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(dimuat Jakarta Post, Readers Forum | Sat, September 06 2014, 11:14 AM)
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/09/06/your-letters-muslim-scientists-and-koran.html
In the golden age of Islam, many Muslim clerics mastered Arabic (the language of the Koran). Derived from their comprehension of the Holy Koran, they invented various forms of knowledge.
Before Muslim scientists studied general knowledge, many of them first learned Arabic and memorized the Koran and later they studied various branches of science.
Al-Ghazali, who studied philosophy and Ibn Sina, the father of general medicine are two examples of these. Others include Al Farabi, Al Kindi, Ibn Khaldun and so on.
I am convinced that our country can create great and respected Muslim scientists in the future if students are required to understand Arabic. Ibn Sina, known by western people as Avicenna, developed medicinal treatment and therapy. The West acknowledges him as the father of modern medicinal treatment. He studied Arabic and memorized the Koran when he was 5 years old.
Muslim clerics at that time succeeded in developing general knowledge and science and their findings are useful for the foundation of Western knowledge.
The question is why are Muslim countries less developed then western countries? Meanwhile, the sciences and technologies mostly also come from the West.
In order to get back to the golden age of Islam, Muslims need to understand the Koran thoroughly while at the same time trying to develop general knowledge. I believe that the Koran could inspire Muslim scientists to develop general knowledge and science.
Therefore, young Muslims, apart from studying general knowledge, also need to learn Arabic so that they can understand the Koran better.
With this effort, Islam will contribute more to the development of science, as has been done by Muslims in the past.
When Muhammad Natsir became prime minister and Wahid Hashim, founder of Nadhatul Ulama, became the religious affairs minister there were decrees and regulations that required Islamic schools to teach mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology and other general subjects in the school curriculum.
This is a time for the education policymakers of the Islamic schools to be more concerned with the development of students’ understanding of sciences. It is regrettable that the education policy only absorbs knowledge from western perspectives. Therefore, developing human skills and knowledge based on religious perspectives are important.
With it, smart students are not only good in cognitive aspects but also smart in emotional and social aspects, which is good for both education and industry development.
Hopefully, the education ministry will pay more attention to this idea for the sake of the improvement of human resources in this country.
Aries Musnandar
Malang, East Java
