The short answer
No, the Quran repeatedly tells people to look at the heavens, the earth and living things and to think about how they were made, and it praises those who have knowledge. The Prophet ﷺ encouraged seeking treatment for illness and told his Companions that in worldly, technical matters they knew better than him. Islam treats the study of creation as a way of recognising the Creator.
The first words revealed to the Prophet ﷺ were a command to read, or recite, and they praise the Lord "who taught by the pen, taught man that which he knew not" 1. From there, the Quran keeps sending the reader back to the natural world. It describes people who "give thought to the creation of the heavens and the earth" as people of understanding 2. It tells them to "travel through the land and observe how He began creation" 3, and asks, "Are those who know equal to those who do not know?" 4.
The Quran also ties real knowledge to awe of Allah. After describing rain, fruits of different colours, mountains with white, red and black streaks, and the variety of people and animals, it says, "Only those fear Allah, from among His servants, who have knowledge" 5.
The Sunnah points the same way. The Prophet ﷺ said that Allah has not created any disease without also creating its treatment 6, which encourages looking for cures rather than resigning oneself to illness. When his passing remark about pollinating date palms turned out badly, he told the farmers, "You have better knowledge (of a technical skill) in the affairs of the world" 7. And when people claimed an eclipse happened because his son had died, he rejected the idea: the sun and moon do not eclipse for anyone's death or birth 8.
Islam does draw a line between what can be observed and what can only be known through revelation, such as the unseen, the purpose of life and moral law. Science answers the first kind of question well. Islam asks Muslims to pursue it, and to remember Who made what they are studying.
The first revelation begins with "Recite" and praises Allah who taught by the pen.
ٱقۡرَأۡ بِٱسۡمِ رَبِّكَ ٱلَّذِي خَلَقَ ١ خَلَقَ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنَ مِنۡ عَلَقٍ ٢ ٱقۡرَأۡ وَرَبُّكَ ٱلۡأَكۡرَمُ ٣ ٱلَّذِي عَلَّمَ بِٱلۡقَلَمِ ٤ عَلَّمَ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنَ مَا لَمۡ يَعۡلَمۡ ٥
1 Recite in the name of your Lord who created 2 Created man from a clinging substance 3 Recite, and your Lord is the most Generous 4 Who taught by the pen 5 Taught man that which he knew not
People of understanding reflect on the creation of the heavens and the earth.
إِنَّ فِي خَلۡقِ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَٱخۡتِلَٰفِ ٱلَّيۡلِ وَٱلنَّهَارِ لَأٓيَٰتࣲ لِّأُوْلِي ٱلۡأَلۡبَٰبِ ١٩٠ ٱلَّذِينَ يَذۡكُرُونَ ٱللَّهَ قِيَٰمࣰ ا وَقُعُودࣰ ا وَعَلَىٰ جُنُوبِهِمۡ وَيَتَفَكَّرُونَ فِي خَلۡقِ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ رَبَّنَا مَا خَلَقۡتَ هَٰذَا بَٰطِلࣰ ا سُبۡحَٰنَكَ فَقِنَا عَذَابَ ٱلنَّارِ ١٩١
190 Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day are signs for those of understanding 191 Who remember Allah while standing or sitting or [lying] on their sides and give thought to the creation of the heavens and the earth, [saying], "Our Lord, You did not create this aimlessly; exalted are You [above such a thing]; then protect us from the punishment of the Fire
Travel through the land and observe how Allah began creation.
قُلۡ سِيرُواْ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ فَٱنظُرُواْ كَيۡفَ بَدَأَ ٱلۡخَلۡقَۚ ثُمَّ ٱللَّهُ يُنشِئُ ٱلنَّشۡأَةَ ٱلۡأٓخِرَةَۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيۡءࣲ قَدِيرࣱ ٢٠
Say, [O Muhammad], "Travel through the land and observe how He began creation. Then Allah will produce the final creation. Indeed Allah, over all things, is competent
Are those who know equal to those who do not know?
أَمَّنۡ هُوَ قَٰنِتٌ ءَانَآءَ ٱلَّيۡلِ سَاجِدࣰ ا وَقَآئِمࣰ ا يَحۡذَرُ ٱلۡأٓخِرَةَ وَيَرۡجُواْ رَحۡمَةَ رَبِّهِۦۗ قُلۡ هَلۡ يَسۡتَوِي ٱلَّذِينَ يَعۡلَمُونَ وَٱلَّذِينَ لَا يَعۡلَمُونَۗ إِنَّمَا يَتَذَكَّرُ أُوْلُواْ ٱلۡأَلۡبَٰبِ ٩
Is one who is devoutly obedient during periods of the night, prostrating and standing [in prayer], fearing the Hereafter and hoping for the mercy of his Lord, [like one who does not]? Say, "Are those who know equal to those who do not know?" Only they will remember [who are] people of understanding
After describing nature's variety, the Quran says those with knowledge truly fear Allah.
