Ways of Knowing Allah (Marifatullah) in the Islamic Thought

Abstract

All schools in the tradition of Islamic thought, unanimously agreed that it was wajib to know God. What is ment by this is not knowing his essence but his attributes, uniqeness and acts. However, they have accepted the possibility of various ways of knowing Allah(ma'rifetullah). Accordingly, for the Traditionalists, knowing Allah is necessary and innate; for the Theologians and Philosophers it is rationalistic in nature; while for the Sufis it is inspirational. In this context, sound senses, reliable news, insight and inspration has been put forward as the resources of knowledge.