In 1993, the European Space Agency (ESA) prepared a project to investigate 67P; the launch of a satellite named Rosetta was planned for the year 2003. However, due to an explosion of a rocket (Ariane 5) in 2002 right after its launch, Rosetta’s launch was delayed until 2004. Very sophisticated calculations were completed to make the orbit of Rosetta intersect with 67P. This was done by utilizing the gravities of both Earth and Mars.

A spacecraft called Philae was included with the Rosetta satellite. This device was to be separated from the satellite and land on the comet. Philae was also equipped with instruments that could carry out 10 different analyses. One of these was a drill with an approximately 30 cm probe enabling it to collect specimens by boring into the comet’s soil. These soil specimens would be analyzed via some of Philae’s devices to determine the composition of the comet. Another mounted instrument would send radio waves directly into the center of the comet and these signals would be analyzed by the Rosetta and tell us about the comet’s center and core.

The comet was estimated to have a planar and cylindrical structure; however, when its photograph was taken at a close distance, it was seen to have a duck-like shape. This situation made it very difficult for Philae to land. Despite that, Rosetta entered the orbit of the comet in August 2014. Three months of surveys were conducted and photographs were taken, generating information to locate a landing spot for the Philae craft. After assessment of this data, a decision was made on where to land.

The landing took three attempts. Philae sent a signal to Rosetta five hours after its detachment and the satellite itself relayed that signal to Earth. Then, it made a soft landing. However, the landing zone was away from the initially planned spot and deprived Philae of solar rays, which would charge its batteries. It was running out of energy. Nonetheless the module operated for nearly 57 hours before running out of power and was able to send analysis information regarding the soil it collected with the drill. This was the result of 10 years of planning, 10 years of travel, and 1.6 billion dollars spent.

Are there minerals on comets?

Philae is actually hoped to be a start for “asteroid mining.” In other terms, it is an effort to obtain precious minerals, which are about to diminish on Earth, from asteroids. According to the report published by the US Geological Survey in 2006, the Titanium (Ti) reserves on Earth will run out within 34 years. Titanium is mainly utilized by heavy industries, especially in plane and spacecraft manufacturing. Today the situation is also critical for other rare earth metals, primarily platinum (Pt), europium (Eu), and palladium (Pd) which are consumed in the production of smart phones, tablets, PCs, and weapons. For instance, in tablets, europium (Eu) is used; in touch screens, indium (In) is used; and for headphones, neodymium (Nd) is used. For these reasons, it is anticipated that countries with space technology will increase their efforts to obtain these types of precious elements via asteroid mining in space. The firm Planetary Resources is a pioneer for this enterprise.

There is also hope that Philae gathered new information which pertain to the creation of the solar system – and even the whole universe. Asteroids are the oldest heavenly masses in the solar system, and as such can provide data in terms of planet formation. Discoveries of major geological clues to the Earth’s past are expected. Furthermore, the report sent by Philae enabled a reinvestigation of the issue as to whether there are different elements in space than on Earth or not. No new elements were discovered during the study. In other words, it is proved one more time that space does not contain different elements than are already found on Earth.

No new element found

These type of studies have been completed in the past; no new elements were found during the analysis of the rocks brought to Earth on board the US spacecraft Eagle from the moon; and analysis of the soil brought from Mars by the Phoenix Mars Lander in 2008 also showed no new elements. Lastly, every meteor collected has been analyzed, and none have had any new elements. The carbon testing conducted on these samples, each a constituent of the outer space, has also confirmed that the solar system is approximately 4.5 billion years old.

What does space dust tell us?

Every year, an average of 15 million tons of space dust lands on Earth. The laboratory analysis of these microscopic particles means a lot for science.

As the result of studies carried out with electron microscopes and uranium testing, scientists have never encountered any element other than the 92 found on Earth. These analyses also confirm the age of the solar system.

All this dust raises the question: where does it come from? Dr. Loretta Dunne from Cardiff University said: “The origin of cosmic dust is, in fact, the basic question of the origin of our planet and others. Effectively, we live on a very large collection of cosmic dust grains and yet, until now, we have not been sure where cosmic dust is made.”

As we explore stars, comets, and meteorites, and reflect about the vast space, we remain fascinated by the size and order of the universe. Finding the same materials in everything we have discovered confirms the one singular source of all existence, from every point of view.

References

• http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2003/07/030723084654.htm
• http://sci.esa.int/rosetta/14615-comet-67p
• http://rosetta.jpl.nasa.gov

Starting from the perspective of the description above, some scholars deal with wisdom in two categories, namely practical and theoretical, as they have done with reason. Theoretical wisdom is the effort that one makes along with a God-given ability to observe things and events as if they were an exhibition. It is also an attempt to penetrate the meaning behind and purpose for such events in order to study and read them like a book, to listen to them like a symphony, and to study and try to understand the mysterious relationship between the physical and metaphysical realms of existence.

As for practical wisdom, it is turning to the Owner of this exhibition, the Author of this book, the Composer of this symphony and trying to discover Him through worship, running to Him in love and yearning, and deeply experiencing the awe and amazement of being in His presence. So, to sum up, wisdom begins with reflection, curiosity, wonder, and the zeal to study and search, and continues with obedience and worship, ending in spiritual pleasures and eternal happiness.

Studying the Qur’anic verses where wisdom is mentioned, we can add to the above explanation the following points:

Wisdom means the subtleties and mysteries of the Qur’an. Since the Qur’an is, in one respect, the correlative of the book of the universe and, in another, its interpretation and explanation, its subtleties and mysteries are also those of the book of the universe. The Qur’an indicates this in the verse (2:269), He grants the wisdom to whomever He wills, and whoever is granted the wisdom, has indeed been granted much good.

Wisdom means Prophethood and the meaning of Messengership. The scholars of the Hadith have interpreted it as Sunna (the way of the Messenger). The verses, God granted him (David) kingdom and wisdom (2:251), and We granted Luqman wisdom (31:12), refer to this meaning.

Wisdom, in both its theoretical and practical aspects, means goodwill, which is mentioned in: Call to the way of your Lord with wisdom and fair exhortation and preaching (16:125).

Some have defined wisdom as correct judgment, and acting as one should act and doing what is necessary to do at the right time and right place. We can elaborate on this meaning, which can be re-stated as being just, moderate, balanced, and straightforward as follows:

Giving everything its due, or right judgment, without going to extremes, viewing and discharging our responsibilities in the framework of the Shari‘a, fulfilling the necessary conditions and prerequisites for any desired result, avoiding extremes, even when doing good deeds, being careful to maintain the fact that religion can be practiced or lived under all circumstances, and leading a life in accordance with the Sunna of the Prophet.

Always preferring God’s decisions and judgments concerning us over our own choices, and leading our lives according to the rule, Submit to God and be saved,1 i.e. being resigned to all of God’s decrees and acts concerning our lives and nature, without ever forgetting that God has wisdom in whatever He does, and does nothing in vain.

