Discover the meaning of the term Al-ʿlm (علم) in Islamic vocabulary.
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Updated on 11 April 2026 at 1:05 AM
📖 4 min readIt is the firm belief conforming to reality. The philosophers said: it is the occurrence of the thing's image in the intellect; the first is more specific than the second. It has been said: knowledge is apprehending the thing as it is. It has been said: the removal of concealment from the known thing, ignorance being its opposite. It has been said: it dispenses with definition. It has been said: knowledge is a settled quality by which universals and particulars are apprehended. It has been said: knowledge is the soul's arrival at the thing's meaning. It has been said: it is a specific relation between the intelligent and the intelligible. It has been said: it is a quality of a quality.
It divides into two: ancient and originated. Ancient knowledge is that subsisting by God Most High's essence itself; it resembles not the originated sciences of servants. Originated knowledge divides into three: immediate, necessary, and inferential. The immediate: what needs no premise, as knowing one's own being and that the whole is greater than the part. The necessary: what likewise needs no premise, as knowing the Maker's existence and the origination of accidents.
With the two fathas: the marker, fame, the high mountain, the banner, what is affixed to a spearhead, the people's chief; its plural a'lam. With the grammarians: what was coined for a thing in its very self, a person or kind, not shared by another through one coinage: this is the intentional 'alam (proper noun). As for the conventional 'alam (ittifaqi): it is that which becomes a proper noun, that is, falls upon a determined individual, by predominance and frequent use, not by coinage and convention; it is of three kinds: name, agnomen, and byname; each is treated in its place.
The banner (al-'alama): by which the army is known; God said: 'and landmarks ('alamat), and by the star they are guided.'
Firm assent conforming to reality, possessing a ground (mujib).
What was coined for a thing in its very self, not shared by another in one coinage: it is the noun designating a determined person among persons.
The occurrence of the thing's image in the intellect.
Firm, settled belief conforming to reality, for it is an attribute requiring a discrimination admitting no opposite; or the occurrence of the thing's image in the intellect, the first being more specific. What is coined 'for a thing': that is the intentional 'alam (proper noun); or what prevails: the conventional 'alam, which becomes a proper noun not by a coiner's stipulation but by frequent use along with distinction; or what is inherent to a particular thing, in actuality or in thought, not embracing its like (Ta'rifat al-Jurjani, p. 162).
﴿ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ﴾
« [All] praise is [due] to Allah, Lord of the worlds - »
Surah الفاتحة : 2
﴿وَعَلَّمَ ءَادَمَ ٱلْأَسْمَآءَ كُلَّهَا ثُمَّ عَرَضَهُمْ عَلَى ٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةِ فَقَالَ أَنۢبِـُٔونِى بِأَسْمَآءِ هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ إِن كُنتُمْ صَـٰدِقِينَ﴾
« And He taught Adam the names - all of them. Then He showed them to the angels and said, "Inform Me of the names of these, if you are truthful." »
Surah البقرة : 31
﴿قَالُوا۟ سُبْحَـٰنَكَ لَا عِلْمَ لَنَآ إِلَّا مَا عَلَّمْتَنَآ ۖ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلْعَلِيمُ ٱلْحَكِيمُ﴾
« They said, "Exalted are You; we have no knowledge except what You have taught us. Indeed, it is You who is the Knowing, the Wise." »
Surah البقرة : 32
﴿يَـٰبَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ ٱذْكُرُوا۟ نِعْمَتِىَ ٱلَّتِىٓ أَنْعَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَأَنِّى فَضَّلْتُكُمْ عَلَى ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ﴾
« O Children of Israel, remember My favor that I have bestowed upon you and that I preferred you over the worlds. »
Surah البقرة : 47
﴿۞ وَإِذِ ٱسْتَسْقَىٰ مُوسَىٰ لِقَوْمِهِۦ فَقُلْنَا ٱضْرِب بِّعَصَاكَ ٱلْحَجَرَ ۖ فَٱنفَجَرَتْ مِنْهُ ٱثْنَتَا عَشْرَةَ عَيْنًۭا ۖ قَدْ عَلِمَ كُلُّ أُنَاسٍۢ مَّشْرَبَهُمْ ۖ كُلُوا۟ وَٱشْرَبُوا۟ مِن رِّزْقِ ٱللَّهِ وَلَا تَعْثَوْا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ مُفْسِدِينَ﴾
« And [recall] when Moses prayed for water for his people, so We said, "Strike with your staff the stone." And there gushed forth from it twelve springs, and every people knew its watering place. "Eat and drink from the provision of Allah, and do not commit abuse on the earth, spreading corruption." »
Surah البقرة : 60
﴿وَٱتَّبَعُوا۟ مَا تَتْلُوا۟ ٱلشَّيَـٰطِينُ عَلَىٰ مُلْكِ سُلَيْمَـٰنَ ۖ وَمَا كَفَرَ سُلَيْمَـٰنُ وَلَـٰكِنَّ ٱلشَّيَـٰطِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ يُعَلِّمُونَ ٱلنَّاسَ ٱلسِّحْرَ وَمَآ أُنزِلَ عَلَى ٱلْمَلَكَيْنِ بِبَابِلَ هَـٰرُوتَ وَمَـٰرُوتَ ۚ وَمَا يُعَلِّمَانِ مِنْ أَحَدٍ حَتَّىٰ يَقُولَآ إِنَّمَا نَحْنُ فِتْنَةٌۭ فَلَا تَكْفُرْ ۖ فَيَتَعَلَّمُونَ مِنْهُمَا مَا يُفَرِّقُونَ بِهِۦ بَيْنَ ٱلْمَرْءِ وَزَوْجِهِۦ ۚ وَمَا هُم بِضَآرِّينَ بِهِۦ مِنْ أَحَدٍ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ وَيَتَعَلَّمُونَ مَا يَضُرُّهُمْ وَلَا يَنفَعُهُمْ ۚ وَلَقَدْ عَلِمُوا۟ لَمَنِ ٱشْتَرَىٰهُ مَا لَهُۥ فِى ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ مِنْ خَلَـٰقٍۢ ۚ وَلَبِئْسَ مَا شَرَوْا۟ بِهِۦٓ أَنفُسَهُمْ ۚ لَوْ كَانُوا۟ يَعْلَمُونَ﴾
« And they followed [instead] what the devils had recited during the reign of Solomon. It was not Solomon who disbelieved, but the devils disbelieved, teaching people magic and that which was revealed to the two angels at Babylon, Harut and Marut. But the two angels do not teach anyone unless they say, "We are a trial, so do not disbelieve [by practicing magic]." And [yet] they learn from them that by which they cause separation between a man and his wife. But they do not harm anyone through it except by permission of Allah. And the people learn what harms them and does not benefit them. But the Children of Israel certainly knew that whoever purchased the magic would not have in the Hereafter any share. And wretched is that for which they sold themselves, if they only knew. »
Surah البقرة : 102
This term appears in 216 verses of the Quran.