Classification of Knowledge Week Two

2 Limitations (a) Absolute (perfect) knowledge: this is the knowledge of God who knows the reality, essence and details of all things. (b) Limited knowledge: The knowledge given to His creations;

3 angels, prophets, human beings, jinn, and animals. ……cont.,

…..cont., 4 Limited knowledge: (i) Gifted knowledge: a. Instinctive knowledge (natural): it is imparted in the very nature of the creation. b. Revealed/Sacred knowledge: the knowledge that Almighty God reveals to human beings.

5 (ii ) Acquired Knowledge Gained through effort by way of reflection, senses and experience. (a) Recommended (praiseworthy) i- Fard ‘ayn ii. Fard kifayah (b) Prohibited (blameworthy) -Magic (kindly refer to slides 46-48)

6 General Classification of Knowledge in Islam

7 General classification of Knowledge in Islam Limited Knowledge Acquired KnowledgeGifted Knowledge Absolute Knowledge Instinct (ilham) Sacred Praiseworthy Blame worthy By external influence By itself Fard ‘Ain Fard Kifayah

8 Al-Ghazzali’s Criteria for Classification of sciences : 1. Theoretical and practical 2. Presential and acquired 3. Religious and intellectual 4. Individual obligatory and communal obligatory

Classification of Knowledge According to al-Ghazali TheoreticalPractical 9 Intellectual Fard kifayah(Collective Obligatory Knowledge) Attained Presential Religious Fard ‘ayn (Personal Obligatory Knowledge)

Al-Ghazzali’s Criteria for Classification of sciences Theoretical and practical (philosophers) Theoretical: to know the states of beings as they are( to realize/ comprehend the reality of beings; celestial & terrestrial) Practical: deals with man’s actions To find out what is useful to mankind in this life as well as in the Hereafter

…. Cont., Presential & acquired (tasawwuf) (the mode of knowing) Presential: intuitive, contemplative spiritual experience - revelation Acquired: empirical, rational, logical

…. Cont., 12 Which one is better? Al-Ghazzali: the presential is superior to the acquired, It is free from errors & doubt, certainty on spiritual truths This is true with the revelation and intuition received by the prophets

13 The intuitive knowledge claimed by people other than prophets may not be taken for granted unless it is judged in light of the established principles of Islam

…. Cont., Religious and intellectual (the source) Religious (transmitted sciences): Acquired from revelation/ prophets 1. Roots (Qur’an, sunnah, consensus) 2. Branches (law and ethics) 3. Ancillary sciences (grammar and lexicography) 4. Complementary sciences (Qira’at, commentary, history) Intellectual: attained by human intellect alone

…. Cont., Fard ‘Ayn and Fard kifayah (the need for learning) Fard ‘ayn: What should be learned by each and every Muslim. –Individual responsibilities –Things which can’t be done on behalf of others

16 Beliefs, worship, halal and haram, core moral values, how to discharge one’s responsibilities towards others (man’s obligations to family and society), necessary skills for daily life. ….Cont.,

17 Fard kifayah : -the community’s needs that can be performed by a sufficient group on behalf of others. -collective responsibilities Religious sciences: knowledge that is not needed for daily practice of Islam. Intellectual knowledge: all types of knowledge needed for the welfare of the society in this life

…. Cont 18 Praiseworthy sciences: Enhances human well being and the environment within the boundaries outlined by shari’ah All sciences which are useful, beneficial and satisfy the requirements of science.

19 Blameworthy sciences: A science which does not meet the requirement of science, or it is purely or usually harmful. Blameworthy by its nature by an external factor

…. Cont… 20 Magic: It is defined as “seeking the help of demons to perform something harmful against somebody” or “showing something to an audience, which is contrary to reality. Reasons why magic is prohibited in Islam: 1) It is an act of blasphemy (kufr). Allah says in the Holy Qur’an:

21 “And when there came to them a Messenger from Allah confirming what was with them, a party of those who were given the scripture threw away the book of Allah behind their backs as if they did not know. And they followed what the devils gave out falsely of magic of the reign of Solomon; for Solomon did not disbelieve but the devils disbelieved, teaching men magic and such things that came down at Babylon to the two angels Harut and Marut, but neither of these two (angles) taught anyone (such

22 things) until they had said: we are only for trial, so don't disbelieve. And from them (magicians) people learn that through which they would cause separation between a person and his spouse, but they could not thus harm anyone except by Allah's leave; and they learn that which harms them rather than profits them. And indeed they knew that its practitioner would have no share in the Hereafter. And how bad indeed was that for which they sold their own selves if they but knew.” (2: ).