Being steadfast in following the Messenger strictly in our thoughts and actions in full perception of his way, and as stated in the verse (12:108), Say: “This is my way: I call to God based on conscious insight and sure knowledge – I and those who follow me,” serving our religion and humanity in his way with conscious insight and sure knowledge.

The principal sources of wisdom are Divine Revelation and inspiration.16 This means that all the Prophets and all the spiritual guides, each according to his rank, are also sages or wise people whose special property is wisdom. Such people apply spiritual therapy to those diseased in mind and spirit (those who have followed wrong ways in thought and belief and who suffer from spiritual discontentment), and, by God’s leave, cure them, trying to keep their spiritual lives cleansed of the viruses brought on by evil nature and sin.

In view of the missions (special tasks and occupations) of the Prophets and saints, we can add to the definition of wisdom the following:

Wisdom is unity of thought, intention, and action. Right thinking, precision in expression, and acting in the right way are true signs of wisdom.

Certainty in knowledge, soundness in action, and perfection in any performance, which we can paraphrase as supporting knowledge with action or practice, and doing any work of art with efficiency, which adds to the artist’s zeal and ability, also demonstrate wisdom.

Grasping the aims of religion and, in addition to representing it in individual life, trying to make it prevail in life or ordering life accordingly, is a dimension of wisdom.

Perceiving the essence of existence together with its inner truth, as well as the peculiarities of each thing together with its relationship with all other things, and the Creator’s purposes for the existence and life of things, is another, important dimension of wisdom.

Approaching things in order to understand and analyze their uses and the benefits expected of them, and, as a vicegerent of God, to use them within the limits He has set, is an aspect of wisdom relating to art.

Seeing everything in the light of the Divine way, which is responsible for the perfect accord, order, and balance in the universe, where everything is in its exact place, the observation of this same order and the balance in our lives, and the development of sciences that study the earth and the sky to maintain the balance in them, is another approach to wisdom.

Pursuing the best goals in life, trying to make prevail what is good and preferable in the relationships between the rulers and the ruled, and, by adopting God’s way of conduct and treatment of His servants in our individual and social life, making heavenly the systems of government on earth, realizing God’s purposes for sending the Prophets, are other, excellent dimensions of wisdom.

In order to distinguish between reasoning and logic that are guided by the All-Merciful One, and those guided by the suggestions and misleading of Satan, one should submit one’s intellect to the guidance of God’s Messenger, upon him be peace and blessings, and always be on the alert. It is only by so doing that one can feel the Divine gifts of correct judgment, sound reasoning, and wise thinking appear within oneself; thereafter one begins to feel and think correctly and is saved from self- contradiction in one’s behavior. In the end, wise, right thinking and behavior become second nature—this means the adoption of the Divine way of conduct. We can also describe this as the transformation of theoretical reason into practical reason, and theoretical wisdom into practical, or, according to some Sufi leaders, the angelic aspects of a human being surpassing their satanic ones.

Knowledge, combined with action is an important dimension of wisdom. Although action is not a part of belief or, in other words, neglecting to practice religion in daily life is not a sign of unbelief, it is certain that action is an important aspect of religion. Putting knowledge into practice or practicing the religious commandments in daily life after learning them is an essential of Islam. The verse (51:56), I have not created the jinn and humankind but only to worship Me, warns us of this. Mere information without action will not help. As pointed out before, existence is a book or an exhibition of wisdom, with the Qur’an being its voice or translator or description. What falls on humanity is to read and study the book of creation in the Qur’an. Those who are able to do so are, in the words of the Qur’an, rewarded with abundant good, and gain great value in proportion to the depth of their inner world and the sharpness of their faculties. Contrarily, those who see the realities on the face of existence but cannot discern the truths lying behind it and the purpose for it alongside the magnificent order it displays, are doomed to not receive its messages. This is manifestly a loss or failure.

O God! Show us the truth as being true and enable us to follow it, and show us falsehood as being false and enable us to refrain from it. Amen!

Note

1. al-Bukhari, “Bad’u’l-Wahy,” 6.

This brief essay has three basic aims. The first is to offer a general definition of the Hizmet movement. The second is to highlight some of the major characteristics of the movement that relate to its emphasis on education. The third is to convey the extent to which the teachings of Fethullah Gulen embody an understanding of, and commitment to, education as a liberative force, a commitment which resonates deeply with the role of education in the ongoing struggle for civil rights in the United States.

1. Definition

I define Hizmet (Turkish for “service”) as a global spiritual renewal and social reform movement, rooted in traditional Islamic spirituality, observance, and teachings, but appealing to people of diverse faiths and backgrounds who share its universal values. These values center around the importance of family, education, and personal responsibility for the welfare of others–all within a context of a life lived in loving submission (islam) to God. Such values are oriented towards dialogue and cooperation–both within and across societies and cultures–for the purpose of pursuing greater justice and thus greater peace and solidarity in the human family.

In this respect, Hizmet stands in contrast to other contemporary so-called “Islamist” movements which are primarily political in nature, seeking to pursue a reformist agenda by overtly “Islamizing” the governmental and legal structures of existing Muslim majority nation-states.

2. M. Fethullah Gulen’s teaching of Hosgoru as the dominant ethos of Hizmet

As many of the readers of this publication are well aware, the human spiritual inspiration behind the Hizmet movement is an elderly Turkish gentleman, who mows the lawn and washes the dishes, by the name of M. Fethullah Gulen. He is also known respectfully and affectionately to the millions who deeply admire and love him as a true man of God and eminently wise teacher, myself included, as “Hocaefendi” or “beloved teacher.”

There are many things one could say about this extraordinary man. Indeed multiple volumes could be written about his incredible life story of selfless service to God in the humble service he has always striven to render to others. Countless pages could be written exploring the insightful and profound ideas he shares in his scores of books translated into scores of languages. But Mr. Gulen himself would be displeased if he thought any writer was expending energy focusing on him rather than the mission to which he has dedicated his life and to which he has tirelessly invited countless others. So in deference to Mr. Gulen’s sensibilities, allow me to encapsulate a key principle of his teachings which is arguably the dominant ethos of the movement he has inspired. This key principle is known, in Gulen’s native Turkish, as hosgoru.

The standard translation of hosgoru into English is “tolerance.” Hence the following translation of a very famous set of verses from the poetry of Hocaefendi:

“Be so tolerant that your bosom becomes wide as the ocean. Be inspired with faith and love of human beings. Let there be no troubled souls to whom you do not offer a hand and about whom you remain unconcerned.”

Even as translated, the moral and spiritual pathos of these verses is powerful. Yet, as powerful as it stands, the translation is inadequate. Its inadequacy has primarily to do with the vagaries of translation and, in this particular instance, a significant semantic gap between the relatively maximalist root meaning of the Turkish word hosgoru and the rather minimalist contemporary connotation of the English word, “tolerance.” Whereas “tolerance” connotes a sense of enduring—usually with some difficulty—an adverse circumstance or set of circumstances, hosgoru connotes a radically different sensibility.

