Papers by Safiyyah Sabreen Syeed
The University of Liverpool’s Department of Sociology, Social Policy and Criminology partners wit... more The University of Liverpool’s Department of Sociology, Social Policy and Criminology partners with World Museum Liverpool to deliver an ESRC CASE studentship, which will examine the long history of
algorithmic technologies and the contributions of Islamic Golden Age scholars to it in particular.
The research will engage with the World Museum’s collections to explore and highlight the algorithmic methods developed by Islamic scholars. By re-examining the history of algorithms from a fresh, global and historical perspectives, the goal is to provide a broader understanding of how these
approaches set the stage for modern AI and related technologies to develop.
Experts across artificial intelligence (AI) and decolonial research methods, Professor Michael Mair and Drs Leon Moosavi and Phil Brooker in close collaboration with Dr Geraldine Reid, Lead Curator of Botany, Geology and Science, will supervise the postgraduate research to be conducted by The University of Liverpool’s Department of Sociology, Social Policy and Criminology partners with World Museum Liverpool to deliver an ESRC NWSSDTP CASE studentship, which will examine the long history of algorithmic technologies and the contributions of Islamic Golden Age scholars to it in particular.
The research will engage with the World Museum’s collections to explore and highlight the algorithmic methods developed by Islamic scholars. By re-examining the history of algorithms from a fresh, global and historical perspectives, the goal is to provide a broader understanding of how these approaches set the stage for modern AI and related technologies to develop.
Experts across artificial intelligence (AI) and decolonial research methods, Professor Michael Mair and Drs Leon Moosavi and Phil Brooker in close collaboration with Dr Geraldine Reid, Lead Curator of Botany, Geology and Science, will supervise the postgraduate research to be conducted by Sabreen Syeed. Already an established researcher with an online mini-series dedicated to the subject, Sabreen brings expertise and public engagement experience to the project.
Al-Shajarah ISTAC Journal of Islamic Thought and Civilization, 2024
The Muslim world produced one of the greatest intellectual revolutions in histo... more The Muslim world produced one of the greatest intellectual revolutions in history. Since the Colonial Period, the effort to bring about a global Islamic Revival has been a much sought after project for Muslim intellectuals worldwide. This paper studies thecore principles that were instrumental in building the Islamic Intellectual Revolution (8th-18th Century CE). These core principles are identified as the centrality of the Qur’an in all intellectual discourse, a broad epistemological landscape and the unity of the sacred and secular sciences. This paper explores how returning to the same methodology can lead to an Islamic intellectual revival. The Qur’an identifies eight valid epistemic sources apart from itself while declaring itself as the Furqan (Criterion) to judge their validity. These include Sunnah, human intellect (‘Aql and Qiyas), Ijma’ (consensus), intuition (Basira), the physical universe, history, and certain knowledge from other civilisations. It is the duty of the scholars to work towards an integration of knowledge derived from these different sources and thus ‘Islamise’ them. This paper identifies the core reasons for the present intellectual crisis to as being rooted in an ignorance of the broad epistemological landscape of Islam. The Qur’an anticipates how a better understanding of the self and the cosmos will lead to a validation of the truth of the Qur’an in the future (41:53). Contemporary scientific discourse has uncovered important perspectives related to these two domains, presenting a good opportunity for Muslim intellectuals to study them in the light of Islamic thought. It is argued that science today needs a new philosophical paradigm as breakthroughs in physics and cosmology have made the current mechanistic and deterministic philosophy of science obsolete. This paper discusses how a new Islamic philosophy of science that rests on the Kalām and Sufi view of the universe and consciousness is one of the best contenders for this change in paradigm. Developments in Quantum Physics, Fine Tuned Cosmology, and the Hard Problem of Consciousness are taken as case studies to propose solutions from Islamic thought to conundrums related to them. Thus, a practical guide to the Islamisation of the fields of cosmology, physics, biology, and neuropsychology is proposed and it is argued that this approach will inevitably revitalize Muslim thought, reconcile physical sciences with it and thus has the potential to bring about an intellectual revival in the Ummah.
