pai@yale.edu (A. Satish Pai) (03/01/90)
A few questions from a curious person:
1. What is the Islamic view of "consciousness", "intelligence", and "life"?
Specifically, are these things properties that can be endowed only by
God (Allah)?
2. What is the Islamic view of genetic engineering? Of genetically engineered
bacteria or other microbes that have been "created" or "invented" in recent
times? What about the possibility that living matter may be created from
non-living matter some day by science? What would the status of such
life be in the Islamic viewpoint?
3. Carrying this a step further, what about the possibility of human clones
created by artificial means?
4. What is the Islamic view of the field of artificial intelligence? Of the
assumption (often made in AI) that given sufficient computing power, and
with the use of appropriate programming techniques, intelligence of any
kind (including human) can be duplicated in a computer program?
5. Supposing a computer program were developed that exhibited human-like
features to a large extent (intelligence, maybe even emotion), what would
be its status under Islamic philosophy?
6. (A wild one) Supposing life on some other planet is discovered, with
intelligence and development comparable to that of the human race. What
would the status of such creatures be under Islam? Could we have the
possibility of one of these creatures becoming a Muslim, in any sense?
Does this question make any sense at all?
I know that the terms "intelligence", "consciousness" etc. are very
vague. Even the term "life" may not have a precise definition.
However, I think that even so the above questions are clear enough -
my meaning ought to come across.
No flames about the absurdity of this posting, please, I'd really like
to know the answers.
--Satish.
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-------------------------------------------------------------------------------naim@eecs.nwu.edu (Naim Abdullah) (03/02/90)
A. Satish Pai asks some tough questions about the Islamic view on consciousness, intelligence, genetic engineering, AI and extra terrestrial life. There are no immediate answers to these questions because these questions are not explicitly treated in the Quran and/or the Sunnah. As such, there is no one Islamic View. This is a matter for ijtehad (personal judgement based upon an understanding of Islam). Accordingly, different muslims will have different opinions on these topics. I present my OPINIONS below: >1. What is the Islamic view of "consciousness", "intelligence", and "life"? > Specifically, are these things properties that can be endowed only by > God (Allah)? Yes, ultimately, consciousness/intelligence/life are properties that can be endowed only by Allah. These are not things that can be created by humans. However, Allah can choose to give some human some power or some extraordinary ability or miracle. For example, muslims believe that Jesus was able to raise the dead through the orders of Allah. I believe that knowledge and understanding of the universe also comes from Allah. For example, Einstein proposed the General Theory of Relativity. I think it was Allah who chose to give Einstein the insights needed for General Relativity. Similarly, in the future, Allah may chose to give some human the understanding and ability to create some form of life. The origin of this life would still be from Allah since He is the source of this understanding/insight/knowledge. >2. What is the Islamic view of genetic engineering? Of genetically engineered > bacteria or other microbes that have been "created" or "invented" in recent > times? What about the possibility that living matter may be created from > non-living matter some day by science? What would the status of such > life be in the Islamic viewpoint? See above. Since the origin of this life would ultimately be from Allah, it should be treated no different than "ordinary" life. >3. Carrying this a step further, what about the possibility of human clones > created by artificial means? Their origin would be still from Allah, although the scientists who put them together would be the tools of Allah in His creation. In a way, this is no different from how humans are born today. When two people make love and conception and birth occurs, the two people were just the tools of God in the creation of this new human being. Similarly, the scientists who ultimately develop a human being by artificial means are just the tools of God in the creation of that human being. So these human clones should have all the rights and responsibilities normally accorded to human beings. >4. What is the Islamic view of the field of artificial intelligence? Of the > assumption (often made in AI) that given sufficient computing power, and > with the use of appropriate programming techniques, intelligence of any > kind (including human) can be duplicated in a computer program? I would think that Islam would consider such an assumption arrogant and short sighted. And wrong, since it denies the role of God in the process of creation of intelligence. If God so choses, none of these programs would ever be successful, since their authors would never get the insight needed for the creation of true AI. >5. Supposing a computer program were developed that exhibited human-like > features to a large extent (intelligence, maybe even emotion), what would > be its status under Islamic philosophy? That would have to depend upon how close it was to human-like features. If it passed the turing test (ie, was indistinguishable from humans) then it would/should have all the rights/responsibilities accorded to humans. There is nothing in the Quran that says that all of God's creatures are based on carbon (in fact, quite the contrary: see below). I would just consider this program another of God's numerous wonders. >6. (A wild one) Supposing life on some other planet is discovered, with > intelligence and development comparable to that of the human race. What > would the status of such creatures be under Islam? Could we have the > possibility of one of these creatures becoming a Muslim, in any sense? > Does this question make any sense at all? Yes, the question does make sense and the Quran already treats this question in passing. The Quran refers to beings known as the "jinn". These beings are made of "fire clear of smoke". In 55:15: QUOTE He created the jinns from fire clear of smoke. END QUOTE Speculation: Maybe the jinn are a plasma based life form living on stars ? In Soorat-ul-Jinn (chapter 72), we learn that a group of jinn passing through earth heard the Prophet Mohammad reciting the Quran. Soorat-ul-Jinn tells of how these Jinn reported these teachings to their people when they went back (I urge you to read it, it is very interesting; I give some excerpts below). A jinn speaks to his people in Chapter 72: QUOTE ... 11. After listening to the Koran there are those among us who are righteous and those who are not. We are of different persuasions, the believers and the rejectors of faith. 12. We believe we cannot frustrate Allah on earth from doing His will, and neither can we escape Him and His judgement on earth or in the heavens. 13. When we heard what was set down for our guidance in the Koran, we believed in it. For the person who believes in Allah does not need to fear his virtuous deeds will be lost, or fear humiliation. 14. Among us there are those who submit themselves in faith to Allah and thos who are rejectors of the faith. And he who submits his will to Allah will find true guidance. 15. As for the unjust, they will be the fuel for Hellfire". END OF QUOTE So the Quran already tells muslims that there are other intelligent beings who can be both good and bad. And in other places the Quran tells us that these jinn are also required to follow the path laid down by their creator. Another interesting quote dealing with extra terrestrial life is to be found in Chapter 65. In chapter 65: QUOTE Allah is He who created seven heavens, and of the earth the like of them; the decree continues to descend among them, that you may know that Allah has power over all things and that Allah indeed encompasses all things in (His) knowledge. END OF QUOTE I don't think that "seven heavens" is translated well. I think a more appropriate translation would be "seven regions". Anyway, I was reading a tafseer by Maulana Maudoodi and he interprets "and of the earth the like of them; the decree continues to descend among them" to mean that there are other planets like earth with intelligent life on them. God has also sent his message ("decree") to these planets to guide the life forms there. And God is telling us these things so that we may know that His knowledge encompasses all things. The short answer to your question is that it does make sense for an extra terrestrial life form to be a muslim or a non-muslim. Naim