The term is derived from two roots: the first—hos—meaning “good”; and the second—gormek—meaning “to see.” Thus hosgoru literally means “seeing [especially the other] in a goodly manner” and/or “seeing the goodness in the other. Gulen writes:

“Under the lens of hosgoru, the merits of believers attain a new depth and extend to infinity; mistakes and faults shrink so much that they can be squeezed into a thimble. Actually the treatment of He Who is beyond time and space always passes through the prism of hosgoru, and we wait for it to embrace us and all of creation.”– “The Necessity of Interfaith Dialogue: A Muslim Perspective” (2001)

Attend, if you will, to what Mr. Gulen is saying here. He is not only implying that human dignity is elevated through an ethic of hosgoru. He is saying that God, Godself, looks upon God’s creation—and especially all human beings—through the “lens of hosgoru.” In other words, Gulen identifies hosgoru as a divinely ordained dynamic in the divine-human relationship. He is implying that if the One God, who is perfect and flawless, looks upon creation—and especially us human beings with all our sins and shortcomings—in a manner which emphasizes our goodness (cf. Hadith 37 of the Arba`in of al-Nawawi), how much more so are we, as flawed and sinful beings, beholden to look upon others in the same way?

3. Commitment to education and a pedagogical methodology of example (temsil)

Before I actually met Fethullah Gulen Hocaefendi, I felt that I had already met him in the many friends I had acquired from Hizmet. They concretize, in their lives, the essence of so much of what he teaches: humility, service and a deep concern for others (especially those who are suffering), dedication to family, commitment to self-improvement, and a willingness to learn from those who are different from themselves. These are all wonderful words, but in my many friends from Hizmet—working in so many different places around the world—they strive to put them into action. The world is hungry for examples not just rhetoric and Hizmet, in it’s own special way, is attempting to help satisfy this hunger. This notion of teaching by example—in Turkish, temsil—is a key component of the educational philosophy of, and pedagogical methodologies advocated by, Fethullah Gulen.

As Ruth Woodall (“Fethullah Gulen’s Philosophy of Education in Practice”) reminds us:

Gulen calls performance of the superficial, technical aspects of instruction “teaching”, reserving the term “education” for a deeper, more meaningful and holistic activity (unal and Williams 2000:312). Notwithstanding the importance that the schools attach to training in practical classroom technique, the teacher is more than a mere purveyor of information or skills. The relationship between teacher and student is crucial: “The best way to educate people is to show a real concern for every individual, not forgetting that each individual is a different ‘world'” (Unal and Williams 2000:313).

So, in Gulen’s thought, the role of the teacher as an exemplar of hosgoru is key to her or his effectiveness, not only in the classroom as a pedagogue, but as an educator in the broader and more holistic sense. We should not miss the degree to which Gulen models this in his own role as the paradigmatic teacher/educator or hoca par excellence of the Hizmet movement. The practical effects of Gulen’s own modeling of hosgoru are palpably evident in the teachers who work in the over 1500 Hizmet schools worldwide. To return to Woodhall:

This importance given to the development of the individual in the movement leads to teachers and administrators dedicating extra hours to free after-school and weekend lessons for individuals or small groups. Graduates of the schools, who have started university courses, also return voluntarily to help the students in the following years with their studies and to mentor them (Aslandogan and Cetin 2007:54). …Teachers’ altruism is not confined to sacrificing their time for students. They also make considerable financial sacrifices. Many teachers also sponsor students for part or all of their tuition. (www.fethullahgulenforum.org)

4. Mutually critical assessment of tradition and modernity

A characteristic of the teachings of Fethullah Gulen and the Hizmet movement, which has roots in the work of Bediuzzaman Said Nursi (d. 1960), is the importance of placing tradition and modernity into a mutually critical conversation with one another, triangulating on questions of socio-cultural development and reform. Put simply, Gulen encourages those he inspires to take up the project of using modern ideas to critique and better understand traditional values and practices, and using traditional teachings better to assess and critically evaluate particular features of modernity. The reason for doing this is to arrive at the optimal synthesis of the traditional and the modern for the welfare of human societies.

As someone who spent his formative years in late twentieth century Turkey, Gulen experienced firsthand the many negative effects of a brand of coercive and oppressive laicite as part of a much larger project of nationalist social engineering. In particular, Gulen perceived the way in which “democracy” and its reputation as a “modern” value could be little more than a Western rhetorical trope. Indeed he witnessed the way in which this trope, when transplanted into his own Turkish republican context, was used to mask a very modern and unforgiving form of Kemalist authoritarianism which could well be assessed as far less “democratic” and certainly far less “pluralist” than the Ottoman imperial structures it supplanted. So, for Gulen, modern ideas, such as those distilled in the U.N. Universal Declaration of Human Rights, could be a very helpful lens through which Muslims could begin to glimpse with more clarity some of the foundational universalist and humanist principles proclaimed in the Qur’an and embedded within Islamic jurisprudence. By the same token, Gulen saw these very principles—especially in their particularly Islamic modality—as having much to offer, not just contemporary Muslim societies, but all societies.

In this regard, Gulen writes of democracy that it

“…has developed over time. Just as it has gone through many different stages in the past , it will continue to evolve and improve in the future. Along the way, it will be shaped into a more humane and just system, one based on righteousness and reality. If human beings are considered whole, without disregarding the spiritual dimension of their existence and their spiritual needs, and without forgetting that human life is not limited to this mortal life and that all people have a great craving for eternity, democracy could reach the peak of perfection and bring even more happiness to humanity. Islamic principles of equality, tolerance, and justice can help it do just this.” Toward a Global Civilization of Love and Tolerance (NJ: Tughra, 2011 p. 224)

5. Akil ve Kalb: The integration of “mind and heart,” of intelligence and compassion

A hallmark of Hizmet epistemology is the integration of akil ve kalb—of “mind and heart” or intelligence and compassion. In the broadest sense, this is an expression of Gulen’s—and therefore the movement’s—holistic approach to spirituality. In particular, Hizmet participants frequently exhibit an appreciation for the importance of the integration of mind and heart for improving human communities. People in the movement widely affirm the fact that arriving at good solutions to social problems necessitates hard critical analyses. At the same time, however, Hizmet participants would emphasize that every rational solution to a problem must be judged according to how it affects the lives of people—especially the most vulnerable–the ones the Qur’an refers to as the mustad’afun and the New Testament refers to as those “who hunger and thirst for righteousness.”

6. Dialogue and consultation

Closely related to the integration of “mind and heart”—especially with respect to meaningful and salutary social reform—is Gulen’s and the Hizmet movement’s emphasis on dialogue and consultation or, to use the Turkish term, istisare. Istisare is a strong ethic of mutual inquiry on strategies for achieving social goals. In fact, I would go so far as to say that there is a natural elective affinity between the largely intra-movement dynamic of istisare, on the one hand, and the movement’s deep commitment to intercultural and interreligious dialogue. I would also argue that, to a very significant degree, the Hizmet ethic and practices of dialogue and consultation comprise the foundation of its emerging identity as a movement of “civic Islam” (cf. Etga Ugur, “Civic Islam in the Public Sphere: the Gulen Movement, Civil Society and Social Capital in Turkey” http://www.islamconference.org/2006/ICI-06%20PAPERS/ABSTRACTS/Etga%20Ugur.pdf).

