UNIVERSITY OF DARUSSALAM (UNIDA) GONTOR, EAST JAVA, INDONESIA

Knowledge Tradition in Islamic Civilization

INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP ON SCIENCE AND RELIGION (IWOSAR)

Honorary Member
Turkish Academy of Sciences 7 July 2023
Adjunct at Ibn Haldun University
 WHAT IS KNOWLEDGE?
AND ITS CONCEPTION IN ISLAMIC CIVILIZATION
ISSUES INVOLVED: AN OUTLINE OF THE DISCUSSION
I will present the concept of knowledge from a different perspective:
FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF SCIENTIFIC PROCESS
 The Concept of Knowledge in General
 Definition of Knowledge
 The Concept of Knowledge in Islamic Civilization
 The Qur’an and Hadīth
 Kalām and Fiqh
 The Concept of Knowledge Tradition in
Islamic Civilization
 Scientific Knowledge in Islamic Civilization
 THE SIGNIFICANCE OF KNOWLEDGE
In order to explain the significance of knowledge we may ask:

WHY KNOWLEDGE?
DO WE HAVE TO HAVE KNOWLEDGE?
WHY DO WE EMPHASIZE KNOWLEDGE SO MUCH?

The concept of knowledge as it exists in every language refers to what we acquire

concerning the nature of things and phenomena around us. If this concept is elaborated
in a society with the help of contextual circumstances, it gradually develops into a
doctrinal concept that provides a foundation to sustain all learning activities.

DOCTRINAL CONCEPT
A concept which expresses a complex unity of ideas.
 THE SIGNIFICANCE OF KNOWLEDGE
These learning activities help the doctrinal concept of knowledge to become more
sophisticated. As more knowledge accumulates in that society through the efforts of
generations of learned scholars it becomes a chaotic pile of knowledge that makes it
difficult to study any given subject systematically.

In order to explain the significance of knowledge we may continue to explain this

process further:

This way, scholars re-interpret the available knowledge and classify it into its
proper areas by defining each subject matter and limiting them. They also
realize that each subject has its own way of study called “method”. When a
subject matter thus brought under discipline, the concept of knowledge acquires
a new technical meaning and thus becomes a foundation to sustain the new
learning activities that is called afterward “science.”
 THE SIGNIFICANCE OF KNOWLEDGE

The historical process described here will be elaborated later on as “scientific

process” which is the historical progress of knowledge through the epistemology
of science in history.
It should become clear that the concept of knowledge is the most significant
concept and, indeed, the foundational doctrine of the General Scientific
Conceptual Scheme in any scientific tradition.

As such, at the time of the emergence of a scientific tradition, this concept is

elaborated by the learned community, who are the forefathers of that tradition.

As a doctrinal concept, this understanding of knowledge provides a frame of

mind for those who actively work in this tradition such that it becomes a
prerequisite mental framework before anyone is initiated into the scholarship
and scientific study.
 THE SIGNIFICANCE OF KNOWLEDGE

This is because the concept of knowledge is so much elaborated by the earlier

generations that it becomes a doctrinal notion that includes within itself the
understanding of knowledge and all other knowledge-related values.
This point shall become clear when we show how this doctrinal concept
emerged in early Islam.

This point is also seen in the concept used for science in Islam, ‘ilm, which
means both knowledge and science.

It is not a coincidence that both in Ancient Greek (episteme) and Western

scientific traditions (scientia) the word used for science also means
“knowledge”.
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF KNOWLEDGE TRADITION

Therefore, the emergence of a knowledge tradition seems to be essential for

the emergence of a scientific tradition in a civilization; and indeed the
knowledge tradition must emerge first in order to prepare the frame of mind
as the General Scientific Conceptual Scheme for the future scientists.

This development in a civilization is an indispensable epistemological

process. In fact it is also this process that renders a local culture civilization.

A well-known Orientalist, Franz Rosenthal, investigated the concept of

knowledge in Islamic civilization and he found out this fact, as explained
here. Let us see his exposition very briefly.
THEN WE CAN STUDY THE DEFINITION OF KNOWLEDGE.
 KNOWLEDGE TRIUMPHANT
The Concept of Knowledge in Medieval Islam

Arabic ‘ilm is fairly well rendered by our

“knowledge”. However, “knowledge” falls short of
expressing all the factual and emotional contents
of ‘ilm. For ilm is one of those concepts that have
dominated Islam and given Muslim civilization its
distinctive shape and complexion.