Indonesian Journal of Interdisciplinary Islamic Studies (IJIIS , 2024
The early Muslim attitude towards Israiliyaat was overwhelmingly negative because of the prohibit... more The early Muslim attitude towards Israiliyaat was overwhelmingly negative because of the prohibitions on taking knowledge from the Judeo-Christian tradition. But over time a steady import of Israiliyaat literature made its way into Quranic exegesis. The Quran was revealed to correct and rectify the mistakes documented in the Bible (Q 16:64). The Quran was not revealed to be explained in the light of those fabrications. In this paper three important instances are discussed, and it is shown how the inclusion of Israiliyaat distorts the Quranic meaning and undermines the non-contradictory nature of the Quran. One of the cases i.e Adam’s children committing incest is analyzed in detail. While neither the Quran nor Hadith support this view, it is still used as the primary explanation for the progression of the human race. This paper discusses how the dismissal of this bizarre view is necessary as it goes against the Quran. But its dismissal brings in another significant question. If there were just two humans on earth, and incest is out of the question, then how did human lineage move forward? Thus, it becomes a necessity in such a scenario to assume that there were other humans along with Adam and Eve on earth. And this is Muslim Evolutionism as espoused by Iqbal, Abdus Sabbur Shahin, Adnan Ibrahim, Israr Ahmed and others. This view is proved to be more Quranic in spirit and is in line with rationality and demonstrable scientific evidence. This paper demonstrates how biblical fabrications in Tafsir literature obscure Quranic narratives and their elimination will bring about a better understanding of the Quranic view of the origin of life.
Revelation and Science, 2022
Life sciences in the contemporary world are fertile ground for religion and science contentions. ... more Life sciences in the contemporary world are fertile ground for religion and science contentions. It could be argued that developments in evolutionary biology in the last two centuries contributed much to the rise of New Atheism. On conducting a survey we find that the study of life sciences within the Islamic scientific tradition never inclined towards atheistic thought. A core characteristic of Islamic science was that rigorous scientific research was conducted within a predominantly Islamic intellectual milieu and a 'tawhidic' philosophical framework. The initial impetus to develop life sciences in the Muslim world came from religious injunctions from the Quran and Sunnah. Many scientists like Al Jahiz, Ibn Khaldun etc pursued a study of the biological world to understand divine wisdom at work in creation. The necessary starting point of all scientific enquiry in the Islamic world was a recognition of divine unity that is demonstrated best by cosmic unity. Because Islamic science sprang forth from an intellectual tradition rooted in religion and spirituality, the place of symbolism in all literature was inevitable. The work of Muslim Biologist, Al Jahiz is analysed and a comparison is drawn between the language employed by Muslim scientists and mystics in order to understand how Islamic perspectives of Tawhid and cosmic unity greatly intersected with and influenced the development of life sciences in the medieval Muslim world. Understanding this feature of Islamic science is crucial for various reasons like a historical survey of Islamic Science and contemporary efforts in the field of Islam and Science, particularly Evolution
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MULTIDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS, 2022
Modern civilisation is characterised with unprecedented technological innovations that have led t... more Modern civilisation is characterised with unprecedented technological innovations that have led to major cultural shifts. Religion remains one of the primary phenomena that has been impacted the most by the current digital revolution. Da'wah, being one of the central tenets of Islam, is no exception to this global cyberculture. In order to remain relevant and address the needs of the current Muslim community, da'wah needs to adapt to the dynamics of the current digitization of society. This article discusses the transformation of Da'wah in the age of mass media, digital communication and the internet. This research establishes how the global digital revolution has opened new avenues for da'wah with the potential to disseminate the message of Islam far and wide. But at the same time the digitization of communication and the culture that it has constructed has unprecedented ethical implications related to cyber-culture, cyber-ethics, hyperreality and mass cognitive dissonance. Thus, while it's imperative to ensure that the method of conducting da'wah must be relevant to the current era, it necessarily must conform completely to the ideals of the Quran and Sunnah.
