DEFINITION OF KNOWLEDGE

• “ ‫ ” العلم‬as an Arabic word means to know, to

understand, to perceive , to be familiar and
acquainted with intensive knowledge.
• From the word ilm also, allama, ta’lim and
ulama’ are derived.
• Knowledge has significant relation with
education or tarbiyyah.
• Islam begins and ends with knowledge.
• In Islam, knowledge is the only method
to gain truth or to be understood.
• Since Allah is the ultimate and absolute
truth, man must acquire knowledge in
order to know Allah and worship Him
correctly and properly.
WHAT IS KNOWLEDGE
• Plato defined knowledge is obtained through
rational thinking or contemplation while belief
is acquired through senses.
• Aristotle interpreted knowledge as the real
world refers to only what is observable. Things
that we can observe are the object of
knowledge.
• Non observable things like ethics and religion
are not the realm of knowledge but in that of
belief.
• In Islam, knowledge comes from Allah’s
revelation through His Prophet.
• Truth relates to the nature of Allah
(Fitratallah), His creation and all phenomena,
acquired through revelation, reasoning and
experiences of the senses.
• The objects of knowledge in Islam are God, His
visible and invisible creation and the tangible
and intangible phenomena.
• The concept of knowledge in Islam is wider
than the Western in terms of the sources,
purpose and objects of knowledge.
SOURCES OF KNOWLEDGE
Revelation

Intuition

Rational
Thinking

Observation
REVEALATION
Forms of revelation
• Direct verbal communication by which Allah speaks to
man behind veil (Musa A.S).
• Inspiration
• Sending a Malaikat (42:51)
• Dreams (only for prophets)
Knowledge obtained through revelation is the most
reliable form of knowledge, impossible to be false and it
is also an absolute knowledge (haqq al-yakin). The two
important attributes are finality and eternal originality.
RATIONALISM
• Rationalism is another source of acquiring
truth or knowledge (ilm-al-yakin) or in other
words, knowledge by reasoning or inference.
• But man cannot rely wholly to the rational
thinking, because his intellect has limitations.
• Knowledge acquired through rationalism, logic
and contemplation need to be verified by
revealed knowledge.
• The last source of knowledge is experience or
empiricism.
THE AIM OF ACQUIRING KNOWLEDGE
• Only for the sake of Allah
• To serve humanity
• To educate man to be conscious of his duties
towards Allah and his fellow creatures and
rights upon them
THE IMPORTANCE OF KNOWLEDGE
• Islam emphasizes knowledge greatly:
• Ilm-repeated 800 times in Holy Quran
• The verses or sciences-appear to be 1000
verses in the Holy Quran and it describes on
the creation of man, water and humanity
• Quran is the book of signs. 1/6 of its content
discuss on science
• Seeking for knowledge is compulsory to every
Muslim. It is an obligation to them.
There are some sayings on the importance of knowledge.:
• Plato said that knowledge is a kind of conversion of
soul from the darkness to the light.
Prophet SAW said:
• Seek for knowledge from the cradle to the graveyard
• The sky and the earth live begging for the forgiveness
of the knowledgeable people
• You go and travel to seek for knowledge is much
greater than this world and whatever in the world.
AL-GHAZALI VIEW
• Religious knowledge
• Worldly knowledge
RELIGIOUS KNOWLEDGE
• Islam rejoices acquiring both knowledge.
However, Islam regards religious knowledge
more important because it is knowledge that
directly leads man to know his Creator and
how to worship Him correctly.
• It also provides guidance and purification of
the soul.