Scholars Stress Reading Quran, Applying It in Daily Life
The conference was held in New Delhi, India, from Wednesday, January 28, to Friday, January 30.
It saw scholars from India, Iran, Indonesia, and Europe discuss the topic. The conference was organized by the Wilayat Foundation, the Department of Islamic Studies, Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI), and Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran.
The scholars said that there is no inherent contradiction between the Quran and modern science; rather, both guide humanity toward truth, knowledge, and the understanding of divine laws governing the universe. From the first Quranic revelation, Islam has encouraged reflection, reason, and the pursuit of knowledge as sacred acts and linked scientific inquiry with ethical accountability.
Prof. Mazhar Asif, Vice Chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia, said in his speech that Islam does not need to rule the world to be true. It needs to illuminate conscience, cultivate virtue, and accompany human beings in their fragile moral striving.
“Recovering Islam’s dignity—especially in India—requires abandoning ideological captivity and reclaiming a faith confident enough to live without dominating, and deep enough to belong without excluding.”
He said that the real welfare of mankind lies in understanding the Holy Quran, contemplating it and following its teachings, but unfortunately, that was not happening.
“We read the Quran, but do we really understand it? And even when we understand it, do we truly follow it?” asked the VC. "The Holy Quran, which served as a revolutionary force and built and shaped their moral character and formed a shield against sin, has today become a book to be read only for the benefit of humans".
The Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to India, Dr Mohammad Fathali, said that discussions on the relationship between the Quran and science have continued for centuries as part of a sustained academic effort promoting knowledge, reasoning, argumentation, and ethical values.
Indian Shia scholar Dr Kalbe Jawad asked why a book revealed over 1,400 years ago continues to be studied today. He argued that several Quranic insights align with scientific discoveries that were confirmed centuries later. He asked researchers to study modern science in the light of the Quran.
In his keynote address, Prof. Aslam Parvez, former Vice-Chancellor of Maulana Azad National Urdu University, Hyderabad, said that the Quran repeatedly urges human beings to use their intellect and senses.
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Quoting Qur’anic references, he said, “The Quran declares that those who do not use their reason are no better than animals.” While the universe functions according to divine laws, humanity must reflect on whether it truly follows those principles in daily life.
He noted that the Quran and Sunnah teach that love is not merely a matter of words or claims but is demonstrated through action. Likewise, the Quran lays down the principle that surplus wealth should be spent in the path of goodness for a balanced society.
Chief Guest, Prof. Mahtab Alam Rizvi, Registrar of Jamia Millia Islamia, stated that numerous Quranic verses draw human attention to scientific realities—such as the creation of water, the vastness of the universe, the origin of humankind from clay, the system sustaining the heavens, and the barrier between two seas that prevents their waters from mixing. These signs, he noted, testify to the fact that the Qur’an is not only a book of guidance but also directs humanity toward the scientific principles governing the universe.
Prof. Akhtarul Wasey, a renowned Islamic scholar, stated that the Quran has shed light on several aspects of modern science while consistently encouraging humanity to reflect on the creation. “There is no contradiction between the Quran and modern science,” he said.
He said that both the Quran and science guide humanity toward the same ultimate source of truth—the Oneness of God—where the Qur’an provides principles and science offers the means to understand and interpret them.
Prof. Naser Simforoosh of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences presented a paper titled “The Two Streams of Knowledge: Revelation (Wahy) and Observation (Ilm) on Life, Suffering, and Mortality.”
He offered a comparative theological and scientific analysis examining both divergent and convergent perspectives of the Quran and science on critical ethical and bioethical issues. His paper explored views on illness, the nature and meaning of death, and the moral debate surrounding abortion and fetal termination, aiming to bridge scientific and theological worldviews through Quranic principles.
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Professor Syed Shahid Ali, former Head of the Department of Islamic Studies, observed that from the earliest periods of Islamic civilization, the Qur’an has consistently encouraged observation of the universe, reflection, reasoning, and deep contemplation. He noted that the very first revelation instructs humanity to read in the name of its Lord, indicating that the pursuit of knowledge is not merely a worldly necessity but a sacred act and a form of worship.
Prof. Dr Jamileh Sadat Alamolhoda, wife of the former Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, expressed gratitude to the people of India for their solidarity with Iran during challenging times.
Speaking as a Guest of Honour, she emphasized the need for youth to strengthen their relationship with the Quran, which alone provides the path to intellectual coherence, peace, security, and success in both worlds.
Her paper Youth and Resolving the Challenges of Realism and Idealism through Educational Reflection in the Life of Prophet Abraham (PBUH) examined the origins and essence of the Abrahamic ideal as the Quranic method for understanding and applying Islamic principles across the human sciences.
Prof. Alamolhoda observed that incidents of Quran desecration worldwide reflect ignorance. She also expressed concern over weakening family structures, with young people being raised without parental guidance.
Source: awazthevoice.in
