Al Ghazali on Science

In the second place, there are those things in which the philosopher believe, and which do not come into conflict with any religious principle. And, therefore, disagreement with the philosophers with respect to those things is not a necessary condition for the faith in all the prophets and the apostles (May God bless them all).

An example is their theory that the lunar eclipse occurs when the light of the moon disappears as a consequence of the interposition of the Earth between the Moon and the Sun. For the moon derives its light from the Sun, and the Earth is a round body surrounded by Heaven on all sides. Therefore, when the Moon falls under the shadow of the Earth, the light of the Sun is cut off from it. Another example is their theory that the solar eclipse means the interposition of the body of the Moon between the Sun and the observer, which occurs when the Sun and Moon are stationed at the intersection of their nodes at the same degree.

We are not interested in refuting such theories either; for the refutation will serve no purpose. He who thinks that it is his religious duty to disbelieve such things is really unjust to his religion, and weakens its cause. For these things have been established by astronomical and mathematical evidence which leaves no room for doubt.

If you tell a man, who has studied these things – so that he has sifted all the data relating to them, and is, therefore, in a position to forecast when a lunar or solar eclipse will take place: whether it is total or partial; and how long it will last – that these things are contrary to religion, your assertion will shake his faith in religion, not in these things. Greater harm is done to religion by an immethodical helper than by an enemy whose actions, however hostile, are yet regular.

For as the proverb goes, a wise enemy is better than an ignorant friend.

From Al Ghazali's 'Incoherence of the Philosophers' – an important lesson which is too often forgotten by today's Muslims. The problem of intelligent design in particular doesn't just exist in America.