Islamic Epistemology
Islamic epistemology (naẓariyyah al-maʿrifah al-Islāmiyyah) is the branch of knowledge that addresses the nature, sources, and hierarchy of knowledge in Islam. It is the foundational meta-discipline that underlies all other Islamic sciences (ʿulūm), determining what constitutes true knowledge (ʿilm) versus mere speculation (ẓann), and how knowledge relates to tawḥīd.
Unlike modern “epistemology” in Western philosophy, which often starts from human doubt or sense perception, Islamic epistemology begins with certainty (yaqīn) in revelation and grounds all other sources hierarchically beneath naql (transmitted knowledge).
🧭 Sources of Knowledge in Islam
According to classical and post-classical scholars, the valid sources of knowledge include:
- Qur’an — the supreme source of divine knowledge
- Sunnah — explanatory and operationalisation of revelation
- ‘Aql (reason) — valid only when in service of and not contradicting naql
- Fitrah — the primordial disposition toward truth
- Kashf — unveiled knowledge through spiritual purification (accepted cautiously)
- Hiss (sensation) — empirical experience, lower in hierarchy
“Aql is like the eyesight, but Qur’an is the light. What good is eyesight in darkness?” — al-Ghazālī
🏛 Role in Structuring the Islamic Sciences (ʿUlūm)
Islamic epistemology does not define the content of the Islamic Disciplines, but justifies their epistemic authority. For example:
- Fiqh depends on the strength of dalil (evidence) → requires understanding ẓannī vs qaṭʿī sources
- Usul al-Fiqh is an epistemic grammar that mediates between sources and rulings
- Tafsir and Usul al-Tafsir are framed by Qur’anic coherence (e.g. Qur’an explains Qur’an)
- Kalam and Aqidah rely on the balance between naql and rationality
Thus, Islamic epistemology underlies the logic of:
⚠️ Islam Vs “Secular” Epistemology
Islamic epistemology rejects the bifurcation of “religious” and “secular” knowledge. This division is a colonial inheritance — not an Islamic construct. True knowledge (ʿilm) is:
“What leads to the maʿrifah of Allah and reinforces ʿubūdiyyah to Him.” — Imam al-Raghib
In contrast, modern epistemologies often sever ontology (what is) from metaphysics (why it matters), fragmenting knowledge from purpose.
See: Islam and Secularism, Islamisation of Knowledge, Tawhidic Worldview