Muslim Materialist

Quran - Surah Taha (Taa-Haa) 20:114

Exalted is Allah, the True King! Do not rush to recite ˹a revelation of˺ the Quran ˹O Prophet˺ before it is ˹properly˺ conveyed to you, and pray, “My Lord! Increase me in knowledge.”

Quran - Surah Ali-'Imran (The Family of Imraan) 3:79

It is not for a human [prophet] that Allah should give him the Scripture and authority and prophethood and then he would say to the people, "Be servants to me rather than Allah," but [instead, he would say], "Be pious scholars of the Lord because of what you have taught of the Scripture and because of what you have studied." Quran 3:79

There's many opinions out there and many times science and theology are at odds. I've always found this strange because I love science, education and learning yet I am a Muslim, Alhamdulillah. What seems paradoxical to many is the inspiration for this blog. I want to bring other educated Muslims closer to their deen & build their imaan through learning about this world.

Why Materialsm? Doesn't that mean you value possesions over all else?

The definition of materialism i'm using is one of metaphilosophy. The definition more literally means that I believe that for all practical purposes the rules of the physical world is all that apply. Again, a seeminly paradoxical understanding of science and theology but i'd like to argue that Islam and science never contradict. Science is nothing more than "the systematic study of the structure and behavior of the physical and natural world through observation, experimentation, and the testing of theories against the evidence obtained." Whereas Islam is the submission to Allah swt whilst following in the criterion delivered to us from Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, through the Quran.

Two things fill the mind with ever new and increasing admiration and awe, the more often and steadily we reflect upon them: the starry heavens above me and the moral law within me. -Immanuel Kant

I'm a software engineer so by profession i'm oftening building logical programs to serve specific business needs. I write code, and when it's completed I run it. The computer takes the code and does exactly what it's told to do. The computer cannot do anything besides what it is programmed to do. I believe the world operates this way. Mathematics is the language of logic and will always apply to our physical life. Our understanding of the physical world will increase and we'll have more accurate descriptions of how to understand this absolute physical world. This is what I mean by materialism.

Quran - Surah Al-Baqarah (The Cow) 2:117

The Originator of the heavens and the earth. When He decrees a matter, He only says to it, 'Be,' and it is.

How can I believe the absolute nature of the physical world and also believe in Allah? How can you not? Allah, the eternal, the creator of the heaven and the worlds, the most merciful, the king of all kings. These attributes perfectly describe how I can believe in the absoluteness of the physical world and my creator. My creator has decreed as such, and therefore it is. I believe in Allah's swt absolute power to distort our physical world in incomprehensible ways and it's through his mercy that we have the consistency of this world. I see science as nothing more than a privilege granted to us by Allah swt to reason, see the signs of his mercy and live our life according to the Quran.

Quran - Surah Al-Muddaththir (The Cloaked One) 74:30-31

It is overseen by nineteen ˹keepers˺.

We have appointed only ˹stern˺ angels as wardens of the Fire. And We have made their number only as a test for the disbelievers, so that the People of the Book will be certain, and the believers will increase in faith, and neither the People of the Book nor the believers will have any doubts, and so that those ˹hypocrites˺ with sickness in their hearts and the disbelievers will argue, “What does Allah mean by such a number?” In this way Allah leaves whoever He wills to stray and guides whoever He wills. And none knows the forces of your Lord except He. And this ˹description of Hell˺ is only a reminder to humanity.

This was the fourth revelation made to the Prophet, peace be upon him. I have often wondered about the number nineteen and how it will help me be certain. One of the ways I think nineteen helps us increase our imaan is by looking at the periodic table for nineteen. Potassium, atmoic number 19 because of 19 protons, is the same chemical element responsible for maintaining the electrical balance in our cardiac muscles. The heart has much to do with this life and the Quran points to the same idea.

Quran - Surah Al-Baqarah (The Cow) 2:225

Allah does not impose blame upon you for what is unintentional in your oaths, but He imposes blame upon you for what your hearts have earned. And Allah is Forgiving and Forbearing.

So my friends i'll leave with you this final beautiful Quran verse. One of many verses that mentions how our actions affect our hearts and the reason for this life is a test and our answers are written within our heart.