Islamic Civilisation Proves Religion, Science Can Advance Together - Queen

KUALA LUMPUR, May 5 (Bernama) -- The tradition of Islamic civilisation has shown that religion and science can go hand in hand in the advancement of knowledge, says Her Majesty Raja Zarith Sofiah, Queen of Malaysia.

Her Majesty said certain aspects of modern world history tend to portray religion and science as being in tension, opposition, or even competition.

“However, the Islamic tradition reminds us that this is not the path to understanding the development of knowledge.

“A civilisation can recognise intellect without separating it from revelation, research can be welcomed without abandoning moral values, and new discoveries can be explored without forgetting wisdom,” Her Majesty said in a royal address shared via the official Facebook page of His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, today.

The royal address was delivered at the opening of the Royal Conference ‘Tradition of Science in Islamic Civilisation: Sources, Potential and Challenges’ held at the Centre of Islamic Civilisation (CIC) in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, today in conjunction with Her Majesty’s special visit to the country.

Raja Zarith Sofiah said today’s challenge was not only to appreciate the knowledge inherited by modern civilisation, but also to renew the environment that enables more meaningful intellectual development in the future.

“We live in an age driven by speed, immense technical potential, and constant distraction. Information moves rapidly, yet judgement and discernment do not always keep pace.

“Institutions may grow larger, but not necessarily deeper. Power may increase, while clarity of purpose weakens.

“The question we face is whether we can recover a vision of knowledge that is intellectually rigorous while remaining firmly grounded in moral values,” she said.

Meanwhile, in a separate post, Raja Zarith Sofiah said collaboration in education and research between Malaysia and Uzbekistan is vital in building an environment for deeper and more principled intellectual growth.

Her Majesty said that although the two countries are geographically distant, their connection through the dissemination of knowledge has long existed.

“The Malay world has long benefited from scholars who travelled from across regions, and names associated with the (Central Asian) region, such as Maa Waraa’ al-Nahr and Samarkand, are not unfamiliar in its intellectual memory.

“This reminds us that Islamic civilisation has never belonged to a single people. It has been sustained across regions through travel, transmission, translation, teaching, and mutual respect for knowledge,” she said.

Raja Zarith Sofiah added that the collaboration between Malaysia and Uzbekistan in the conference carries significance beyond administrative matters, reflecting a shared commitment to knowledge, preservation, and renewal.

“This shows that the best way to honour the past is not merely to speak of it from afar, but to build conditions that allow knowledge to continue to flourish.

“Uzbekistan is one of the historic homelands of Islamic scholarship. Names associated with this region remain respected and revered across the Muslim world.

“When we reflect on figures such as Imam al-Bukhari, Imam al-Maturidi, and al-Biruni, we are reminded that this region was once a centre of civilisation where knowledge was pursued with rigour and dignity,” she said.

Earlier, Her Majesty was accompanied to the conference by Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir and Malaysia’s Ambassador to Uzbekistan Ilham Tuah Illias, and was received by Uzbekistan’s Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation Kongratbay Avezimbetovich Sharipov.

The Royal Conference, jointly organised by Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) and the International Centre of Islamic Civilisation (ICC) Tashkent, was also attended by Higher Education director-general Datuk Prof Dr Azlinda Azman; UTM Board of Directors chairman Tan Sri Azman Mokhtar; and UTM vice-chancellor Prof Dr Mohd Shafry Mohd Rahim.

Raja Zarith Sofiah, who is also UTM Chancellor, also witnessed the exchange of memoranda of understanding (MoUs) between UTM and five agencies in Uzbekistan, namely the Centre of Islamic Civilisation, Tashkent; Imam Maturidi International Research Centre; International Islamic Academy of Uzbekistan; Tashkent State University of Oriental Studies; and Imam Bukhari International Research Centre, Samarkand.

Her Majesty also witnessed the handover of 20,000 copies of the Quran from Nasyrul Quran to the Uzbekistan Waqf Board.

-- BERNAMA