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Let’s discover today our brother Abdelouahab Rgoud, 30, a graduate of ENS PARIS Saclay and ULM. He is an Associate Professor of Physical Sciences, doctoral student in philosophy of science, epistemology and philosophy of religions.

He was born in Brignoles, in the Var. After high school, he continued his studies in Nice in a scientific preparatory class. With a lot of work and the support of his teachers, he succeeded in entering the École Normale Supérieure.

What is science?

All this knowledge leads him to question the nature of science, of knowledge. He finds that even the most beautiful theories fall into disuse as time passes. This decline in theories, giving way to more solid ones, made him wonder about their foundations, about what scientific truth is.

A more spiritual dimension is also close to his heart because through the detailed understanding of the universe there is, for him, the search for the proximity of the Creator.

This is how he decided, by doing a double course, to move towards the philosophy of science, that is to say the study of the values ​​of science called epistemology. He is completing a thesis oriented on a principle, which is at the heart of all scientific theories, the principle of causality.

Indeed, the goal of all sciences is to highlight this link of cause and effect. It also reminds us of the considerable contribution of certain Muslim thinkers in this area during the golden age of Islam.

Theories contain more or less a part of absolute truth. He gives the example of the definition of the lunar months of the Hijri calendar. Can we predict the dates of the calendar in advance? Are the calculations reliable? Al-Bîrunî says that indeed, the calculations are reliable and one can predict the months in advance.

The relationship between science and Islam

Verses from the Koran have particularly marked him since high school. These include, among others, verses 190-191 of Surah Ali ‘Imran:

“Verily, in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the alternation of night and day, there are certainly signs for those endowed with understanding, who, standing, sitting, lying on their sides, call on Allah and meditate on the creation of the heavens and the earth (saying): “Our Lord! You did not create this in vain. Glory to You! Save us from the punishment of the Fire. »

As Abdelouahab Rgoud reminds us, Allah challenges our reason in order to understand the world. These questions question the meaning of our lives, the meaning of the cause of Creation. This marriage between the spiritual and the material, as he says, allows us to perceive the mysteries of what surrounds us.

According to him, the physicist’s quest has always been a quest for absolute truth. And if that absolute truth is Allah, for the Muslim, then the marriage is perfect. Indeed, this is what the Koran invites us to do in many verses.

One might ask why did he turn to philosophy after the physical sciences?

Abdelouahab Rgoud explains to us that the philosophy of nature was the old name for physics. Indeed, it used to designate all of the natural sciences: astronomy, physics, chemistry and biology.

The objective of his studies is, on the one hand, a spiritual journey. On the other hand, to transmit this admiration for the beauty of the universe. But also, the fascination for the method that has been put in place to finely understand the universe.

We are lucky to have access to education, he says. He invites everyone to make the effort to feed themselves intellectually, to excel in their field. Certainly, every Muslim must be a strong link in this community. You will find some tips to succeed in this way.

Watch his full interview at Muslim_Makers. It still covers many more interesting concepts than each other. It treats them in a very affordable way for the uninitiated. A treat to listen to!

The defense of his thesis “Atomism and Causality, from Avicenna to Fakhr al-Din al-Razi: Epistemological and theological study” is scheduled for October 08, 2022.

May Allah assist him during his defense, facilitate his projects and make him shine in the hearts of all his students.