The Classification of Knowledge in Islam: A Descriptive Analysis
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31436/alitqan.v9i2.303Keywords:
The Qur’ān and Ḥadīth, Absolute Knowledge, Limited Knowledge, Transmitted Knowledge, Acquired Knowledge.Abstract
The aim of this work is to describe the various types of knowledge in Islam. Islam places a greater emphasis on knowledge acquisition, dissemination, application, and preservation than any other religion. The Arabic term ‘ilm (knowledge), is regarded as one of the most frequently mentioned terms in the Qur’ān, whether as a noun, verb, or adjective. This work uses a descriptive analysis method based on desk research and draws on primary Islamic sources, namely, the Qur’ān and Ḥadīth, as well as secondary works on knowledge. The focus of the study is on the classification of knowledge, such as al-‘Ilm al-Mutlaq (Absolute knowledge), al-‘Ilm al-Muqayyad (limited knowledge), God-given knowledge, etc., including its importance based on its sources, acquisition, and application. The findings of this work show that knowledge is acquired through various sources that determine its definition, classification, interpretation, and application.
Downloads
References
Abdullah Yusuf Ali. (1989). The Meaning of the Holy Qur’ān. Maryland: Amana Corporation.
Al-Khattab, Nasiruddin. (2007). English translation of Sunan ibn Majah with commentary. Riyadh: Maktaba Dar-us-Salam.
Al-Najdi, Muhammad al-Hamud. Al-Nahj al-Asma fi sharhi asma’illahi al-Husna. Kuwait: Maktabat al-Imam al-Dhahabi.
Al-Rishahri, Mohammad. (1997). Al-‘Ilm wa al-Hikmah fi al-Kitab wa al-Sunnah (Knowledge and Wisdom in the Book and Sunnah). Qom, Iran: Dar al-Hadith.
Al-Tirmidhi, Imam Hafiz Abu ‘Isa Muhammad Ibn ‘Isa. (2007). Jami‘ al-Tirmidhzi. Translated by Abu Khaliyl. Riyadh: Darussalam.
Chittick, William C. (1989). The Sufi Path of Knowledge: Ibn al-Arabi's Metaphysics of Imagination. Albany: State University of New York Press.
Dukes, Kais. (2009-2017). “The Qur’an.com.” Retrieved on October 20, 2024 from https://corpus.quran.com/qurandictionary.jsp?q=Elm
Ibn Abi Dunya, Abi Bakr Abdullah ibn Muhammad. (1999). Kitab al-Zuhd. Dimashq (Damascus) & Beirut: Dar ibn Kathir.
Ibn al-Arabi),Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn ‘Abdullah. (1967). Ahkam al-Qur’an. Edited by ‘Ali Muhammad al-Bajawi. Egypt: Matba‘ah ‘Isa al-Babi-al-Halabi wa shurakah Publisher.
Ibn al-Hajjaj, Abu al-Husayn Muslim. Sahih Muslim. Translated by Abdul Hamid Siddiqui. Retrieved from: https://sunnah.com/muslim
Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah, Al-Imam Shams al-Din Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Abu Bakr. (1425 AH). Bada’i‘u al-Fawa’id. Edited by ‘Ali ibn Muhammad al-‘Umran. Makkah al-Mukarramah: Dar ‘Alim al-Fawa’id li al-Nashr wa al-Tawzi‘
Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah, Al-Imam Shams al-Din Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Abu Bakr. (1423 AH). I‘lam al-Muwaqqi‘in ‘an Rabbil ‘Alamin. Vol.1. Jeddah: Dar ibn al-Jawzi.
Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali, Zayn al-Din Abu al-Faraj ‘Abdul Rahman ibn Ahmad. (1424 AH/2003 AD). Majmu‘ Rasa’il al-Hafiz Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali. Vol.1. Edited by Abu Mus‘ab ibn Tala‘at ibn Fuad al-Halwani, Cairo: Al-Faruq al-Hadithah li al-Tiba‘ah wa al-Nashr.
Siddiqi, Muzammil H. (24 October, 2024). “Is Giving Da‘wah Obligatory?” Retrieved on November 11, 2024 from https://aboutislam.net/counseling/ask-the-scholar/dawah-principles/giving-dawah-obligatory/
