In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Allaah

Allāh commanded us to think deeply and ponder over the heavens and the earth, and all things Allāh has created: Imaam As-Sadi [may Allaah have mercy upon him] said: Indeed, Allāh commanded us to think deeply and ponder over the heavens and the earth, and all things Allāh has created- urged us to reflect on the signs He has created and His divine revelation. Allāh said: [قل انظروا ماذا في السماوات والأرض – Say: “Behold all that is in the heavens and the earth”.] [Surah Yunus. Aayah 101]

Allāh said: [قل سيروا في الأرض فانظروا كيف كان عاقبة الذين من قبل – Say (O Muhammad ): “Travel in the land and see what was the end of those before (you)!”] [Surah Rum. Aayah 42]

Allāh said: [كتاب أنزلناه إليك مبارك ليدبروا آياته وليتذكر أولو الألباب – (This is) a Book (the Qur’an) which We have sent down to you, full of blessings that they may ponder over its Verses, and that men of understanding may remember]. [Surah Saad. Aayah 29]

Indeed, Allāh commanded one to use (sound) intellect and sound deep thought to reflect on the signs He has created and on His recited proofs, evidences, verses, lessons and revelations in order that the servant grasps – by way of his sound intellect – that which is in the creation of benefits and signs; then he understand them, utilise and benefit from them based on his circumstances. Allāh informed us that they are signs for a people who believe, a people who understand and a people who have faith with certainty. The people of Eemaan, sound intellect and truthful certainty ponder upon Allāh’s signs and benefit, and are raised (in status) in the worldly life and the Hereafter. Allāh said: [وما تغني الآيات والنذر عن قوم لا يؤمنون – But neither Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) nor warners benefit those who believe not]. [Surah Hud. Aayah 101]

The one who does not benefit from the (signs, proofs, revelations etc) of Allāh is either a man upon extreme ignorance and misguidance, and has been deprived of the blessing of (sound) intellect and understanding; or he is an obstinate-haughty man and is indeed deceived by his intellect and intelligence, and has arrogantly turned away from the signs of Allāh.

Therefore, the sensible one – the blessed one, whenever he reflects on the universe, understands its underlying reasons and the wisdom behind it, his heart is filled with faith and certainty, and he says, “Glorified be Allāh and free is He from all imperfections that He would create anything in play (without any purpose) or out of negligence! Glorified be He and free is He from all imperfections that His perfect sublime and awe-inspiring actions would be devoid of wisdom and praiseworthy goals! Glory be to the One Who created this amazing universe, the One who perfected its organization and coherence; its interconnection with one another between its earth, sky, human beings, animal and plants!” So, he knows that its Creator and the One Who controls and regulates it is One Lord and One Deity, and thus he turns towards Him with faith, acknowledgement, gratitude and obedience. He humbles himself to His Wisdom, Greatness and Authority, and does not become like many of those who turn the creation away from their Creator, and sever the means and causes from the one who brought them into existence. Neither do not apply in their knowledge the fact that the means are from the One [Allāh] who brought them into existence, nor do they attribute the creation as those created by the Creator [Allāh], as is the case with the most senior materialists who are deficient in their knowledge and intellect. The sensible person praises Allāh for granting him wellbeing against this incurable disease through which many of the creation have perished. [An Excerpt from Ad-Dalaa’il Al-Qur’aaniyyah Fee Annal Uloom Wal-A’maal An-Naafi’ah Al-Asriyyah Daakhilatun Fid Deen Al-Islaamiy. pages 17-18. Slightly paraphrased]

How to Approach The Contemporary Worldly Sciences

Shaikh Saaleh Aala Ash-Shaikh [may allaah preserve him] said: The Messenger [peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him] said: Verily, the creation of each of you is brought together in his mother’s womb for forty days as a drop [of water, semen], then he is a clot for a similar period, then a morsel for a similar period…. [An-Nawawi’s Forty Hadeeth. Hadeeth 4]

It is well known that during that era, the Sahaabah did not know these stages (of development of the human being in the womb) through experimental knowledge, vision [i.e. by way X-rays or ultrasound that enables the human to see something in the womb) or other than that; rather it was simply (a statement of the Prophet) which they (believed and affirmed). They were scholars by way of the revelation sent down to the Prophet and not by way of experimentation (examination). [Sharh Al-Arba’een. Hadeeth 4]

Imaam Muhammad Bin Saaleh Al-Uthaymeen [may Allaah have mercy upon him] said: We do not say, “We do not give consideration to anything stated by the people in the subject matter regarding medicine, astronomy and the celestial bodies”, however, we do not accept everything they say. If what they say opposes the Book and the (authentic) Sunnah, then indeed we do not accept their statements. We take [i.e. believe and affirm without any doubt] that which is conveyed in the Book and the Sunnah], and we say, “An era will come in which the people will bear witness to the falsity of those statements of theirs – at present – that are in opposition to the Book and Sunnah and (bear witness) to the soundness of that which has been conveyed in the Book and the Sunnah. [An excerpt from the ‘Explanation of Bulooghul Maraam’ Vol 1. page 130. Shared by Ustaadh abu Tasneem (Mushaf Al-Banghaalee- may Allaah preserve him)]

Imaam Abdul Azeez Bin Baaz [may Allaah have mercy upon him] said: Indeed, that which is stated by the astronomers about the celestial bodies, their sizes and the distance between them, and that which is said about the earth [i.e. by the geologists etc] is categorized into three affairs: [a] That which is backed by the sound knowledge-based proofs [i.e. the Sharee’ah], therefore it is accepted. [b] That which the knowledge-based proofs [i.e. the sharee’ah] declares to be false, therefore it is rejected. [c] That which there is no proof to either accept or reject it, therefore it is unproven until a person from the people of knowledge [i.e. upright scholars of Ahlus Sunnah] examines it [i.e. examines what it indicates based on the Book and Sunnah] to show whether it should be accepted or rejected. As for accepting it without [sound] investigation and observation, but merely accepting it by blindly following them [i.e. the astronomers, geologists etc], then this is impermissible because of the numerous mistakes that occur as a result of that, and speaking -without knowledge – about Allaah and that which He has created [i.e. the entire universe and all that is within it]. [An Excerpts from ‘Al-Adillah An-Naqliyyah Wal-Hissiyyah Alaa Imkaanis Su’ood Ilal Kawaakib Wa Alaa Jarayaan Ash-Shams Wal-Qamar Wa Sukoon Al-Ard’ page 74. slightly paraphrased]

Therefore, we return to those honest investigators – those students of sound Aqeedah who are well acquainted with both the statements of the upright scholars and the contemporary worldly sciences, such as the likes of Dr. Shaikh Abu Iyaadh Amjad Rafiq [may Allaah preserve him, increase him in beneficial knowledge and righteous deeds. And likewise preserve all the students and Ahlus Sunnah Aameen].

Read: Understanding the Two Definitions of ‘Science’ in Operation – By Shaikh Dr. Abu Iyaadh:
http://www.aboutatheism.net/articles/juvtbpd-understanding-the-two-definitions-of-science-and-scientific-enquiry.cfm