Home 
Contact 
Profile 
Videos 
Presentation by Prof. Omar Hasan Kasule Sr. MB ChB (MUK), MPH (Harvard) DrPH (Harvard) Chairman, Institutional Review Board – KFMC
Outline
1.0 Basic Terminology/Concepts, Mustalahat/Mafahiim Asasiyyat:
2.0 History of Human Knowledge, Tarikh
Al Ma’rifat Al Insaniyat
3.0 Sources of Knowledge, Masadir
Al Ma’arifat:
4.0 Classification of Knowledge, Tasnif
Al Marifat
5.0 Limitations of Human
Knowledge, Mahdudiyat Al Marifat Al
Bashariyyat
Basic Terminology /
Concepts, Mustalahat / Mafahiim Asasiyyat:
·
The Qur’anic terms for knowledge are: ‘ilm,
ma’arifat, hikmat, basiirat, ra’ay, dhann, yaqeen, tadhkirat, shu’ur, lubb,
naba’, burhan, dirayat, haqq, and tasawwur.
- The
Qur’anic terms for lack of knowledge are: jahl, raib, shakk, dhann, and
ghalabat al dhann. Grades of knowledge are ‘ilm al yaqeen, ‘ayn al
yaqeen, and haqq al yaqeen.
- Knowledge
is correlated with iman, ‘aql, qalb, and taqwah.
- Knowledge
must be evidence-based knowledge, hujjiyat al burhan.
- The
seat of knowledge is the ‘aql, and qalb.
- Allah’s
knowledge is limitless but human knowledge is limited.
- Humans
vary in knowledge.
Basic Terminology /
Concepts, Mustalahat / Mafahiim Asasiyyat:
·
Knowledge is public property that cannot be
hidden or monopolized.
·
Humans, angels, jinn, and other living things
have varying amounts of knowledge.
·
Islamic epistemology, nadhariyyat ma’rifiyyat
Islamiyyat, is Qur’an-based within the tauhidi paradigm and is
guided by objectivity, istiqamat.
·
Knowledge can be absolute for example revealed
knowledge.
·
Other types of knowledge are relative, nisbiyat
al haqiqat.
·
The probabilistic nature of knowledge arises out
of limitations of human observation and interpretation of physical phenomena.
History of Human Knowledge,
Tarikh Al Ma’rifat Al Insaniyat:
·
Adam was the first human to learn actively when
he was taught the names.
·
Human knowledge after Adam grew by empirical
trial and error or through revelations.
·
Development of language and writing played a big
role in knowledge development.
·
Publication and telecommunication are
responsible for the current knowledge revolution.
Sources of Knowledge, Masadir Al Ma’arifat:
·
All knowledge is from Allah. Humans can get it
in a passive way from revelations or in an active way by empirical observation
and experimentation. Whatever knowledge they get is ultimately from Allah.
·
Knowledge may be innate of acquired. Humans have
knowledge of the creator even before birth. Some human knowledge is instinct.
Most human knowledge is learned as observation, ‘ilm tajriibi; transmission,
'ilm naqli; or analysis and understanding, 'ilm 'aqli.
·
Seeking to know is an inner human need that
satisfies curiosity.
·
Revelation, wahy, inference, ‘aql,
and empirical observation of the universe, kaun, are major sources of
acquired knowledge accepted by believers.
·
In terms of quantity, empirical knowledge, ‘ilm
tajriibi, comes first. In terms of quality revealed knowledge, ‘ilm al
wahy, comes first.
·
There is close interaction and inter-dependence
between revelation, inference, and empirical observation. ‘Aql is needed
to understand wahy and reach conclusions from empirical observations. Wahy
protects ‘aql from mistakes and provides it with information about the
unseen. ‘Aql cannot, unaided, fully understand the empirical world.
Sources of Knowledge, Masadir Al Ma’arifat:
·
There is lack of unanimity on the following as
additional sources of knowledge.
- ‘ilm laduniy;
- inspiration, ilham;
- intuition, hadas;
- instinct, jabillat;
- geomancy, firasat;
- dreams, ru’uyat; and kashf.
·
The controversy is not whether they are sources
of knowledge but whether they are sources independent of the three mentioned
before.
·
Forms of knowledge that are not true:
- Magic & sorcery, sihr;
- astrology, tanjiim;
- foretelling, kahanat & tatayur;
- and other forms of superstition
·
These are not sources of true knowledge. They
may lead to correct and verifiable facts but only by chance and coincidence.
They most often lead to wrong and misguiding facts.
Classification of Knowledge,
Tasnif Al Marifat:
·
Knowledge can be innate of acquired.
·
It can be ‘aqli and naqli.
·
It can be knowledge of the seen, ‘ilm al shahadat, and knowledge of the unseen, ‘ilm
al ghaib. The unseen can be absolute, ghaib mutlaq, or relative, ghaib
nisbi.
·
Some knowledge is individually obligatory, fard
‘ain, whereas other knowledge is collectively obligatory, fard kifayat.
·
Knowledge can be useful, nafiu.
·
Knowledge can be basic or applied.
·
There are many different disciplines of
knowledge.
Limitations of Human
Knowledge, Mahdudiyat Al Marifat Al Bashariyyat:
·
The Qur'an in many verses has reminded humans
that their knowledge in all spheres and disciplines of knowledge is limited.
·
Human senses can be easily deceived.
·
Human intellect has limitations in interpreting
correct sensory perceptions.
·
Humans cannot know the unseen, ghaib.
·
Humans can operate in limited time frames. The
past and the future are unknowable with certainty.
·
Humans operate in a limited speed frame at both
the conceptual and sensory levels. Ideas cannot be digested and processed if
they are generated too slowly or too
quickly. Humans cannot visually perceive very slow or very rapid events.
·
Very slow events like the revolution of the
earth or its rotation are perceived as if they are not happening. Human memory
is limited.
·
Knowledge acquired decays or may be lost
altogether. Humans would have been more knowledgeable if they had perfect
memory.