❖ Comparative Review of Capitalist Knowledge and the Islamic Perspective ❖
✍ By: [Author’s Name]
◈ Civilization and the Concept of Knowledge
The concept of knowledge in any civilization reflects its fundamental goals and purposes. The nature of knowledge is always linked to a civilization’s core beliefs (īmāniyāt). Without a defined purpose, the classification or value of knowledge becomes meaningless.
This fundamental misunderstanding is why many thinkers fail either in tracing Western knowledge within Islamic history or in the “Islamization” of modern sciences.
◈ Understanding Capitalist Knowledge
This article begins by exploring the first and foremost question in capitalist or scientific knowledge:
✔ What is knowledge?
✔ What is its nature and its relationship to belief?
Knowledge is essentially a relationship between the knower (ʿālim) and the known (maʿlūm). The content and classification of knowledge are determined by the intent of the one seeking it. If the purpose differs, so will the nature and structure of knowledge.
Examples:
- For an engineer, history may seem unimportant.
- For a philosopher, history may be of utmost importance.
- In Islam, the primary knowledge is Qur’an and Hadith, because the goal of life is attaining Allah’s pleasure, not the pursuit of worldly pleasures.
◈ Belief Foundations of Capitalist Knowledge
Capitalist (or scientific) knowledge is rooted in the aim of fulfilling human desires and ambitions, based on the following belief system:
① Freedom: Man should have the right to make his own decisions, and good or evil is to be determined by human desires.
② Equality: All thoughts and ways of living are equally valid—no belief or lifestyle is superior to another.
③ Progress: The goal of life is to achieve maximum material success.
◈ Science and the Concept of Knowledge in the West
In the Western worldview, knowledge is often equated with science and technology. According to this understanding, knowledge is that which helps man subjugate nature and fulfill his worldly desires.
Galileo once remarked:
“The Bible shows us the way to heaven, but it does not show the way heavens go.”
This reflects the separation of revelation from scientific inquiry in the Western mind.
◈ Characteristics of Capitalist Knowledge
✔ Non-Finality: In science, there is no ultimate truth. Truth is always evolving.
✔ Falsifiability: Only that is considered knowledge which can be experimentally disproven.
✔ Skepticism: Believing anything as final or absolute is considered unscientific.
✔ Research for the Sake of Research: Every topic is deemed worthy of investigation, no matter how trivial it may be.
✔ Evolutionary Interpretation: Every human and societal institution is explained through evolutionary theory, not in the light of revelation.
◈ Ethics Within Capitalist Knowledge
This conception of knowledge fosters moral corruption, promoting:
- Self-interest
- Greed and envy
- Unrealistic ambition
- Wrath and material indulgence
Here, knowledge does not seek Allah’s pleasure, but merely satisfies human will.
◈ Knowledge as a Commodity
In capitalist societies, knowledge is treated like any other product—subject to the laws of trade and profit. The aim of knowledge becomes:
- To generate financial gain
- To produce marketable skills
- To serve capitalist industry
Universities and research institutes are deeply invested in producing knowledge that is profitable, not necessarily beneficial.
◈ Outcomes and Warnings
✔ Capitalist knowledge is based on the rejection of revelation, and in Islam, it may be termed as pure ignorance (jahl khāliṣ).
✔ Its primary purpose is the pursuit of worldly pleasure and material benefit, which contradicts the Islamic purpose of life.
✔ Adopting such knowledge leads to moral decay and materialism within society.
◈ Key Takeaways
✔ Instead of adopting capitalist knowledge, it is necessary to reconstruct the social and educational system based on Islamic knowledge.
✔ In today’s world, only the ‘Ulamā’ and Islamic madāris stand in opposition to modernity, and their preservation is vital for the survival of the Ummah.
