140217P - EPISTEMOLOGICAL CHANGE AS A BASIS FOR SOCIAL CHANGE

Written and prepared by Professor Omar Hasan Kasule Sr. MB ChB (MUK), MPH (Harvard), DrPH (Harvard) on February 21, 2014

SUMMARY (1)

•  Islamic civilization started as a knowledge revolution in Makka (2): Islamic dawa in the Arabian peninsula was a knowledge and methodology revolution that underlay the Islamic civilization
• Qur’anic methodology inspired the empirical method and inductive logic (3). Muslim scientists inspired by the Qur’anic methodology experimented and corrected mistakes in Greek science
• Muslim empiricism triggered the European renaissance (4): the crusades in the East and interactions in the West Europeans learned the empirical method from Muslims that the knowledge renaissance in the 12^th century and the 14-17^th centuries.
• Knowledge renaissance was the basis of modern western power (5). Renaissance was followed by a religious revolution (reformation),  a thought revolution (enlightenment and rationality), scientific revolution, agricultural revolution, industrial / technological revolution, political revolutions,  communication and information revolution
• The expected Muslim world renaissance (6): Muslim world today is backward technologically, politically, socially etc. Reform of society starts with reform of education.  15^th century Islamic renaissance faces the crisis of duality in the education system; it requires epistemological reform leading to integration of knowledge. We need an epistemological revolution to pioneer social reform. 

EPISTEMOLOGY (6b):

• Definition of epistemology (7): Epistemology, a major branch of philosophy, is the science of knowledge, ‘ilm al ‘ilm. It is the study of the origin, nature, methods, and limits of knowledge. The aim of epistemology is certainty, yaqeen. The scope of epistemology: distinguish reality from appearance & perception from reality, evidence for truth of a claim
• Islamic epistemology (8) has fixed parameters from Qur’ an and sunnat within the tauhid paradigm and space-time variables. It is characterized by objectivity and its sources of knowledge.
• Objectivity (9) comes only next to iman, as the Prophet said 'qul amantu bi al laahi thumma istaqim'.
• Sources of knowledge (10): wahy, ‘aql, and kawn (‘ilm tajriibi) related to causality, sababiyyat

QUR’ANIC TERMINOLOGY FOR KNOWLEDGE (10b)

• Terms referring to knowledge (11): ‘ilm, ma’arifat, hikmat, basiirat, ra’ay, dhann, yaqeen, tadhkirat, shu’ur, lubb, nabau, burhan, dirayat, haqq, and tasawwur.
• Disciplines of knowledge (12): human life, animal life, the earth, the seas and the oceans, astronomy, agriculture, numbers, counting, addition, multiplication, subtraction, division
• Terms for lack of knowledge (13): jahal, raib, dhann, shakk, and yaqeen.
• Supremacy of knowledge (14) and its basis for leadership. Those who know are a grade higher than those who do not know.
• Grades of knowledge (15): 'Ilm al yaqeen,'ayn al yaqeen,haqq al yaqeen.
• Evidence-based knowledge (16) challenge to prove allegations by evidence and the story of Ibrahim searching for empirical proofs

METHODOLOGY OF KNOWLEDGE (17)

• Ummatic methodological heritage (18): ‘uluum al Qur’an, uluum al hadith, ‘ilm al usuul al fiqh,
• Research to expand knowledge (19): Ijtihad and knowledge renewal and expansion
• Greek scientific methodology (20): on logic, istidlaal, and definitions, ta’ariif, deductive > inductive
• Islamic methodology (21) inspired by the Qur’an: inductive logic and empirical
• Impact of Greek encounter (22): Positive: new knowledge but knowledge changes and grows. Muslims corrected many mistakes in Greek science and made fresh observations of their own. Negative impact on the empirical methodology from the Qur’an was a greater loss.
• Muslim pioneers of the empirical method (23): Al Hasan Ibn Haytham, Jabir Ibn Hayyan,
• Usul al fiqh as a methodological discipline (24): Ulama usul al fiqh used inductive logic as illustrated by the concepts of takhriij al manaat and tard

