muslims won it in Literature or Peace or in Banking .
Muslims are content to rest on the laurels of the great Muslims names who lived in the past. . After the Renaissance , Muslims did not achieve anything remarkable in the fields of Mathematics , Biology , Physics or Chemistry to the best of my knowledge.
The Discovery Channel , the National Geography Channel and the Animal Planet channel and many other channels air programmes based on research done by nationals of other countries . But never any Muslim. Nationals of other countries are conducting research on every thing under the sun, be it a beast or fowl or worms or plants . Every day new drugs are coming in the market . I was reading about the dietary rules for the Hindus on the internet . Even there the western researchers have written books . But a few Muslim scholars are named as researchers. Non Muslims write on Islam , our deen. At a dinner party , a British female diplomat was telling the guests , including yours truly , that she visited every Muslim shrine in Pakistan .
Western researchers have opened the secrets of the Pyramids , the mummies and the Sphinx in Giza and elsewhere. They are astonished to learn that whatever had been in the Quran 1400 years back is correct .
Dr. Maurice Bucaille , a French Scholar on Islam , Ms.Sheila Musaji , an American lady who edits a journal ‘The American Muslim’, Dr. William Chittick , Dr . Aminah McCloud, Dr. Robert D . Crane , who worked with President Nixon as adviser ,and many more write copiously about Islam based on the research . The people named here have embraced Islam. Dr. Bucaille wrote a famous book ‘The Bible , the Quran and Science’’ and an essay ‘The Quran and Modern Science’. They are dedicating their lives to the cause of Islam.
The Holy Quran lays a great emphasis on research . There is much scope of learning while reading the Holy Quran . Two brothers settled in Riyadh , who wished to test the veracity the process of child birth as given in the Quran , sent their findings to a renowned Canadian doctor , Keith Moore , an author of many medical books. He was surprised wit te results. It was as described in the Holy Quran. Professor Keith Moore noted‘ Surprising thing found in ancient Prayer Book’.(Translated the relevant portion of ‘Talaash’ by Mumtaz Mufti into English ). This proves that Islam is not a ritual but it has more than meets the eye .
When the Muslims were victorious in the Battle of Badr , the Holy Prophet (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him ) agreed to release captives who knew to read and write in exchange to teach the Muslims to read and write. And within a few years of his death , Islam produced men who excelled in every field viz, science, mathematics, anatomy, medicine , astronomy , astrology etc when Europe was in the dark ages. Ibn Haitham , Al Khwarzimi, ,Jabir ibn Hayyan, Omar al Khayam, al Kindi,al Razi, al Farabi, ibn Sina ,al Masudi to name a few. Some of these names have been inscribed in various educational institutions of repute throughout the western world .For eg. At the entrance of Inner Temple the name of the Holy Prophet(Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) as the greatest law giver has been written down.. Similarly , at the entrance of the IBM headquarters in Chicago , the names of the famous mathematicians have been written down. The first five names are of Muslims
Their secret lay in thorough knowledge of the Holy Quran . As Allama Iqbal in ‘ Jawab e Shikwa ‘Who zamane mein muazzaz thay muslaman ho kar
Aur tum khwar huey taarik Quran ho kar.
( The Muslims of the past were honourable )
( But we are miserable because we do not follow the Holy Quran)
Mahfooz ur Rahman
mahfoozurrahman_pk@hotmail.com
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