In fact, there is no other concept that has been

operative as a determinant of Muslim
civilization in all its aspects to the same extent
as ilm. This holds good even for the most
powerful among the terms of Muslim religious
life such as, for instance, tawhîd “recognition
of the oneness of God,” ad-dîn “the true
religion”.
 KNOWLEDGE TRIUMPHANT
The Concept of Knowledge in Medieval Islam
None of them equals ‘ilm in depth of meaning and wide incidence of
use. There is no branch of Muslim intellectual life, of Muslim
religious and political life, and of the daily life of the average Muslim
that remained untouched by the all-pervasive attitude toward
“knowledge” as something of supreme value for Muslim being. ‘Ilm
is Islam, even if the theologians have been hesitant to accept the
technical correctness of this equation. The very fact of their
passionate discussion of the concept attests to its fundamental
importance for Islam.
Civilizations tend to revolve around meaningful concepts of an abstract nature which more than anything else give
them their distinctive character. Such concepts are to be found at the very beginning of a rising civilization.

NOW WE CAN PROCEED TO DISCUSS THE DEFINITION OF KNOWLEDGE.

In that case now we are able to give a definition of knowledge as follows:

Knowledge = Mental content + Concept

Species Its genus + Its difference

Based on this guiding principles we can make this into a meaningful sentence
to express the definition of knowledge:
KNOWLEDGE IS CONCEPTUAL MENTAL CONTENTS.
IF WE TAKE THIS AS A TENTATIVE STARTING POINT HOW CAN WE EVALUATE
THE CONCEPT OF KNOWLEDGE IN ISLAMIC CIVILIZATION?

OBVIOUSLY WE NEED TO START FROM THE MAIN SOURCE OF ALL THESE

IDEAS: THAT IS THE QUR’AN.
 The standard classification of knowledge in Islam is based on the Qur’an and therefore this should be our starting
point. After a thorough survey of the Qur’an we see that the concept of “ilm” is used in five fundamental senses:

1. The literal meaning “to know”; namely “everyday knowledge”;

2/al-Baqara, 26; 3/Al ‘Imrân, 18;2nd meaning; 4/al-Nisâ, 157; 6/al-An’âm, 119, 140-144; 16/al-Nahl, 25;
30/al-Rûm, 29; 39/al-Zumar, 9, etc. ٩﴿ ‫﴾ُقْل َه ْل َي ْس َت ِو ي اَّلٖذ يَن َي ْع َلُموَن َو اَّلٖذ يَن اَل َي ْع َلُموَؕن ِاَّن َم ا َي َت َذ َّك ُر ُا۬و ُلوا اَاْلْلَب اِࣖب‬

Rosenthal shows that the term ‘ilm is used in the everyday sense:
The Qur’ân does, of course, often refer to mundane knowledge possessed by human
beings. Such knowledge, it seems, is considered acquired by means of three organs
of the body, the eye, the ear, and the heart. This, at least, is the obvious interpretation
of passages in which hearing, seeing, and “hearts” are mentioned together (32: 9/8
and 67:23/23), and, in particular, of the Qur’ânic passage 17:36/38, which holds
these three functions responsible for the absence of knowledge: “Do not go after that
of which you have no knowledge, for hearing, sight, and heart, all these are held
responsible.” (p. 30)
 2. The first technical meaning: “Revelation”;
In this sense “ilm” means only “Qur’an” and/or “Hadith”
“After what has been revealed to you from the ‘ılm, if you follow what they say, you will
find from God neither any help nor a friend.” (2/Bakara, 120; also see 3/Al ‘İmrân, 61;
13/al-Ra’d, 37; 11/Hûd, 14; 27/al-Naml, 15)
‫َو َلْن َتْر ٰض ى َع ْنَك اْلَيُهوُد َو اَل الَّنَص اٰر ى َح ّٰت ى َتَّتِبَع ِم َّلَتُهْؕم ُقْل ِاَّن ُهَد ى ِهّٰللا ُهَو اْلُهٰد ؕى َو َلِئِن اَّتَبْعَت َاْهَٓو اَء ُهْم َبْع َد اَّلٖذ ي‬
١٢٠﴿ ‫﴾ َٓج اَء َك ِم َن اْلِع ْلِۙم َم ا َلَك ِم َن ِهّٰللا ِم ْن َو ِلٍّي َو اَل َنٖص يٍر‬

