KARACHI, Sept 4: The former prime minister of Malaysia Dr Mahathir bin Mohammad has said that it is the acquisition of knowledge of science which can strengthen the Ummah and give it the capacity to protect itself by developing weapons.
He observed that Muslims today appeared weak simply because they neglected the injunctions of the holy Quran which stressed that Muslims should acquire knowledge for progress.
"I have always regarded science very important to humanity, and perhaps even more important to the Ummah, and believe that study of science never undermined the faith of Muslims in their religion."
Dr Mahathir was speaking at the special convocation of the Hamdard University here on Saturday. The honorary degree of Doctor of Science was conferred on him at the ceremony which was presided over by Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad Khan, who is also patron of the university. Eminent figures from different walks of life, as well as senior civil and military officials, attended the ceremony.
Considered as a political visionary and architect of Malaysia, Dr Mahathir, who has also been conferred the highest Malaysian award carrying the title 'Tun', is the 10th recipient of the HU's 'Honoris Causa' degree, awarded to him for his valuable contribution and distinguished services to the Ummah and the Third World, besides strengthening friendly ties between Pakistan and Malaysia.
Reading out the citation before the conferment of the degree, President of the Hamdard Foundation Ms Sadia Rashid said about Dr Mahathir that over the 22 years of his premiership, he transformed Malaysia from an agriculture and resource-based economy into an industrialized nation, elevating it to the position of the 17th biggest trading country in the world.
"A very prominent personality on the international scene, Dr Mahathir, is looked upon today as a particularly significant spokesman of the Muslim World, and beyond the Muslim World, the Third World as a whole."
Ms Sadia highlighted the salient features of Dr Mahathir's life as physician, manager of educational, trade and industrial affairs and a politician, and said: "Based on his distinguished career and contribution as prime minister, his singular role in elevating the industrial, educational and technological status of his country and ably representing the cause of the Ummah and Third World, Tun Mahathir bin Mohammad eminently deserved the degree of Doctor of Science being conferred upon him.
After the degree was conferred by HU Chancellor Senator S. M. Zafar, Governor Ishratul Ibad presented the degree to Dr Mahathir.
In his address, Dr Ibad said that Dr Mahathir, no doubt, was a spiritual physician as well, whose grand personality had always served the people of Pakistan as a source of inspiration. "Ever since your healing touch became a household word for us, young Pakistanis have been looking upon you as a leader worth emulating," he added.
The governor said that the former premier's leadership had shown to the entire Ummah that progress and development, taken together as a composite goal, was not a concept contradictory to the spiritual development of the people who believed that it was Almighty Allah who had provided them a complete code of life.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Mahathir said: "Science is more important to the Ummah because the Muslim world has always some doubt about science. There have been feelings that science may undermine our faith and religion. But on the other hand, science explains every thing based on fact and global evidences. However, science is limited only to the existence and functioning of things."
Science explains in detail that how a certain thing functions in one way or the other and what is happening around us. But it cannot tell us why the thing functions in either ways. Science does not answer that why certain developments happen around us.
It is religion which has the answer, he said, adding that religion and science never clashed with each other.
He said that Muslims ignored the fact that the subject of science was studied and adopted by great Muslim scholars of the past. There had been great Muslim scientists, including Ibne Sina and Ibne Rushd, who studied science and the great philosophers from other nations in order to explain the Nature, he said, adding that it was at a later stage when science was considered as something damaging for the belief and faith in our religion.
Dr Mahathir said: "The holy Quran tells Muslims to keep their horses and swords ready to defend themselves. And this stood valid even after 1,400 years of the injunction. As such, Muslims should pay attention to their defence requirements and produce tanks, bombs, rockets, battleships, planes and other weapons.
"Since we have neglected science and mathematics today, we depend upon others for weapons to defend ourselves."
He exhorted Muslims to acquire knowledge for a progress which could strengthen the Ummah further and give it the capacity to build weapons independently.
He said that acquisition of knowledge was exactly in line with the teachings of Islam and, therefore, he felt that science was something that must be studied at all levels in the Muslim world.
Mr S. M Zafar said that his consistent and successful policies endeared Dr Mahathir not only in the socio-political scene of Malaysia, but also distinguished him in the entire Ummah because of his forthright stand and outspoken personality.
"It is he, who challenged the western world's views on the image of Muslim world pointing out that it was misplaced and misunderstood," he observed, saying that he gallantly crossed swords in the intellectual circles with those who, without any justification, had been holding Muslims responsible for terrorism.
In this age of global unrest, the HU chancellor continued, Dr Mahathir had fulfilled his responsibility of guiding the Ummah out of a turmoil. "Dr Mahathir's personality shows a great harmony of modernity and tradition. He has not only accepted the progress and development of a modernized world but, whenever necessary, also expressed his differences with the West due to which he became target of intense criticism from vested interests," he remarked.
The HU Vice-Chancellor, Dr Muhammad Iqbal Qureshi, said that Dr Mahathir was an icon of the Ummah and an inspiration for the entire developing world. His bold intellectual postures had given invaluable boost to the sagging morale of the Ummah, he observed.