Conclusion: An illustrative personal story

I would like to close with a personal story which I hope will give you a sense of the global scope of the movement, as well as help illustrate the definition of Hizmet with which I began and the five major characteristics I’ve attempted to identify and briefly explicate.

A few years ago I had occasion to travel to South Africa where, among many other things, I had the opportunity to visit a Hizmet math and science academy for boys which largely served young men from the notoriously economically impoverished Apartheid Era township of Soweto. In fact, I had occasion to visit Soweto and meet people with indomitable and dignified spirits living in abject poverty (even long after Apartheid had been officially dismantled). I was taken there by the teachers at the Hizmet school who regularly visit with their students’ parents in adherence to the holistic educational philosophy of Fethullah Gulen. I also had the privilege of talking to these young men back at the school where they asked me lots of questions about what I did and about President Obama, and where I asked them questions about their studies, their school, and their hopes and dreams for the future.

After this unforgettable exchange, I went back to the office with the principle, where we chatted, and I got around to asking him about the background of the boys I had just met. When I asked about religion, the principle said to me, smiling: “Agabey (a Turkish term of respect for an elder), 80% are Roman Catholic like you!” I had to struggle to hold back my tears, even though by that point I well knew that Turkish men, and especially the men of Hizmet, have no problem crying or seeing other men cry. To think that these Turkish Muslims traveled thousands of miles from the many comforts—both material and spiritual—of their homes, at great personal and familial sacrifice, to build and operate a school so that my young Catholic brothers from Soweto could have a better chance at life, was emotionally and spiritually overwhelming. But more than that, it drove home to me the essence of Hizmet and the vision of Fethullah Gulen.

[This is an abbreviated and edited version of a talk originally given by the author on the occasion of the conferral on M. Fethullah Gulen of the Gandhi, King, Ikeda Peace Award by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King International Chapel of Morehouse College on April 09, 2015.]

Through its various incarnations, from the Egyptian, Greek, Muslim, and Western sciences to the present day, mathematics has ignited the interest of people, nations, and religions. Mathematics has been used extensively to solve the secrets of the Holy Qur’an in the discipline of jifr and numerology, despite not being recommended by theologians, and Kabbalists have endeavoured to understand the word of God by using mathematics. Within Christianity, Saint Augustine’s statement that, “six is not perfect because God created the world in six days; rather, God created the world in six days because six is a number of perfection,”¹ shows that mathematics has been far more influential than science. Therefore, mathematics’ role in the transformation of knowledge into wisdom should be carefully considered.

In its abstraction, mathematics provides us with a vast quantity of information to explore. It is one of the most effective means of explaining incomprehensible phenomena in the cosmos, including the aspects that are beyond human perception. Even though not everything in mathematics appears to have a correspondence in the real world now, according to Nikolai Lobachevsky, the future will bear witness to such a correspondence. Therefore, contemporary mathematicians need not be concerned whether their studies correspond to real facts or not.

History has demonstrated repeatedly that nations which have progressed in the social and natural sciences have become more fully developed. Life depends on a lot of parameters, which share several common characteristics. For example, a link may exist in society between a society’s justice system and its level of mathematical knowledge. John Nash, the Nobel Prize winner, stated (2012)² that there is no justice in a society where people do not know mathematics, revealing that all levels of mathematics have more meaning and social impact than we imagine. In this context, math can even be useful for understanding and solving complicated social issues.

How can theology, which deals with creation and belief, help us understand life without mathematics? The answer to this question depends on our understanding of the universe as evidence for God’s existence. In Richard Feynman’s words, “To those who do not know mathematics it is difficult to get across a real feeling as to the beauty, the deepest beauty, of nature.”³ Here it can be realised that Feynman’s ideas on the language of nature correspond to those of Galileo, who lived over four centuries ago. Both scientists seem to agree that an understanding of the universe is intricately linked to mathematics.

In the contemporary world, the reason the majority of people prefer studying social sciences may be related to an unwillingness to study mathematics. If we believe everything in the universe was created for a purpose, it makes sense then that everything is connected at a deeper level. Mathematics can make enormous contributions to other disciplines. Therefore, the current role of mathematics in other disciplines needs further attention. As an illustration, although the work of Leonardo da Vinci is globally acclaimed, particularly masterpieces such as the Mona Lisa, most people ignore the mathematical aspect of da Vinci’s art. To understand this aspect of his work would only deepen our appreciation of his genius.

In Islamic theology, it is suggested that every sin, whether minor or not, should never be undermined. The Qur’an asks every human, as small as they are, to behave as if they were in the presence of God. Bediuzzaman mentions that, “For there are some small things which can in one respect swallow many large things.”⁴ Indeed, the things that we regard as small can be the bearers of larger things, and this is possible in mathematics as well. The example of the butterfly effect is prominent proof of this fact; the flap of a butterfly’s wings in China may trigger a storm in the United States. In other words, a single occurrence, no matter how small it is, can change the direction of the universe. This was proved with a weather forecast experiment. When the decimal value of one of the parameters was not entered, considerable changes occurred in the curve of the weather estimation. This is a clear example of how small things may have much more of an effect than we assume.

In conclusion, the universe will disclose its secrets more if approached holistically. It is obvious that the universe cannot be fully read without mathematics. People who want to understand the workings of creation should know all disciplines, at least to a certain extent.

Notes

1. Hamilton, Albert Charles. 1990. The Spenser Encyclopedia, page 514.
2. Evin, Mehves. 2012. “There is no justice in a society where people do not know mathematics,” (Turkish) Interview with John Nash. Milliyet, 24.07.2012.
3. Richard, P. 1967. The Character of Physical Law, MIT Press, p. 58.
4. Nursi, Bediuzzaman Said. 2008. The Gleams, NJ: The Light, Inc. p. 188.

The carpenter was an orphan, and grew up alone. He learned to calm his temper by taking certain parts of the sculpture out and giving the whole a symmetrical shape. “This touch of hammer is for yesterday’s anger,” he said.

The pupil listened, his eyes wide open.

“If you do not take out something, you will never get shape,” he whistled, the pencil between his teeth. He drew another line after some calculations on the nose of sculpture, then took a sip from his coffee. In the old days, in Boston, it would’ve been tea. “Now we all drink Columbian coffee,” he murmured as if he were a New Englander.

“You know,” he continued. “To take out some part of you, it’s useful to get to know the human inside and build something from the inside out … but, you know, it is not enough! You will need to nurture your soil to make it into shapeable clay. You need to sow a hundred good intentions, and even if some fade away, that’s ok. The twenty will save the day. Also, if one has a hundred good wishes for each new day, even though you cannot achieve one thing out of a hundred immediately, that wish will make your humanity flourish. You know, people are like planes. From the ground they look like they are following a steady path, but nay. You either go higher or lower. The moments when a plane looks steady from the ground are often moments of turbulence. So my son, each day you have to carve out some and nourish the rest. Be careful, if you carve out without nourishing the clay, you will loose the sculpture. If a human has no soil left, and you replace it with arrogance and cruelty, neither sun or rain can nourish that mud. Those days are when seeds meet with stones or mud; if you do not keep up your soil, you will harvest the worst. Those are moments of death.” “What is the worst?” asked the pupil.

