Quran: A Source of Guidance, Not a Textbook for Empirical Sciences
The closing ceremony of the conference was chaired by Hojatoleslam Abdul Majid Hakimollahi, the Representative of Iran’s Supreme Leader in India. In his speech, he stated that the Holy Quran is not a textbook for physics, chemistry, astronomy, or biology. He emphasized, "The Quran is a universal source for knowledge, ethics, and human guidance, which gives scientific research the correct direction and bestows upon human life a sublime purpose."
The Representative of Iran’s Leader further added that the Quran provides principles and values that link the scientific quest with ethical responsibility, placing science in the service of public good and human felicity.
Explaining the Conference's Scientific Goals
Hojatoleslam Hakimollahi stated the primary goal of this conference was to establish a meaningful link between the Quran and science, discover new intellectual horizons, and strengthen scientific dialogues that could pave the way for nurturing a new generation of committed researchers and scientists.
The Necessity of Balance Between Faith and Intellect
Professor Iqtidar Muhammad Khan, the conference director and Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Languages, emphasized the comprehensiveness of the Holy Quran. He said, "The Quran is an ethical and intellectual charter that gives meaning, direction, and purpose to human inquiry." He clarified that rejecting science in the name of religion is as incorrect as interpreting revelation based on variable scientific theories.
He identified the correct path as one of balance, constructive dialogue, and harmony between faith and intellect, adding, "Prudent interaction between religion and science can lead to the real progress of humanity."
Unity of the Islamic Ummah Centered on the Quran
Dr. Reyhaneh Raeisi, daughter of the martyr Ayatollah Seyyed Ebrahim Raeisi and a special guest at the conference, stated in her remarks: "Despite linguistic, ethnic, and geographical differences, the unity of the Islamic Ummah is an undeniable truth rooted in monotheism and the shared teachings of the Holy Quran."
Critique of a Materialistic Outlook on Life
Furthermore, Professor Mohammad Mehdi Esmaili, former Iranian Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance and an honorary guest at the conference, emphasized: "The Quranic perspective on human life liberates man from the captivity of materialism and transient desires, guiding him towards justice, spirituality, and social responsibility." He added that distancing from this perspective is, in fact, deprivation of true meaning and happiness.
The Necessity of a Practical Understanding of the Quran
During the ceremony, distinguished guests and speakers, by explaining various dimensions of Quranic teachings, stressed the necessity of a deep and practical understanding of the Quran in individual and social life.
Professor Dr. Mohammad Ismail Akbari, a professor at Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences in Tehran and an honorary guest, stated: "Knowing the Quran is not limited merely to understanding its words and phrases; the main goal is to comprehend its messages and apply them practically in various spheres of human life."
Quran: An Invitation to Contemplation and Intellectual Insight
Professor Mushir Hussain Siddiqui, former head of the Arabic Language and Literature Department at Lucknow University, emphasized in his speech: "The fundamental message of the Holy Quran is an invitation to humanity for contemplation, reflection, and deep thought—a message that calls man to profound pondering over creation and attaining intellectual and cognitive insight."
Return to the Quran: The Way Out of Intellectual Tribulations
Professor Mohammad Fahim Akhtar Nadvi, former head of the Islamic Studies Department at Maulana Azad National Urdu University in Hyderabad, India, citing a Prophetic tradition, clarified: "In times of widespread tribulations and intellectual confusion, the only path to salvation and guidance is a conscious and responsible return to the Holy Quran."
Linking Modern Science with Quranic Ethics
In another part of the session, Dr. Mohammad Hossein Ziaei-Nia, from the Office of the Representative of the Guardian Jurist in India, referring to the intellectual challenges of Islamic societies, said: "Intellectual modernization in Muslim societies will only be realized when contemporary scientific achievements are harmonized with the Quranic perspective on knowledge, rationality, and ethical responsibility."
Holding Specialized Scientific Sessions and Presenting Research Papers
It is worth noting that during this international conference, over thirteen specialized scientific sessions were held, where more than forty researchers and paper presenters shared their scientific and research findings in fields related to the Quran and science.
Concluding Remarks
At the end of the conference, speakers emphasized the necessity of continuing the scientific dialogue between religion and science. They clarified that the Holy Quran can serve as an inspiring framework for providing ethical direction to scientific research and new technologies. They believed that the conscious utilization of Quranic teachings, while strengthening rationality and ethical responsibility, would pave the way for scientific progress accompanied by justice, spirituality, and human dignity.
Participants also emphasized the need to institutionalize this approach in scientific and academic centers and called for the continued holding of such meetings to deepen mutual understanding between religious and scientific thinkers at the international level.
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