For centuries, the Islamic world stood at the forefront of science and philosophy, guiding humanity through an age of Enlightenment. The great scholars of the Islamic Golden Age harmonized reason and faith. They preserved and expanded upon the wisdom of ancient civilizations.
Yet today, movements such as the Muslim Brotherhood and other fundamentalist currents reject much of this heritage. They favor a rigid and narrow interpretation of religion over the rich legacy of inquiry, debate, and discovery. This turning away from the past is more than a matter of ideology. It is a forfeiture of the very tools that once made Islamic civilization a beacon of progress for the world.
Medieval Islam led the world in science and philosophy
Muslim philosophers worked to coordinate revelation with reason, suggesting a rational interpretation of the religious message. Islamic thought had a profound impact both inside and outside the Muslim world. Avicenna and Averroes integrated Aristotelian philosophy with Islamic theology; their works were translated into Latin and broadly studied in medieval European universities. Averroes became known in Europe as “the commentator” of Aristotle and had a direct effect on thinkers like Thomas Aquinas.
Exceptional advances appeared in the scientific field as well. In mathematics, al-Khwarizmi developed algebra and the Indo-Arabic numeration system, including the concept of zero, which eventually made its way to Europe. Additionally, in astronomy, Al-Battani and Al-Zarqali improved the accuracy of Ptolemy’s astronomical models, providing direction for Copernicus later on.
In medicine, Abu Bakr al-Razi and Avicenna, through his seminal works The Book of Healing and The Canon of Medicine, established the foundations of European medical practice for centuries, and Medieval Islam also stood out in literature and humanities. The collection of stories One Thousand and One Nights enchanted western readers, while poets such as Al-Mutanabbi and Rumi left a deep impression. Thinkers such as Al-Farabi and Al-Ghazali also debated topics on political philosophy, logic, and ethics.
When modern radicalism antagonizes classical Islam and betrays the Enlightenment
The Islamic Enlightenment played a crucial role in the Western Renaissance. Ιt acted as a bridge between Classical Antiquity and European Modernity. Through Sicily and Andalusia, many of these texts were translated into Latin and brought to Europe. This revitalized interest in classical philosophies and encouraged critical thinking, experimentation, and modern science.
Nevertheless, several fundamentalist Islamic movements have challenged this legacy throughout the 20th century. These include the Muslim Brotherhood, but above all, the doctrines associated with Salafism and Wahhabism. For instance, Sayyid Qutb, a leading theorist of the Muslim Brotherhood, produced a harsh critique of all forms of secularism. He attacked rationalism and Western influence.
Sayyid Qutb argued that a genuine Islamic society could only exist if it was based exclusively on the Qur’an and the Sunnah teachings. He condemned as heretical any philosophical ideas that deviated from orthodox Islamic teachings.
This rejection has manifested as an outspoken condemnation of Greek philosophy, which these movements viewed as a source of spiritual and moral deviation. In the Middle Ages, philosophers such as Al-Ghazali wrote The Incoherence of the Philosophers to challenge rationalist thought. He and others are held in high esteem for defending a faith based entirely on divine revelation rather than self-directed reasoning.
Today, the most radical Islamist groups express similar hostility toward rationalism, urging Muslims to return to the salaf (the earliest generations of Muslims), often at the expense of the rich intellectual legacy of medieval Islamic scholarship.
Muslim Brotherhood ignores Islamic intellectual legacy
The Muslim Brotherhood is a Sunni Islamist organization founded in Egypt in 1928 by Hassan Al-Banna. It aims for the revival of Islamic society based on the strict enforcement of Sharia law. Despite its reformist and educational beginnings, over time, The Muslim Brotherhood has become a political and religious force with immense influence in many Muslim countries.
The Sunni organization holds that the Islamic world declined due to the renunciation of original religious principles. Thus, supporters reject many of the values and ways of thinking that evolved during the Islamic Golden Age, particularly those associated with reasoning and critical thinking.
The medieval Islamic Enlightenment, which flourished between the 8th and 13th centuries, represented a period of great intellectual, scientific, and cultural activity in the Islamic world. During this period, Muslim scholars not only preserved but also translated numerous Greek, Persian, and Indian texts into Arabic. Furthermore, they expanded upon, critiqued, and adapted these works, creating an intellectual legacy that profoundly influenced the development of science and philosophy in Europe.
Destruction of Islamic heritage threatens Muslim societies
Suppressing logic in Islamic thought and opposing the Islamic Enlightenment, however, leads to disastrous consequences for Muslim societies. It results in the destruction of ancient manuscripts, the harassment of modern scholars who uphold a rational approach to Islam, and the imposition of a uniform discourse that rejects any dissent.
This stifles the intellectual vibrancy of the Islamic world, distancing it from its historically pluralistic, science-based, and philosophical heritage. It also transforms religion into a blind, dogmatic faith closed off to dialogue and critical thinking.
This attitude has fueled brutal acts carried out in the name of religion, justifying violence against dissidents, minorities, and even Muslims with differing views. Jihadist movements and totalitarian regimes have gone so far as to destroy key institutions that embody Islam’s enlightened legacy—such as schools and libraries— and to erase significant historical heritage, including mausoleums, ancient manuscripts, and monuments, all in the name of religious “purity.”
The rejection of logic therefore impoverishes the spiritual vitality of Islam and condemns Islamic societies to stagnation, robs them of their remarkable heritage, and perpetuates ongoing conflict. How can these societies provide healthcare, infrastructure, and address the youth’s doubts without scientists and philosophers? To build a dignified future, harmony between reason and faith is essential.
Guest article written by Sonia Mochament Konstantou, theologian and historian of literature.
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