December 31, 2021

Marium Husain

My quest for harmony between science and Islam

December 31, 2021

Marium Husain

“Say: Travel through the Earth and deeply observe how God did originate the creation; then God produces the next creation; surely God has power over all things” (Qur’an 29:19-20)

Welcome and May the peace and blessings of God be upon you.

“Looked at properly, there is nothing (except pure materialism) that can oppose science and Islam”

dr. NIDHAL GUESSOUM

“I grew up in a cultural environment which, while firmly grounded in Muslim tradition, encouraged open explorations and varieties of learning sources. My father, like many boys in his days, memorized the entire Qur’an by the time he was a teenager; he went on to obtain doctorates in Philosophy from Cairo University and Paris Sorbonne; later he became Dean of the College of Religious Studies at the University of Algiers, and for a number of years now he has been the President of the Association of Algerian Ulama. My mother was more of a literary type and got a Master’s degree in Arab literature. Interestingly, all five of their children grew up to be scientists, medical doctors, or science teachers, and all were deeply imbued with the rationalism of philosophy, the methodology of modern science, the strife for beauty in arts and literature, and the holistic worldview of Islam/Religion.

My family was one of cultural interface and synthesis. While my siblings and I excelled in mathematics and the natural sciences, my father was doing his thesis in Cairo on “the concept of time in the philosophy of Averroes” and, almost simultaneously, his Sorbonne thesis on “the concept of time in modern Arab thought”, in the process surveying western philosophy as well. Our home library, although scant on the natural sciences, was very rich in philosophy, religion, and literature. Our education was bilingual (Arabic and French) from the start; English was added in our teenage years. No wonder then that during and after my formal education in physics (followed by research in astrophysics), I was always reading and sometimes reviewing philosophical books, especially those relating to science and religion.

“…they could devote themselves to studies in religion, and admonish the people when they return to them, – that thus they (may learn) to guard themselves (against evil)” (Quran, 9:122)

The first topic to pull me into serious explorations in science and religion was cosmic design, fine-tuning, and the anthropic principle. I must admit that early on I too was impressed by the “miraculous science in the Qur’an” discourse, and it took me several years to recognize the deep flaws in that “theory” (something I have explained in my books(1)). Then in 1989 I discovered and read Barrow and Tipler’s seminal book, “The Cosmological Anthropic Principle”, and I was mesmerized not only by the wealth of data pointing to some metaphysical principle behind our existence in this finely-tuned universe, but also by the erudition and rigorous methodology displayed by the authors. And although I had previously greatly appreciated Paul Davies’s “The Cosmic Blueprint”, to me “The Cosmological Anthropic Principle” was a quantum leap in both concept and scholarship. Similarly, Dyson’s “Infinite in All Directions” showed me how a scientist can construct a personal philosophy of nature and existence.

In the following years I kept that strong interest; for instance I reviewed for Arab readers Davies’s “The Mind of God” and “About Time” and Dyson’s “The Sun, the Genome, and the Internet”, among others, but I did not pursue such explorations in any systematic or academic way for almost a decade. Instead, I turned my attention to astronomical/scientific topics of societal and cultural relevance.

During the early nineties, while the conditions of life and work (in Algeria and then in Kuwait) were extremely difficult, I focused my attention on the practical – and socially relevant – problem of the observation of the new, thin lunar crescent, which determines the start of the Islamic months and the religious holidays of Ramadan, Eid, and Hajj. This remains one of my proudest contributions to my society, for indeed I introduced (2) into the classical Muslim considerations new, modern astrophysical approaches that had been shown (by western researchers) to be highly useful, concepts such as the luminosity contrast between the crescent and the background sky, and ideas by Muslim scientists, e.g. the lunar date line; these new approaches have now become standard in the scientific and religious treatment of the problem. To me that kind of work represented an ideal synthesis of modern scientific expertise, strife to solve societal problems, and fusion of western methods and knowledge with Islamic topics, precisely fitting my general philosophy.

