Hazara Islamicus (Dec 2015)
Epistemological Paradigms of Islamic Knowledge: An Overview
Abstract
The paper aims to summarize the basic concepts of Islamic knowledge and paradigms of Islamic epistemology. It is the study of the origin, nature, methods and paradigms in Islamic knowledge with the aim of clarifying certain ideas and of Islamic Knowledge and reaching certainty. An Islamic epistemological thought must be developed from the Qur'an, the Sunnah, and the Ummatic intellectual experience over the past 14 centuries. The sources of Islamic knowledge are the Qur'an, Prophetic knowledge and human intellect, with the aim to come close to Almighty Allah. The history of Islamic knowledge began when man's career on the earth began-more precisely at the time of man's creation and his descent on earth. According to Qur'an, Allah has made man as a vicegerent due to knowledge (7hn-ul-Anna). Islamic Knowledge is obligatory alike for both Muslim male and female. Islamic education aims to discovering and formulating Allah's will. Qur'an indicated basic principles that lead Muslims to observation of the universe and Nature, where he can find the answers to many question by his own efforts by using his intellect which Allah has provided him. The paper concludes the various epistemological definitions of knowledge developed by the Muslims in course of history particularly emphasizing the modern trends in Islamic knowledge. An attempt has been made to explain the different Arabic connotations of the word knowledge like 'ilm, m'arifah, 'aql etc. The paper will perhaps serve as good step for future groundwork for the construction of a framework for an Islamic epistemology.
