Faith, Science and the Vanishing Scholars: A Reflection on the Legacies of Zaghloul El-Naggar and Shamsher Ali

 Syed Misbah Uddin Ahmad

When the Prophet Muhammad ? foretold that in the ‘End of Times’ “Allah will not take away knowledge by erasing it from the hearts of men, but by taking away the scholars, until none remain” (Bukhari, Muslim). He was ?, to my understanding, not merely describing a religious event — he was ? warning of civilizational decline. The recent passing of Professor Zaghloul El-Naggar, the eminent Egyptian scholar-scientist who dedicated his life to interpreting the scientific signs of the Qur’an, serves as a sobering reminder of that prophecy. His death signifies not only the end of an era but also the decline of a specific intellectual tradition — one that refused to separate revelation from reason.

In Bangladesh, the void deepens with the loss of Professor Dr M. Shamsher Ali, one of the nation's most distinguished physicists and former Vice-Chancellor of Bangladesh Open University. Like El-Naggar, he sought to harmonize modern science with Qur’anic insight. Together, they embodied a noble lineage of Muslim thinkers who did not see science as a threat to faith, nor faith as an obstacle to scientific inquiry. Instead, they regarded both as interconnected expressions of divine truth. Yet, one must ask, as their lives draw to a close: have we truly benefited from their intellectual and spiritual legacy?

Zaghloul El-Naggar: Science as a Form of Worship
Born in 1933 in Gharbia, Egypt, Zaghloul El-Naggar was not just a scientist who quoted verses, but a believer who studied the Earth as a living tafsir of the Qur’an. A renowned geologist educated at the University of Wales, Zaghloul El-Naggar has authored over 45 books in Arabic, English and French, as well as more than 150 scientific articles. His works primarily focus on the scientific interpretation of the Quran and Sunnah (Prophetic traditions). However, his lasting legacy is reflected in works such as “Tafsir al-Ayah al-Kawniyyah fi al-Qur'an al-Karim,” which examines the scientific verses in the Quran using both classic and scientific methodologies; “Al-I'jaz al-'Ilmi fi al-Sunnah al-Nabawiyyah” (Scientific Miracles in the Prophetic Sunnah), a popular work exploring scientific concepts found in Hadith; “The Geological Concept of Mountains in the Qur'an” and “Everything Indicates God's Existence.”

For El-Naggar, science was never just an achievement of humankind; it was a form of worship. He often reminded his audiences that when Allah commands humanity to “travel through the land and observe” (Qur’an 30:42), He is not merely requesting empirical curiosity but encouraging reflective thought that ultimately leads back to divine wisdom. His lectures and writings spanned continents, attracting both devout Muslims and sceptical scientists.

He emphasized that the Qur’an does not present scientific theories but rather offers ‘pointers and horizons’ — signs that encourage humans to reflect. For him, it was not about validating the Qur’an with modern science but about interpreting science through the Qur’an’s epistemological perspective. He once said, “The Qur’an directs our intellects to observe the universe as a book written by the same Author who revealed the scripture.”

In an era when scientific materialism often distances humanity from meaning, El-Naggar’s scholarship reaffirms discovery through devotion. He reminded Muslims that the first revealed word — “Iqra” (Read) — was both an invitation to literacy and a call to observe the cosmos. His synthesis of empirical knowledge and divine revelation embodied the intellectual confidence of Islam’s Golden Age, when scholars like Ibn Sina and Al-Biruni regarded the study of nature as a sacred duty.

Shamsher Ali: The Scholar Who Carried the Light of Faith into Physics
If El-Naggar was the bridge between revelation and geology, Dr. Shamsher Ali stood as Bangladesh’s own example of how modern physics can illuminate, rather than challenge, the Qur’an’s message. Born in 1940 in Bheramara, Kushtia, Prof. Dr M. Shamsher Ali trained in the United Kingdom and dedicated himself to the rigour of atomic and nuclear physics. Dr. Ali was not satisfied with limiting science to laboratories; he regarded it as a way of recognizing Allah through His signs in creation. In addition to hundreds of scientific journal articles, he authored many books. Notable among these are works such as “Muslim Contributions to Science and Technology” and “Scientific Indications in the Holy Qur’an,” which introduced countless Bangladeshi students and readers to the idea that the Qur’an is not anti-science but actually encourages scientific inquiry. With humility and depth, he explained cosmology, evolution, and the origins of the universe through Quranic concepts, emphasizing that the pursuit of knowledge must remain rooted in the ethics of revelation.

As President of the Bangladesh Academy of Sciences and a pioneer of open learning, Dr Ali’s contributions extended beyond academia. He devoted his life to inspiring young people to seek knowledge not for status, but for service — to understand that the Qur’anic concept of ?ilm (knowledge) is connected with ?amal (action) and akhlaq (morality). His discourse was never confrontational; it was enlightening, blending the accuracy of science with the humility of faith.

