Under the patronage of Her Excellency the Minister of Education and Higher Education, Hadara Foundation for Research and Community Development organized a distinguished intellectual lecture titled “A Reading Between the Written Book and the Observed Universe,” delivered by His Eminence the esteemed scholar Dr. Essam Al Bashir, in the presence of Dr. Buthaina bint Abdullah Al Abdulghani, Chairperson of the Board of the Foundation, alongside a select gathering of scholars and men of distinction.
Date: 20 March 2025
The Integration of Revelation and Existence
During the lecture, Dr. Essam Al Bashir presented the integrative vision that unites “Creation” (the observed universe) with “Command” (the written Book — the Quran), affirming that the relationship between the two is an inseparable bond. He explained that the Holy Quran is not merely a book of worship, but rather “a light, a life, and a rain of mercy” that grants the human being the insight to read both cosmic and social laws [08:02].Dimensions of the Relationship with the Universe
The esteemed scholar Al Bashir elaborated on the “five-fold framework” that connects the human being to the universe:- The Epistemological Relationship: The universe as a source of knowledge, parallel to revelation.
- The Relationship of Utilization (Taskhir): The human being’s journey from the “world of utilization” to the “world of cultivation,” and then to “valorization.”
- The Spiritual Relationship: The universe glorifies and worships by its very nature, while the Muslim glorifies by choice.
- The Relationship of Love: Drawing upon the saying of the Prophet ﷺ: “Uhud is a mountain that loves us and that we love.”
- The Aesthetic Relationship: Which connects the beauty of form with the beauty of meaning and values-based significance.
Fortifying Youth and Confronting Doubts
In an open dialogue moderated by Dr. Buthaina Al Abdulghani on the challenges facing today’s youth, Dr. Al Bashir emphasized the importance of “building awareness” as a shield against five major challenges: atheism, the corruption of human nature (fitrah), the dismantling of the family, the questioning of fundamentals, and destructive despair [55:45]. He called upon young people to hold fast to the certainty that dispels doubt, to the patience that repels desire, and to engage with community-serving projects that benefit their nations.A Renaissance Built on Firm Connection
The lecture concluded by affirming that the civilizational renaissance to which the Ummah aspires can only rise through breaking the artificial barrier between the “religious sciences” and the “worldly sciences,” and through resuming a renaissance project that unites material knowledge with heartfelt faith — carrying the Ummah from the “world of just existence” to the “world of active witnessing.”Date: 20 March 2025