MODERN MAN

~ 50 ~ thinking as could undermine the central position of the earth. It was this belief that came in the way of free investigation of the solar system. Holding the non-sacred to be sacred had thus locked the doors to all progress. Holding the moon sacred came in the way of nurturing the thought of man setting foot upon it. Holding the river sacred came in the way of man ever planning to produce electricity by conquering the river. Holding the cow sacred came in the way of man gauging the importance of its protein-rich meat and making it a part of his diet. All such research and investigation could start only when natural phenomena could be brought down from their pedestal of sanctity to a level on which man could look at them as normal, everyday things. Prior to Islam, the stars were objects of veneration. But after the Islamic revolution, observatories were built and the stars were subjected to observational research on a large scale, something which had never previously been attempted. The minerals embedded in the earth’s crust were likewise regarded as sacred. But Muslims, having developed