Rosenthal refers to the technical meaning very emphatically:

Right from the start, the student of the Qur’ân finds himself confronted with
the thought presented forcefully and inescapably that all human knowledge that
has any real value and truly deserves to be called “knowledge” is religious
knowledge. Moreover, it is not just vaguely some general religious information,
but it is specifically identical with the contents of the divine message
transmitted by the Prophet. (p. 30)
 3. The second technical meaning: Knowledge inherited from Revelation;
“The scholars are the heirs of the Prophets”.
Let us call this “Transmitted (tablîgh) Knowledge”.• Abu Dâwûd, “’Ilm”, 1; Tirmizî, “’Ilm”, 19; Nasaî,
“Tahâre”, 112; Ibn Mâja, “Muqaddima”, 17; Ahmad
ibn Hanbal, IV, 239, 241; V, 196.
“We have sent down for a community that will believe a book which is explained with
knowledge so that it will be a guidance for them and mercy” (7/al-A’râf, 52; cf. 6/al-An’âm,
143; 13/al-Ra’d, 43; 19/Maryam, 43; 27/al-Naml, 40)
4. In the sense of “Illuminated Knowledge”
“We have sent you a Prophet from amongst you who can read our Signs, cleanse you from the evils
and teach you the Book and Wisdom and also what you do not know.” (2/al-Baqara, 151; 31/Luqmân,
20; etc.) This means that “Illuminated Knowledge” is that knowledge which emerges in
our mind through established understanding of the Revealed sources.
5. In the sense of “Dark Knowledge”; zulmah,
“O ignorants! Do you want me to serve for someone other than God?”
Also see the phrase “bi-ghayr ‘ilm”. “ayyuha’l-jahilûn” (39/al-Zumar, 64)

Where is scientific Knowledge? SCIENTIFIC

If we look again our derivation of the uses of the ‘ilm in the Qur’an we were able to find a
usage which we identified as «Illuminated Knowledge» and we defined it as that
knowledge which emerges in our mind through established understanding of the Revealed
sources. Here we underline the word «understanding».

WHY?
Because there is a concept in the Qur’an that exactly expresses this meaning:

FIQH
‫ْا َك َّف ۚٗة‬
‫ِن‬ ‫ي‬ ‫ِّد‬ ‫ل‬‫ٱ‬ ‫ي‬ ‫ِف‬ ‫ْا‬ ‫و‬ ‫ُه‬ ‫َّق‬ ‫َتَف‬ ‫َي‬‫ِّل‬ ‫ة‬ٞ ‫َف‬ ‫ِئ‬ ‫ٓا‬ ‫َط‬ ‫ۡم‬ ‫ُه‬ ‫ۡن‬ ‫َفَل ۡو اَل َنَف َر ِم ن ُك ِّل ِفۡر َق ٖة ِّم‬ ‫۞َو َم ا َك اَن ٱۡل ُم ۡؤ ِم ُن وَن ِلَي نِف ُرو ٓا‬
. ‫َي ۡح َذ ُروَن‬ ‫َو ِلُينِذ ُروْا َقۡو َم ُهۡم ِإَذ ا َر َج ُع ٓو ْا ِإَلۡي ِه ۡم َلَع َّلُهۡم‬
9/al-Tawba, 122.
(And it is not for the believers to go forth [to battle] all at once. For there should separate
from every division of them a group [remaining] to obtain understanding in the religion
and warn their people when they return to them that they might be cautious.)
Although the Qur’an does not use this term as a noun the verbal usage makes it clear that
it refers to human understanding of what is revealed and of what is derived from it.
It is possible to think that since fiqh is rational understanding, as indicated in a ḥadīth that
the scholar who bases himself on Revealed knowledge is a hundred times higher in rank
than the theoretical scholar: «faḍlu'l-‘ālim ‘ala'l-mujtahid mi’atu darajah”. *
‫فضل العالم على المجتهد مائة درجة‬
But another ḥadīth clarifies that rational understanding may be decisive in certain cases. **
‫فقيه واحد أشد على الشيطان من ألف عابد‬
Of course, the Islamic worldview also clarifies in which cases which one is to be preferred.
* Al-Dārimī, op. cit., “Muqaddimah”, 32.
** Al-Tirmidhī, "‘Ilm", 13; Ibn Mājah, “Muqaddimah”.
We may give some more usages concerning the term «fiqh» in earlier periods that make it
clear that fiqh is based on ‘ilm, namely revealed sources, such as ahl al-’ilm wa’l-fiqh. This
expression is equivalent to this expression: ahl al-ḥadīh wa’l-fiqh. This usage reflects the
meaning of the method of ra’y also. As Goldziher also remarks «Fiqh is a synonym of ra’y;
in its original meaning, however, the former also carries the meaning: discernment,
comprehension. But before the word fiqh became contrasted to ḥadīth in the theological
terminology it passed the stage of general meaning.» *
* Ignaz Goldziher, The Ẓāhirīs: Their Doctrine and their History A Contribution to the History of Islamic Theology, trans.
by Wolfgang Behn (Leiden, Boston: Brill, 2008), 18.
Let us take then the book title Fiqh al-Lughah is known by Ibn Fāris and al-Tha‘ālibī
carries the general meaning: knowledge, science. Joseph Schacht translates Fiqh al-Lughah
as «the science of lexicography». Then fiqh has become the technical term for
jurisprudence, which can be translated as «the science of religious law in Islam.»
See EI2, vol. 2, p. 886.

