The Importance of Knowledge

among scholars. These two types of knowledge can be described as revealed knowledge and scientific knowledge. The Quran emphasizes the importance of both types of knowledge. It states: “Be mindful of God; He teaches you: He has full knowledge of everything.” (Quran, 2:228) This verse connects knowledge with taqwa (piety), meaning that a person who develops piety within themselves will be blessed with knowledge. Piety instills seriousness in an individual, which is an essential condition for a successful intellectual journey. Another verse in the Quran states: “In the mountains there are streaks of various shades of white and red, and jet-black rocks; in like manner, men, beasts, and cattle have their diverse hues too. Only those of His servants, who possess knowledge, fear God.” (Quran, 35:27-28) In this verse, mountains and animals (or, in other words, inanimate objects and living beings) are related to the phenomena of nature. This indicates that the study of natural phenomena can also lead to a sense of awe and piety, just as the study of revealed scripture does. The importance of these two types of knowledge necessitated their inclusion in the curriculum of madrasas. Scholars classified these as Manqulat (revealed sciences) and Ma’qulat (rational sciences). This division is entirely valid from both a religious and intellectual perspective.