"(God) is the One Who has set out for you the stars, that you may guide yourselves by them through the darkness of the land and of the sea. We have detailed the signs for people who know." (Qur’an 6:97)

In the same spirit, I have collaborated with the UAE’s ministry of education and produced high school textbooks of Physics, where for the first time chapters were included on astronomical topics of importance and relevance to the Muslim public: crescent observations, Islamic calendar, evolution of the universe, etc. The implicit and overarching principle in that work was indeed to instill in young Muslim minds the idea that science is both relevant to their worldview and evolves continuously… in an evolving world.

By the late nineties I began to take a more serious interest in the interface of Science, Religion, and Philosophy. First, I started to make systematic efforts at exploring the subject, thus reading many essential works, such as those of Barbour, Peacocke, Polkinghorne, Ruse, and others. I also turned to Muslim philosophy, from Al-Ghazzali and Ibn Rushd to Muhammad Iqbal and Seyyed Hossein Nasr. Then, around the year 2000, my friend and collaborator Karim Meziane suggested that we undertake a three-way comparison of “cosmology” as it has been defined and developed: a) by Muslim philosophers of medieval times (the “golden age” of the Islamic civilization), b) by contemporary Muslim thinkers, c) by modern science. We thus wrote a short article (in French), which we circulated by email among friends and acquaintances; the article drew some attention, so we started getting invited to workshops on Science and Islam.

A common thread runs through all my intellectual and educational works: finding harmony between modern science and religion/Islam, with the interfacing help of philosophy. My main principles are: 1) science brings some important objective knowledge about the world that we must not ignore or reject; 2) science can help humans make progress not only materially (this is obvious), but intellectually, culturally, and even religiously; 3) theology should be dynamic, making progress by benefiting from new knowledge and ideas; 4) looked at properly, there is nothing (except pure materialism) that can oppose science and Islam”

Source: NASA - farthest view seen from the Hubble space telescope

References

1. Islam’s Quantum Question; The Young Muslim’s Guide to Modern Science, Manchester (UK): Beacon Books, 2018.

2. My contributions on the topic include the book “The Determination of Lunar Crescent Months and the Islamic Calendar” (in Arabic), co-authored with M. El-Atbi and K. Meziane and published in Algeria (Dar al-Oumma) in 1993, and in Lebanon (Dar al-Taliaa) in 1997, and several general-readership articles, lectures, and conferences.

“…And when ye are told to rise up, rise up. Allah will raise up, to (suitable) ranks (and degrees), those of you who believe and who have been granted (mystic) Knowledge. And Allah is well-acquainted with all ye do” (Quran, 58:11)

“Science is a way of thinking much more than it is a body of knowledge.” (Carl Sagan)

For more information:

Islam’s Quantum Question: reconciling Muslim tradition and modern science,

Islam’s Quantum Question; The Young Muslim’s Guide to Modern Science, Manchester (UK): Beacon Books, 2018.

“The Determination of Lunar Crescent Months and the Islamic Calendar” (in Arabic), co-authored with M. El-Atbi and K. Meziane and published in Algeria (Dar al-Oumma) in 1993, and in Lebanon (Dar al-Taliaa) in 1997

Nagamia Institute of Islamic Medicine and Science: https://www.niims.org

1001 Inventions: the Enduring Legacy of Muslim Civilization: http://www.1001inventions.com

August 13, 2021

Marium Husain

Learning from the Past

August 13, 2021

Marium Husain

“Say: Travel through the Earth and deeply observe how God did originate the creation; then God produces the next creation; surely God has power over all things” (Qur’an 29:19-20)

Welcome and May the peace and blessings of God be upon you.

“I like to think studying history, whether it is the study of the Islamic past or other religions, societies or empires, can be very rewarding for a Muslim who wants to serve humanity and one's faith community”

dr. Nahyan fancy

What do you do in your job?

