UNIVERSAL MESSAGE FOR GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP

There are a number of verses in the Quran that aim at inculcating this scientific spirit in the believers. In all matters believers are to be guided by reason and logical thinking. According to the Quran, there are two kinds of thinking—sincere thinking and insincere thinking or double-standard thinking. The scientific approach is characteristic of a sincere thinker. A sincere thinker cannot envision an approach which is not based on realism. He bases his life on sound and true foundations. On the contrary, it is the insincere thinker who has no principles or scruples. His approach is based on opportunism and he changes his point of view and way of thinking to serve his own interests. That is why there is not even a grain of the scientific approach in him. His thoughts and deeds are totally unpredictable. A sincere person with a scientific approach of looking at the world, is the one who comes up to the standard set by the Quran. At the same time, the insincere person is completely unaffected by and in fact free of scientific approach. Therefore, he fails in life’s test as he is so obsessed with his ego-centric thinking that he refuses to adopt a realistic approach. The Quran is not a book of science in the technical sense, but there is no denying the truth that the Quranic approach is nothing other than a scientific approach. A study of the Quran also shows that its aim is to produce a universal approach in human beings. Universality means high thinking and an unbiased and unconditional approach. We find an example of this quality in the Quran. It addresses us thus: “O man, O mankind.” This shows that the approach of the Quran is based on universality. The very first chapter of the Quran begins with these words. “Praise be to God, the Lord and Sustainer of all mankind. Similarly, the Quran introduces God as the “Lord of the Worlds”, and not just the Lord of the Muslims or the Lord of the Arabs. He is also called ‘the Lord of the East and the West’ (70: 40). The Quran cites the Prophet of Islam as a messenger sent for all mankind and not just for the Arabs. The Quran says: “We have sent you as a mercy to mankind.” (21: 107). This universality of Quranic revelation brings about a universal approach in its believers. In another place Quran says: “Blessed be He The Quran cites the Prophet of Islam as a messenger sent for all mankind and not just for the Arabs.