THE EMPIRICAL METHODOLOGY OF THE QUR’AN (25):

• The tauhidi paradigm (tauhid al rubuubbiyyat)(26): basis for unity, causal relations, and a rational predictable universe within one tauhidi frame of reference
• Physical laws, sunan llah fi al kawn (27): sunan explain the complex world. Sunan are uniformly, consistent, and explain causality. They cover relative unseen, ghaib nisbi and not the absolute unseen, ghaib mutlaq.
• Inductive methodology (28): The Qur’an uses mostly the inductive. Interaction with Greek science did actually hamper methodological development in the ummat for centuries.
• Empirical observation and interpretation in ayat kawniyyat (29): nadhar, tabassur, tadabbur, tafakkur, i’itibaar, tafaquhu, bayyinat, burhan. Rejection of taqliid and dhann.
• Objectivity (30): istiqimat & sirat mustaqim, equilibrium: ’adl, wasatiyyat, tawazun, hikmat, and i’itidaal. Rejection of hiwa al nafs, dhann, usturat, khurafat, kadhb, lahw, and wahm, taqlid.
• Evidence based knowledge (31): burhan, daliil, bayyinat, tathabbut, and sidq, and hujjat. The Qur’an teaches checking information (32): al tahaqquq min al khabar.
• Basis for technology (‘ilm nafei) (33):  istikhlaf, taskhir, isti’imar.

QUR’ANIC SCIENTIFIC TARBIYYAT: basic (34)

• The Qur’anic methodology (1): a methodological inspiration to observe and interpret the physical world, ‘aalam al shahadat, while providing information about the unseen world, ‘aalam al ghaib.
• The intellect (35): Intellect is correlated with signs, al ‘aql wa al aayaat and with knowledge, al ‘aql wa al ‘ilm. Condemnation of not using the intellect, dhamm ta’atiil al ‘aql Condemnation of blind following, dhamm al taqliid al a’ama. The prophet forewarned the blind following of Jews and Christians.
• Knowledge (36): Human knowledge is limited, mahdudiyat ‘ilm al insaan. Humans can only know some unseen things by empirical observations, ghaib nisbi. The keys to the unseen are with Allah, mafatiih al ghaib ‘inda al llaah. Knowledge by itself is not useful unless it is associated with work, la ‘ilm biduun ‘amal.
• Understanding (37): The Qur’an has used the term fiqh to refer to understanding which is deeper than knowing. Mu’adh bin Jabal was considered to have high understanding of the ddiin, fiqh mu’adh fi a ddiin. He will be the prince of scholars on the day of resurrection, mu’adh sayyid al ‘ulama yawm al khashr. Aisha had high undertanding of the ddiin, tafaqquh aishah fi al ddiin and she was the most knowledgeable person, kaanat a’lam al naas.
• Thinking (38): The Qur’an puts emphasis on thinking, al hatth ‘ala al tafakkur. The intellect can reach a conclusion, al hukm al ‘aqli. Thinking by looking at space/horizons, al tafakkur bi al nadhar fi al aafaaq. Thinking by looking at humans, al tafakkur bi al nadhar fi al anfus. Thinking by looking at the signs of allah, al tafakkur bi al nadhar fi ayaat al allaah. Thinking about Allah’s creation, al tafakkur fi khalq llaah. The Qur’an emphasizes freedom of thought in the form of freedom of belief, hurriyat al aqidat.
• Innovation & creativity (39): bid’at vs ibdaa’u: Innovations are prohibited, nahyu al bid’at. All innovations are a misguidance, kullu bid’at dhalaalat.

