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ISLAMIZATION OF KNOWLEDGE: A

RESPONSE.FAZALUR RAHMAN

Prepared by: Fatin Munirah Abd Latif (G1518190)

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Fazlur Rahman Malik  September 21, 1919 – July 26, 1988)  studied Arabic at Punjab University, and went on to Oxford University where he wrote a

dissertation on Ibn Sina.  Islam, University of Chicago Press, 2nd edition, 1979.  Prophecy in Islam: Philosophy and Orthodoxy, University of Chicago Press, 1979, 2011  Islam and Modernity: Transformation of an Intellectual Tradition, University of Chicago

Press, 1982.  Major Themes of the Qur'an, University of Chicago Press, 2009. Revival and Reform in Islam (ed. Ebrahim Moosa), Oneworld Publications, 1999.  Islamic Methodology in History, Central Institute of Islamic Research, 1965. Health and Medicine in the Islamic Tradition, Crossroad Pub Co, 1987.  Riba and Interest, Islamic Studies (Karachi) 3(1), Mar. 1964:1-43. Shariah, Chapter from Islam [Anchor Book, 1968], pp. 117–137.

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1. ILM (KNOWLEDGE) Ilm is fundamentally important for man. Ilm as important as wujud (existence). Man possess a great capacity for knowledge that neither angel nor any other creature has this capacity.

Because of this capacity, man can discover knowledge continuously.

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KNOWLEDGE VS RESPOSIBILITY Together with the knowledge, man also possess a sense of responsibility.

Al-Quran state that human have yet to possess a fully adequate sense of responsibility.

“we offered Our trust to the heavens and the earth and the mountains (i.e the entire creation), but they refuse to bear it and were frightened of it – but man bore it: he is unjust and foolhandy. (Al Ahzab:72)

The problem is the power of knowledge that the man have and his failure to live up to the moral responsibility

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The problem addressed is ‘How to make man responsible?’ The modern world has misused knowledge, there is nothing wrong with the knowledge, but that it has simply been misused.

E.g: Atom- electrical source vs bomb. In sum, while the we are seeking to discover new things, the urge to solve problem does no keep pace.

Frequently opposed ‘ilm is what we call zann.(Conjectural) The makkans, the opponents of Quran potrayed as working with Zann.

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Sure knowledge only comes from Prophet S.A.W. Al-Quran uses al-ilm in various kind of knowledge. Harut and marut teach sihr to people according to the Quran. That is also a kind of knowledge although it is bad. But the people misuse it.

It is not the knowledge is bad, it is the misuse of it that is bad.

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MODERN SYSTEM OF THOUGHT Modern west has construct all kind of system. There is much that in the

Quran that are acceptable and there is not. E.g: Kant proposed that ‘the absolutely good thing in the world is good will,

thus is, the desire to do something good, to help someone. Islam did not accept that as we must execute the good will because it is

our duty to change the world. Even if the good will cannot be realized completely, whatever realizable is

good. View and theory abound in Western literature is abundance in Islamic

tradition as well.

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As Islam expended geographically and intellectually, all kinds of elements become part of Islamic tradition.

The decision of misuse of knowledge do not depend on the knowledge but the moral priorities.

If one has atomic power, he should make electricity or isotopes from it for the good of humankind. But if he choose to make bomb, it is his decision to misuse the knowledge.

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EARLY ISLAMIC HISTORY AND TRADITION In the 3rd century and even before, there were many ideas and practices that entered into Islam from Iran.

Byzantium in particular, possessed a great deal of learning: philosophy, science, medicine, literature etc.

The Muslim translated these disciplines into Arabic on a large systematic scale.

However, they did not translate Greek literature because it is full of story about Greek god and goddess.

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Not long after philosophy enter Islam, Ibn Sina create a comprehensive philosophic system that aimed at explaining everything in the universe including human life in all its aspect.

However, some of the ideas disturbed many Islamic theologians. Al mutakallimun: subjects about religion and philosophy. He tried to synthesize Greek philosophy with Islam. He remain with the tradition but trying to accommodate with the religion demand.

He was attack by Al-Ghazali who wrote a book titled Tahafut al-falasifah. (The incoherence of Philosophers) which actually meant as Tahafut of Ibn Sina.

Al-Ghazali condemned preposition made by Ibn Sina from what he saw contrary with Islam.

Later on, Ibn Rushd replied to al-Ghazali in the book titled Tahafut al Tahafut (The Incoherence of Incoherence)

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The mutakallimun speculation revolve around three things: Whether man was free or not. Whether man has qudrah(power) to act or not Whether the qadar of Allah had prewritten everything or not.

Ibn Razi (Ash’ari) believe that man has no power to act before it acts.

The ash’arians believe that the world is made out of atoms. The question of atomism became important that al Baqillani (early disciple of ashari school) recommends that if man believe in Allah, the Books, the Rasul, the Angels and the Last Day should believe in atomism.

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NEED FOR RE-EXAMINATION AND ANALYSIS. Is Ibn Arabi reflective of the Quran? Haw far is Fakr al-Din al-Razi Asharisim

in conformity with Quran? How far is the teaching of Al Ghazali in conformity with the Quran?

In Al-Ghazali Al-Munqidh min al-dalal (the Deleverence From Error), he said that he found 4 path to choose:

mutakallimunphilosophersIsma’ilis (al Batiniyyah)Sufi

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Al Ghazali choose the Sufi path as he said that sufi is the best. But Ibn Taymiyyah said that there is another path, the fifth path which is the path of Quran and the Prophet.

He said that Al Ghazali approach led him far from the Quran and the Prophet.

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CONCLUSION

One cannot map knowledge: it is created by Allah in the human mind. One can train people for knowledge and then hope for the best.

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CRITICS

Fazlur Rahman was right when he said that knowledge is depending on how we use it. However, Fazlur Rahman seems to deny the basic concept of the knowledge itself that it is built on particular worldviews. The concept of God, human, the relationship between God and human, world, religion and sources of knowledge will decide how a person looks at the knowledge.