Scientific Reasoning and Revelation: Exploring the Boundaries of Knowledge and Belief in a Creator

Abstract

This article critically examines the scope and limitations of scientific reasoning and empirical observation while exploring their profound relationship with belief in a Creator. We employed a conceptual analysis and argumentative methodology, drawing upon philosophical insights into the scientific method, historical examples of scientific paradigm shifts, and key Islamic epistemological principles derived from the Quran and classical scholarship.
Our analysis first details the systematic nature of the scientific method, including observation, hypothesis formation, experimentation, and both inductive and deductive reasoning, acknowledging its vital role in fostering human understanding and material progress. However, a central finding is the inherent conditional and contextual nature of scientific laws and theories. We illustrate this through examples like the transition from Newtonian to Einsteinian physics and the bounded applicability of Hooke's Law, demonstrating that scientific truths are not absolute but operate within specific parameters.
Further findings highlight the incomprehensibility of many scientific realities at their fundamental levels, such as subatomic particles, which remain beyond direct human perception and prediction despite their theoretical acceptance. This reveals a logical inconsistency in rejecting metaphysical or divine realities for their unobservability while simultaneously accepting similarly unobservable scientific constructs. The article also identifies that scientific reasoning is a natural human inclination, historically present across civilizations, yet this innate capacity is not inherently sufficient for grasping all truths. We conclude that human reason is significantly shaped by internal forcesthe regal (malakī) and animalistic (bahīmī) facultieswhich introduce a degree of subjectivity and limitation.
The article's overarching finding is that the scientific method, while powerful and indispensable for understanding the observable world, is fundamentally an incomplete tool for attainingcomprehensive truth. Human sensory and intellectual capacities are inherently bounded, and even technological extensions have their limits. Therefore, absolute truth cannot be definitively accessed through scientific means alone. This leads to the conclusive finding that divine revelation (waḥy) is a necessary and complementary source of knowledge, bridging the epistemological gaps where empirical observation and human reason fall short, particularly in understanding the ultimate nature of existence and the role of a transcendent Creator. The article thus advocates for a holistic epistemology where scientific inquiry, guided by its proper boundaries, harmoniously supports and is enriched by faith.