Fazalur Rahman view on Islamization of knowledge based on his article: Islamization of Knowledge: A Response

1. Prepared by: Fatin Munirah Abd Latif (G1518190)
G1518190

2.  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.
G1518190

3.  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.
G1518190

4.  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
G1518190

5.  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.
G1518190

6.  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.
G1518190

7.  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.
G1518190

8.  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.
G1518190

9.  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.
G1518190

10.  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)
G1518190

11.  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.
G1518190

12.  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:
mutakallimun
philosophers
Isma’ilis (al Batiniyyah)
Sufi
G1518190

13.  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.
G1518190

14.  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.
G1518190

15.  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.
G1518190