KNOWLEDGE v/s ILM
... Dr Absar Ahmad*
کھول
آنکھ
زمیں دیکھ فلک دیکھ فضا دیکھ
دیکھ
مشرق سے ابھرتےہوےء سورج کو ذرا دیکھ
The
term used for knowledge in Arabic is ‘ilm, which has a much wider
connotation. ‘knowledge´ falls short of expressing all the aspects of
‘ilm. Knowledge in the Western world means information about something,
divine or corporeal, while ‘ilm is an all-embracing term covering
theory, action and education. Islam is the path of "knowledge". No
other religion or ideology has so much emphasized the importance of
‘ilm. In the Qur´an the word ‘alim has occurred in 140 places, while
al-’ilm in 27. In all, the total number of verses in which ‘ilm or its
derivatives and associated words are used is 704. The aids of knowledge
such as book, pen, ink etc. amount to almost the same number. Qalam
occurs in two places, al-kitab in 230 verses, among which al-kitabfor
al-Qur´an occurs in 81 verses. Other words associated with writing
occur in 319 verses. It is important to note that pen and book are
essential to the acquisition of knowledge. The Islamic revelation
started with the word iqra´ (‘read!´ or ‘recite!´). 
The
first teaching class for Adam started soon after his creation and he
was taught ‘all the Names´ (allama Adam al-asmaa kullaha-2:31). Allah
is the first teacher and the absolute guide of humanity. This knowledge
was not imparted to even the Angels.
The idea of ilm distinguishes
the world-view of Islam from all other outlooks and ideologies: no
other world-view makes the pursuit of knowledge an individual and
social obligation and gives enquiry the same moral and religious
significance as worship.
The
synthesis of a whole array of principles and notions into a single,
unified concept of ilm is one of the basic features of the world-view
of Islam. It was this universal synthesis that demolished the
artificial boundaries of the so-called religious and secular knowledge.
And it was this universal synthesis which ensured that for a Muslim,
knowledge was not an isolated, abstract act or thought; it was at the
very root of his/her being and world-view. It is not surprising then
that ilm had so much significance for early Muslims, that countless
Muslim thinkers were so occupied with the exposition of the concept.
Their conceptualization of ilm is perhaps best manifested in the
attempted definitions of ilm of which there seems to be no dearth. The
quest of these scholars to define ilm in all its shapes and forms was
inspired by the belief that ilm was nothing more than a manifestation
of tawheed; "understanding the signs of God", being near Him, as well
as building a civilization required comprehensive pursuit of knowledge.
|
In
the Islamic context, the
knowledge-seeking mind has
not only a conceptual-spiritual being, but
also a
social-material
existence. Islam has never allowed the
speculative and active lives to become totally divorced from each
other. Thought and reflection have always been wedded to action. On the
one hand, according to a prophetic tradition, an hour of thoughtful
reflection is better than sixty years of acts of worship. But knowledge without
action has
been described as a tree without fruit. Contemplative thought
(tafakkur) and reflection in Islamic spirituality essentially provide a
knowledge that relates the knower to higher modes of being.
The Holy Book
considers all
things to be "signs" (ayat) pointing to the ultimate origin of the
world. Besides describing the internal structure of an object, its
history, present state, and future course of development, it also
discusses its place in perspective or origination and ultimate end;
that is, it makes a vertical movement that cuts across the horizontal
physical plane. Thus the systems of "efficient cause" and "final cause"
act as two wings attached to the body of the experimental science
(study of internal structure) helping it to break out of static,
earth-bound state and enabling it to fly in the infinite skies of the
Divine world outlook. The same sort of approach towards the phenomena
of this world can be seen throughout the Quran. In this manner the two
wings of origination and ultimate purpose are revived and rejuvenated
in all the research being carried out about these phenomena. In this
way, the Holy Quran turns knowledge into reason, reason into wisdom,
and mental conceptions into verities. This is the fashion in which the
Quran coordinates the findings of theoretical reason with the effort of
practical reason. This means that the Quran turns a specialist into man
of religion, a scientific researcher into a practical investigator, a
scientific "authority" into a devotee of the Truth, a technical
inventor into a committed believer, an industrial entrepreneur into a
man of faith, thus transforming raw mind into a seasoned intellect.
In
the past Muslim philosophers did not consider any field of learning to
be truly independent science. They believed that, without the science
of ethics and spiritual purification, mastery over any science was not
only devoid of any value, but it would in fact lead to the befogging of
insight and ultimate destruction of those who pursue it. That is why it
has been said that "al-ilmu´ huwa al-hijab al-akbar" which means that
knowledge itself is the thickest of veils, which prevents man from
seeing the real nature of things. Moral virtues in man gain him eternal
happiness and vision of the truth, while moral corruption leads him to
everlasting wretchedness and ignorance. It is, therefore, necessary for
man to purge and purify himself of all evil traits of character and
adorn his soul with all forms of ethical and moral virtues. The human
soul can be compared to a mirror in this regard. If we wish to see
something beautiful reflected in a mirror, we must first clean the
mirror, so that dust and dirt do not disfigure the reflection. Any
attempt to attain true veridical knowledge would be fruitful and
successful only when one has purified himself of evil habits and
tendencies. In the words of the Quran those who have a sound heart
(i.e., qalb-e-saleem) can be granted true knowledge of the Real. In
order to attain ultimate and final perfection in knowledge and action,
is it necessary to traverse the path of struggle against the selfish
lusts and immoral tendencies which may exist within the soul and thus
to prepare the soul to receive the grace of God. If man sets foot on
the path of self-purification and actively engages in performing
religious obligations God comes to his aid and guides him along the
right path. The Quranic verse 69 of Surah Al-Ankabut asserts: "As for
those who strive hard in Our cause, we shall most certainly guide them
onto paths that lead unto Us.
|
Download pdf (2.2 mb)
