FOKUS: Jurnal Kajian Keislaman dan Kemasyarakatan
Vol. 11 No. 1 (2026): FOKUS

KASHF AS COMPLEMENTARY EPISTEMOLOGY: REASSESSING AL-GHAZĀLĪ IN ISLAMIC PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE

Muhdi Ali (UIN Sultan Maulana Hasanuddin, Banten, Indonesia)
Awan Farih (UIN Sultan Maulana Hasanuddin, Banten, Indonesia)
Suadi Sa’ad (UIN Sultan Maulana Hasanuddin, Banten, Indonesia)
Masykur Masykur (UIN Sultan Maulana Hasanuddin, Banten, Indonesia)



Article Info

Publish Date
31 May 2026

Abstract

This study discusses the tendency of contemporary scholarship to reduce kashf to merely an intuitive or psychological experience, thereby overlooking its epistemological significance in Islamic philosophy of science. Its aim is to critically reassess the position of kashf in al-Ghazālī's epistemology and to construct a complementary epistemological framework related to modern scientific observation. This research employs a qualitative philosophical approach using Gadamerian hermeneutics, focusing on the interpretative analysis of al-Ghazālī's works, namely al-Munqidh min al-Ḍalāl and Iḥyā’ ‘Ulūm al-Dīn, and situating them in a dialogue with contemporary philosophy of science. The analysis involves three stages: text interpretation, epistemological comparison, and conceptual synthesis. Findings show that kashf in al-Ghazālī's framework functions not only as mystical intuition but also as a structured epistemic mode based on spiritual discipline, inner verification, and moral purification. This study indicates that kashf complements empirical observation by overcoming its limitations in accessing metaphysical dimensions, while maintaining its own criteria of internal validity. Based on this, the study formulates a complementary epistemological model consisting of three integrated domains: empirical (sensory observation), rational (intellectual reasoning), and intuitive-transcendental (kashf). This model provides a more comprehensive epistemological framework that allows dialogue between Islamic intellectual tradition and modern science, particularly in expanding the scope of valid knowledge beyond empirical reductionism.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

JF

Publisher

Subject

Religion Humanities Education Law, Crime, Criminology & Criminal Justice Social Sciences

Description

FOKUS: Jurnal Kajian Keislaman dan Kemasyarakatan is a scientific journal that is managed and published by the Research institutions and community service of Institut Agama Islam Negeri (IAIN) Curup, Bengkulu, Indonesia in peer review. This journal is dedicated to publishing scientific articles on ...