Science and Religion

The question concerning the relationship between religion and reason has long been a subject of inquiry among philosophers, thinkers, theologians, and believers throughout history. However, the inquiry into the relationship between science and religion is a more recent development that emerged in the modern era. While discussions on the relationship between reason and religion in Islamic thought and Western philosophy span over a millennium, the question of the relationship between science and religion arose only a few centuries ago in the Western philosophical context and reached the Islamic world more recently.It is noteworthy that modern science emerged within the framework of the new reason, which encompasses empirical and mathematical reasoning. This form of reasoning was explicitly articulated and defined in the modern era, particularly by philosophers such as Descartes and subsequently by thinkers like Kant.Determining the relationship between the Muslim religious community and the new world necessitates addressing the new sciences that have emerged within the framework of the new reason. This relationship, specifically the relationship between the new sciences and religion, constitutes a scientific hypothesis that requires exploration and examination by the global Muslim community, particularly Muslim intellectuals. It appears that Muslim thinkers face a demanding and lifelong endeavor, which they embark upon from their youth until the end of their lives. Regarding the subject of science and religion, the works of Allameh Ja’fari can be classified into two levels or categories: One - General Level: This broad category encompasses a significant portion of Allameh Ja’fari’s works pertaining to fields such as cosmology, anthropology, ontology, ethics, and related subjects. These works, particularly evident in his interpretations of Mathnawi and Nahj al-Balagha, offer an exposition of the relationship between the new human sciences and Islamic thought. Within this context, a new form of Islamic human sciences has emerged. In other words, Allameh Ja’fari’s works at this general level not only professionally address the discourse on the relationship between the new sciences and religion, especially Islam but also contribute to the production and emergence of novel Islamic human sciences. Therefore, this category of Allameh Ja’fari’s scholarly works can be considered as examples of the newly developed Islamic human sciences that have been produced and surfaced.Two - Specific Level: The second level of discussion concerning the relationship between science and religion in Allameh Ja’fari’s works refers to the specific topics that he himself has addressed under the title of 'the relationship between science and religion.' These are the subjects mentioned in the book.