Information and knowledge

One of the vital matters for the information age is to know the difference between information and knowledge. If one is informed of something that someone else knows then that is information. When one knows it oneself with genuine knowing then it is knowledge. Quite properly in every culture there are means to verify information. This differs from discipline to discipline. In the sciences of Islam, there are, for example, the sciences of intellect (‘aql) and the informational sciences of transmitted reports (naql). For this latter there are very necessary sciences of verification of the authenticity of the chains of transmission and other sciences. So the sciences of naql revolve around isnad and ijazah.  However, if a person fulfils all of these criteria he does not necessarily yet have knowledge. He is a master of information but is not necessarily a person of knowledge. What it takes to become a man of knowledge is another matter, which is not well attended to. One of the great afflictions of the age is that people take the masters of information for people of knowledge.

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Abdassamad Clarke is from Ulster and was formally educated at Edinburgh University in Mathematics and Physics. He accepted Islam at the hands of Shaykh Dr. Abdalqadir as-Sufi in 1973, and, at his suggestion, studied Arabic and tajwid and other Islamic sciences in Cairo for a period. In the 80s he was secretary to the imam of the Dublin Mosque, and in the early 90s one of the imams khatib of the Norwich Mosque, and again from 2002-2016. He has translated, edited and typeset a number of classical texts. He currently resides with his wife in Denmark and occasionally teaches there. 14 May, 2023 0:03

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6 Comments

  1. as-salamu ‘alaikum

    This is an amazing piece of insight. So true how someone can be ‘knowledgeable’, yet not be knowledgeable at all at the same time!

    How could one attain knowledge though?

  2. wa alaikum as-salam,

    I don’t lay claim to knowledge, but someone who knows that he is ignorant and recognises knowledge and its people is not entirely ignorant. Then if one has the patience to keep the company of those who have knowledge perhaps some of it might rub off on one. The Companions were after all not called students, disciples or followers but Companions, may Allah be pleased with them.

  3. She keeps company with her husband, and she must marry for deen and her guardian must also think ‘deen’ when considering suitors. She keeps company with family and other knowledgeable women, and of course she can attend the circles of the people of knowledge, and she herself may have to teach men. After all: “Take half your deen from this girl (A’ishah).”

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