Search for Truth
Faith and Reason
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rationalism was possible, while in religion only
secondary rationalism was applicable.
In the past, arguments based on Aristotlean logic
used to be applied to faith. By its very nature it was
an indirect argument. Modern critics, therefore,
ignored such arguments as unworthy of
consideration. That is why religion was not thought
worthy of being paid any attention by rational
people. This state of affairs presented a challenge
not only to other religions but to Islam as well.
About five hundred years ago, with the emergence
of science, this state of affairs did not change. All
the scientists in the wake of the Renaissance
believed that matter, in fact, the entire material
world was something solid which could be
observed. Newton had even formed a theory that
light consisted of tiny corpuscles. As such, it was
possible to apply direct argument as an explanation
of material things. Similarly, even after the
emergence of modern science, this state of affairs
prevailed. It continued to be believed that the kind
of argument which is applied to apparently tangible
things could not be applied in the case of religion.
