To my muslim friends,
For the record I am a christian, but have been studying islamic theology (personal interest), and I know from my studies of christian theology that christianity was challenged by many heresies. However, those heresies and heretics challenged true (christian) believers to clearly reaffirm their beliefs, and in so doing encouraged new thinking, and gave birth to philosophical concepts that re-asserted christianity. I think this sort of rigorous thinking is what prepared the West to question ALL things and ultimately led to the development of science.e.g Darwins theory of evolution vs the creation story of the scriptures.
However, the islamic theology warns of bid'ah ( fear of innovation) esp with regard to religious dogma. Now i think, this concept may make the muslim mind incapable of dealing with any new idea, especially if it disturbs things considered sacred etc. And my hypothesis is that this may be the reason why the islamic world lags behind the west. What do muslims think of this?

This question is for islamic/muslim scholars only, and not meant to denigrate any religion.

^ I think what you have said is inaccurate considering that you are making a mere unproven hypothesis from Darwin now a serious science.
Islam calls for thinking and reasoning and knowledge even before belief or believing.

You need to go and study science of yesteryear that is the bedrock of the science of today as well as its result f human advancement; you will find the work of Muslims there. Not because they went out to study by desire, but that Islam challenged them to it.

It is also a good thing that knowledge is not the exclusive property of Islam, nor that of judaism or christianity or the west.

success without God as its bedrock is no everlasting success, but temporal one. Further, everything is a time, and place. Soon, it will be a renaissance of Islam.

I never meant that evolution is proven, but it is the foundation of modern biology which is now so advanced that we can clone humans. And we may not have arrived at the point where we can clone humans or map out the human genome if those questions were forbidden.
I did not on the other hand attribute science as exclusive properties of christianity, or judaism. What i am stressing however, is that " thinking outside the box" as typified by challenging "God's" creation story in the scriptures allowed the West to better comparatively explore the world around them whereas in islamic societies this breakthrough did not occur. Yes muslims in the past contributed to science, mathematics, chemistry etc. Lately, this great civilization has remained stagnant. Why is not making new discoveries in mathematics, physics, chemistry etc. And why has it fallen so? There may be an islamic revival, but what sort of revival will it be? Will it be one full of zeal in a narrow perspective, or will it be a blessing to mankind. In other words will it be solely a revival of religious fervor or a reawakening of the muslim mind. And my question is, does (bid'ah) help or hurt the reawakening of the muslim mind?

Again, this question is for islamic scholars only.