“In Islamic thought….beauty and mystery are not separated from intellect – in fact, the reverse is true. As we use our intellect to gain new knowledge about Creation, we come to see even more profoundly the depth and breadth of its mysteries.”
His Highness the Aga Khan
“Among His signs are that He shows you the lightening that terrifies and inspired hope; that He sends water down from the sky to restore the earth to life after death. There truly are signs in this for those who use their reason.” Qur’an 30:24
Early Muslim thinkers debated about philosophy, revelation, the place of reason, intellect, and creation in a person’s relationship with the Creator. One such thinker, Ibn Tufayl, wrote a story in the twelfth century to illustrate this. The story, titled Hayy ibn Yaqzan, is about a boy named Hayy who grows up on an island where there are no people and he is looked after by a doe. As Hayy grows up, he discovers that he is different from all other living creatures on the island because he can think and apply reason. Gradually, by reasoning, he is able to come to a deeper understanding about creation and its mysteries.
Regarding understanding the beauty and mysteries of creation, His Highness the Aga Khan said:
“In Islamic thought….beauty and mystery are not separated from intellect – in face, the reverse is true. As we use our intellect to gain new knowledge about Creation, we come to see even more profoundly the depth and breadth of its mysteries. We explore unknown regions beneath the seas – and in outer space. We reach back over hundreds of millions of years in time…..And the more we discover, the more we know, the more we penetrate just below the surface of our normal lives – the more our imagination staggers. Just think for example what might lie below the surfaces of celestial bodies all across the far flung reaches of our universe. What we feel, even as we learn, is an ever-renewed sense of wonder, indeed, a powerful sense of awe – and of Divine inspiration.”
Inaugural Ceremony of the Delegation of the Ismaili Imamat
Ottawa, Canada
December 6, 2008
Speech at AKDN Press Centre
References:
Alnoor Dhanani, “Andalusian Islamic Hellenistic Philosophers,” Muslim Philosophy and the Sciences, The Institute of Ismaili Studies
Yaqzan Programme, Ismaili Arts Canada, 2002
Compiled by Nimira Dewji
Ismailimail 
Great work, Nimira! Best.
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