Ilm (Arabic)

‘Ilm (Arabic: علم "knowledge") is the Arabic term for knowledge. In the Islamic context, 'ilm typically refers to religious knowledge. In the Quran, the term "ilm" signifies God's own knowledge, which encompasses both the manifest and hidden aspects of existence. The Quran emphasizes that all human knowledge is derived from God. Even angels acquire knowledge solely through divine intervention. Simultaneously, the Quran underscores the significance of actively seeking knowledge, a principle that is reiterated in the hadith literature as well.

In its general usage, 'ilm may refer to knowledge of any specific thing or proposition or any form of "learning". Subsequently, the term came to be used to refer to various categories of "sciences", especially when used in its plural form ('ulum).