Journal of Islam and Science, 2021
Covid 19 has wreaked havoc all across the globe, whether it be through the rising number of cases... more Covid 19 has wreaked havoc all across the globe, whether it be through the rising number of cases, deaths, lockdowns, economic slowdown or just the media induced panic. In this sense we are all affected by the 'virus'. As the world grapples with this pandemic, there is a notable resonance with the past, especially between the global defense against the pandemic and the great medical innovations of the Islamic golden age. During the Islamic scientific revolution, Muslims became pioneers in the field of medical science. Inspired by the Quran and the various Hadith that consider the science of healing a sacred endeavor, Muslims made ground breaking discoveries in different areas of medicine like anatomy, pharmacology, physiology, surgery, epidemiology and so on. These contributions led to the significant growth in the field of medical science and its various branches and went on to influence the modern medical revolution. In the present survey an effort is made to discuss the historical roots of the global medical response and measures made to combat the Covid 19 pandemic and the various significant contributions of Medieval Muslim scientists in this field.
In 1954, Fred Hoyle showed that the multiplicity of elements we see all around us, from Hydrogen ... more In 1954, Fred Hoyle showed that the multiplicity of elements we see all around us, from Hydrogen in water to Oxygen-the life sustaining elixir, from carbon of which our bodies are made from to Iron with which civilizations are built, Gold and Silver for which wars were fought-are all manufactured in Stars. As the popular physicist Carl Sagan said," We are all made from stardust". We and whatever we see around us are all made from stars in the early universe that have been long dead since. So the question is how do these Cosmic factories produce the elements and how did they form a life sustaining planet like ours with flora and fauna and eventually Man? Production of Elements: In the core of stars the temperature is so high that Nuclear Fusion takes place. Just to give you an idea, the two bombs that were dropped in Hiroshima and Nagasaki were powered by Nuclear Fission-the breaking of a nucleus (147 Tera Joule of energy was released). On the other hand, Nuclear Fusion is the 'making' of a nucleus, fusing nuclei together to form a bigger nucleus. To make is way more difficult and powerful than to break. Lighter elements like Hydrogen and Helium are unstable and at extremely high temperatures (like in a star-core) they fuse together to form heavier elements and this reaction releases an awful load of energy. (Our Sun produces 5x10^23 Horsepower per second, that is enough to melt a bridge of ice 2 miles wide, 1 mile thick and extending the entire way from the earth to the Sun in 1 second). This energy not only gives a star like our Sun, its light and heat, but also keeps the star alive. I like to think of stars like human beings, in a sense that a star through out lives a life of inward-outward struggle for survival. The inward pull of gravity constantly trying to pull it down and the outward being these nuclear reactions that keep it standing against all odds. And this constant struggle makes it shine in the dark night, showing the way to generations of travelers throughout history. So from Hydrogen to Helium, from Helium to Neon and Oxygen, Then Carbon, Magnesium, Silicon, Sulphur, Argon and Calcium. Quranic arabic is fascinating and sometimes eerie. The word for a Star is Najm (plural:Nujoom) and it linguistically means "parts or something that is in a step by step process". And this is what a star functionally is, it produces elements in parts and step by step they are pushed to the outer layers and eventually released. The entire Stellar lifecycle is a distinct step by step process. This process of fusing lighter elements together to form heavier elements and the release of huge amounts of energy of which some is used to further fuse lighter elements to heavier elements continues till the most stable element in the Universe is produced. An element without which Human Civilization would not be possible, progress, developments, revolutions, upheavals would not be possible. This element that runs in our blood, requires the maximum energy and temperature to fuse is IRON. An element so enigmatic that it lies in the middle of the periodic
Books by Safiyyah Sabreen Syeed
In Islām, religious experience or spiritual communion with Allāh Most Glorified can be broadly di... more In Islām, religious experience or spiritual communion with Allāh Most Glorified can be broadly divided into two. One is the personal religious experience where the servant witnesses the ‘Hand of God’ unraveling their lives. It could be through an accepted Duā, a true dream, a miraculous event or an unveiling or unmediated comprehension of an attribute of Allāh or a concept in the Qurān. But there is another type of religious experience that the Qurān alludes to time and again. This is the universal or collective religious experience wherein the Ummah or groups within the Ummah can witness the ‘Hand of God’ in global events or the movement of history.
