Islam, Causality, and Science

This Element intends to contribute to the debate between Islam and science. It focuses on one of the most challenging issues in the modern discussion on the reconciliation of religious and scientic claims about the world, which is to think about divine causality without undermining the rigor and efficacy of the scientic method. First, the Element examines major Islamic accounts of causality. Then, it provides a brief overview of contemporary debates on the issue and identifies both scientific and theological challenges. Itargues that any proposed Islamic account of causality for the task of reconciliation should be able to preservescientific rigorwithout imposinga priorilimits on scientific research, account formiracleswithout turning them into science-stoppers or metaphors, securedivine and creaturely freedom, and establish a strong sense ofdivine presencein the world. Following sections discuss strengths and weaknesses of each account in addressing these challenges.