In many of his writings, Dr Ali echoed the Qur’anic view that human reason is a divine trust. He said that when science lacks spirituality, it becomes a tool of arrogance. However, when guided by faith, it paves the way to ma?rifah — the intimate knowledge of Allah. This synthesis forms the foundation of what he called “Islamic epistemology” — a form of knowledge that acknowledges both the visible and the unseen.

The Crisis of Our Time: Knowledge Without Wisdom
The lives of these two men converge on a crucial philosophical question: what has become of our understanding of knowledge? In an era where information doubles every few hours and artificial intelligence can answer any factual query, humanity appears increasingly lost in confusion, polarization, and moral decline. The paradox is apparent — we know more but understand less.

The Qur’an warns of this state: “They know what is apparent of the worldly life, but they are heedless of the Hereafter.” (30:7). True knowledge in Islam is not the accumulation of data but the illumination of the soul. Reported in authentic hadith that the Prophet ? prayed, “O Allah, I seek refuge in You from knowledge that does not benefit.”

Both El-Naggar and Shamsher Ali opposed the fragmentation of knowledge. They emphasized that scientific progress should foster taqwa (God-consciousness), not pride. However, in our universities and societies, epistemology itself has become secularized. Science is studied without ethics, religion without reflection, and philosophy without purpose. The integrated worldview these scholars promoted — in which revelation, reason, and observation support one another — is now regarded by many modern thinkers as outdated.

But the irony is that this integration was precisely what once made the Muslim civilization a beacon of global learning. The observatories of Baghdad, the medical schools of Cordoba, the libraries of Samarkand — all were founded on a Qur’anic vision that regarded the pursuit of knowledge as ?ibadah (worship). One of the frequently quoted verses from the holy Qur’an reads: And I (Allah) created not the jinns and humans except they should worship Me (Alone). (Qur’an: 51:56). When Muslim scholars abandoned this holistic outlook, others inherited their tools but not their spirit.

Have We Benefited from Their Knowledge?
To “benefit” from knowledge in the Qur’anic sense means to transform oneself and society. It is not enough to cite the works of El-Naggar or Shamsher Ali; we must internalize their intellectual ethos. Unfortunately, the Muslim world today essentially consumes knowledge rather than producing it. We celebrate scholars posthumously but seldom emulate them.

How many of our universities have incorporated El-Naggar’s scientific tafsir into their curricula? How many madrasa students have been introduced to Dr. Shamsher Ali’s cosmological reflections? How many Muslim scientists today feel accountable to Allah for the ethics of their research? If the answer is disheartening, it simply confirms the prophetic warning: knowledge is not being erased from books, but from hearts.

A Call to the Youth
To the youth of Bangladesh and beyond, this is a moment not of despair but of rediscovery. The Qur’an remains unchanged; the universe stays open to exploration. What is lacking are minds that bridge both realms. Read “Scientific indications in the holy Qur’an” not as a collection of miracles, but as a call to reflect deeply. Study “The Geological Concept of Mountains in the Qur'an” to recognize that science is not foreign to faith. Let curiosity be guided by humility, and intellect by revelation.

Reviving the Islamic epistemology embodied by these men requires courage — the courage to think critically while maintaining reverence, to engage with the modern world without succumbing to it, and to rediscover that knowledge is a light given to those who sincerely seek it for Allah’s sake.

As the Prophet ? said, “Whoever follows a path in pursuit of knowledge, Allah will make easy for him a path to Paradise.” (Muslim). From my humble understanding, this hadith was never limited to religious studies; it encompasses all fields that bring humans closer to understanding their Creator through His creation.

Conclusion: The Light That Does Not Die
The deaths of Professor Zaghloul El-Naggar and Dr Shamsher Ali remind us that knowledge is perishable unless preserved by character. Yet, their legacies endure in the thousands who heard their lectures, read their writings, and began to see the world as a tapestry of divine signs.

The Qur’an asks, “Are those who know equal to those who do not know?” (39:9). The answer lies in how we respond to their passing. If we mourn them as personalities, we lose; if we follow their path as seekers, we revive. The end of scholars is not the end of knowledge — unless we choose to remain indifferent.

Ultimately, their message was simple yet profound: every atom, law of physics, geological layer, and verse of the Qur’an reveals the same truth — the Unity of the Creator. To study the universe is therefore to study His signs; to reflect on revelation is to decode His creation.

May Allah forgive them, elevate their ranks among the righteous, and inspire a new generation to continue their sacred mission — to seek, to reflect, and to serve. For as long as hearts still wonder and minds still think, the light of knowledge shall never fade.


Syed Misbah Uddin Ahmad is
a retired officer of Bangladesh
Navy and a versatile scholar.