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‘Ilm (Science) And Knowledge (Ma’Arifah) Or (Abstract Knowledge And Practical Science)

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 ‘Ilm (Science) and knowledge (Ma’arifah) OR (Abstract Knowledge and Practical Science)

Prof. Hasan Yahya, Professor of Philosophy

Introduction  Knowing other language or languages is always a benefit for human being. It is -I believe- an important factor to enhance understanding among individuals as well as groups. Sometimes, however,  the  second to mother tongue language reduces disability to understand  the real meaning of the written language. Because knowing languages without understanding the culture behind that language gives sometimes misunderstanding of the meaning of the concepts used . In this paper, illustration of such misunderstanding is given, then the two Arabic concepts ” ‘ILM and Ma’arifah” are explained. What exactly was misconceived in translation, with no intention of making that misconception. Some rules concludes the argument about the two concepts. ‘ILM (unlimited knowledge) and Ma’arifah (practical limited knowledge about something)  

 The Problem of Translation: Rosenthal brought the following saying about knowledge (Ilm) in the forward of his book “Knowledge Triumph “, he says: “AL-’ILMU shay’un la yu’tika ba’dahu hatta tu’tiyahu kullaka, fa-idhá  a’taytaho  kullaka fa-antá min i’ta’ihi laka  l-ba’da, ‘ala khatarin.” (an-Nazzam as quoted by al-Jahiz). Rosenthal Translated the above statement as follows: “KNOWLEDGE  is something that will not give part of itself to you until you give your all to it. And when you give your all to it, then you stand a chance but you cannot be sure that it will give you that part.” . If you do not the original language, which is in this case Arabic, you might accept Rosenthal translation, and you might understand what the translation means to you or you might not if you do not understand  the meaning, which knowledge do you think was lacking? Yours or the translator’s? Which one you consider to be wrong? Is it the original writer or the reader? Think of this?  When I have read the Arabic saying five years ago, I did not understand it immediately, even I have a degree in Arabic literature, I read it again slowly, and asked myself: What did the author means? The statement was written in English, therefore, I began to transform it into Arabic, I read it ten times, and every time I discovered a new broader meaning that that, the  one before it. At last I-THINK- I understood the statement. Therefore, I want to explain it. Anyway, Rosenthal himself was guessing that he was wrong in the translation especially the last part of the statement.

 Explanation:     The English translation have missed an important ingredient in the Arabic meaning. To explain what was missing, I will give the following simple question composed into mathematical equations, to illustrate the meaning.

IF exchanging sum of (’ilm)  = all man’s lifetime        (1)

      THEN  All ( ‘ILM )    =     (What?)                (2)

 It equals Sum + Sum + Sum + … or lifetime1 + Lifetime2 + L3 +….    (3)     

OR  1000 sums  (of ‘ILM) = 1000  lifetime       (4)  

    BUT     ‘ILM  never  comes  to an end, which means that all human race lives from Adam to the Day of Judgment will not pay for a complete possession of the unlimited ‘ILM (such ‘ILM is only possessed by Allah-ST, which is the belief of the original author.)

 THEN  we can deduce the following equation:

 All sums  of ‘ILM    =  All human’s lifetime in all generations   (5)

 Furthermore, here is another example: It is like someone lived 100 years, and wanted to buy a cat which cost for example ( US$200.00), how much ten bills he needs to pay the full price of the cat? Suppose each piece of the ten bill, equals one’s lifetime, (in the above example), and the cat (as in the example-means ‘ILM). If you understand this reasoning, THEN you will understand the statement. In conclusion to the above argument, Rosenthal’s translation was incomplete, and may misleading to the point made by the one who said that wisdom.

According to  the above reasoning, it would be understood that the concept of ‘ILM cannot be obtained in one’s lifetime, because it needs to be obtained in full not parts, so it will take a number of human lifetimes to be completed, and it will never will, because Human beings might discover something today, or tomorrow, they will remain disabled to get to the end of knowledge-‘ILM. Such ability far from achieving in one’s or several or all lifetimes .So, after this reasoning, I will provide my own understanding for the above statement in Arabic to mean in English, the following:

‘Ilm is (like something does not give you some of it, unless you give him back your whole life – efforts and commitments-. When  you acquire more over your limits, (and are already give your lifetime for it, another some of ‘ILM needs another person to continue getting another some of knowledge-‘ILM. To acquire another chunk of ‘ILM you don’t have your lifetime available after your death, in this case another lifetime is needed to continue with knowledge, In such bargain , you want to have another some, but you cannot get it, because you cannot provide your lifetime again, you are dead, as human who have only one lifetime – it is a weak position), THEN you are in danger, someone else will replace you to give his lifetime for another sum of knowledge.”   

This saying can be explained as a wisdom provided for human beings, to learn about their limitations in terms of time and ability to acquire knowledge-”ILM, as humans compared to the  unlimited ‘ILM of Allah (SWT). ** [ From a long research paper on the concept of "Ilm (Science) by the author.]

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