Sister Farzana to Dr. Jamil in her own words, "You are working from the presumed certainty of God, the presumed authenticity of a religious text and formulating hypotheses on that basis" has given even more credence to Dr. Jamil's theory of relativity in the light of his understanding of science and religion. I can't see how that can be seen as something that is in conflict with the basic principles of Science. Dr. Jamil is a medical doctor and understands Science. He has obviously done intense research in the field of Science in relation to Quran. Clearly he would have done it in order to come to terms with his faith and find a point of fusion between the two. As I have read from some of his writings, there is much that he has found in the Quran that is in perfect harmony with Science, yet there might have also been things that he was not able to fuse together because of the contradiction between the established principles of Science with that of Quran.
 
I am surprised that Sister Farzana has mentioned presumed certainty of God and authenticity of a religious text. Does it mean she is not certain about it herself? Does it also mean that all of us Muslims, so addressed by God Himself in the Quran as, “O You the Believers” should cease being believers and reject all the scientific verses in the Quran if they don’t conform to the established Scientific principles of today? For God’s sake does it not make us all Munafiq (Hypocrites).  O f course the Quran gives us enough opportunity to think, contemplate and research but Quran also insists that we should only do so after we have established God in our hearts by having implicit faith in His Word (Quran). Allah Says, “Those who remember Allah (always and in prayers) standing, sitting and lying down on their sides and think deeply about the creation of the heavens and the earth, (saying): “Our Lord! You have not created (all) this without purpose, glory to You!” Aale Imran 191.
Down the ages, a study of Science in relation with Quran has been a standard practice and we as a Muslim nation will be doing grave injustice to ourselves if we stop theorising and articulating our understanding of Science within the parameters of Quran, we will stagnate and fail to fulfil the purpose of our being in this life. Dr. jamil today, like Ibn Rushd,Imaam Ghazaali, Ibn Zuhr  and a number of contemporary Muslim thinkers, philosophers and scientists of that time (12th Century) used to have a raging debate on a number of scientific principles.  There are large volumes of work that the Muslim Theologians and Philosophers have done in the past. They had their differences but their quest to study, research and understand never ceased and their masterful work today stands out us something that even now shows us the way.
If there are those amongst us today who are willing to once again pursue the path of discovery and put their work in the domain of people, who are we to dissent?  Sister Farzana has not mentioned anywhere in her letter that she has a problem with Dr. Jamil’s hypothesis per se, but has no inhibitions in dismissing the same nevertheless simply because his work has not been tested through empirical research.  I think it is this attitude that is inadvertently or consciously suppressing the Muslim mind from flourishing. Be it Jamil, Zakir Naik or some of the others of such immense brilliance that given the opportunity they can truly make a telling impression and indeed make people sit up and take note but it is our reluctance as a Muslim Ummah to collectively stand up and support our own, which prevents us from delivering God’s word to the world.
As a neutral observer and an implicit believer in the Word of God, I for one would choose Jamil’s pseudo-science over the pseudo-secularists, who to my mind are the ones most responsible to suppress the Truth (Haq) from manifesting itself.
Regardless of our differences, it is time we learn to work together and help in making our Theologians, Thinkers and Philosophers work reach far and wide.
With profound regards to sister Farzana
Syed Adil