April 2022: Dr. Ildus Rafikov and Dr. Elmira Akhmetova on the idea of knowledge integration

“The call for the integration of knowledge comes from the idea of the unity of knowledge. All knowledge comes from and is caused by the One God. Therefore, there is no distinction in Islam between religion and science, because all true knowledge points to the same source – the All-Knowing God (Al-ʿAlīm). Consequently, acquisition of knowledge is considered an obligation on society. According to a hadīth reported by Ibn Majah (2020), Prophet Muhammad (SAW) is reported to have said “Seeking knowledge is obligatory for every  Muslim” (vol. 1, p. 84, no. 224). The hadīth does not differentiate between various kinds of knowledge. However, the scholars classified a certain minimal level of religious knowledge as a personal obligation while the pursuit of knowledge in science and technology was classified as a societal obligation (Bakar, 2010). This means that Muslims, in general, must pursue knowledge, which is beneficial on individual and social levels. However, such knowledge acquisition must be based on a sound methodological foundation, where tawhīd and unity of knowledge play the central role (Choudhury, 2014, 2018).”
“Methodology of integrated knowledge in Islamic economics and finance: collective ijtihad,” ISRA International Journal of Islamic Finance. Published by Emerald Publishing Limited. 22 Feb. 2020.