Questions & Answers in Islamic Theology by Shaykh Ramzy Ajem

WHAT ARE THE MEANS OF KNOWING THINGS?

Shaykh Ramzy Ajem answered:

Imam an-Nasafī (1067–1142 AD) starts his celebrated work Al-'Aqa'id al-Nasafiyya by saying:

The people of truth hold that the quidities of ، ‫ا ٔ ء‬ : ‫ا‬ ٔ‫ل ا‬

things are real and knowledge of them is realized
contrary to the sophists.
ً ، ِ ‫وا‬
The means of knowledge for created beings are
three:
:ٌ ِ ِ ‫وأ ُب ا‬
(1) Sound senses;
(2) A True Narration and;
(3) Reason .ُ ‫ وا‬، ُ‫ُ ا دق‬ ‫ وا‬، ُ ‫ا اس ا‬
(1) The Five Senses are hearing, sight, smell, taste
and touch, and each sense is limited to that .ُ ‫ وا‬، ُ‫ وا وق‬، ‫ وا‬، ُ ‫ وا‬، ُ ‫ ا‬:ٌ ‫اس‬
which is specific to it, such as hearing, [compared
to what is known by] tasting and smelling. ،ِ : َ ِ ‫ُو‬ ُ ٍ ‫و‬
(2) A True Narration is in two classifications: . ِ ‫وا‬
‫ وا‬،‫وق‬
The first of which is the narration of
multiple-chain transmission, namely, the : ُ‫ُ ا دق‬ ‫وا‬
narration well established on the tongues of
people such that it is inconceivable that they
could have mutually agreed upon fabrication.
‫ِ ٍم‬ ٔ‫ا‬ ُ ‫ُا‬ ‫ و ا‬،ُ ‫ُ ا ا‬ ‫ُ (ا‬ ٔ ‫)ا‬
،‫وري‬ ‫ِا‬ ٌ ِ ُ ‫ و‬،‫ا َ ِ ِب‬ ُ ‫ُ ُر ا‬
It brings about necessary knowledge such as
the knowledge of bygone kings in past times ّ
and of distant lands. ،ِ ‫ِ وا ُ ِان ا‬ ‫ِ ا ٔز ِ ا‬ ‫ِك ا‬ ِ
The second of which is the narration of the
Messenger ‫ ﷺ‬supported by an inimitable
miracle and it necessitates knowledge by
َ ‫ُ ا‬ ُ ‫ و‬،‫ِة‬ ِ ‫ِل ﷺ ا‬ ‫ُا‬ ( ‫)وا‬
inferential reasoning. The knowledge ‫ور ِة‬ َ ‫ا َا‬ ُ ِ ُ ‫ وا ُ ا‬، ‫ا‬
established by it resembles necessary
knowledge in terms of its certitude and .‫ِ وا ِت‬ ‫ا‬
realization.

(3) Reason is also a means of knowledge; that ِ َ ‫ و‬، ً ٔ‫ِ ا‬ ٌ : ُ ‫وأ ا‬

which is established axiomatically is termed
self-evident-knowledge (daruri), such as the ُ َ ‫ و‬،ِ ِ ُ ٔ‫ِ ٔن ا ِء ا‬ ‫وري‬
knowledge that the whole of a thing is greater
than its part. As for that which is established by . ‫ِل ا‬
inferential reasoning, it is termed as
acquired-knowledge (iktisabi).

Notes from the Sanusiya Course 2022 by Shaykh Ramzy Ajem