✦ Comparative Analysis of Islamic and Capitalist Epistemology ✦
✍ By: Dr. Zahid Mughal
Every civilization has its unique conception of knowledge (تصورِ علم), which reflects its core beliefs and purpose of existence. The reality and hierarchy of knowledge are shaped by the metaphysical foundations of that civilization.
A civilization cannot answer the question “What is knowledge?” without first addressing its beliefs about life, the universe, and the divine.
This foundational point is often ignored, which is why many modern scholars fail when trying to Islamize Western sciences without critically engaging with their epistemic assumptions.
To explore the nature of knowledge from an Islamic and capitalist perspective, the article evaluates three essential questions:
① What is knowledge?
② Where does knowledge come from?
③ How is the capitalist conception of knowledge manifested?
In Islamic thought:
✔ Knowledge is not just information, but a purposeful relationship between the knower (ʿĀlim) and the known (Maʿlūm).
✔ The classification of knowledge depends on its purpose.
Example:
An engineering student may consider history less important, while a philosophy student would deem it central.
In Islam:
✔ Qur’an and Sunnah are the primary sources of knowledge,
✔ Other forms of knowledge are evaluated based on their contribution to life’s divine purpose—seeking Allah’s pleasure.
In the capitalist civilization, knowledge is largely defined in terms of scientific and technological advancement.
This view originated during the Enlightenment, a period when the purpose of life shifted from spiritual fulfillment to:
✔ Worldly desire,
✔ Mastery over nature, and
✔ Material progress.
The capitalist epistemology is built upon specific ideological beliefs:
Freedom:
Man has the right to define good and evil based on personal desires.
Equality:
All human choices are given equal value, regardless of moral or ethical merit.
Progress:
Life’s purpose becomes maximizing pleasure and accumulating wealth.
✔ Non-finality (غیر حتمیت):
No absolute truth exists; new theories may replace old ones.
✔ Empiricism (تجربیت):
Knowledge is verified solely through experience and experimentation.
✔ Skepticism (شک):
Doubt and the rejection of prior claims are considered central to learning.
✔ Knowledge for its own sake:
Research is conducted for novelty, regardless of moral or practical benefit.
1. Moral Decay (اخلاقی انحطاط):
Capitalist knowledge centers around human desire and monetary gain, resulting in:
➤ Selfishness, greed, envy
➤ Love of materialism
➤ Diminished importance of worship and spirituality
2. Commercialization of Knowledge:
Knowledge becomes a commodity to be bought and sold.
This mindset even infiltrates family and social relationships, reducing them to supply and demand dynamics.
✔ In Islam, the goal of knowledge is to attain the pleasure of Allah.
✔ True knowledge guides man toward his ultimate purpose—the worship of Allah.
✘ The Western worldview, which rejects revelation as knowledge, is seen in Islamic thought as ignorance (جہالت).
Muslims must:
✔ Understand the reality of capitalist knowledge,
✔ Critically evaluate its assumptions and aims,
✔ Rebuild Islamic societies upon the foundation of revelation, not capitalist materialism.
✿ True knowledge is that which connects man with his Creator and guides him in the path of submission and purpose.
Secular knowledge, detached from the divine, remains incomplete and morally rootless.
✍ By: Dr. Zahid Mughal
❖ Civilization and Epistemology
Every civilization has its unique conception of knowledge (تصورِ علم), which reflects its core beliefs and purpose of existence. The reality and hierarchy of knowledge are shaped by the metaphysical foundations of that civilization.
A civilization cannot answer the question “What is knowledge?” without first addressing its beliefs about life, the universe, and the divine.
This foundational point is often ignored, which is why many modern scholars fail when trying to Islamize Western sciences without critically engaging with their epistemic assumptions.
❖ Structure of This Discussion
To explore the nature of knowledge from an Islamic and capitalist perspective, the article evaluates three essential questions:
① What is knowledge?
② Where does knowledge come from?
③ How is the capitalist conception of knowledge manifested?
❖ Belief and Epistemology in Islam
In Islamic thought:
✔ Knowledge is not just information, but a purposeful relationship between the knower (ʿĀlim) and the known (Maʿlūm).
✔ The classification of knowledge depends on its purpose.
Example:
An engineering student may consider history less important, while a philosophy student would deem it central.
In Islam:
✔ Qur’an and Sunnah are the primary sources of knowledge,
✔ Other forms of knowledge are evaluated based on their contribution to life’s divine purpose—seeking Allah’s pleasure.
❖ Capitalist View of Knowledge: Scientific and Secular
In the capitalist civilization, knowledge is largely defined in terms of scientific and technological advancement.
This view originated during the Enlightenment, a period when the purpose of life shifted from spiritual fulfillment to:
✔ Worldly desire,
✔ Mastery over nature, and
✔ Material progress.
❖ Capitalist Belief System Behind Knowledge
The capitalist epistemology is built upon specific ideological beliefs:
Freedom:Man has the right to define good and evil based on personal desires.
Equality:All human choices are given equal value, regardless of moral or ethical merit.
Progress:Life’s purpose becomes maximizing pleasure and accumulating wealth.
❖ Key Features of Capitalist Knowledge
✔ Non-finality (غیر حتمیت):
No absolute truth exists; new theories may replace old ones.
✔ Empiricism (تجربیت):
Knowledge is verified solely through experience and experimentation.
✔ Skepticism (شک):
Doubt and the rejection of prior claims are considered central to learning.
✔ Knowledge for its own sake:
Research is conducted for novelty, regardless of moral or practical benefit.
❖ Impact of Capitalist Epistemology
1. Moral Decay (اخلاقی انحطاط):
Capitalist knowledge centers around human desire and monetary gain, resulting in:
➤ Selfishness, greed, envy
➤ Love of materialism
➤ Diminished importance of worship and spirituality
2. Commercialization of Knowledge:
Knowledge becomes a commodity to be bought and sold.
This mindset even infiltrates family and social relationships, reducing them to supply and demand dynamics.
❖ The Islamic Epistemology: A Purposeful Framework
✔ In Islam, the goal of knowledge is to attain the pleasure of Allah.
✔ True knowledge guides man toward his ultimate purpose—the worship of Allah.
✘ The Western worldview, which rejects revelation as knowledge, is seen in Islamic thought as ignorance (جہالت).
❖ The Way Forward for Muslims
Muslims must:
✔ Understand the reality of capitalist knowledge,
✔ Critically evaluate its assumptions and aims,
✔ Rebuild Islamic societies upon the foundation of revelation, not capitalist materialism.
✿ True knowledge is that which connects man with his Creator and guides him in the path of submission and purpose.
Secular knowledge, detached from the divine, remains incomplete and morally rootless.