The carpenter continued, “have I ever told you the story of milk and butter?”

“Nope,” the child responded.

“You know, if milk goes bad, it may ferment into yogurt, right? What happens if it does not turn into yogurt? It becomes, cheese or butter. But what happens if butter goes bad? Nothing: it smells terrible and is of no use. This is what happens when we do not nourish the soil by scything or letting it rest for a year after harvest… If one looses the thin layer of humanity, you become less than an animal. Animals have a dignity of their own; such a human would not, son. Take care of that thin layer that keeps you alive as a human. You know, sometimes humans lose their humanity when they became carnivores. I do not only mean wars. There is more. If you gossip, that kills society. No trust, no truth, no humanity!

“Soil and nature are the best books I have. Those make me closer to my human self.”

I looked at sky. It rained as if it never did since a year in Boston. I left my soil to reach its sculpture under the rain clouds, as fresh as the smell of a new day. One day, I hope when I also become a human sailor in the vessel of this body, I will reach the limits of existence in the form of humanity. It is my duty to shape the soul as a sculpture, to sail this vessel. But this human soul is not mine. As a sculpture, I am weak, after all. It is on the Artist to make His art breath with life: The Artist, who gives the tools in the form of books we read in universe, in scripture, and in human souls.

In this issue of The Fountain, Bruce Parker expounds on the “math wars” among parents, students, and educators. Questioning the necessity of math has been going on for many decades and the range of counter arguments against math have varied from “harmful to thinking for ordinary living” and “nonfunctional and nearly valueless”. So, Parker asks, do we really need to have math in middle and high school, as well as college, curriculums? His answer is an emphatic yes.

Supporting Parker in the need for math, Guvenalp writes that “mathematics can make enormous contributions to other disciplines,” and that “an understanding of the universe is intricately linked to mathematics.” Many people think that a scientific viewpoint and a religious viewpoint are incompatible. Mesut Sahin argues that a scientific mind can be deeply complementary to a religious soul – and vice-versa. “Scientific pursuit demands a personality with a strong dedication and faith in a cause. Those are the traits that are well developed in a person with religious experience,” says Sahin, whose essay is a substantive contribution to the age-old debate on whether science and religion can be reconciled.

Who are Sufis? How different from, or similar to, Muslims are they? The Western experience of Islam has historically been more confrontational than peaceful. Sufism, however, has been welcomed rather warmly despite its origins being deeply rooted in Islam. In his “A History of Sufism for Western Readers” Sait Yavuz explains how Sufi orders came into being and systematized their practices over time. Western sympathy towards Sufism seems to arise from the latter’s emphasis on genuine love rather than the prescriptions of legalistic scholars. Sufism, according to Yavuz, is, “setting aside everything in this temporary world to reach purity, and achieve a state of direct experience of God, in which one can even annihilate himself in God’s Divine being.”

Not much different than Sufis, we all seem to have annihilated ourselves in something these days, but this thing is not as holy as the Divine, unfortunately: the internet. Onyeagolu Tochukwu writes that the virtual world in which we have immersed ourselves has created an illusion of greater connection, yet “a great majority of human relationships have been transferred from the world of reality, where they involve personal encounters between humans, to the virtual world of the internet and other online platforms where personal encounters between humans are either ruled out or vastly different.”

Fethullah Gülen, the author of our lead article, was the 2015 recipient of the prestigious Gandhi King Ikeda Award for Peace. The award ceremony took place at the Martin Luther King Int’l Chapel Crown Nave at Morehouse College, Atlanta, Georgia. Mr. Gülen was awarded due to his “interfaith and cross-cultural dialogue about science, democracy and spirituality and opposition to violence and the misuses of religion as political ideology [which] made [him] the humanizing face of Islam.” The keynote speech delivered during the ceremony by Dr. Scott C. Alexander is in print for the first time in this issue of The Fountain. This piece is a must read for those who research both Mr. Gülen’s ideas, and Hizmet, the global movement of education and dialogue inspired from these ideas.

Many students in elementary, middle, and high school have problems with math classes. Many students and their parents often ask why math is an important part of the curriculum for all levels of their education. Most of the time, the main complaint is, “Why do we have to take so many ‘useless’ math courses? There is no direct or immediate use of most of the material we learn in our math classes.” Even though this assertion seems to be right for the “direct/immediate use” aspect at first sight, we will try to go deeper and consider the question from a different point of view.

An anecdote from recent US math education history proves the controversial nature of the subject. The paper, “A Brief History of American K-12 Mathematics Education in the 20th Century”1 by David Klein gives a good account of the developments in US math education in the 20th century. In the early 1900s, one of the nation’s most influential education leaders, William H. Kilpatrick, rejected the notion that studying mathematics contributed to mental discipline. He even defended his view that mathematics is harmful rather than helpful to the kind of thinking necessary for ordinary living. At the time, his opinions about the teaching of math and algebra were supported by many experts. For example, in the 1920s, Commissioner of Education for the state of Massachusetts, David Snedden, said that, “Algebra…is a nonfunctional and nearly valueless subject for 90 percent of all boys and 99 percent of all girls–and no changes in method or content will change that.” Hence, at the period, the students were taught basic math skills which would have immediate practical applications. However, after World War II, policymakers began to advocate for a stronger math curriculum, a movement motivated by the space race of the 1950s. But later, and especially in the 1990s, the controversy of the “math wars” among parents, professional educators, and mathematicians was raised again. With the involvement of many educators and mathematicians, the US’ math curricula and textbooks were remodeled to provide students with stronger math skills, which are essential in global competition.

The importance of math in the core curriculum

The aim of the core curriculum for K-12 (and for college) is to prepare people for life; to cultivate the verbal, numerical, and visual skills necessary to analyze and synthesize information; and to foster an understanding of the intellectual and cultural wealth of modern society. This basic education aims to provide the members of society a basis and medium to communicate, to live together, and to advance within the society.

If we take out one or two of the courses like literature, arts, social science, or the natural sciences from the core curriculum, it is not hard to see that students would definitely miss out on some of our rich human experiences; it would be hard for them to adapt to the society in some ways, since they would have no idea about some very basics elements of that society. Beyond this direct implication, each of these courses affects people in a deeper way, encouraging them to explore who they are, and to be a “more complete” member of society. These courses enrich and deepen our understanding of what our surroundings are and how they function in the world. For example, if literature was taken out from the core curriculum, as an immediate consequence, it would weaken students’ communication skills with other people; and moreover, people would miss out on the first chance of interaction with an excellent medium to express human feelings, experiences, and imagination. If we took out the natural sciences, most of us would be ignorant about why and how many things came to be. The deeper effect would be that it would cause people to get used to ignorance, as there would be many things around them which they had no idea about.

