Transcending the Dichotomy of Knowledge

Great sentences are often not born from long strings of words, but from a clear worldview. The deeper one understands the essence of life, the simpler the language used. Such is the case with the words of Kiai Imam Zarkasyi. Brief yet profound, they contain a vision regarding knowledge, education, humanity, and even civilisation: “One hundred per cent religion. One hundred per cent general.”

This statement was not intended as an administrative answer regarding curriculum, but rather as a declaration on how to perceive knowledge. President Soeharto once asked Kiai Imam Zarkasyi, “What percentage is religious studies and what percentage is general studies at Gontor?” He replied with a sentence that erased all boundaries: “One hundred per cent religion. One hundred per cent general.”

At first glance, this sounds paradoxical. In reality, the paradox only appears to a way of thinking accustomed to dividing things into two opposing poles. From this, it becomes evident that Kiai Imam Zarkasyi’s answer was not actually addressing the composition of subjects. He was correcting a way of thinking that has long separated knowledge into two realms that seem to have different essences. In truth, if all knowledge originates from Allah, there is no reason to separate it into sacred and secular sciences. The difference lies only in the object of study, while the ultimate goal remains one: to recognise truth and serve Him.

Transcending the Dichotomy of Knowledge

Kiai Imam Zarklysi was essentially rejecting the dichotomy of knowledge that has long divided the consciousness of the Muslim community. The division between religious and general sciences does not stem from Islamic teachings, but from a historical construction that gradually separated revelation from life. Consequently, religion has been narrowed to matters of the mosque, while science is seen as only managing worldly affairs. However, Islam has never recognised such a separation. All knowledge is born from the same source, moves towards the same goal, and finds its glory when it leads humanity to know Allah.

The epistemological framework of Imam al-Ghazali in ‘Ihya’ ‘Ulum al-Din’ is often summarised by scholars as: “Every religious science is rational, and every rational science is religious.” This expression encapsulates al-Ghazali’s view that Sharia cannot be understood without reason, while reason reaches its perfection when guided by revelation. Therefore, the nobility of a science is not determined by its category as religious or general, but by the extent to which that science leads humans to know Allah, establish public welfare, and maintain the order of life as intended by Sharia.

This view aligns with the thoughts of Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas, who asserts that the greatest crisis in modern education is not a lack of knowledge, but the loss of ‘adab’ (proper conduct/discipline) towards knowledge. When knowledge is separated from divine meaning, humans emerge who are intelligent but lack wisdom. When knowledge is returned to the foundation of Tawhid (monotheism), all disciplines of science transform into a path to knowing Allah. Thus, Kiai Imam Zarkasyi’s answer is not merely an educational slogan, but an affirmation that Tawhid is the foundation of the entire edifice of knowledge.