"I am a Professor of History. The one part of a professor's job that I think most people know is that we teach, advise and mentor students. I teach courses on the History of the Middle East, and History of Science, both general surveys as well as more topical courses such as: Gender and Sexuality in the Middle East, Plague in the Islamic World, Partition & Memory, or a course on Sunnis, Shi‘as and Mystics. However, most people don't recognize that professors, even history professors, have active research agendas in which we unearth new materials, or provide new interpretations or understandings of the past. In my case, I have uncovered new materials about the developments in medical theory and practice in Islamic societies during the period between 1200 and 1520 CE, as well as provided new understandings about the relationship between religion and medicine, and how medical knowledge was taught and transmitted. Believe it or not, that book from 1930, or 1950 or 1990 or even 2000 that claims that science and medicine declined after a so-called Golden Age due to religious opposition or the exclusion of science and philosophy from madrasas is wrong. Historians of Islamic science have been arguing against the decline thesis for over four decades.

The final part of my job is serving my department, institution and profession. Universities ideally adhere to a system of shared governance wherein faculty committees and faculty votes are needed to implement policies. Faculty have to actively participate in these university-wide communities in addition to departmental duties such as serving on search committees, award committees, personnel committees to assess the progress of colleagues towards tenure and/or promotion, etc. Finally, we serve the profession by peer reviewing articles and books before they are published, or reviewing grant applications and national fellowship competitions to determine which projects are worthy of funding. We also serve on various committees and boards for national organizations, journals and university presses. Almost all of this service work is unpaid. And I haven't even mentioned the unofficial service work, whose burdens tend to be disproportionately heavier for faculty who belong to groups that have been traditionally marginalized in academia due to race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality and/or religion (e.g. the anti-racist work of Black faculty to dismantle institutionalized racism, or Latinx faculty providing support to students affected by immigration policies or ICE activities across the nation, and so forth).”

What do you love about your job?

“I love working closely with students and seeing them progress and develop. It is the reason I always wanted to teach at a liberal arts college after studying at one. I also love doing research, as frustrating as it can be at times. The thrill of uncovering new material or insights is exhilarating that can brighten even the most difficult of times. For example, over the past year's pandemic, a true highlight was to co-author a piece with Monica Green on a plague outbreak in 1258 in Syria after the Mongol conquest of Baghdad--just about a century before the Black Death. We uncovered how the outbreak was reported by contemporary witnesses, and how this new experience with the disease led to a revised understanding of the symptoms of plague. However, reports about this 1258 plague outbreak were systematically erased from memory by later 14th and 15th century Muslim historians such that this plague outbreak was never even recorded in history books dealing with the Mongol sack of Baghdad until very recently. (The article appeared in Medical History in April, 2021). Some of my other work has uncovered a full tradition of systematically investigating, critiquing and transforming Greek medical theory in the Arabic commentaries on the Canon of Medicine. In an article that came out in the Journal of the History of Medicine and Allied Sciences at the end of 2020, I provide some examples of the method employed in these systematic investigations which included philosophical argumentation, empirical observations and even rigorous experiments (look for a neat, controlled, rigorous experiment to assess the qualities of snowy water from Ibn al-Nafīs’s Commentary on the Canon of Medicine which was written around 1242 CE)! I also love mentoring students and junior faculty, and engaging in intellectual exchanges with colleagues (junior, peer or senior).”

“A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.” (Marcus Garvey)

What do you like least about your job?

“Days when I walk into class and find out that students are goofing off and not putting in the time to learn. It really saddens me to see them waste precious money and time by not even putting minimal effort into their education by reading for classes or paying attention in class. Also, grading can be tedious but I recognize the value of giving detailed feedback to students on their written and oral assignments to help them grow.”

“I cannot teach anybody anything, I can only make them think” (Socrates)

Did faith play a role in choosing your career? Do you see any relationship between faith and your career?

