I know it may be an obvious question, but I've heard that word mentioned so many times in Islamic sources and despite searching through many resources, I am still puzzled on the very definition of "knowledge", as referred to by the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) in the Quran and Hadeeths.
Is knowledge, the knowledge of simple things like, "It is forbidden to eat pork", "Every Muslim is required to pray five times a day", or "During prayer, you must pray in the direction of Mecca".
Or is it the knowledge and remembrance of specific verses in the Quran and Hadeeths, such as "None of you truly believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself" and "whoever commits a sin, whether major or minor, ‘but afterwards seeks Allah’s forgiveness, he will find Allah Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful’" ?
Or is it the knowledge of the sciences in that, for example, that there are 46 chromosomes in a human cell, or that no mass is created or lost in a chemical reaction.
So what kind of knowledge did Allah speak of, and ask us to seek, and what are some specific examples of those in action?
"Sow an act, and you reap a habit; sow a habit, and you reap a character; sow a character, and you reap a destiny."- G. D. Boardman
But surly this underpins your life as a Muslim? If these things are not true, then maybe others are not true. Maybe Allah does not exist, how would you know?
If you just assume it is true, then it is a totally arbitrary decision, probably instilled through the culture in which you were brought up.
We are very lucky in the 21st century; there are good methods of finding what is true and what is not.
The truth of the reasons I live my life like I do mean a lot to me, I would never base a decision of truth on an arbitrary choice where it affects me and those around me.
But surly this underpins your life as a Muslim? If these things are not true, then maybe others are not true. Maybe Allah does not exist, how would you know?
If you just assume it is true, then it is a totally arbitrary decision, probably instilled through the culture in which you were brought up.
We are very lucky in the 21st century; there are good methods of finding what is true and what is not.
The truth of the reasons I live my life like I do mean a lot to me, I would never base a decision of truth on an arbitrary choice where it affects me and those around me.
The truth of these things matters a great deal.
Regards
Ok, so now we have a context, these things need to be known to be true or not for a Muslim.
I would reply that they do not, I do not hold that every single ayota of my faith should be proven scientifically/historically (i.e. with a measurement of authority used by some). The question then arises, why?
Why do you think everything should be proven?
And Why do I not?
I hold that I do not need everything to be proven right, in this circumstance, because I hold the opinion that the teaching comes from God, if, now this is the crucial if, as I hold, the teaching came from God, then I can fully trust it without the need of checking everything, 1.Because I trust God, 2.Because I do not have the same ability at hand which God has through which He Knows and I do not.
The path is long but I hope we meet,
After the grave and the Day, in paradise in bliss upon a reclined seat.
A traveler traveling - travelled from shirk to tawheed,
If I'm remembered for anything - let it be the Mercy I seek.
Then you are satisfied by living your life by assumptions, faith.
I am not.
The reason for this is that there are many people who claim to 'know', different, contradicting things through faith. Only 1 or none of these claims can be true.
Using evidence and testing claims is the only way to gain real knowledge about the world.
How do you decide what is correct when two things disagree? Are you really satisfied with simply assuming that what you currently believe is true and not testing these assumptions?
if you were born in a different part of the world or different time, and had the same attitude you would believe in the Jesus as a God, or Vishnu, Thore or Zeus.
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What is Knowledge in Islam? (OP)
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