What do you get when you take [belief in an all-knowing, all-powerful and all-merciful God], combine it with [a fixed day of judgement when each of us will be answerable to God individually, based on our intentions]; and add [guidance from the Quran to be good, do good, show perseverance, resilience and humility]?
You get the Islamic Golden Age – a period where knowledge of other civilisations are preserved, consolidated, translated into a common language, studied, critiqued, and advanced or countered by contributions with greater accuracy and moral ideals.
You get people like Ibn Haytham, Al Khawarizmi and Al Battani who set the foundation for subjects like maths, algebra, trigonometry, astronomy, optics and methods of scientific inquiry.
You get Ibn Sina, Al Qasim, Al Nafis, Al Zahrawi and Al Biruni laying the foundation for modern medicine, surgery, pharmacology and physiology
You get Ibn Khaldun, Al Biruni and Ibn Hazm establishing the basis of sociology, comparative studies and human culture
Or Al Jazari al Khawarizmi on automation, robotics and algorithms.
Or Ibn Battuta, Al Bakri and Ibn Majid in exploration, geography and chartography
It gives you Rumi, Jilani and Ghazali on spirituality, mental strength, personal duty and leadership.
The history of Islam is replete with persons advancing human knowledge and civilization by pairing their disciplines with learning Islam and studying the Quran. The Quran tells us in 16:89 “…And We have sent down the Quran as clarification for all things and as guidance and mercy and good tidings.”
The world is very different today, with technology and socio-economic dynamics. There is need for masters of disciplines to inquire further, study Islam, and combine both to advance knowledge and solve problems we face today – so that we and those to come can live the best life in this world and the next.