Technological Advancements Of Disbelievers

Imam Al-Shanqiti on Technological Advancements of the West – أضواء البيان

Not too long ago, the West advanced rapidly in developing technological inventions: ELECTRICITY, PLANES, TRAINS, CARS, TV’S, RADIOS, WASHING-MACHINES, COOKERS, PHONES, WEAPONS, SPACE TRAVEL, MEDICINES etc.

These advances in technological worldly sciences made some weak-minded Muslims suffer from INFERIORITY COMPLEX.

However: The Qur’an never claimed that they cannot KNOW these worldly material sciences, it says THEY KNOW:

يَعْلَمُونَ ظَاهِرًا مِّنَ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَهُمْ عَنِ الْآخِرَةِ هُمْ غَافِلُونَ
“They KNOW the perceptible manifestation of worldly life, but of the afterlife, they are heedless.”

[Qur’an 30:7].

So they KNOW – it doesn’t say they don’t know.

The Qur’an simply says that they are heedless of the hereafter – which they are.

Imam al-Shanqiti writes in the Tafsir of this verse:

اعلم أنه يجب على كل مسلم في هذا الزمان أن يتدبر آية (الروم) هذه تدبرا كثيرا، ويبين ما دلت عليه لكل من استطاع بيانه له من الناس.
وإيضاح ذلك أن من أعظم فتن آخر الزمان التي ابتلى الله بها ضعاف العقول من المسلمين، شدة إتقان الإفرنج لأعمال الحياة الدنيا، ومهارتهم فيها على كثرتها، واختلاف أنواعها مع عجز المسلمين عن ذلك
فظنوا أن من قدر على تلك الأعمال أنه على الحق، وأن من عجز عنها متخلف وليس على الحق، وهذا جهل فاحش، وغلط فادح.
وفي هذه الآية الكريمة إيضاح لهذه الفتنة، وتخفيف لشأنها أنزله الله في كتابه قبل وقوعها بأزمان كثيرة، فسبحان الحكيم الخبير ما أعلمه، وما أعظمه، وما أحسن تعليمه.

“It is a must upon every Muslim to think and deeply ponder over this verse from the Chapter of Romans (Europeans).
And to pass its message on to other people.
One of the greatest trials (fitan) of the end of times, by which God has afflicted some weak minded people is the strong mastery of the French (and other Westerners) of worldly technological advancements.
They excel in various of these fields more than anyone else – while the Muslims lag in these fields.
So [these weak minded people] think that whoever masters these worldly sciences must be on the truth and that those who don’t cannot be on the truth.
This is extreme ignorance and a fatal mistake.
This noble verse clarified a way out of these type of trials (fitan), many centuries before it even occurred.”

[“Tafsir Adwa’ al-Bayan”, 6/527].

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These things are now common in all countries, but in those days, it was highly concentrated in the West – so you can imagine why this caused a fitnah.

I heard that a TRACTOR was first brought into a village in Afghanistan and the villagers put hay (grass) in front of it – thinking its alive and eats hay like cattle! lol

When the PHONE was brought into our lands, some Muslim scholars said its forbidden because the voices are transferred by Jinns.

And what happened with the print photocopier, is well-known.

These are indeed marvels and amazing human achievements.

However, all these advances are in the observable, tangible worldly sciences.

Anyone can know and excel in these fields – IF THEY TRY.

So it is a LOGICAL FALLACY to link the success of hereafter with the success in this world.

Muslims excelled in these fields when Europe was in its Dark Ages, but we neglected it, the West took over from us.

وتلك الأيام نداولها بين الناس