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The dawn of modernization and globalization has brought many changes to human living conditions across the world. In particular, modern globalization, with its use of the internet and other technology-mediated learning tools and apps, has made knowledge and education more accessible, even to communities living in the remotest parts of the world. By utilizing modern technology, humanity can now share news and information much faster than before.
As much as we welcome and celebrate these developments in the field of education, there is also a downside. In the olden days, education and learning, considered as means for the inculcation and transfer of knowledge, culture, language, heritage, values, religion, and experience from one generation to the next, held a noble purpose. In the modern world, however, this purpose is in some ways being lost.
Today, education and learning have become more mechanical in nature, largely because they are often pursued for the sole purpose of acquiring a certificate or degree. With such paper qualifications in hand, an individual can secure a job or position that, in return, generates income.
Although modern education, with its emphasis on science and technology, has enabled humankind to travel through space, place satellites in orbit, and even set foot on the moon, it has, in some ways, deprived human beings of an understanding of the true purpose of our lives and our mission in this world.
Furthermore, as modern education continues its progressive march toward achieving worldly success, fame, and glory, it has undermined the human need for religion, spirituality, and the search for meaning. In other words, modern society pays little, or in some cases, no attention to the philosophical question of what life is all about.
In recognizing that modern-day education around the world has shifted away from the lofty idealism of the past, this article intends to explore and investigate the underlying causes of this shift and how the current situation may be remedied, particularly in the Muslim world. In addition, the article will also examine the need to revive Tawhidic epistemology within the Muslim intellectual and educational tradition.
This comprehensive understanding of knowledge became the driving force that elevated Islamic civilization to its zenith during the Islamic Golden Era (750-1258). During this period, the world witnessed the rise of numerous polymath scholars in the Muslim world, individuals who excelled in both religious and worldly sciences. Al-Kindi (c. 801-873), Al-Farabi (c. 872-950), Ibn Sina (Avicenna, 980-1037), Al-Ghazali (1058-1111), Ibn Rushd (Averroes, 1126-1198), Al-Khwarizmi (c. 780-850), and Ibn al-Haytham (Alhazen, c. 965-1040) are just a few among hundreds of such scholars. These brilliant minds made pioneering contributions across various disciplines, including philosophy, medicine, mathematics, astronomy, and theology. Their ideas were deeply rooted in both the revealed knowledge of Islam and the human sciences.
All the fame and glory of Muslim achievements in the natural, social, and other fields of study began to decline with the fall of the Muslim empires, starting with the destruction of Baghdad in 1258. Since then, and continuing to the present day, Muslims have lagged behind in the fields of science and technology. In many Muslim lands, colonial occupation and control severely undermined the Islamic commitment to seeking knowledge and education.
During the colonial era, the occupying powers introduced a dual-school system: secular schools for the elite and religious schools for the common people. This arrangement, to some extent, created confusion and a crisis within the Muslim mindset. In simple terms, colonialism fostered a sense of inferiority and a slave mentality. Many began to view themselves as less advanced in terms of civilization and progress. This mindset led a large number of people to imitate European culture and lifestyle, believing it to be superior to their own.
Through the lens of Tawhidic epistemology, reality is interpreted as something created, sustained, and willed by God Almighty. In this framework, man is seen as the best of God's creation, entrusted with the Amanah (trust) to administer the earth with justice, avoiding all forms of wrongdoing and injustice. Man is obligated to maintain a good relationship with himself, with God, with nature, including flora and fauna, and with the whole of humanity.
Very different from Western secular views, Tawhidic epistemology rejects the dichotomous way of viewing human life. It does not separate knowledge into what is religious and what is secular. Besides that, there is no separation between religion and state, faith and reason, science and religion, mind and body, individual and society, knowledge and values, and material and spiritual life, as well as the divide between man and nature.
Tawhidic epistemology describes that the whole of our human existence is related to Allah. A proper understanding of Tawhidic epistemology humbles an individual by giving him the understanding that he is from God and lives with the will of God and returns back to Allah by His will. In addition, this sort of understanding also humbles man to think that all our limited knowledge is from Allah and His knowledge is unlimited and absolute beyond any comparison. Ever since our inception, our lives in this world and our eventual return are all under the observation and knowledge of Allah SWT. All events in life only happen with the will of Allah.
From the perspective of Tawhidic epistemology, all disciplines of knowledge-spiritual, natural, and social, are connected to the concept of the Oneness of Allah. In line with this, Tawhidic epistemology acknowledges multiple sources of knowledge, including al-waḥy (Revelation), ʿaql (human intellect), al-ḥawās al-khams (the five senses), aṭ-ṭabīʿah (nature), and scientific investigation, which is recognized as a valid human endeavour.
In Islam, knowledge acquired by man is not value-free, but rather it is value-laden. The human mind, though a marvellous creation of Allah, has its own limitations. It is not completely free, as some Western thinkers and philosophers have claimed it to be. In Islam, human rationality is governed by the principles of the Sharīʿah. When the mind fails to find an answer to a problem, it must seek guidance from the Divine Book of Allah. This fact has been highlighted by Al-Ghazali and other early Muslim scholars. Besides that, Tawhidic epistemology emphasizes that knowledge should lead to truth, justice, mercy, moral integrity, respect for the sanctity of life, and spiritual awakening.
Furthermore, the application of knowledge should bring benefit to the individual, the Muslim Ummah, and humanity at large. It is our conviction that the role of Allah's Khalifah can be best performed when an individual is well-equipped with comprehensive and purposeful knowledge.
In realizing the damage caused by colonization, the Muslim intelligentsia should strive to restore the philosophical purpose behind seeking knowledge and the enlightenment of the human soul, an emphasis central to Islam. In addition, all natural and human sciences, whether at the school or tertiary level, should be taught from an Islamic perspective. Western ideas that do not contradict the ideals of the Qur'an may be retained, while those that run counter to the Islamic worldview should be critically evaluated and removed.
The views expressed in this article are those of Dr. Mohd Abbas Abdul Razak, from the Department of Fundamental and Interdisciplinary Studies, and Dato' Baharudin Ahmad, Senior Academic Fellow at the Department of Usul al-Din, Comparative Religion and Philosophy, AHAS KIRKHS, International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM). These views do not necessarily reflect the position of IslamiCity.
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