“I was pre-med and majored in Mathematics and Biochemistry. When I decided not to pursue medicine because I felt more attracted to the life of the mind at a small liberal arts college, faith was not at the forefront. However, when I decided to pursue a PhD in History and Philosophy of Science as opposed to Math or Biochemistry, and that too with a focus on pre-modern Islamic science and medicine, I was certainly guided by my faith. Much of what I was reading in the standard secondary literature on the decline of science in Islamic societies due to religious oppression, or even on the conflict between science and religion, did not jive with my own experiences and understanding of my faith (as limited as it was then, and remains even now). I thus wanted to dive into this material to see for myself whether or not what I was reading in standard Eurocentric narratives was accurate. And as I discovered the works of A. I. Sabra, Roshdi Rashed, George Saliba, J.L Berrgren, Ahmad Dallal, Sonja Brentjes, Emilie Savage-Smith and others--works that challenged the standard decline narrative--I felt called to contribute whatever I could to this revisionist scholarship, and to do my part in disseminating this scholarship and correcting the older narratives through my own teaching and advocacy.”

Are there parts of your job that make you a better Muslim?

“I think learning about the vast oceans of knowledge produced in pre-modern Islamic societies, and how the standard historical narratives told by either traditional Muslim scholars or secular academics are based on only a tiny fraction of the surviving textual corpus is a very humbling experience. And humility is perhaps one of the most, if not the most, important value a Muslim should cultivate. So, in that sense, being a professor of history can help inculcate that value. At the same time, expectations of being "the expert" in a room, or the fact that people look up to you (either as students or even colleagues) can also massage the ego and make one arrogant. So the challenge for perhaps any academic or scholar is to feed one's humility by continuously reading and learning about all the stuff one doesn't know, while asserting oneself where one can legitimately contribute to the understanding of a topic without letting one's ego grow to satanic proportions.”

What do you want people, especially Muslims, to know about your career?

“Muslims will of course recall the hadith, "Seek knowledge even if you have to go as far as China." It is not a sahih (sound) hadith (most likely fabricated) but people recognize that the sentiment expressed in that hadith agrees with much of what the Qur'an says. Moreover, the Qur'an directly asks people (on numerous occasions) to travel the world and learn about the fate of previous societies, many of which were more powerful than "you", i.e. the Meccan and Medinan Arabs. However, we could also read the "you" as referring to us--people reading the Qur'an in the twenty-first century. The latter reading can introduce some humility in how we think about the values, morality and power of our own societies. I like to think studying history, whether it is the study of the Islamic past or other religions, societies or empires, can be very rewarding for a Muslim who wants to serve humanity and one's faith community. I would want young Muslims, and especially their parents, to recognize that goodness, virtue, closeness to religion and even serving the needs of a community can be accomplished by almost any profession just as long as one orients oneself properly.”

What resources do you recommend for people who want to learn more about your career?

“For college students who are reading this piece, go talk to your professors. If you are interested in knowing what professional historical scholarship looks like, check out some open access articles in journals like the American Historical Review, Medical History, Isis: The Journal of the History of Science Society, and the International Journal of Middle Eastern Studies (this journal also publishes articles in related fields such as Anthropology, Sociology, Literature and Political Science). You can also check out my personal webpage to learn more about my work (all my published articles and book chapters can be accessed through the webpage, as can some videos of my presentations).”

“And We have already sent [messengers] to nations before you, [O Muhammad]; then We seized them with poverty and hardship that perhaps they might humble themselves” (Quran 6:42)

“The more you know of your history, the more liberated you are” (Maya Angelou)

For more information:

Dr. Nahyan Fancy: Personal Webpage

“Plague and the Fall of Baghdad”

Nagamia Institute of Islamic Medicine and Science: https://www.niims.org

1001 Inventions: the Enduring Legacy of Muslim Civilization: http://www.1001inventions.com

February 26, 2021

Marium Husain

Keep Curiosity Alive

February 26, 2021

Marium Husain

“Say: Travel through the Earth and deeply observe how God did originate the creation; then God produces the next creation; surely God has power over all things” (Qur’an 29:19-20)

Welcome and May the peace and blessings of God be upon you.

“We celebrate the brain by seeking answers. It’s all part of Islam. If you worry that people will stray if they ask questions, then you have a problem with your faith. Questioning can only lead you to the truth”

dr. rana dajani

What do you do in your job?

