Eighth to the Sixteenth Century - Rashid Islamic Center

The Mosque, the Laboratory, and the Market • 93more detail, let us begin with the QurāĀnic data and the tradition ofsacred cosmology that arose from reflection on these data.Qurāānic DataAs already mentioned, the sciences of the QurāĀn were the first toappear in the Islamic intellectual tradition. This was followed by thesciences dealing with the life and sayings of the Prophet of Islam.Thus, when the scientific and philosophical traditions emerged inIslamic civilization they emerged from within a specific intellectualcontext shaped by the QurāĀnic worldview.The QurāĀnic verses on the origins of the cosmos appear invarious chapters and are invariably connected with the argumentsfor the three main themes of the QurāĀn: Tawhid (Oneness of God),Risalah (Prophethood), and Ma‘ad (Return). These verses also stressthe absolute nature of the creative act of God, for when He desiresto create something, He merely says ‘Be’ and it is (Q. 36:82). Creation isseen as God’s bounteous gift; one of the most recurring themes ofthe QurāĀn is God as Creator. This is reflected in the frequency ofvariants of the idea of creation, such as khalaqa, bada’a, fatara, andja‘ala, about which more shall be said in the next section. In additionto the general account of creation, the QurāĀn also offers a morespecific description, which we have already outlined in Chapter 3:God created the Heavens and the Earth and all that is between themin six days (Q. 7:54-56; 25:59); He created the Earth in two days (Q.41:9); and placed therein firm mountains [towering] above its surface andbestowed blessings on it, and equitably apportioned its means of sustenancein four days (Q. 41:10); He turned toward the heaven, which was [yetbut] smoke; and He said to it and the Earth: ‘come both of you, willinglyor unwillingly’ to which both responded, ‘we do come in obedience.’ And Hethen decreed that it [the smoke] become seven heavens in two days, and Heimparted unto each heaven its function (Q. 41:12); He created the sevenheavens (Q. 2:29); one upon another (Q. 67:3); through them flows downfrom on high, His Will (Q. 65:12). Moreover, the QurāĀn is particularlyemphatic that all that exists is sustained by God, whose attribute Rabbmeans the One Who sustains. It also repeatedly points out that God’screation has a purpose and a plan (Q. 15:21; 25:2; 30:8-9). God has