Now, let’s go back to the original question. What if we took out math from the core curriculum? No one opposes the need for basic math at the elementary school level, as it gives basic knowledge of numbers, counting, etc., which are undeniably very basic skills in a person’s life. So the question is, “Do we really need to have math in middle and high school, as well as college curriculums, as a required component?” This is not a meaningless question as we do not see “the direct use” of the contents of these courses in practical life. To answer this question, we first need to understand what these contents are about, and what they enable us to do.

First, we must ask: “What is mathematics?”

There are many definitions. We can cite some of them here. According to Aristotle, “Mathematics is the science of quantity.” Benjamin Pierce defined math as, “…the science that draws necessary conclusions.” Lastly, Walter Warwick Sawyer thought that, “Mathematics is the classification and study of all possible patterns.”

For our purpose, though, we will use the following intuitionist definition: “Mathematics is a mental activity which consists in carrying out, one after the other, those mental constructions which are inductive and effective.” This means that by combining fundamental ideas, one reaches a definite result.

Math trains the brain

By using the definition above, we can argue that even though the mathematical content in the core curriculum may not have direct use for many jobs and practical applications in life, studying math should be considered as training the brain to comprehend complicated ideas, and to deduce or construct new knowledge in every aspect of life by reflecting on and relating the given information.

In other words, studying math (independent from the content) trains the brain in logic, order, and pattern recognition, all of which are essential to understanding and arguing about ideas everywhere. The most common analogy for this situation is that “studying math contributes to strengthening one’s ‘brain muscles’ very effectively, like running strengthens one’s leg muscles.” Studying math makes people smarter, and helps them solve complicated problems and analyze tough situations from different parts of life. These skills are undeniably very important for any person, and everyone wants to strengthen these skills through their education to prepare for their mature life. Hence, if we can prove our claims above about studying math, we can present a convincing argument to show the necessity of math education in our core curriculum.

Of course, we cannot give a 100% solid proof that studying math improves one’s ability to comprehend or better analyze the complicated situations we confront in our work and daily life; or to deduce new relations and make smarter decisions. However, if we go back to the example of running and how it enhances one’s leg muscles, we can point out the similarities of these processes.

If one considers any math problem from any level, it always describes a situation with given statements A, B, and C; it asks when the statements A, B, and C are true, whether a new statement, D, is also true? From elementary school to the PhD and research levels, any math problem can be described in these terms.

Doing this in an abstract setting might make it complicated at first sight, but this property provides math with great advantages. First of all, it makes math universal for any time and place. A mathematical truth is absolute (if a,b,c are assumed to be true, it is impossible that d is false); after being settled, the statement is true at any time and any place in the world. If you asked the question “whether A & B & C implies D or not” five centuries ago, it still makes sense today; and the answer will still be true in the future. If you ask the same question in the USA, Europe, or Africa, it undeniably has the same answer. Since the whole setting is abstract, the answer does not depend on time or place. Furthermore, because of this universal property, by using a good idea, a kid might solve a nice math problem, while many smart people cannot. This makes math very interesting and intriguing. It is not a coincidence that the youngest university professors are mathematicians.

Now, let’s go back to our original question. For an untrained person, running a couple of miles in his or her first attempt would be quite hard, but with a few months exercise, they can get used to the distance, and run it very easily. Furthermore, it improves his other athletic skills, and gives a good base to adapt to other sports. Like this example, studying math is good training for the brain to analyze situations, to understand deeper concepts, and to find connections. In K-12 education, the aim is to prepare students for their mature life, and to give a good background for their future jobs. The math content up to the high school level is from research that is at least 3-4 centuries old; many of the formulas are over a thousand years old. Because of the universality of such formulas, if any number of kids or teenagers talks about the same problem, they can communicate with each other without any problem, across national, ethnic, and linguistic boundaries. Hence, math provides us an ideal environment in which to train the brain.

The abstract setting is ideal

The next question would be, “Is math the only (or best) way to work out one’s mind? Would we ask everyone to run laps on a track if some students prefer to exercise by swimming, cycling, weightlifting, or rock climbing? We have already answered this question above, but it would be better to underline some points again. Of course, other courses like natural sciences, social sciences, literature, etc. will help students to train their brains, too. However, as we emphasized earlier, math provides us an excellent workout environment because of its abstract property. For a given, complicated math problem, one must separate the problem into simpler pieces, and see the relation between these pieces. After comprehending the whole complicated scenario with this process, he or she comes up with a new idea to deduce the answer. This training subconsciously equips people with the skill to approach the different complicated situations in their lives, and to come up with a solution. In other fields/courses, the answers and solutions are not absolute, and most of the time there may not be only one good answer. This ambiguity could undermine the training which we want to achieve.

On the other hand, because of the universal property of math, a great variety of subjects and questions have accumulated over the past centuries. These abundant and rich resources have been collected in different parts of the world at different times by the people who would like to understand the patterns and relations around them, and who enjoy to travel in this abstract world. Hence, math consists of a great wealth of subjects and problems, which have naturally developed through the work of very intelligent people who have sought answers to the puzzles posed by both nature and the human mind. This property makes math the best way to train the human mind, and it offers a rich platform for all levels and ages.

In short, math provides the mind with the skills to question and analyze, to find connections between events, and to make deductions with the given information. These are unquestionably essential skills for any life.

Direct and practical outcomes

Besides the profound effects mentioned above, math education also has very direct and practical effects in our lives. In this century, even many entry-level jobs require good math skills. With the advances in technology, good math skills became very handy in everyday life. As job descriptions change over time, the necessity for good math skills becomes more urgent.

Many college majors like engineering, economics, finance, medicine, and natural sciences demand a solid math background. In other words, if you don’t acquire the basic math skills in your basic education, it will be impossible to get a degree in these fields, and to get a decent job related to these subjects.

Conclusion

Math education as a part of a K-12 core curriculum has been a controversial issue for centuries. One side sees math education as a “luxury,” whereas the other side believes that it’s one of the most essential components of a well-rounded education. This side – correctly, I believe – feels that math trains the human mind to comprehend, question, and analyze complicated ideas. In our changing times, math education becomes more and more important as it gives a necessary background for many professions, from entry level to advanced research positions.

Reference

1. Klein, David. “A Brief History of American K-12 Mathematics Education in the 20th Century,” in Mathematical Cognition: A Volume in Current Perspectives on Cognition, Learning, and Instruction, p. 175-225.

First and foremost, life is one of the biggest graces granted to humanity. To exist itself is a grace. But to exist as a human being – instead of an animal – is an even greater blessing. Of course, whether or not we are granted a life with a human identity is something over which we have no control. However, once we have been blessed with life as a human, we are tasked with the responsibility of making the best use of this blessing. If we do this, we will attain bliss in both worlds, which is another divine gift, one that is tied to our freewill.