This is the domain of I’lm al Ākhir az-Zamān, the field of study pertaining the end of human history. What could be more fulfilling and revitalizing for a believing heart than to not only see how the world is transforming bit by it, second by second, event by event, into what was foretold by Allāh and His Messenger (n), but to equally comprehend the wisdom of its unfolding. We as a global community have an opportunity to witness the I’jāz (miraculousness) of our tradition through the field of Islamic Eschatology.
Talks by Safiyyah Sabreen Syeed
Transcribed by Safiyyah Sabreen Syeed Dr Hamid Naseem Rafiabadi: ere are di ferent terms used in ... more Transcribed by Safiyyah Sabreen Syeed Dr Hamid Naseem Rafiabadi: ere are di ferent terms used in the Quran like Aql, Tafakkur, Tadabbur, Ta'aqqul, Hikmah, Nazar and Basira. ese are the di ferent ways or methods of knowledge. Or we can call them the di ferent sources of knowledge. How has the Quran integrated these di ferent sources? I have noticed that in the Quran that Tafakkur is mostly related to religious matters. Ta'aqqul is common sense. Tafakkur is mostly related with science. As the Quran says "Yatafakkaruna fi khalqis samawaati wal ardhi" (ey re lect over the creation of the heavens and the earth.) (Quran 3:191) So we can see how the Quran has integrated the sources of knowledge. Dr Osman Bakar: e approach of the Quran is integrated. e Quran does not separate between the physical and non-physical sciences. e Quran uses the term 'Basira'. Yes, from the viewpoint of language, we can say it means sight or insight, what can be seen or perceived. But the Quran uses both (its meanings of physical as well as spiritual sight or insight) Dr Hamid : Not only physical but also spiritual (vision). Dr Osman: It includes the physical but does not confine it to the physical. e Quran is interested in a total vision. Dr Hamid: As the Quran says, " there are signs on earth for those with sure faith. As there are within your selves. Do you not see?" (Quran 51:20-21) Dr Osman: Allah swt has used each word very carefully (in the Quran). If one particular word is used to describe a phenomenon. But in another place a di ferent word is used for it. So we have to look at the context and semantics.
Conference Presentations by Safiyyah Sabreen Syeed
This presentation was delivered at International Conference on Islamic Thought and Civilization: ... more This presentation was delivered at International Conference on Islamic Thought and Civilization: Emerging Issues and New Trends.
University of Management and Technology. Lahore, Pakistan on March 2024.
Conference announcements by Safiyyah Sabreen Syeed
Full Program: Beyond Eurocentrism and Arabocentrism: Race, Ethnicity, and Knowledge Production, hosted by University of Aberdeen, UK, 12–13 September 2025, co-organised by Hany Rashwan, Florian Zemmin, Nicola Carpentieri,Nile Green, and Jakub Zbrzeżny. International scholars from more than ten countries from across the globe are gathering in person... more International scholars from more than ten countries from across the globe are gathering in person in Aberdeen on 12-13 September to converse on intellectual approaches to race, ethnicity, and knowledge production in the Arabo-Islamic ‘Golden Age’ that go beyond Eurocentric – or indeed Occidocentric – and Arabocentric perspectives. The wide range of conversations will include such topics as premodern multilingualism, Classical Arabic poetry, Arabic Judaism and Arabic Christianity, the Ottoman literary canon, Arabic Large Language Models, or current media debates on decolonisation. The full programme is available here (design version) and here (accessible version). Please note that all times are listed according to British Summer Time.
This interdisciplinary gathering is held as the International Workshop of the Arab-German Young Academy of Sciences and Humanities (AGYA), which is jointly based at the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities (Germany) and the Academy of Scientific Research & Technology (Egypt).