"I do a lot of things. It’s not a job; I love what I do. It's like having fun every day. It's all because I study what I love. So what I do for fun every day is mainly being a Professor Molecular and Cellular Biology. My research is mainly in two fields:

1. Genetics of ethnic populations, specifically the Circassians and Chechans. Circassians live in the southern Caucus Mountains in southern Russia, which was taken over by Russia. They were persecuted for their religion, deported, killed or forcibly displaced. They fled south and settled in Jordan, Turkey, even as far away as New Jersey. When Russia held the Winter Olympics, it was in an area where there was a major genocide/massacre for Circassians. That ended up getting a lot of publicity. So the people that settled in Jordan, there is now a big population and there is intermarrying amongst each other. When I finished my PhD, I started a research lab in Jordan to study them and produce international science that is really new, and not just mediocre science. I did this because it was a passion for me and I wanted to really contribute, not just check off a box that I had done research. The Human Genome Project had just come up in 2006. We started an entire project to learn about the Circassians and Chechans, something similar to the Framingham Study. The team consisted of different scientists from different disciplines: biochemistry, epidemiology, anthropology, the National Center for Diabetes, etc. We first studied anthropology to analyze heritage and really identify their unique history. Then we analyzed mitochondrial DNA, basically how you trace lineage. We created a database of their family tree, not just for science, but to serve their community. We had an entire random sample of the whole community in Jordan. Then we looked at epidemiology, reviewing the whole population’s medical history, focusing on diabetes and metabolic syndrome, because there is no stigma on diabetes anymore and it is something that could help the rest of the world. The whole team went to the region, and we went from community to community, giving free medical devices, testing for triglycerides, cholesterol levels (LDL, HDL), all for free. We did an extensive survey of lifestyle and medical history. We published many papers looking at different epidemiological trends. We found that Circassians have a lower prevalence of diabetes compared to Jordanians. Although my PhD was in Molecular/Cell Biology, focusing on cellular signaling, I couldn’t limit myself to one area, so I shifted to genetics. We did genome-wide association studies and discovered a novel gene risk factor for diabetes based on the Circassian population data, published in Scientific Reports and Nature. To do the genome work, we collaborated with CHOP Center for Genomics to perform the analysis. Then we tried to identify the function of the gene because it has never been identified before to be related to diabetes. This led to stem cell research work, where we created a team to implement regulations on how to work on research with stem cell under Islamic and Jordanian law. There were no prior guidelines, we created the first law. It was approved by Parliament and implemented the proper research on stem cells in the region. We even worked with UC Berkeley, Copenhagen on further adding to the database, leading to more research and publications.

2. The other research arm is the impact of trauma on refugees. The Syrian crisis has led to ~2 million refugees in Jordan. NGOs come in and roll out interventions to help the adolescents. We became the lead group in Jordan for a large study on adolescents and vulnerable youth. This led to focus on mental health biomarkers (cortisol in hair) and looking at genetics. This was a collaboration with Yale and more importantly, we worked together as colleagues with the local community, Syrian and Jordanian children. We explained all the science we were doing and that’s how we decided on utilizing hair instead of obtaining blood, since it can get so messy. We shared all our results, going back to engage with them and show how their cortisol went down. Our research assistants were Syrian and Jordanian and each had an input on the research design. Not only did we focus on trauma, but we also included a survey on resiliency. The journal, Science, did a whole special edition on our work. Now through a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and in collaboration with Yale and the University of Florida, we are now looking at the impact of trauma on DNA and if it can transfer to the next generation” is trauma hereditary? We have three generation cohorts evaluating this. However, we are looking for positive signatures in the DNA. People have always been in war throughout history, so we are looking for epigenetic signatures that show a relationship with resiliency, not just trauma. The hope is that we can roll out interventions that focus on epigenetics to turn genes on/off to improve trauma outcomes.”

“You have to pursue your curiosity and go where the questions lead, instead of being stuck in a particular field.” (Dr. Rana Dajani)

What do you love about your job?

