Aligarh and the Propagation of Science

Reviewed by: Faiza Abbasi, Aligarh Muslim University, India

Published by: New Delhi, 2022, 282pp. ISBN: 978-9355293312.

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Islam, the second largest major religion of the world, is often at the receiving end of brickbats in negative news. Invariably the top three are jihadist intolerance towards followers of other faiths, male misogyny leading to subjugation of women by violating their equal rights and last, but not the least, an innate resistance to modern science and technological developments shaping the world in the 21st century. While some biases for the above are drawn from erring medieval Muslim societies under tyrant rulers, Islam through its scriptures stands absolved of such unreasonable taints.

Asad Faisal Farooqui in his book under review, Aligarh and the Propagation of Science, has tried to produce a counter narrative to the misgivings of the world about Islam and Science. He refers to an important chapter in the history of Muslims in modern times, namely., “the Aligarh Movement”. Pioneered by the visionary social reformer Sir Syed Ahmad Khan in the late nineteenth century the “Aligarh Movement” was destined to set the course of history in the Indian sub- continent. What is surprising about this path breaking phenomenon is that today it is linked with medievalism in the minds of the Muslims of the sub-continent. Paradoxical however is that the movement finds its very origins in the early days of its progenitor when he felt the need for reviving modern scientific education in the baffled Muslim community. This was the post-1857 aftermath when the erstwhile ruling class had just been disrobed off its centuries-old glory of rule and political domination in the sub-continent.