QUR’ANIC SCIENTIFIC TARBIYYAT: Descriptive knowledge (39)

• Description of things in the environment (40): The Qur’an described mountains as elevated, stable, refuge, colored, powdered dust, mobile, erect. The Qur’an described the barrier between two oceans. Iron was described as beneficial to humans. Its manufacture and softening were also described. The wind, riih, was described as a necessity for life, dharurat al riih li al hayat, raising clouds, turning in direction of blowing, tasrif al riyaah, seeding clouds to cause rain, talqiih al sihaab, pushing boats in the water, daf’u al safinat. Plants, al zara’u, were described as of different kinds. The sky, samaau, was descibed as layers, al samaau tibaaqan, held in place, imsaak al samaau, raised without pillars, rafa’u al smaau biduun ‘imad, of wide expanse, si’at al samaau, and having smoke, dukhaan al samaau. Honey was described as a cure, al ‘asal shafau. Water, maau, was described as the source of life, al maau asl al hayat.
• Description of changes and motion (41): The Qur’an described the attractive force of the earth, jadhibiyyat al ardh. It described the motion of the earth, the boats, the sun, the moon, the water, and of the wind. Air pressure, dhaght jawwi.
• Description of processes (42): Making of iron, sina’at al hadiid, armor, sina’at al durru’u,  dams, boats. Creation of the human from dust, khalq al insaan min tiin. The Human was created from water, khalq al insaan min al maau.
• Description of the constant laws of nature (43): The laws are fixed and stable, thabaat sunnat al llaah. The laws operate in various situations: in change, sunnat al llaah fi al taghyiir, in the offspring, sunnat al laah fi al dhuriyat, in parity, sunnat al allah fi al zawjiyat, in the past generations, sunnat al allah fi al saabiqiin. Order was mentioned as a law of nature.   
• Recording of observations (44): The first creation was the pen, awal makhluuq al qalam. The collection of the Qur’an was an exercise in careful documentation. Recording of hadith was forbidden because of possible confusion with the Qur’an; later Omar changed his opinion on the matter.

QUR’ANIC SCIENTIFIC TARBIYYAT: Analytic knowledge (45)

• Evidence-based knowledge and action (46): The Qur’an calls for evidence, al burhan. It called for establishment of evidence, iqamat al hujjat. False evidence is rejected. There are conditions for accepting evidence, shuruut qubuul al shahadat.
• Condemnation of non-evidence-based knowledge (47): Sorcery was prohibited as a form of shirk. Consulting fortune tellers was prohibited, nahyu istisharat kaahin. Speculation or conjecture, al dhann, were forbidden as they are the most untruthful discourse, al dhann akdhaba al hadiith. Speculative or hypothetical thinking was condemned. Human thought is a tool and not an end in itself. It operates on the basis of empirical observations and revelation, both objective sources of information, Thought that is not based on an empirical basis or revelation is speculative and leads to wrong conclusions. Hypothetical thinking, ra ay, was discouraged especially if it contradicts Qur’an and sunnat. It is however allowed in situations in which there is not authoritative text. Care should be taken in giving opinions on matters for which there is no evidence in the Qur’an and sunnat.
• Objectivity (48): The Qur’an calls for objectivity in measurement. It condemns turning away from truth, i’iraadh ‘an al haqq. Truth must be revealed, idhaar al haqq. Subjective feelings should not be followed, nahy itibau al hawa fi al ‘adl. The unbelievers hate the truth, kurh al kafirin li al haqq. They follow their subjective feelings, itibau al hawa li al kafirin. The prophet condemned hiwa because it blinds and deafens. The people of hiwa must be avoided.
• Drawing conclusions from empirical observation (49): Reliance of observation and not speculation was emphasized in the prophet’s hadith about the start of the fasting when he said that we were an illiterate society that did not count or calculate and that the start of the fasting should be based on sighting the crescent. Learning a lesson from phenomena, al ‘ibrat. The Qur’an calls upon humans to observe Allah’s signs of Allah in the universe and in humans. Ibrahim by his empirical observation of the sun and the moon was able to reach true knowledge of Allah. His heart was calmed in his belief in resurrection when Allah showed him the revival of birds that he had killed. The Qur’an has described many natural phenomena in detail for example the earth’s gravitational attraction, jaadhibiyat al ardh. Mountains were also described in detail: height, iritifa’u al jibaal. The Qur’an however made it clear that human senses have limitations. For example human vision is limited and can be deceived when it confuses a mirage for water. Human hearing is also limited.
• Rational thinking and assertions based on reason (50): In many prohibitions the Qur’an provides logical reasons. For example with regard to alcohol both the benefits and the harms were mentioned and the reason for prohibition was given.
• Logical operations (51): The use of similitude, tashbiih, of two things and phenomena is seen in the following verses: the earth and the movement of the clouds, Islam and light, resurrection with revival of dead earth, mountains in the hereafter with wool, the rebellious heart with the rock. The unbeliever is described as the similitude of the mute, the deaf, the blind, cattle, donkey, dog, the dead, foam, darkness. The hypocrite, munafiq, is the similitude of the mute, the blind, blocks of wood. The believer is described as the similitude of far-sightedness, basiir, the free, the hearer. Humans on the Last day are described as the similitude of the bed, firaash. Unity is described as the similitude of a strong building (61:4). Boy servants in paradise are described as the similitude of pearls. The Qur’an also employed many examples, mithl, to illustrate concepts.
• Prudence in reaching conclusions (52): Al tawaqi fi al fitya

