مسلمانوں کا نیوٹن ۔ ڈاکٹر عبدالسلام — Page 404
394 science as a self-propelling secular activity, which could comfortably go about its own merry way? Considerably confusion exists on this matter among admirers of Salam۔This is partly because many non-scientists wishfully look towards Salam's writings and speeches, reading into them what appears to support their own beliefs, prejudices, and desires۔Also confusing is the fact Salam, who was a believer not just by birth but also by conviction, often quoted from the Holy Quran in addressing lay audiences and sometimes used religious symbolism in his descriptions of scientific concepts and discoveries۔Several of Prof۔Salam's writings and speeches leave room for ambiguity of interpretation۔For example, in one of his important essays for a popular science, Salam refers to the concept of wahdatul wajood while discussing the unification of forces۔Then, in a television interview he speaks of how he was inspired into the concept of symmetry by the stately towers (minars) of Badshahi Mosque۔I can remember attending a lecture that Salam gave at General Talat Masud's invitation in Wah city (1987)۔He talked about the world being quite probably 11 dimensional, and then perhaps hinted that seven of these dimensions might belong to the Ghaib (unseen)۔Time has effaced the words from my memory, but I do recall feeling quite uncomfortable۔Being a rather simple person-simple minded perhaps attempts to marry scientific discovery with spiritualism or religious concepts always leave me very worried۔Was this one such attempt? - If it was, then it could have scarcely come at a worse time۔During the Zia al-Haq years, every pseudo-scientist and crackpot in this country had taken a shot at proving that all discoveries of science were to be found in the Holy Quran۔Some had made discoveries about the speed of receding Heaven, others estimated the temperature of Hell and one even suggested capturing Jinns to solve Pakistan's energy problems۔While they roundly despised Salam for his Ahmadi faith, these scientific nonentities were nonetheless delighted that they had found an ally in a Nobel Prize winner who also believed in the unity of science and faith۔Or so they thought۔Clarification became very important۔Over the General Zia al-Haq years, I had written a book, which emphasized the wholly secular character of modern science, detailed the absurdities of so-called new Islamic science۔And made the case that the long and glorious period of Muslim science was ultimately terminated by the rise of an inflexible religious orthodoxy۔Would Prof۔Salam write a preface to this book and comment upon a viewpoint that was so different from his? What was the relevance of his belief in wahdatul wajood given that Steven Weinberg, the co-discoverer of the same electroweak theory was an ex-Jew and a declared atheist? I presumed that Salam would react against many parts of my book, although not the whole, but had suggested that his dissimilar views would be welcome as a means to balance an otherwise one-sided analysis۔Prof۔Salam's response left me pleasantly shocked۔"I do not disagree with anything that Dr۔Hoodbhoy has written in this book", he wrote in the preface, and then went on to state in the clearest and most unequivocal terms the irrelevance of religions beliefs to scientific discovery۔"Dr۔Hoodbhoy quotes Steven Weinberg and my research and says that it made no basic difference to our work whether I was an avowed believer and