Exploring life and all its dimensions within the framework of the Creator’s laws and principles is a glorious duty for us all. The human being, with its inborn capabilities and predisposition, is likened to a marble stone that has not yet been sculpted. Just like the sculptor cuts and chisels the marble according to the plan in his or her imagination, human beings, as sculptors of their own souls, can also bring a second existence to life in themselves. According to the plan that has been granted to them, they can engrave the secret within their conscience onto their visage – provided that they are able to read the secrets deep within their conscience; the conscience which is tantamount to the book of the universe and a conscious mirror to the glorious truth. They endeavor to realize exalted ideals, instead of merely running after short and ephemeral achievements. Instead of keeping busy with simple, idle thoughts, they are engulfed in ideas that are deep enough to make their temples throb. Instead of examining arbitrary things, they scrutinize and study serious works that will prepare them for both this world and beyond; works that will mature their souls.

Those unrefined souls, failing to set their hearts on exalted ideals and failing to calibrate themselves towards a higher purpose, are unable to break free from simple thoughts and an atmosphere full of darkness and opposites. They are unable to reach innovations and improvements through the things they’ve seen, heard, and read. Without the passion of real love for their fellow man, they can’t be considered to have really lived.

Human beings have been sent to this world as a vicegerent of the Exalted Creator, to achieve great things and to produce precious works. If they are aware of this obligation, they will penetrate into things and events. They will intervene and, through various analyses and syntheses, produce new works of art. All the while, with each passing moment, they will sense the endless will and power of the Almighty behind their own will; thus, they’ll bend over with gratitude.

The gear needed to fulfill such glorious duties has already long been granted to humans: self-discipline, freewill, and excitement to ascend to the fullest potential of their humanity; curiosity and a love of beauty in order to get to know and love the universe and all that it houses; a conscience for integrity and justice; a heart to feel empathy and love for all existence; a mind that allows one to use these graces properly and to be able to distinguish, to some extent, between good and evil; and finally, a pure atmosphere enlightened with the divine light of revelation in order to accomplish these tasks without any set-backs or disturbances.

Amongst all creation, the human being, having been honored with both physical and spiritual blessings, is unique and by far unparalleled. But when humans fail to make use of these divine gifts, it will be inevitable that they fall to the lowest degree in a most wretched way.

From this perspective, the first chapter of life is for attaining both consciousness and favor of His presence, whereas the second stage is a threshing floor in which individuals concentrate on the Almighty’s orders with the utmost sensitivity, and function through self-discipline and planning. Yes, by utilizing our willpower, consciousness, and obligations, it will always be possible to enrich our world, to immortalize it with virtue and divine consent, and to transport it to even newer dimensions through the abundant and vibrant flow of time.

Victories of every shape and kind are available to those who know well and act according to the principles this path requires, and who behave reasonably, having comprehended the conditions of the time and who continue their studies without any interference. However, the ignorant, impatient, ill-mannered ones—especially those who do not live according to their current period of time—do not stand a chance.

Those who consider each day a new spring and scatter seeds throughout their environment; who see every coming dawn as an enlightened and abundant doorway to divine treasures; and who hurry to open the doors to these very first divine gifts, will turn their lives into ever-blossoming fields of grain. With their souls alight, they will reach immortality.

Humanity is faced with a choice: to pursue a selfless path of humility and service, or to live selfishly, wasting time on trifles.

The most striking example of immune system memory is that we only catch certain microbial diseases once in our lives. For instance, in the past, a commonly observed skin disease called “Oriental sore” would heal by leaving a pit on the skin. When this infected the face, it would cause a permanent ugly mark. People aware of the situation would let the disease occur somewhere out of sight on a child’s body. So, they would take a droplet of fluid from the infected tissue of a patient and apply it to a child’s back. The sore would develop on the back of child and then heal. The reason this was effective is because the immune system would permanently store the Oriental sore microbes in its memory and would build up an immunity to the microbe.

The elements of the immune system are created to recognize microbes, and the tissues of foreign plants, animals and even humans. The immune system is created to respond to these foreign substances. However, due to the immaturity of the system’s recognition, the risk of developing a disease upon the initial entry of microbes to the body is very high.

This is because the system does not sufficiently know the microbe. The way the immune system fights microbes is with blood cells called lymphocytes. Once lymphocytes are produced inside lymph nodes, they enter the blood stream, and then into the body’s tissues. This way, they reach all over the body to scan for potentially harmful foreign cells. When a microbe enters the body, lymphocytes proliferate in higher numbers to join the fight against these microbes.

There are two types of lymphocytes: T lymphocytes and B lymphocytes. T lymphocytes are white blood cells in charge of direct encounters with microbes. B lymphocytes, however, kill microbes, via antibodies they synthesize. In other terms, while T lymphocytes kill the enemy via face-to-face combat, B lymphocytes resemble artillery soldiers, striking from afar.

When a microbe enters the body, the lymphocytes specific to that kind of microbe enter the arena and start battling with the microbes. During this battle, strange things happen: certain T and B lymphocytes travel to the battle but return without participating in the fight. This is not an escape from war; these lymphocytes are tasked with gathering information and preparing the immune system for the future. These are called memory-B and memory-T lymphocytes.

Memory cells reorganize their tools against microbes they recognize. For example, when they recognize a microbe, they generate a genetic “handcuff” that keeps the microbe from being effective. Lymphocytes that have never encountered a germ also produce “handcuffs”; however, there can be slight mismatches between the microbe parts and the handcuff. Memory cells are created solely to generate weapons to capture, disable, and destroy a specific microbe. These weapons are deadly enzymes and antibodies. Thus, the body regains immunity against a special microbe via a key-lock fit, which is called acquired immunity.

Again, the difference between memory cells and normal cells is noticeable. B lymphocyte cells that have never met a microbe are in charge of producing antibodies called immunoglobulin M (IgM); because these antibodies are not tailored to the microbe, they are usually slow and ineffective. Memory B lymphocyte cells, however, synthesize special immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies that are suited to the dimensions (size and shape) of the germ; this makes it impossible for the microbes to develop a disease.

These mechanisms are also utilized in vaccinations. Acquiring personal immunity happens through two ways. The first is the identification of a microbe during a disease, which is a risky method. If the body’s resistance is low, the patient can endure great suffering – or even die. If the body’s cells defeats the microbe during the first fight, immunity is gained. Memory cells do not let the disease develop again. Certain illnesses like measles, smallpox, and mumps can only occur once.

The second method of acquiring immunity is to provide the body with the microbe without permitting it to cause an illness. This is a vaccination. There are vaccinations for diseases like measles, typhoid fever, whooping cough, diphtheria, tetanus, tuberculosis, and hepatitis B. In vaccinations, the microbe is first treated chemically and this way its ability to infect is eliminated. Then, the disabled microbes are injected into the body; in other terms, the shapes and sizes of the germs are made available to the memory of the immune system.

These mechanisms show us that humans do not only memorize with their brains. Lymphocyte cells are created in a fashion to memorize things permanently.

