THE AGE OF SCIENCE AND RELIGION—PART II

unawareness which is given the beautiful name of ecstasy, a trancelike condition. But Truth is about discovering the higher reality at the level of consciousness. A material analogy is the electric bulb and the powerhouse. The bulb in its inactivated state is a lightless object. With no inherent light, it lacks the innate ability to give light to others. But when connected to the powerhouse, it immediately lights up, becomes bright, giving light to others. This exemplifies the criterion for discovering truth. Finding the truth is like consciously finding a light. Mysticism does not fulfil this criterion; its pursuit leads to abstraction. For a conscious being like man, an unawakened mind cannot realise the Higher Reality of God. God can be realised only through a developed mind. Science has the last word in this matter. Modern science has undoubtedly given man many things from telecommunication to consumer goods. But in the matter of truth, science has made it clear that the discovery of truth is not its domain. A Western scholar has rightly said that the field of knowledge is vast, and can be classified as—knowledge of things and knowledge of truth. Scholars agree that the domain of science is limited only to the knowledge of things. The knowledge of truth is beyond the sphere of science. Science is not even a candidate for the position of purveyor of truth. The study of man tells that deeper knowledge is required to determine how to lead life in this world. This has been dealt with in detail by Alexis Carrel in his book, Man the Unknown. It has to be conceded that man cannot discover this necessary knowledge through his own efforts and requires external guidance. Studying the life of the Prophet, we learn that without doubt, the Prophet is the man who is our real guide and God’s representative. o This is the concluding part of the article ‘The Age of Science & Religion’. Part I of this article appeared in the September 2015 issue of SPIRIT OF ISLAM. It has to be conceded that man cannot discover the necessary knowledge of truth through his own efforts and requires external guidance.