Besides this, Schacht also refers to the contrast between ‘ilm and fiqh as:
All aspects of public and private life and business should be regulated by laws based on religion; the science of
these laws is fiqh. In older theological language the word did not have this comprehensive meaning; it was
rather used in opposition to Him. While the latter denotes, beside the Qur'an and its interpretation, the accurate
knowledge of the legal decisions handed down from the Prophet and his Companions (al-riwāyāt wa'l-‘ilm, as
synonyms), the term fiqh is applied to the independent exercise of the intelligence, the decision of legal points
by one's own judgment in the absence or ignorance of a traditional ruling bearing on the case in question. (Ibid)

Now it is clear that when there is an independent effort to understand an issue rationally by
a profound intellectual effort of an individual, then fiqh is used for this intellectual struggle.

In that case, fiqh means what we mean today by «science»; namely fiqh in this sense refers
to scientific knowledge.
To the concept of knowledge in the scientific conceptual scheme of the Islamic
science, the term ḥikmah also proved indispensable. Mujāhid, for example, explains
the term ḥikmah in the verse:
‫( ُيۡؤ ِتي ٱۡل ِح ۡك َم َة َم ن َيَش ٓاُۚء َو َم ن ُيۡؤ َت ٱۡل ِح ۡك َم َة َفَقۡد ُأوِتَي َخ ۡي ٗر ا َك ِثيٗر ۗا َو َم ا َيَّذ َّك ُر ِإٓاَّل ُأْو ُلوْا ٱَأۡلۡل َٰب ِب‬2/al-Baqarah: 269)
He says that ḥikmah comprises three things:
1. al-Qur’ān, 2. al-‘Ilm, 3. al-Fiqh.
Here ‘ilm refers to the knowledge of Islamic tradition and the Sunnah, namely the revealed
sources; fiqh was held as a rational understanding based on the revealed sources. Ḥikmah, on the
other hand, was understood as knowledge derived rationally from a revealed source; as such, it
unites both ‘ilm and fiqh at once but different from independent speculation, which kalām
applies in many cases. That is why al-Ṭabarī reports that his predecessors defined ḥikmah as the
Qur’ān and its (rational) understanding (al-ḥikmah hiya al-Qur’ān wa'l-fiqh bihi).*

