Eighth to the Sixteenth Century - Rashid Islamic Center

Islam and Modern Science: Contemporary Issues • 197The attention received by Bucaille’s book has produced reactionsas well. One of the more serious rebuttals came from an expectedquarter: a Christian response by William Campbell. The QurāĀnand the Bible in the Light of History and Science attempted to show theopposite of what Bucaille had set out to prove; it is the QurāĀn thathas it all wrong, while the Bible is sound (Campbell 1986).Bucaille was building on the trends in Islam and sciencediscourse already present in the nineteenth century. His contributionbecame more popular than the work of Egyptian physicians who hadembarked upon a similar project in the nineteenth century, perhapsbecause he was a European who fulfilled a psychological need ofMuslims emerging from two centuries of colonization. Whatevertheir utility, in the final analysis such trends remain polemical andthey provide little insight into the nature of the relationship betweenIslam and modern science.New Perspectives on Islam and Modern ScienceOne of the most important developments in the discourse on Islamand modern science owes its existence to the work of a few Muslimthinkers living in the West. Ironically, these new insights into Islam’srelationship with modern science have not been received in thetraditional Muslim lands with the same kind of enthusiasm with whichthe work of Maurice Bucaille and Keith Moore was received. This isa telling sign of the intellectual climate of the Muslim world, whichforced many leading thinkers to leave their homes and migrate to theWest. This westward movement of Muslim intellectuals and scientistsis part of the general exodus that has brought millions of Muslims toEurope and North America during the last fifty years.Muslim presence in Europe and North America is a uniquehistorical development with far-reaching consequences. ForEuropeans and North Americans, Islam and Muslims are no moretwo unknown and unknowable mysteries—Muslims have literallybecome next-door neighbors. This situation promises better relationsbetween various faith communities (a promise yet to be realized) andthe Muslim diaspora has produced its unique reflections on Islam,Muslim history, Islamic civilization, and science. In many cases,