أَلَمۡ تَرَ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ أَنزَلَ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مَآءࣰ فَأَخۡرَجۡنَا بِهِۦ ثَمَرَٰتࣲ مُّخۡتَلِفًا أَلۡوَٰنُهَاۚ وَمِنَ ٱلۡجِبَالِ جُدَدُۢ بِيضࣱ وَحُمۡرࣱ مُّخۡتَلِفٌ أَلۡوَٰنُهَا وَغَرَابِيبُ سُودࣱ ٢٧ وَمِنَ ٱلنَّاسِ وَٱلدَّوَآبِّ وَٱلۡأَنۡعَٰمِ مُخۡتَلِفٌ أَلۡوَٰنُهُۥ كَذَٰلِكَۗ إِنَّمَا يَخۡشَى ٱللَّهَ مِنۡ عِبَادِهِ ٱلۡعُلَمَٰٓؤُاْۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ غَفُورٌ ٢٨
27 Do you not see that Allah sends down rain from the sky, and We produce thereby fruits of varying colors? And in the mountains are tracts, white and red of varying shades and [some] extremely black 28 And among people and moving creatures and grazing livestock are various colors similarly. Only those fear Allah, from among His servants, who have knowledge. Indeed, Allah is Exalted in Might and Forgiving
Allah has not created a disease without creating its treatment.
Narrated Abu Huraira:The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "There is no disease that Allah has created, except that He also has created its treatment
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو أَحْمَدَ الزُّبَيْرِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا عُمَرُ بْنُ سَعِيدِ بْنِ أَبِي حُسَيْنٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي عَطَاءُ بْنُ أَبِي رَبَاحٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " مَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ دَاءً إِلاَّ أَنْزَلَ لَهُ شِفَاءً ".
On pollinating date palms, the Prophet ﷺ said, "You have better knowledge ... in the affairs of the world".
Anas reported that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) happened to pass by the people who had been busy in grafting the trees. Thereupon he said:If you were not to do it, it might be good for you. (So they abandoned this practice) and there was a decline in the yield. He (the Holy Prophet) happened to pass by them (and said): What has gone wrong with your trees? They said: You said so and so. Thereupon he said: You have better knowledge (of a technical skill) in the affairs of the world
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، وَعَمْرٌو النَّاقِدُ، كِلاَهُمَا عَنِ الأَسْوَدِ بْنِ عَامِرٍ، - قَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ حَدَّثَنَا أَسْوَدُ بْنُ عَامِرٍ، - حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادُ بْنُ سَلَمَةَ، عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ عُرْوَةَ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، وَعَنْ ثَابِتٍ، عَنْ أَنَسٍ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم مَرَّ بِقَوْمٍ يُلَقِّحُونَ فَقَالَ " لَوْ لَمْ تَفْعَلُوا لَصَلُحَ " . قَالَ فَخَرَجَ شِيصًا فَمَرَّ بِهِمْ فَقَالَ " مَا لِنَخْلِكُمْ " . قَالُوا قُلْتَ كَذَا وَكَذَا قَالَ " أَنْتُمْ أَعْلَمُ بِأَمْرِ دُنْيَاكُمْ " .
The Prophet ﷺ rejected the belief that an eclipse was caused by his son's death.
Narrated Al-Mughira bin Shu`ba:"The sun eclipsed in the lifetime of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) on the day when (his son) Ibrahim died. So the people said that the sun had eclipsed because of the death of Ibrahim. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "The sun and the moon do not eclipse because of the death or life (i.e. birth) of someone. When you see the eclipse pray and invoke Allah
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا هَاشِمُ بْنُ الْقَاسِمِ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا شَيْبَانُ أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ، عَنْ زِيَادِ بْنِ عِلاَقَةَ، عَنِ الْمُغِيرَةِ بْنِ شُعْبَةَ، قَالَ كَسَفَتِ الشَّمْسُ عَلَى عَهْدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَوْمَ مَاتَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ، فَقَالَ النَّاسُ كَسَفَتِ الشَّمْسُ لِمَوْتِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ. فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " إِنَّ الشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ لاَ يَنْكَسِفَانِ لِمَوْتِ أَحَدٍ وَلاَ لِحَيَاتِهِ، فَإِذَا رَأَيْتُمْ فَصَلُّوا وَادْعُوا اللَّهَ ".
This answer was compiled with the help of AI, using only the verified texts shown here. Every reference links to its source. If you find a mistake, please report it. Updated 2026-09-24