QUR’ANIC SCIENTIFIC TARBIYYAT: Etiquette of scientific discourse (53)

• Asking questions (54): Questions can be for finding out information, suaal istifhaami. The prophet prohibited too much speculative questioning on hypothetical situations as in verses 5:101 and 2:108. The prophet allowed questions towards the end of his life, ibahat al su aal fi akhir hayatihi or even ordered it, al amr bi al suaal.
• Respecting the other opinion (55): One of the greatest lessons in respect for the opposing opinion is the verbatim recording by the Qur’an of the false pronouncements of the worst people on earth for example Fir’aun. He claimed that he was God, iddi’au fir’aun al uluhiyyat, was arrogant, istikbaar fir’aun, batash fir’aun, takdhiib fir’aun, fir’aun and the magicians.
• Etiquette of discussion (56): Differences on scientific matters can arise and are natural. Discussion and exchange of views is a necessity for humans, dharurat al hiwar. The Qur’an has taught the best methods of discussing with others even in controversial matters. Discussion has its own etiquette, adab al hiwar. Truth must be revealed. Contradictions must be avoided. Arrogance is condemned. The following are attributes of good discussion: objectivity, tajarrud, truthfulness, asking for evidence, and knowledge. Humans have a tendency to purposeless disputation, jadal, is frowned upon. Jadal and differences were forbidden, al nahyu ‘an al jadal wa al ikhtilaaf because it eventually destroys Islam and is a sign of being lost after guidance.
• Abandoning false premises (57): If a person gives an opinion on a matter and then receives a contrary knowledge from the prophet, he gives up his previous opinion
• Truth (57b): Fear of people should be no reaason for not revealing the truth. Deception is condemned, dhamm al khida’u. The truth of any assertion must be checked, al taakkud min sihat al khabar. Yaqeen is the basis of ‘ilm but dhann is not. Hadiths of the prophet were at the beginning quoted without having to provide the chain of transmitters. When the possibility of fraud was suspected, it became necessary to provide a chain of transmitters before a hadith could be accepted. Abu Hudaifah was very careful in his reports from the prophet. Abdullah bin Masa’ud was very scared of narrating hadith.

