CLOSE-MINDEDNESS

world, which awaits us after death. More important, it shows us how, in the course of our present life, we may prepare ourselves to meet those issues. The second kind of knowledge provides solutions to the social and economic problems, which we encounter in everyday life. It is imperative that we should seek both forms of knowledge, but we should never lose sight of the fact that they vary considerably in their application. The knowledge of the Quran and the Hadith is essential for us to know the purpose of our life, understand our connection with God and God's creation plan for us and discover other aspects of spirituality. The acquisition of knowledge of other sciences is a matter of worldly necessity. On the other hand, without knowledge of religion, the course of life to be adopted in this world for earning an everlasting reward in the Hereafter will constantly elude us. The secular sciences guide us in our worldly matters, giving us instruction in the agricultural, industrial and civic practicalities of life. On the other hand, the Quran and Hadith set our feet on the path to eternal development. Clearly, it is just as important for Muslims as it is for anyone else to study various branches of knowledge, but they must distinguish between ultimate objectives and adventitious necessity. We must not only study the Quran and the Hadith, but must be keenly aware that the real reasons for studying them are very different from those which prompt us to seek worldly knowledge: we must constantly bear in mind also that religious knowledge is a moral priority. The emphasis of Islam on learning and teaching was not confined to the Quran or the teachings of the Prophet. The Quran, in fact, has given a new outlook, a new perspective or paradigm as coined by Thomas Kuhn (The Structure of Scientific Revolution, 1955). According to this Quranic paradigm, man’s most important activity being intellectual contemplation or reflection, he is not supposed to blindly follow any idea or notion just because it was attributed to his ancestors or some other authority. He has to ponder on it critically and realistically. That is why we find that the Quran is replete with hundreds of inspirational and motivational verses that invite man to reflect on the wonderful creations of God. It was only when natural phenomena were divested of their divinity that the spirit of enquiry could be aroused in man. As a result, many of the mysteries of nature now lie unraveled.