“We’re all born with the flame to keep curiosity alive. We just stifle it. Keeping curiosity alive is so essential to our survival. One question leads to another, gives us purpose to life, joy and spice. The Qur’an mentions to look, observe, question. We celebrate the brain by seeking answers. It’s all part of Islam. If you worry that people will stray if they ask questions, then you have a problem with your faith. Questioning can only lead you to the truth. Those who do not stray, are strong in their conviction.”

What do you like least about your job?

“You're going to hit up against walls at some point, it's natural, it's normal. The idea is, one would assume, that if there were no limits, one would keep on going. It’s a part of nature that we ultimately need breaks: a grant doesn't go through, publications aren’t published, you want to see your kids and spend time. It helps you reassess your position, your approach. These break are positive and we can learn from them. After you spend time with your kids, you come back refreshed, your brain took a break. There is nothing that I don't like about my job. I have a knack for turning what people would see as negative into a positive. My husband says I see an ocean in a drop of water.”

“Read, in the name of your Lord, who created” (Qur’an 96:1)

Did faith play a role in choosing your career? Do you see any relationship between faith and your career?

“I grew up in a practicing Muslim family, where religion and faith were a part of everyday life. It was interwoven in everything we did. We were taught that you should always have a purpose, but you are also responsible for yourself and the greater community. It was also about trying to do something, not only succeeding. It’s not always important if you succeed, but it’s important to try. It is so liberating, growing up with that attitude. We also had an open space to ask questions and debate, as something consistent with our religion. It’s what allowed that curiosity to flourish and that feeling of being a pioneer. My outlet was science. Pioneer has different meanings, like to discover mountaintops, the oceans or the moon, or delving into the deepest levels of science. So I took that pioneering spirit of discovery and took it to Molecular/Cell Biology. It was all inspired by my faith: having a purpose, using my brain, using that framework.”

Are there parts of your job that make you a better Muslim? more spiritual?

“Every time we do work, make a new discovery about a mechanism of action or cellular interaction or protein interaction, I’m in awe. I’m in awe of the elegance, the wonder of nature that Allah created. A creation that was not spontaneous but set by laws and rules from which all this universe has evolved. Every discovery is a new testimonial of the greatness and elegance of Allah. Pursing science brings me to closer to Allah. The basics are so simple, but so much profound diversity comes out of them. It confirms my faith and brings me closer to Allah, reveling in his wonder.”

“Wonder is the feeling of the philosopher, and philosophy begins in wonder.” (Plato)

Is there any part of your job that you think doesn't fit with Islam?

“Nothing. On the contrary, everything brings me closer. The framework of how I understand Islam gives me that.”

What do you want people, especially Muslims, to know about your career?

“1. Dream big: find your passion and follow it, whatever it is. Trust in yourself and have confidence. Share ideas with your family, friends, and community. Nothing is impossible. It doesn’t matter what you achieve, so long as you follow your curiosity. No one may know of your discovery, but you will have your internal satisfaction. Keep curiosity alive.

2. We have a responsibility beyond the workplace, lab, and class. Whatever you do, employ your skills and knowledge in solving challenges the community faces. Each person should see themselves as a unique person, their DNA is different. Everyone is a guardian, in Islam. As a scientist, our role is to simplify science and explain it to others, not just in content but also in culture. This is especially true during COVID-19. That is our responsibility. Now that everything is global, we can share information online and help in raising awareness. As the President of SASTA (the Society for the Advancement of Science and Technology in the Arab world), that’s what we’re trying to do: rediscover the potential in our own countries. That’s how I also started We Love Reading. We can change mindsets through reading. Whatever you do, pursue it with enthusiasm and curiosity.”

“We have sent among you a Messenger from yourselves reciting to you Our verses and purifying you and teaching you the Book and wisdom and teaching you that which you did not know” (Quran 2:151)

“Every discovery is a new testimonial of the greatness and elegance of Allah. The basics are so simple, but so much profound diversity comes.” (Dr. Rana Dajani)