All of these concepts as there are related to each other leads to a comprehensive doctrine of
knowledge all of which is expressed under the umbrella concept ‘ilm. For this reason we
call this a «doctrinal concept» representing the doctrine in Islamic «knowledge tradition».
* Al-Ṭabarī, Jāmi‘ al-Bayān fī Tafsīr al-Qur’ān (Beyrut: Dār al-Ma‘rifah, 1980), 3: 60.
 KNOWLEDGE
TRADITION
If we refer to the usages of the term ‘ilm in the Qur’an we will come up with the
following classification which came to be standard understanding of knowledge
in Islamic civilization:
1. ‘Ilm as revealed knowledge, the Qur’an and Ḥadīth;
2. ‘Ilm as knowledge derived from the above;
3. Illuminated knowledge:
i. Fiqh = Scientific Knowledge or simply SCIENCE;
ii. Knowledge based on all of the above: Intellectual knowledge;
4. Common, everyday knowledge.
This would include the literal meaning of the term ‘ilm also; however, if it is not
guided by the above classes of knowledge it may lead to what we classified above
as «dark knowledge».
 DOCTRINAL CONCEPT AND ITS PRACTICE
The doctrinal understanding of the concept of knowledge continued to emerge as a
process in Islamic civilization based on the Revealed sources.
During the process when a comprehensive doctrinal understanding of knowledge
emerges, at the same time certain practices, knowledge activities, teaching and
learning training will also take place. This means that intellectual efforts followed
simultaneously with the emergence of the doctrinal meaning of knowledge will make
up what we would like to call:
ISLAMIC KNOWLEDGE TRADITION.
It is this tradition which provides a ground for the subsequent knowledge activities.
This is so important that it gradually leads to the emergence of sciences in Islamic
civlizations. We may briefly see this process now emerging out of the Islamic
knowledge tradition which we shall now try to expose briefly.
 THE CONCEPT OF KNOWLEDGE TRADITION

 The Sociology of Tradition

A tradition emerges after a long process within a social context as a result of our social and
epistemological nature (fitrah); as such it has certain characteristics.

 The Characteristics of Traditions

Social context
Long process
Continuity
Mental accumulation
Uniformity of behavior

 A Sociological Definition of Tradition

All customs, mores, attitudes and rituals, beliefs, which arise through regular performance of certain
behaviors of members of a social group that leaves a mental conception of those behaviors, attributed
collectively to the society are called tradition.
 ISLAMIC KNOWLEDGE TRADITION

is the totality of all customs, mores, attitudes and rituals,

beliefs,
 which arose through a regular performance of certain
behaviors of members of a group or rather a community of
individuals (scholars) actively involved in learning
activities in Muslim societies
 that leave a doctrinal conception of those behaviors,
attributed collectively to that community of the learned in
Muslim societies.
CHARACTERISTICS OF ISLAMIC KNOWLEDGE TRADITION

 True Knowledge is but with Allah (swt)

 He reveals knowledge to the Prophets
1. Its purpose is guidance (hidâyah).
2. For guidance its method is “conveying” (tablîgh).
3. It uses the light of the heart.
4. Its main principle is tajdîd.
5. Its language addresses the mind through the heart.
6. It is light, and thus it enlightens.
7. It addresses humans at all levels.
8. It is granted by Divine Grace. ‫( َو َم ٓا َأۡر َس ۡل َٰن َك ِإاَّل َر ۡح َم ٗة ِّلۡل َٰع َلِم يَن‬21/Anbiya, 107).
 Hence knowledge has marâtib (hierarchy)
1. Revealed Knowledge is the highest;
2. Knowledge derived from the Revealed Knowledge by the ulamâ’
3. Scientific knowledge
4. Intellectual knowledge
5. Common knowledge
THE ETHICS OF KNOWLEDGE
WHY KNOWLEDGE?
WHY ARE WE CONCERNED WITH KNOWLEDGE LEADING TO A CLASSIFICATION?
If we carefully examine the technical meaning the ‘ilm we will see that it is vital for
human destiny and existence for a life to come as the Qur’an represents it. Let us start
with Rosenthal again:
[The Qur’anic] concept of “knowledge” set intellectual life in Islam on its basically
unchangeable course. There was comparatively little that later influences and developments
were able to accomplish by way of injecting new ideas into the fundamental structure of the
Prophet’s thought or by way of enriching it materially. Such influences and developments
were, moreover, altogether unable to change its main thrust and effect. (p. 19)
Moreover, the blessing awaiting is extremely precious (as expressed in the Sura Qâ f):
﴾٣٢﴿ ‫﴾ ٰه َذ ا َم ا ُتوَع ُد وَن ِلُك ِّل َاَّو اٍب َح ٖف يٍۚظ‬٣١﴿ ‫َو ُاْز ِلَفِت اْلَج َّن ُة ِلْلُم َّت ٖق يَن َغ ْي َر َب ٖع يٍد‬
﴾٣٤﴿ ‫﴾ ُاْد ُخ ُلوَه ا ِبَس اَل ٍؕم ٰذ ِلَك َي ْو ُم اْلُخ ُلوِد‬٣٣﴿ ‫َم ْن َخ ِش َي الَّر ْح ٰم َن ِباْلَغ ْي ِب َو َٓج اَء ِبَقْلٍب ُمٖن يٍب‬
«And Paradise will be brought near to the righteous, not far. This is what you were promised – for every
returner [to Allah] and keeper [of His covenant] who feared the Most Beneficent (Allah) in the Ghayb
(unseen), and brought a heart turned in devotion; Enter it in peace. This is the day of eternity.»

