ما العلم؟
What is Knowledge?
Learning Outcomes
- State the definition of knowledge.
- Explain knowledge as an attribute through which something becomes clear.
- Identify the learner, the known object, and knowledge itself.
- Distinguish between knowing something and merely mentioning its name.
- Apply the definition of knowledge to simple examples.
Text
العِلْمُ:
وَهُوَ صِفَةٌ يَتَجَلَّى بِهَا الْمَذْكُورُ لِمَنْ قَامَتْ هِيَ بِهِ.Knowledge is an attribute through which the thing under consideration becomes clear to the person in whom this attribute exists.
Explanation
Human beings encounter many things, but encountering something does not always mean knowing it. A child may hear the word “triangle” without understanding what a triangle is. When the meaning of the triangle becomes clear in the child’s mind, the child possesses knowledge of it. The scholars of logic therefore describe knowledge as an attribute through which a thing becomes clear to the knower. In this definition, knowledge is not the external object itself. Rather, it is the quality by which that object becomes known and understood.
1. صِفَةٌ — An Attribute
Knowledge is an attribute of the knower. When a person knows something, the attribute of knowledge exists in that person.
2. يَتَجَلَّى — Becomes Clear
The word يَتَجَلَّى means that something becomes apparent, disclosed, or clear.
Before knowledge, a matter may be unknown or unclear. Through knowledge, it becomes evident to the mind.
3. الْمَذْكُورُ — The Thing Under Consideration
Al-madhkūr means anything that can be mentioned or considered by the mind.
It may be:
• A physical object, such as a book. • A meaning, such as justice. • A past event. • A mathematical idea. • Something that exists. • Something that does not exist but can still be imagined or discussed.
4. لِمَنْ قَامَتْ هِيَ بِهِ — For the Knower
This expression refers to the person in whom the attribute of knowledge exists. That person is called the knower.
Thus, when knowledge exists in a student, the subject becomes clear to that student.
Three Elements of Knowledge
The definition contains three basic elements:
The knower: The person who knows.
Knowledge: The attribute through which knowing occurs.
The known: The thing that becomes clear.
For example, when Zayd knows that the earth is round:
• Zayd is the knower. • His understanding is knowledge. • The roundness of the earth is the known matter.
Knowing a Name and Knowing a Meaning
Hearing or memorising a word is not always sufficient for knowledge of its meaning.
A student may memorise the sentence, “A triangle has three sides,” without recognising a triangle. When the student understands the meaning and can identify a triangle, the object has become clear to the student.
Knowledge therefore involves the disclosure of the known matter to the knower.
Everyday Example
A student sees a new geometrical shape but does not know its name or properties.
The teacher explains that it is a square and that it has four equal sides and four angles. The form and meaning of the square then become clear in the student’s mind.
In this example:
• The student is the knower. • The square is the known object. • Its becoming clear to the student is knowledge.
Vocabulary
Knowledge
العِلْمAttribute
الصِّفَةDisclosure / Becoming clear
التَّجَلِّيThe thing under consideration
الْمَذْكُورThe knower
الْعَالِمThe known
الْمَعْلُومIgnorance
الْجَهْلThink & Reflect
Think of something that you previously did not understand but now understand clearly. What changed in your mind when you acquired knowledge of it?
Summary
- Knowledge is an attribute through which a thing becomes clear to the person who knows it. The person is called the knower, and the thing that becomes clear is called the known. Thus, knowledge establishes a relationship between the knower and the known by making the known matter evident to the mind.