23 2) According to the following authentic hadith, magic is a deadly act: The Prophet (s.a.w) said: “Avoid the seven deadly acts which are: ascribing partners to God, magic, killing the human self which Allah prohibited except with right, eating usury (riba), devouring the orphan’s wealth, defecting from the battle-field (without a justified reason) and slandering chaste, unwary believing women.”

24 Magic being harmful and evil act, Allah has told us to seek His protection against it: “Say I seek refuge in the in the Lord of daybreak From the evil of that which he created; From the evil of the darkness when it is intense, and from the evil of malignant witchcraft, And from the evil of the envious when he envies.” (Surah al-Falaq)

Differences between magic and miracles (mu‘jizat) 25 Magic is from devils (see the above Qur’anic verse: 2: )while miracles are from Allah. On the other hand, miracles are real while magic is deceptive; it is covering the truth with falsehood). Because miracles are from Allah, they could only be performed by Prophets while magic, which is from devils, can be performed by anyone who associates himself with the devil.

26 Horoscope Not only magic is prohibited in Islam but also horoscope or reading one’s palm to foretell the future. The Holy Qur’an affirms that no one knows the future or the unseen except Allah: “He knoweth the Unseen as well as that which is Open.” (6:73) “With Him are the keys of the Unseen, the treasures that none knoweth but He...” (6:59)

27 The Holy Qur’an also asserts that not even Muhammad knows the unseen: “If I had the knowledge of the unseen, I should have secured abundance for myself, and no evil would have touched me.” (7:188).

28 The Prophet (s.a.w) said: “Whoever goes to a fortune teller (a soothe sayer) or a diviner and believes him, has, in fact, disbelieved in what has been revealed to Muhammad.”

…. Cont.. 29 Example: Horoscope Capricorn: (Dec 23 - Jan 20) Today’s stars encourage you to be more diplomatic and inclusive in your relations with others Aquarius: (Jan 21 – Feb 19) On the Zodiac’s Day of Metamorphosis, you need to transform ideals into reality, and turn dreams into concrete plans. If you work patiently towards your goals, you can achieve the long-term success you are looking for.

…Cont., 30 Astrology: It is the study of the positions and aspects of celestial bodies. Muslims scholars agree that astrology is a prohibited field to deal with. For example, Imam Ibn Taymiyah said: “Astrology that is concerned with studying the positions and aspects of celestial bodies in the belief that they have an influence on the course of natural earthly occurrences and human affairs is prohibited by Almighty Allah’s Book, the Sunnah, and the unanimous agreement of the Muslim scholars.

31 Ibn `Uthaymeen, said: “Astrology is a kind of sorcery and fortune-telling. It is forbidden because it is based on illusions, not on concrete facts. There is no relation between the movements of celestial bodies and what takes place on the Earth.”

32 During the Prophet’s lifetime, it happened that the sun eclipsed on the same day when the Prophet’s son Ibrahim died. The people then thought that it had eclipsed because of the Prophet’s son’s death. On knowing this, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) led them in the Eclipse Prayer and then delivered them a speech saying: “The sun and moon are but signs of Allah; they do not eclipse because so-and-so died or was born.”

33 The above hadith indicates that the Prophet (s.a.w) denied all relation between the movements of the heavenly bodies and events on the Earth.

34 Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) reported that Allah’s Messenger (s.a.w) said: “He who has acquired some knowledge of astrology has acquired some knowledge of sorcery; the more he acquires of the former the more he acquires of the latter.” (Reported by Ahmad, Abu Dawud, and Ibn Majah)

35 Commenting on the above hadith, al- Shawkani said that the Prophet (s.a.w) compared between astrology and sorcery because sorcery was known to be forbidden; and so, he who would get some knowledge of astrology would do something forbidden and would be sinful.

36 To sum up, astrology is based on lies and deceit; it has no scientific basis. The astrologists’ usage of computers to convince people that what they do is technological and scientific is nothing but deceit. There is no scientific proof that there is a relationship between the appearance of a star in a specific time and the character and behavior of someone born at that time.

Conclusion 37 Sciences are inter-related, and none of them can exclude the others. Humanities, natural sciences, and the religious sciences unite to produce true understanding of this world and the causes behind its existence. Religious scholars are in need of philosophical and natural sciences as much as scientists are in need of the religious sciences.

38 Natural and philosophical sciences are to enable the Muslim to explore, exploit and get a better insight into what Allah has created in this universe. Religious sciences are to guide people to understand the reality of this life, their origins and their mission. And to set the moral and legal guidelines that should be observed by human beings for a meaningful and better life.