PIONEERS OF THE EMPIRICAL METHOD (58):

• Greek science was conjectural and hypothetical (59). Greeks preferred reasoning and looked down upon perceptual knowledge. They would spend years in their comfortable arm-chairs reasoning instead of going out of the room and making observation or setting up a simple experiment to close the issue. Aristotle for example never thought of testing his theory about the speed of fall of heavy and light objects.
• Muslims criticized Greek logic (60): Greek logic was qiyaas al mantiqi. Muslim scientists in the golden era of Islam were pioneers of the systematic use of the empirical method. Muslims developed a complete empirical methodology in the form of qiyaas usuuli.
• Muslim pioneers of empiricism (61): Allama Muhammad Iqbal in his ‘Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam’ argued that the empirical method was not a European discovery. He quoted contributions of Ghazzali, Ibn Taymiyyat, Abubakr al Razi, and Ibn Hazm. Other pioneers of the empirical method were: Ibn Sina, Al Biruni, al Kindi (d. 260H), Jabir Ibn Hayyan (d. 200H), Ibn Haytham (d. 340H), al Khawarizmi (d. 387H).
• European pioneers of the empiricism (62): European history ascribes ‘discovery’ of the empirical method to Roger Bacon (1561-1626H). Roger Bacon learned the empirical method from Arabs?. Francis Bacon was inspired by Ibn Taymiyyat.

IBN HYTHAM AND THE SCIENTIFIC EMPIRICAL METHOD (63)

• Hypotheses (64): Scientific investigation starts with hypothesis formulation. The hypotheses are tested by empirical observation and deductions/inductions are made.
• Ibn Hytham and the scientific empirical method (64): Ibn Haytham, in his ‘Book of Optics’, kitaab al Manadhir[1], illustrates the use of the empirical method. He did a lot of experiments and interpreted the findings. He realized the importance of mathematics. He used a combination of both inductive and deductive logic. Ibn Hytham formulated hypotheses in 2 way: observation and analogy. 
• Light travels in straight lines (65): In his observation of natural phenomena, he observed that that light passing through a hole has the shape of that hole and therefore formed a hypothesis that light travels in straight lines.
• Stars emit their light (66): He concluded by analogy that since the moon gets its light from the sun, the stars cannot get light from the sun. To verify the hypotheses about the stars above, Ibn Hytham made the observation that unlike the moon, the shapes of the stars did not change with distance from the sun. He concluded that the stars must emit light of their own.
• Generalization from observation (65): Ibn Hytham moved from experiment to generalize into a law by making 2 conclusions. The first was that light of whatever type travels in straight lines. The second was that the incident ray, the reflected ray, and the normal are in the same plane.

TRANSFER OF THE EMPIRICAL METHODOLOGY TO EUROPE (66)

• Golden era of Muslim science (67): Early centuries H translation and selective absorption as well as correction of Greek knowledge. Correction based on Qur’an inspired empirical methodology. Explosion of scientific knowledge in the Muslim world.
• Transfer of empirical methodology to Europe (68): during the Crusades and contacts in Andalusia and Southern Europe triggered the 12^th century European scientific renaissance. Translation of books by Muslim authors: Ibn Hytham, Ibn SIna, Al Zahrawi. 14-17^th European renaissance built on empirical foundations that started in the 12^th century renaissance. Roger Bacon, the founder of the European empirical methodology ?plagiarized. Francis Bacon.
• Collapse of Muslim science (69): The golden era of Muslim science was during the early Abassid period. Mongol invasion in the East (conquest of Baghdad 1258G) and catholic invasions in the West (reconquisita 1491G) contributed to collapse of Muslim societies and of science
• Colonization of the Muslim world (70): In the colonial and post-colonial period, 13-15^th centuries H, the Muslims were only consumers and not producers of S&T because they had lost their methodology and could not make original contributions. Lack of methodological originality led to neglect of pure sciences.
• The new empiricism from Europe (71): the imported empirical method came in a ‘European philosophical context’ away from its ‘tauhidi context’. Example of a bad copy from a good product.

