Islamic thought today cannot be claimed to be purely Islamic; it is greatly supported and influenced by Western and Hellenistic philosophy. During the so-called golden age of Islam, Muslim rulers made great efforts so that the literature and philosophy of other thoughts could be translated into Arabic and accordingly Muslims were influenced by it. And this mixing of different thoughts produced an updated version of Islamic thought that is now prevailing in the world.
Now if Muslim scholarship considers it wrong they then need to remember that this happened during prophetic times. After the Battle of Badr, the Muslim army freed some non-Muslim captives given the condition to teach the Muslims the sciences known to them.
So the point is simple, knowledge is not someone’s personal property. Not of Muslims, not of Jews or Christians, but every nation has contributed in one domain or the other. Hindus have their own contribution like Arya Bhatta, so have Muslims contributed to geography, astronomy, etc.
The believers of the text may know the prophetic tradition wherein the prophet said that wisdom is the lost asset of a believer and he should pick it up wherever he finds it. Following and keeping this tradition in mind many scholars took support from others like Greek and Western philosophy and there is least wrong with it until it contradicts the soul and principles of Islam. For treating a chronic patient one can’t rely purely on Islamic texts. Yes, these texts will provide the base for right and wrong. Saving one’s life is encouraged by Islam. So if by any step that isn’t against Islamic principles one’s life can be saved, Islam surely considers it a good deed and there is good written for the doers.
For weather updates, for health issues, for other scientific advancements, for economic balance, for political system, Islam has its guiding principles but we can’t deny the other philosophies as there can be some good in them and can be in accordance with the Islamic principles.
Religious-minded people consider every thought against Islam to be nothing but mental backwardness that has produced no good for Muslims in past and can never again pay for the betterment of Islam and Muslims. The better option is to widen the mental horizons and accept the possible good from everyone and refrain from accepting the possible wrong.
The writer is a senior researcher at BGSBU Rajouri and can mailed at [email protected]

Muttaqi Naik