Integration of Reason and Revelation: A Reinterpretation of Classical Islamic Educational Thought in a Modern Context

Abstract

This study explores the perennial tension and potential harmony between reason (aql) and revelation (wahy) in Islamic educational thought, by addressing the contemporary crisis of knowledge arising from the fragmentation of the intellectual and spiritual dimensions in modern education. This study aims to reinterpret classical Islamic epistemology as articulated by scholars such as al-Ghazālī, Ibn Sīnā, and Ibn Rushd, and reconstruct its relevance for modern educational philosophy. Using a qualitative literature review and a philosophical-hermeneutic approach, this study systematically analyzes classical and contemporary texts to reveal how the unity of knowledge (tawḥīd al-ma'rifah) can bridge rational inquiry and divine guidance. The findings of this study demonstrate that classical Islamic thought offers a sophisticated integrative epistemology that harmonizes reason and revelation, emphasizing education as both an intellectual pursuit and a moral-spiritual formation. The conclusion asserts that restoring this balance can address the disorientation of modern education and re-establish the ethical purpose of knowledge. This study contributes theoretically by offering a new epistemological framework for Islamic education and practically by guiding future reforms that combine intellectual rigor with spiritual wisdom. (Arkoun, 2020; Ahmed, 2020). (Griffel, 2020; Yasien Mohamed, 2018). (Cook, 2020; Arkoun, 2020). (Gadamer, 1975; Arkoun, 2020).