Enriching the Islamic Tradition in Research Inquiry by Adlina Ariffin

Al-Qur’an is revealed to us as a book of hidayah (divine guidance).  There are two ways of gaining hidayah (Alias & Noor, 2010; Awang, 2003).  First, by studying ayat al-maqru’ah (the readable signs) which are the Qur’an (an its interpretations in the Sunnah) – also known as ayat qawliah (the verbal signs) or shari`atullah (Allah’s law in His book).  Second, by studying ayat al-manzurah (the observable signs) which are the physical and social phenomena – also known as ayat kawniyyah (the natural signs) or sunnatullah (Allah’s law in nature).  The challenge for Muslim social scientists is to integrate these two in a harmonious way because both come from one source i.e. Allah (SWT). The general simple rule is to refer to the Shari`ah when it comes to ghaybiyyat (unseen) phenomena, and to refer to science when it comes to observable phenomena. This is correct at a minimal level, but this does not help in the Islamisation of human knowledge, and the integration between the social sciences and the Islamic heritage – guided by revealed knowledge. We should aim so that social science research contributes to Islamisation in a meaningful way, and at the same time, Islamic studies research makes use of scientific research methods.