12^th CENTURY SCIENTIFIC RENAISSANCE (72)

• Renaissance triggered by translation of Arabic manuscripts (73) manuscripts of natural science, philosophy and mathematics. Europe reconnected with ancient Greek and Roman knowledge preserved by the Muslims as well as additions by Muslim researchers. The most significant Muslim contribution was the empirical method.
• Robert Grosseteste (ca. 1168–1253) (74): Was the first to make extensive use of the thought of Aristotle, Ibn Sina and Ibn Rushd. He is thought to be the first in the Latin West to develop an account of an experimental method in science and to use make systematic use of a method of experimental verification and falsification.
• Roger Bacon  (c. 1214–1294) (75) was inspired by the writings of Grosseteste. He mastered Arabic texts on the science of optics. In his account of a method, Bacon described a repeating cycle of observation, hypothesis, experimentation, and the need for independent verification.
• Return to the Greco-Roman roots (76): Reconnection with past after wasted years of the Middle Ages. Roman revival (Latin classics, Latin poetry, Roman law)
• Start of European universities (77): Arabic books in translation were used.

14-17^th CENTURY CENTURY RENAISSANCE (78)

• Renaissance and the empirical method (77): (a) Francis Bacon (1561-1626) called the creator of empiricism, popularised inductive methods for scientific inquiry also Baconian method or scientific method. He emphasized experimentation and observation and advocated methodology – planned procedure of investigating all things natural. Influenced by Ibn Taymiyah. (b) Rene Descartes (1596-1650) emphasized reasoning.
• Renaissance as a scientific revolution (78): Nicolas Corpenicus (1473-1543) proposed a heliocentric view of the cosmos that was proved by telescopic observation by Tycho Brahe (1546-1601). Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) proposed the theory that the earth moves. Johannes Kepler (1571-1630) proposed laws of planetary movements. Andreas Vesalius (1514-1564) and anatomy. Ambroise Pare (1510-1590) and medicine. William Harvey (1578-1657) and blood circulation. Anton van Leeuwenhoek (1632-1723) and the microscope. Robert Boyle (1627-1691) and atomistic view. Isaac Newton (1642-1727) gravity and laws of motion
• Renaissance as cultural movement (79): Started in Italy as a cultural movement and spread to the rest of Europe when Johann Gutenberg discovered printing in 1455. Developments in literature, philosophy, art, architecture, and music. Artist-scientists like Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) Michangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564). Writers such as Baldassare Castiglione (), Niccolo Machiavelli (1469-1527)
• Renaissance as a religious movement (80) : Protestant protest against the Catholic Church and reformation:  Martin Luther (1483-1546), John Calvin (1509-1564), Henry VIII (1491-1547)
• Renaissance as a philosophical movement (81): Humanism put the human in the center. It was the forerunner of secularism. Humanist thinkers like Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus (1466 –1536), Sir Thomas Moore  (1478-1535), Francois Rabelais (1483 –1553), William Shakespeare (1564-1616).

AGE OF ENLIGHTENMENT (81)

• The age of reason (82): The scientific revolution of 1500s and 1600s sparked the age of enlightenment. Scientific discoveries showed that natural laws existed and that these laws could be discovered by reasoning.
• Enlightenment thinkers (83): Immanuel Kant (1724-1804), Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679), John Locke (1632-1704), Montesquieu (1689-1755), Francois-Marie Arouet  aka Voltaire (1694-1778), Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778), Adam Smith (1723-1790).
• Major political and social revolutions (84): French Revolution, American Independence and democracy
• Age of exploration (85): Spread enlightenment ideas overseas. Colonial domination that persists until today

AGRICULTURAL and INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION (starting 1750-) (86)

• 1750 Agricultural revolution (87): improved farming methods and equipment. More food bigger population.
• Energy revolution (88): coal in 1700s and steam power in 1712. Late 1800s electric power replaced steam power
• Iron and Steel (89): Improved iron smelting, 1856 Bessemer discovered new ways of making steel.
• Transport revolution (90): turnpikes, canals, trains, automobile, the plane
• Production (91): Factory system of production and urbanization. New methods of production: assembly line
• Communication revolution (92): telegraph, telephone, radio, internet
• Medical revolution (93): population explosion?
• The Industrial age and new imperialism 1800-1914 (94)

CRITIQUE OF THE EMPIRICAL METHOD (95)

• The major strength of the empirical methodology (96) is that it enables rapid growth of knowledge.
• Problem in use and not in essence (97): The empirical  methodology is innately good but the manner and context of its use lead to the following 4 problems:
• Biases (98): due to a priori assumptions related to materialism and atheism
• Limitations of observation by human senses (99)
• Limitations of human intellect in interpreting empirical observations (100)
• Lack of an integrating paradigm like tauhid (101):  leading to problems: (a) LACK OF BALANCE: people of Thamud., (b) LACK OF PURPOSE: building structures for amusement only with no underlying purpose.