However, the loss (khusrân) is proportionately greater also because creation has a purpose.
 Islamic worldview given to the Muslims emphasized knowledge (‘ilm) very much. For
this reason the early Muslim community became a society of knowledge.

But Islamic emphasis on knowledge was not devoid of a purpose: Knowledge was
endowed with values, spiritual as well as moral and humanitarian. The end of this kind of
knowledge is not just happiness in this world; above all divine satisfaction was the
highest moral standard.
Two aspects of one reality thus went hand in hand, as it is expressed in the oft-repeated
expression of the Qur’an: âmanû wa‘amilus-salihât.
If âmanu represents ‘ilm, then ‘amal represents its practice in the individual amd social
life as a whole.

. ‫َف ٱۡع ُبُد وْا َم ا ِش ۡئ ُتم ِّمن ُد وِنِه ۗۦ ُقۡل ِإَّن ٱۡل َٰخ ِس ِر يَن ٱَّلِذ يَن َخ ِس ُر ٓو ْا َأنُفَس ُهۡم َو َأۡه ِليِه ۡم َي ۡو َم ٱۡل ِقَٰي َم ِۗة َأاَل َٰذ ِلَك ُه َو ٱۡل ُخ ۡس َر اُن ٱۡل ُم ِبيُن‬
39/al-Zumar, 15:
So worship what you will besides Him. Say, “Indeed, the losers are the ones
who will lose themselves and their families on the Day of Resurrection.
Unquestionably, that is the manifest loss.”
We may come to this conclusion:
Man came to this world to be perfected by means of knowledge and supplication.
In regard to his nature and abilities everything is tied to knowledge. And the
foundation, source, light, and spirit of all true knowledge is knowledge of God
(ma‘rifetullâh), and its essence and basis is belief in God (îmân billâh).*
* B. S. Nursi, The Words, “Twenty Third Word”, translated into English by Şükran Vahide (Istanbul: Sozler Publications, 1993),
324.
THIS UNDERSTANDING OF KNOWLEDGE AND ITS DOCTRINAL PRACTICES
SOON LED TO TWO SIGNIFICANT PHENOMENA:
1. SCIENCE, AND AS A RESULT A SOPHISTICATED SCIENTIFIC TRADITION;
2. CIVILIZATION; EMERGENCE OF ISLAMIC CIVILIZATION.
If we pay attention to this meaningful process concerning the concept of knowledge in
Islamic civilization we should be able to notice that what starts this process is the
Revelation. We may refer to this in a more general way and say that it is the religion that
started this process which led to the emergence of sciences.
But in this process:
First, in the minds of the individuals a worldview emerged, which is obviously Islamic
worldview that is suitable for the cultivation of knowledge and learning activities.
Second, the worldview given to the individuals led them to knowledge and learning
activities and this gradually led to an accumulation of knowledge in the early Muslim
community. However, since the approach to knowledge was not yet systematic and
organized the individuals tried to come up with an answer to their problems or issues
they faced, the knowledge accumulated in an unorganized way. It was not possible to
deal with newly arising issues more effectively within this chaotic accumulation of
knowledge.
Third, in order to sole this issue scholars tried to develop more systematic methods and
above all in their approach they began to classify knowledge in order to organize it.
Fourth, it is atr this particular junction in history that they came to realize that a class of
knowledge is a specific area of study which has a particular name. I name this
realization «scientific consciousness» because it is through this awareness that scholars
begin to name each discipline through which they become a specific science.
Let us try to express this scientific process on a table and explain more characteristics of
the Islamic knowledge tradition.
THIS TABLE WILL ALSO PROJECT CLEARLY THE NATURE OF KNOWLEDGE.
 The emergence of a scientific tradition

In a society it is through a process called scientific process which has two

distinct Eras:
 Prescientific Era

1. The Stage of Worldview;

2. The Stage of Knowledge Tradition;

3. Disciplinary Stage .

 Scientific Era
1. The Stage of Naming;
2. EMERGENCE OF A SCIENTIFIC TRADITION;
3. The Stage of Progress.
SOME BASIC CHARACTERISTICS OF SCIENTIFIC TRADITIONS

• Every scientific knowledge has some local characteristics.

