Allameh Mohammad-Taqi Mesbah Yazdi (1934–2020), an influential Iranian philosopher, advanced a systematic case for what he called the Islamicisation of science. Responding to the encounter between the Muslim world and modern Western civilisation, Mesbah argued that scientific inquiry must be reoriented from a secular, materialist standpoint to one grounded in Islamic metaphysics and ethical aims.
Islamicisation of Science as a Paradigm Shift
Mesbah did not describe Islamicisation as a decorative exercise. He presented it as a paradigm change affecting the foundations, goals and methods of scientific work. He insisted that while empirical findings need not be discarded, their interpretation and purpose must be reconsidered within a worldview that affirms divine unity, teleology and non-material dimensions of reality.
From his vantage point in the tradition of Islamic philosophy, especially the transcendent wisdom of Mulla Sadra, Mesbah proposed that ontology, anthropology and epistemology be recast. Ontologically, the world is layered and includes spiritual realities alongside the material. Anthropologically, humans are moral agents with innate dispositions and a telos oriented towards moral and spiritual perfection. Epistemologically, Mesbah accepted sense and intellect as valid sources of knowledge but held that revelation offers corrective and expansive horizons that empirical inquiry alone cannot reach.
He framed the value of science in terms of benefit. Science should be “useful” not only in technological terms but in serving human fulfilment and higher religious objectives. This redefinition shifts priorities from utility measured solely by productivity or consumption to outcomes that advance ethical development and social justice.
Three Levels of Reform
Mesbah outlined a stepped approach. First, purification: screening existing theories, particularly in the social sciences, against Islamic rational and textual criteria. Theories incompatible with core Islamic teachings would be rejected, neutral theories retained and partial theories completed by incorporating spiritual dimensions. Second, integration: scholars fluent in both modern disciplines and Islamic sciences would synthesise new theoretical frameworks, for example a psychology rooted in human disposition or an economy oriented to justice rather than consumption. Third, institution building: a long-term goal of founding wholly new disciplines framed from the outset by Islamic premises and aims.
He emphasised method. Mesbah regarded empirical methods as tools that can be employed, but insisted that problem formulation and interpretation are conditioned by worldview. Thus, experimentation and observation remain available, provided the larger interpretive framework is Islamic.
Practical barriers did not escape his attention. Chief among them was the shortage of scholars competent in both rigorous modern research and deep Islamic philosophy. To overcome this, Mesbah supported interdisciplinary institutions and specialised training, citing centres such as the Imam Khomeini Educational and Research Institute as models for cultivating the necessary expertise.
Mesbah recognised methodological tensions, notably the relation between revelation and reason. He proposed a complementary model in which revelation sets broad aims and limits while human intellect and experience handle particulars. This model, he argued, preserves scientific inquiry while ensuring it serves higher moral ends.
While the project faces theoretical and practical hurdles, Mesbah presented it as essential for intellectual independence and cultural authenticity. For policymakers and academic institutions in Iran and across Muslim-majority countries, his work offers a philosophical blueprint for aligning scientific endeavour with religious convictions and societal aspirations.
Key Takeaways:
- Allameh Mohammad-Taqi Mesbah Yazdi argues for the Islamicisation of science to align knowledge with Islamic worldview and moral aims, termed the “Islamicisation of Science”.
- He proposes a three-tier approach: purifying existing sciences, integrating Islamic teachings with modern disciplines, and creating new sciences grounded in Islamic philosophy.
- Mesbah draws on Islamic metaphysics, especially Mulla Sadra’s transcendent wisdom, to reshape epistemology and methodology in research.
- Key challenges include balancing revelation and reason, adapting empirical methods within an Islamic framework, and training interdisciplinary scholars.
