In the Quran, the term "ilm" signifies God's own knowledge, which encompasses both the manifest and hidden aspects of existence.
Simultaneously, the Quran underscores the significance of actively seeking knowledge, a principle that is reiterated in the hadith literature as well.
The "ārif" refers to the mystical knower who attains knowledge through immediate experience and vision, bearing similarities to the concept of a gnostic.
As a result, the term "ālim" (ulamā) began to be used to describe a scholar in a general sense, particularly one who engages in intellectual processes.
Ghazālī strongly condemns the application of praises originally attributed to Allah being used to describe dialecticians and canon lawyers (fuḳahā).
[8] This definition can be traced back to a time when the Mu'tazilah were regarded as authorities in the field of kalām (Islamic theology).
[8] Al-Baqillani, the prominent proponent of the Ash'ari school of kalām, revised the definition by replacing the term "thing" (shay') with "knowable" (ma'lüm).
Man can know through the senses, through the imaginal faculty, through reason with its own several levels of activity, through the heart-intellect so often mentioned in the Qur’an and finally through revelation which is the objective counterpart of intellection with the eye of the heart (‘ayn al-qalb).
[10] He argues that the Quranic revelation, which holds great significance in Islamic knowledge, is primarily characterized by its sacred quality and divine nature.
[2] The first revelation received by Muhammad instructed him to proclaim or read in the name of his Lord and acknowledge God as the teacher of humanity.
[2] In the Qur'an, the notion of "ilm" (knowledge) is depicted in a hierarchical fashion, placing it under the sovereignty and control of God.
The term "ilm" refers to God's knowledge, which surpasses that of humans, encompassing hidden and undisclosed matters (Qur'an 6:59; 11:31).