• Scientific knowledge aims at truth. (The problem of objectivity)
• Scientific knowledge has a specific method.
• Scientific knowledge is critical.
• Scientific knowledge is cumulative.
• Scientific knowledge has a scientific aim (not wealth).
• Scientific knowledge is virtue.
• Scientific knowledge has a community.
• Scientific knowledge is good in itself.
• Scientific knowledge is theoretical.
• Scientific knowledge has no borders.
 CONCLUDING REMARKS
 Knowledge is a key concept and as important as the concept of tawḥīd;

 Islamic worldview provided the necessary conceptual framework to start knowledge

activities in the Muslim community;

 These developments led to the emergence of a sophisticated knowledge tradition which

gradually led to the emergence of sciences;
In Islamic civilization since the worldview is Islamic first religious sciences emerged, then fiqh came to
represent social and human sciences only then physical scences emerged.

 Then the further progress of sciences led to the rise of a sophisticated scientific tradition;

 NOW COMES THE ACTUAL POINT:

 Religion led to the emergence of sciences and the emergence of Islamic civilization but sciences
sustained this civilization throughout its history.
LETS SEE THIS ON ANIMATED TABLES.
 THE HISTORY OF SCIENCE AS A PROCESS
SCIENTIFIC PROCESS
Let’s think of a
society at a time
in history with
no sciences.

What causes to start knowledge

activities in that society?
Pre-scientific times. A WORLDVIEW ACCUMULATION DISCIPLINING
that has the necessary KNOWLEDGE
SOCIETY conceptual structure for ACTIVITIES
OF KNOWLEDGE
THROUGH
knowledge activities. KNOWLEDGE
Individuals with no CLASSIFICATION
knowledge activities.

NAMING AND Emergence of

EMERGENCE OF scientific
SCIENCES consciousness
 SCIENTIFIC PROCESS IN ISLAMIC CIVILIZATION

CIVILIZATIONAL PROCESS
1. Worldview Stage 610

THE BEGINNING OF THE FORMATION PROCESS OF ISLAMIC WORLDVIEW

BEGINNING OF KNOWLEDGE ACQUISITION ACTIVITIES

2. The Stage of Problems 710’s

– THOSE WHO WERE ACTIVE IN KNOWLEDGE PROCESS and THE EARLY THINKERS
• Imam Ali, Umar ibn al-Khattab, Aisha, Abdullah ibn Mas’ud, Ibn Abbas, Abu Hurayra, Muhammad ibn Hanefiyya, Aban ibn Uthman,
Urwa ibn al-Zubayr, Zuhri, Hasan al-Basri, Mujahid ibn Jabr, Ibrahim Nakhai, Said ibn al-Musayyab, Ma’bad al-Juhani, Umar ibn
Abdulaziz, Wahb ibn Munabbih, etc.

Around this time Islamic knowledge activities begin to undergo the influence of Greek Scientific Tradition
3. Disciplinary Stage 800’s

– THE RISE OF ISLAMIC KNOWLEDGE TRADITION

Ata ibn Abi Rabah, Hammad ibn Abi Sulayman, Ghaylan al-Dimashqi, Wâsıl ibn Ata, Ibn Ishaq, Jahm ibn Safwan,
Ja’far al-Sadiq, Ibn Hisham, Hisham ibn al-Hakam, Awzâ’î, Abu Hanifa, Sufyan as-Thawri, etc.
4. The Stage of Naming 850’s

– THE RISE OF SCIENTIFIC CONSCIOUSNESS

AND
– THE EMERGENCE OF SCIENCES 900’s
• Fiqh Law
• Tafsir Shafi’î, Abu Yusuf, Malik ibn Anas, etc. Hermeneutics
• Hadith Ash’ari, Kindi, Maturidi, Zakariya al-Razi History
Muhasibi, Junayd al-Baghdadi, Abu Said es-Sirafi, Sarraj
• Kalam Jahiz, Abu Ali al-Jubbai, Khwarizmi, etc. Philosophy

• Grammar, mathematics, medicine, astronomy, physics and so on

– THE RISE OF ISLAMIC SCIENTIFIC TRADITION 950’s
THANK YOU VERY
MUCH
Wallahu a’lam bis-sawab