CRISIS OF KNOWLEDGE and EDUCATION (102)

• Manifestations of the crisis (103): There is pervasive ignorance of uluum al diin and uluum al dunia. There is little respect for scholarship. There is neglect of the empirical sciences. There is a dichotomy in the education system: traditional Islamic vs. imported European, ulum al diin vs ulum al dunia. Integration of the 2 systems has failed or has been difficult because it has been mechanical and not conceptual. The process of secularization in education has removed the moral dimension from the education and violated the aim of Islamic education to produce an integrated and perfect individual, insan kaamil. The brain drain from Muslim countries has compounded the educational crisis.
• Ummatic malaise due to the knowledge crises (104): Knowledge deficiency and intellectual weakness are the most significant manifestation of ummat’s decadence. The intellectual crisis of the ummat is worsened by copying and using poorly digested alien ideas and concepts. The prophet warned the ummat about the lizard-hole phenomenon in which the ummat in later times would follow its enemies unquestionably like the lizard running into its hole. Among the manifestations of the ummatic malaise are action deficiency, political weakness, economic dependency, military weakness, dependence in science and technology, and erosion of the Islamic identity in life-style.
• Knowledge, a pre requisite for tajdiid (105): Reform and revival of the ummat will occur through educational and knowledge reform. Tajdid is a recurring phenomenon in the ummat and is a sign of its health and dynamism. It is a basic characteristic of the ummat that periods of reform/revival alternate with periods of decay and return to jahiliyyat. Tajdid requires knowledge, ideas and action related by the following mathematical equation: tajdid = idea + action. Action without knowledge and guiding ideas will not lead to true change. Ideas without action are not change at all. Tajdid requires and is preceded by a reform in knowledge to provide ideas and motivation on which to build. All successful societal reform starts with change in knowledge. The ideal society cannot be created without a knowledge base. That knowledge base must be correct, relevant, and useful. Successful revival movements throughout Muslim history have always been led by scholars.
• New knowledge strategy (106): The Muslim ummat is a potential economic and political bloc whose potential is not yet realized. The contemporary tajdid movement has a lot of strengths but also has basic deficiencies that must be corrected. The knowledge and intellectual crises are still a barrier. Reform movements unguided by correct knowledge and understanding will falter and fail or will be deviated from their paths. Social change requires change in attitudes, values, convictions and behavior of a critical mass of the population. Attitudes, values, convictions, and behaviors are determined by the knowledge base. The vision of the knowledge strategy is an upright balanced person who understands the creator, knows his place, his roles, his rights, and his responsibilities in the cosmic order. The mission of the knowledge strategy is conceptual transformation of the education system from kindergarten to post graduate studies to reflect tauhid, positive moral values, objectivity, universality, and serving the larger causes of humanity.
• Towards an Islamic methodology (107): A tauhidi universal, objective and unbiased methodology must replace the Euro-centric and philosophically biased context and not the practical experimental methods. The precepts of tauhidi science are: unity of knowledge, comprehensiveness; causality is the basis for human action, human knowledge is limited, investigation of causal relations is based on constant and fixed natural laws, harmony between the seen and the unseen, 3 sources of knowledge (wahy, aql & empirical observation); khilafat; moral accountability; creation and existence have a purpose, truth is both absolute and relative, human free will is the basis of accountability, and tawakkul.

NOTE

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[1] Ibn Haytham….