Monday, April 28, 2014

Knowledge As Defined In the Quran

By Aftab Ahmad, New Age Islam
28 April, 2014
The holy Quran deals with the concept of knowledge (Ilm) rather in detail. On quite a few occasions it discusses knowledge both in religious or spiritual and material or scientific terms. When analysed and studied comprehensively, the various verses of the Quran lead us to the conclusion that by knowledge, the holy Quran means both religious and scientific knowledge. It therefore negates the general notion of the Muslims that the Quran only stresses on religious knowledge and does not approve of worldly knowledge or the sciences.
In Quran two words Ilm (knowledge) and Hikmah (wisdom) are used frequently meaning religious sciences, occult sciences, science and technology, knowledge of good governance etc. God is called omniscient, the seat of all knowledge, arts and sciences. In the Quran, God is called Aleem (omniscient) and Hakeem (knower of all the sciences, arts and possessor of all wisdom).These two words denote God’s monopoly on all knowledge. That’s no man can be called Aleem. A man with some knowledge can only be called Aalim ( one who has acquired a small portion of knowledge in any field with God’s grace).God bestows a part of His knowledge to a man according to his spiritual or intellectual capabilities and passion for knowledge. Whatever knowledge or science man possesses is the gift of God. Man cannot claim to have knowledge out of his own will. Without God’s grace man cannot even speak, leave alone possessing higher religious, spiritual or scientific knowledge. The Quran says,
“(He) created man and then taught him to speak. (Al Rahman: 13)
 

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