Knowledge: The Real Power
English Essay on "Knowledge: The Real Power"
Having gone through “Orientalism”, the most import ant book of Edwad W Said one can come to conclusion that the real power of a nation comes from knowledge. The thesis of this highly enlightening book is that the West acquired knowledge of the East, Islam and Muslim world and converted this knowledge into power by formulating policies based on this knowledge. Besides, history of Islam proves that as long as Muslim world kept up the tradition of research, acquiring knowledge, creative work and scientific inquiry, Islam remained supreme in the world. When Muslims started shunning intellectual pursuits for various reasons, the decline set in and Muslim world became the colony of the West.
Muslim contribution to human knowledge about universe, sciences, both physical and social, was tremendous. The European ascendancy by and large was the result of works of large number of Europeans who were educated in the universities and seminaries of Muslim world specially those of Muslim rule in Spain. Let us have a brief look on what Islam has to say about acquiring knowledge. The revelation of the Holy Qur’an’ started with “Iqra” ‘read’ and the word “Jim” or knowledge is the second most used word in the Holy Qur’an. One Hadith enjoins upon Muslims to gather knowledge even if they were to go to “Cheen” (China). China in the early days of Islam was the farthest area in the East and in the then known world. The implication is that a Muslim must strive hard in search of knowledge. In the Holy Qur’an there are 753 verses enjoining upon Muslims to acquire knowledge and to think about the universe. All this shows how much importance Islam attaches to the acquision of knowledge. The source of our inspiration is our way of life, which is Islam. But sadly literacy rate is dismally low in Pakistan and many other Muslim countries. The tragedy is that acquisition of knowledge, desire for learning and hard thinking get low priority.educationsight.blogspot.com The first requirement of acquiring knowledge is literacy, and the second one is to think and think hard and derive lessons and guidelines. This brings us to the importance of acquiring information through research and scientific inquiry. In the present conditions as obtaining in Pakistan, we direly need a culture of knowledge, research and in-depth studies. We should kindle a passion for knowledge. In the heyday of Islam, Muslim world produced some of the greatest minds in human history. We produced Ibn-e-Khaldum, the father of historiography and sociology. Ibn-e-Sina, the physician whose “Camon” was textbook of medicine for centuries in the world is another shining star. Ibn-e-Rushd, Farabih, Ghazali, Khawrazmi, Zahravi, Ibn-e-Hassam are other glittering gems in the galaxy of intellectuals. Then we produced Nizam-ul-Mulla Toosi, Al-Mavardi, and Ibn-e-Taqtaqa who were experts in public administration. Some Muslim scholars wrote a comprehensive treatise (Kaitab-un-Nafasa) on psychology. But during last one thousand years, we do not find a single Muslim name among the inventors in the world. The Muslim universities of Baghdad and Spain were the envy of the whole world and brought about renaissance in Europe. Research and transition bureaus existed all over the world. Some Muslim rulers created departments to collect books for the libraries. But this tradition died down and the West has now supremacy in the field of learning, research and technology.
As noted earlier, what we need in Pakistan is a culture of knowledge, research and’ serious studies. Although contribution of Muslim scholars, intellectuals and scientists has been openly acknowledged in the West yet the Western media and prominent thinkers have been partisan and prejudiced and their negative approach has blurred the actual picture. It is generally not admitted that entire progress in the West is based on the works of Muslim scholars and scientists. When Europe was passing through dark ages, Muslims were advanced in Geography, Mathematics, Medicine, Astronomy arid other areas of knowledge. Translations of works of Ibn.al-Hassam. Jabar bin Hayan,. Ibn-e-Rushd, and Omer Khayyam and others were taught in the Western universities. Muslims started using anesthesia in surgical operations and established hospitals for indoor care of patients and conducted research on the medicinal value of herbs. They wrote books on plague, blood system and circulation and infections diseases. They applied psychosomatic methods in treatment of diseases.
Ibn-e-Sina discovered for the first time in the world that there are 365 days, 5 hours and 24 seconds in a year. Omar Khayyan had told the world that earth revolves a round the sun in each 12th century and his calendar is so perfect that there is possibility of only one mistake in five thousand years. He was head of Nishapur astronomy observatory. He was a great mathematician and inventor of Algebra.