The workshop is co-organised by the ERC-SIQILLIYA project at the Università degli Studi di Padova, and it is hosted by the School of Divinity, History, Philosophy and Art History in cooperation with the Interdisciplinary Institute (Social Inclusion and Cultural Diversity Challenge) at the University of Aberdeen.
The AGYA organisers are Dr Hany Rashwan (United Arab Emirates University, UAE) and Professor Florian Zemmin (Freie Universität Berlin, Germany). The co-organisers are Professor Nile Green (University of California, Los Angeles), Professor Nicola Carpentieri (Università degli Studi di Padova), and Dr Jakub Zbrzezny as the host co-organiser from the University of Aberdeen (DHPA – Divinity Department).
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Papers by Safiyyah Sabreen Syeed
algorithmic technologies and the contributions of Islamic Golden Age scholars to it in particular.
The research will engage with the World Museum’s collections to explore and highlight the algorithmic methods developed by Islamic scholars. By re-examining the history of algorithms from a fresh, global and historical perspectives, the goal is to provide a broader understanding of how these
approaches set the stage for modern AI and related technologies to develop.
Experts across artificial intelligence (AI) and decolonial research methods, Professor Michael Mair and Drs Leon Moosavi and Phil Brooker in close collaboration with Dr Geraldine Reid, Lead Curator of Botany, Geology and Science, will supervise the postgraduate research to be conducted by The University of Liverpool’s Department of Sociology, Social Policy and Criminology partners with World Museum Liverpool to deliver an ESRC NWSSDTP CASE studentship, which will examine the long history of algorithmic technologies and the contributions of Islamic Golden Age scholars to it in particular.
The research will engage with the World Museum’s collections to explore and highlight the algorithmic methods developed by Islamic scholars. By re-examining the history of algorithms from a fresh, global and historical perspectives, the goal is to provide a broader understanding of how these approaches set the stage for modern AI and related technologies to develop.
Experts across artificial intelligence (AI) and decolonial research methods, Professor Michael Mair and Drs Leon Moosavi and Phil Brooker in close collaboration with Dr Geraldine Reid, Lead Curator of Botany, Geology and Science, will supervise the postgraduate research to be conducted by Sabreen Syeed. Already an established researcher with an online mini-series dedicated to the subject, Sabreen brings expertise and public engagement experience to the project.
Books by Safiyyah Sabreen Syeed
This is the domain of I’lm al Ākhir az-Zamān, the field of study pertaining the end of human history. What could be more fulfilling and revitalizing for a believing heart than to not only see how the world is transforming bit by it, second by second, event by event, into what was foretold by Allāh and His Messenger (n), but to equally comprehend the wisdom of its unfolding. We as a global community have an opportunity to witness the I’jāz (miraculousness) of our tradition through the field of Islamic Eschatology.
Talks by Safiyyah Sabreen Syeed
Conference Presentations by Safiyyah Sabreen Syeed
University of Management and Technology. Lahore, Pakistan on March 2024.
Conference announcements by Safiyyah Sabreen Syeed
This interdisciplinary gathering is held as the International Workshop of the Arab-German Young Academy of Sciences and Humanities (AGYA), which is jointly based at the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities (Germany) and the Academy of Scientific Research & Technology (Egypt).
The workshop is co-organised by the ERC-SIQILLIYA project at the Università degli Studi di Padova, and it is hosted by the School of Divinity, History, Philosophy and Art History in cooperation with the Interdisciplinary Institute (Social Inclusion and Cultural Diversity Challenge) at the University of Aberdeen.
The AGYA organisers are Dr Hany Rashwan (United Arab Emirates University, UAE) and Professor Florian Zemmin (Freie Universität Berlin, Germany). The co-organisers are Professor Nile Green (University of California, Los Angeles), Professor Nicola Carpentieri (Università degli Studi di Padova), and Dr Jakub Zbrzezny as the host co-organiser from the University of Aberdeen (DHPA – Divinity Department).