Another feature of the immune system is the ability to distinguish friends from foes. Lymphocytes cells go through training when babies are approaching their birth and during the first few months after birth. In this training, the cells are introduced to every tissue in the body. This operation takes place in the thymus and other organs related to the immune system. The thymus is an organ located at the upper region of lungs, on the trachea, and T lymphocytes obtain their diplomas from here. Other immune system organs like bone marrow and the liver are also in charge of B lymphocyte training. During this training, they learn two things:

1. To kill foreign microbes and defend the body
2. Not to attack their own body and organs

Humans sometimes can obtain diplomas without sufficient literacy from schools; however, no diploma can be obtained in these organs without properly learning how to fight germs. Our immune system functions perfectly.

The immune system rejects blood, tissues, and organs of foreign origin by causing reactions and thus removes them. However, no reaction is developed against our own tissue or organs. With aging, the immune system becomes more sensitive towards our own tissues, thus increasing the risk of autoimmune diseases developing as we get older. Autoimmune diseases form as the result of our immune system targeting our own tissues and organs.

Of course, we’re more frequently damaged by outside microbes. Each encounter with a microbe means a war. In a war, both sides may suffer damage. Therefore, our immune system is equipped with suppressive T lymphocytes which prevent extensive fighting. Suppressive T lymphocytes prevent the overreaction of our immune system and are in charge of stopping any damage to the body.

Here we might need to mention the relationship between cancer and the immune system. In fact, cancerous cells also form in healthy people. Members of the immune system, especially T lymphocytes, scan the body from head to toe to detect and eliminate cancer cells. A person constantly wins the fight against cancer without even realizing it. However, in persons of low body resistance, cancer may form by crossing the immune system’s barriers. Aging reduces the ability to fight against cancer. Grief, sadness and similar psychological stresses are also significant factors in cancer development. All these intricate mechanisms show us that these systems are not just lucky incidents occurring on their own. These systems have been created to function perfectly. We are still living in an infantile age of understanding the wonders of our body’s systems and organs. It ought to be hard to claim that such an amazing body formed itself, after random collisions of atoms and molecules.

On the other hand, the methodology in the positive sciences can make for a striking contrast with some traits of a person who has a strong religious faith. The religious experience is mostly personal and subjective. An unshaken faith demands unconditional trust and obedience. Criticizing the scriptures and the trustworthiness of the messenger who delivered the scriptures harms the faith, casting doubts into the mind of a believer. In religious experience, once the source of the message is “believed” to be divine, the content of the message has to be followed. It is this complete trust, based upon a strong faith, which opens up the gates for a personal spiritual experience. This spiritual experience with the Divine increases one’s faith and the faith increases their spiritual joy, in a blissful circle of events. Therefore, after the initial phase of questioning and searching for the truth, the religious experience in the mind and heart of a person becomes richer by obedience and trust, leaving the critical thinking behind.

Scientific methodology and religious experience demand completely different thought processes in a person, seemingly diametrically opposed to each other. This raises the question of whether a person with a religious mindset can be a good scientist. Does the religious experience in one’s life hinder the path to becoming a good scientist? These are important questions to all people of science, since scientists are people like everyone else and they are souls who would benefit from religious and spiritual experiences like any others.

In this article, we claim that religious dedication and faith to a scientific cause are also requirements for a successful scientific career. On the flip side, a scientifically trained mind is a great tool to turn a superficial faith into a strong one based on rationalization.

First, addressing the former assertion, it suffices to consider how long and how much effort it takes to bring a scientific hypothesis to fruition: from the idea phase to the preliminary testing in a “Petri dish”; to a “proof of the principle” with animal testing; to small-scale clinical trials in human subjects; to large-scale multi-center patient trials; and finally to becoming an established treatment method approved by the national screening agencies, such as the FDA (Food and Drug Administration). These are the stages of development for a new drug, a medical device, an implant, or any medical treatment for human use. Other branches of science have similarly bumpy roads and lots of disappointments. A career in theoretical physics, for instance, might mean a lifetime commitment to discovering a new subatomic particle or a new celestial body and not finding even a trace of it! A scientific career is never without frustrations and disappointments that shake one’s faith in the original hypothesis that the scientist set out to prove, or that the final objective will ever be reached in a lifetime. Sometimes, months or years of experimentation are needed before any supporting evidence is discovered. The only thing that keeps the research spirit alive in this journey are the small serendipitous findings on the road while searching for the ultimate goal – the “holy grail,” as many Western scientists say. The history books are full of those who dedicated their lives to a scientific hypothesis, which is only heard of if successful. We know the life stories of Edison, Madam Curie, Avicenna, al-Biruni, and others because they made accomplishments that marked the history of mankind. But, we never heard of thousands of others hidden in the pages of unwritten books of unsuccessful scientific research.

To say the least, scientific pursuit demands a personality with a strong dedication and faith in a cause. Those are the traits that are well developed in a person with religious experience. Believing in the ultimate “goodness” in life, or that we are on earth for a purpose and that there is reward for our good, can help motivate a scientist, just like these basic human instincts lead to a hunger for faith in the Divine.

Not all scientists believe in the Divine Being or follow a religious tradition. However, a scientist with a strong religious faith would believe in a purpose and that life is not just random, and can use this faith as a source of inspiration during times of difficulty and trial. Believing in divine purpose and that the journey of the soul continues after the grave can be a great motivation for anyone.

On the latter question regarding the scientifically trained mind being an impediment on the way of religious faith, we can say this: accepting a faith is only the beginning of the religious journey. In order to grow in faith, one needs to seek knowledge of that faith. Only by making connections between one’s personal experiences and the doctrines of our faith can we truly begin to understand that faith. The search for a deeper spirituality can lead to different innovations, as research into the workings of the world will be viewed, by a scientist of faith, as research into God’s creation.

A scientist of faith goes into the lab wondering: Is He a God watching us from a distance, or revealing Himself to our hearts and helping us on a daily basis? If He is the Maker of all that we see and experience, can we find manifestations of His qualities in this universe? What about finding traces of His style? Just like any artist would have his own style expressed in his art, surely He has left traces in his work, too – for instance, the holographic effect of finding information about the whole in its smallest particles, such as the DNA of a life form, or its seed. Contemplating on these issues requires a questioning mind; that is, a mind that enjoys questioning, rather than being content with the answers given by others. Only through the personal answers given to these questions, can one’s faith have strong foundations based on personal experience. Having been trained in scientific methodology of connecting the observations to governing principles is certainly an important trait that can also be used to deepen one’s faith through reasoning and logic. Furthermore, scientific knowledge can also be a means of better understanding faith, for it provides tools to explore the works of the Divine.

Many great scientists of the past were also people of strong faith, perhaps for the reasons we tried to discuss here. A scientist with faith does not have to wear different hats – i.e. use different mental skills and tools – during his religious journey with God and in the lab. Also, religious experiences do not lower his enthusiasm for scientific research. Scientific motivation and religious faith do not have to be in competition, splitting the mind of a person and thereby causing a conflicting personality. Both can coexist in an individual as personal traits and help him become successful in both fields in life.