In developed Western countries, besides teaching, one very important function of the universities is to conduct research on all types of subjects including science, technology, economics, sociology, anthropology, international relations, history and other subjects. The college and university professors, conduct in-depth studies. These studies provide guidance to State functionaries in making State policies. Can and should we revert to our tradition of acquiring knowledge and credit research and then make decisions on the basis of research findings?—The writer is former DO Radio Pakistan
Muslim contribution to human knowledge about universe, sciences, both physical and social, was tremendous. The European ascendancy by and large was the result of works of large number of Europeans who were educated in the universities and seminaries of Muslim world specially those of Muslim rule in Spain. Let us have a brief look on what Islam has to say about acquiring knowledge. The revelation of the Holy Qur’an’ started with “Iqra” ‘read’ and the word “Jim” or knowledge is the second most used word in the Holy Qur’an. One Hadith enjoins upon Muslims to gather knowledge even if they were to go to “Cheen” (China). China in the early days of Islam was the farthest area in the East and in the then known world. The implication is that a Muslim must strive hard in search of knowledge. In the Holy Qur’an there are 753 verses enjoining upon Muslims to acquire knowledge and to think about the universe. All this shows how much importance Islam attaches to the acquision of knowledge. The source of our inspiration is our way of life, which is Islam. But sadly literacy rate is dismally low in Pakistan and many other Muslim countries. The tragedy is that acquisition of knowledge, desire for learning and hard thinking get low priority.educationsight.blogspot.com The first requirement of acquiring knowledge is literacy, and the second one is to think and think hard and derive lessons and guidelines. This brings us to the importance of acquiring information through research and scientific inquiry. In the present conditions as obtaining in Pakistan, we direly need a culture of knowledge, research and in-depth studies. We should kindle a passion for knowledge. In the heyday of Islam, Muslim world produced some of the greatest minds in human history. We produced Ibn-e-Khaldum, the father of historiography and sociology. Ibn-e-Sina, the physician whose “Camon” was textbook of medicine for centuries in the world is another shining star. Ibn-e-Rushd, Farabih, Ghazali, Khawrazmi, Zahravi, Ibn-e-Hassam are other glittering gems in the galaxy of intellectuals. Then we produced Nizam-ul-Mulla Toosi, Al-Mavardi, and Ibn-e-Taqtaqa who were experts in public administration. Some Muslim scholars wrote a comprehensive treatise (Kaitab-un-Nafasa) on psychology. But during last one thousand years, we do not find a single Muslim name among the inventors in the world. The Muslim universities of Baghdad and Spain were the envy of the whole world and brought about renaissance in Europe. Research and transition bureaus existed all over the world. Some Muslim rulers created departments to collect books for the libraries. But this tradition died down and the West has now supremacy in the field of learning, research and technology.
As noted earlier, what we need in Pakistan is a culture of knowledge, research and’ serious studies. Although contribution of Muslim scholars, intellectuals and scientists has been openly acknowledged in the West yet the Western media and prominent thinkers have been partisan and prejudiced and their negative approach has blurred the actual picture. It is generally not admitted that entire progress in the West is based on the works of Muslim scholars and scientists. When Europe was passing through dark ages, Muslims were advanced in Geography, Mathematics, Medicine, Astronomy arid other areas of knowledge. Translations of works of Ibn.al-Hassam. Jabar bin Hayan,. Ibn-e-Rushd, and Omer Khayyam and others were taught in the Western universities. Muslims started using anesthesia in surgical operations and established hospitals for indoor care of patients and conducted research on the medicinal value of herbs. They wrote books on plague, blood system and circulation and infections diseases. They applied psychosomatic methods in treatment of diseases.
Ibn-e-Sina discovered for the first time in the world that there are 365 days, 5 hours and 24 seconds in a year. Omar Khayyan had told the world that earth revolves a round the sun in each 12th century and his calendar is so perfect that there is possibility of only one mistake in five thousand years. He was head of Nishapur astronomy observatory. He was a great mathematician and inventor of Algebra.
In developed Western countries, besides teaching, one very important function of the universities is to conduct research on all types of subjects including science, technology, economics, sociology, anthropology, international relations, history and other subjects. The college and university professors, conduct in-depth studies. These studies provide guidance to State functionaries in making State policies. Can and should we revert to our tradition of acquiring knowledge and credit research and then make decisions on the basis of research findings?—The writer is former DO Radio Pakistan
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