REFERENCE Pervez Hoodbhoy’s article ‘The rise of unreason’ (Nov 8): the writer regrets the rise of the age of unreason, particularly in Pakistan, as he comments: “But nowhere in the world has unreason grown faster, and become more dangerous, than in Pakistan and Afghanistan.”

The reason for such a development, according to the professor, is the discarding of scientific evidence, lack of scientific attitudes, blind faith in the terrifying life after death experience etc. Such developments “create a passively accepting frame of mind”.

I endorse his views. But the Quranic teaching enjoins the believers to prepare for life after death as it is mentioned at several places in the Holy Quran.

“The life of this world is but a sport and pastime … a fleeing vanity. It is the life to come that is the true life. If they but know it.” (sura Al-Ankabut; 29:64)

At another place the Quran states: “Are you content with this life in preference to the life to come? Few indeed are the blessing of this life, compared to those of the life to come.” (sura Al-Tawbah: 9:38)

Can a believer reconcible his attitude towards life in view of the picture depicted in the Quran? To my mind such a picture does not prohibit the pursuit of scientific inquiry because such an inquiry would enrich human life by new discoveries. The abandonment of such a study would lead us to the era of barbarism, cruelty, ignorance and superstition as was witnessed in the dark ages of Europe before Renaissance.

A.S. Pingar

Karachi

Published in Dawn, November 23th , 2014