FROM THE EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

There are two kinds of human utterances: realistic and unrealistic. Realistic utterances are those that tally exactly with reality. Conversely, unrealistic utterances are those that do not take the actual state of affairs into account and are based on suppositions, conjectures, or mere opinion, rather than on fact. God approves of only the former type of utterances. A number of verses in the Quran aim at inculcating this scientific temperament 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. Insincere thinking may be called double standard thinking. The scientific temperament is the 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 or hypocrite that 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 and a scientific way of looking at the world, is one who comes up to the standard set by the Quran. The insincere person is wholly unaffected by and in fact devoid of the scientific approach. Therefore, he fails in life’s test, as he is so obsessed with his egocentric thinking that he refuses to adopt scientific or 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 the scientific approach. o Prof. Farida Khanam hub@thespiritofislam.org A sincere person, with a scientific approach and a scientific way of looking at the world, is one who comes up to the standard set by the Quran. The insincere person is wholly unaffected by and in fact devoid of the scientific approach.