Tawḥīdic Epistemology: Reclaiming the Unity of Knowledge

Abstract

Tawḥīdic epistemology, as articulated by Osman Bakar, is an integrated epistemological framework rooted in Islamic metaphysical principles and aimed at addressing the fragmentation of knowledge in the contemporary Islamic intellectual tradition. It is a
constructive response to the intellectual and educational challenges confronting Muslim societies in the twenty-first century. Grounded in the metaphysical principle of the unity of reality, Bakar advocates for a comprehensive integration of revelation (waḥy) and reason (ʿaql), to reconstruct the foundations of knowledge in the Muslim world. Osman Bakar contends that tawḥīd should not only govern theology but must serve as the foundational principle in all branches of knowledge, including the natural, social, and applied sciences. He reinterpreted the
traditional Islamic classification of sciences, advocated for the harmony of revelation and
reason, and provided a critique of modern secular epistemologies. This study examines the key
intellectual sources informing Bakar’s tawḥīdic epistemology and the practical implications of
his framework for contemporary Muslim education and civilization-building. Drawing
primarily from Tawḥīd and Science (1992) and Classification of Knowledge in Islam (1998), it
argues that Osman Bakar offers a compelling vision for a re-sacralised epistemology that
remains faithful to Islamic metaphysical commitments while being critically engaged with
modern intellectual challenges.