A Neo-Avicennian Framework for the Foundational Integration of Naqli and Aqli Knowledge: Moving Beyond 'Islamization' and ‘Sains Tawhidik’

Abstract

The contemporary discourse on integrating science and religion in the Muslim world has largely been dominated by three paradigms: the "Islamization of Knowledge" (associated with IIUM), "Sains Tawhidik" (associated with UKM), and "Islamic Science" as a foundational integration (associated with USIM). This paper argues that while the former two represent necessary remedial or ethical interventions, they remain reactive to secular epistemologies. By employing a Neo-Avicennian framework of emanation, this study posits that the USIM model—which prioritizes Naqli (revealed) knowledge as the ontological ground for Aqli (rational) inquiry—offers the most holistic solution. We demonstrate that true integration is not the filtering of secular knowledge nor the mere application of Islamic ethics, but the reconstruction of scientific inquiry from a distinct Tawhidic worldview.