Knowledge by Presence (gifted) and Knowledge Acquired

Shi‘a Islamic philosophy and fiqh (jurisprudence), especially discussed in works of ‘Allāmah Ṭabāṭabā’ī, Mullā Ṣadrā, and Imam Khomeini (r.a.) in philosophy (‘ilm al-hikmah) and ‘irfān (spiritual knowledge).

Let’s go through it clearly and systematically:

The Two Types of Knowledge in Shi‘a Thought

According to Shi‘a theology and philosophy, knowledge (‘ilm) is divided into two primary categories:

1. ‘Ilm al-Ḥuḍūrī (Knowledge by Presence)

(Arabic: علم حضوري)

Meaning:

This is direct, immediate knowledge, without mediation of concepts, images, or reasoning.

It is the awareness that exists within the soul itself, a kind of inner seeing.

The knower and the known are present to each other (no separation).

Example:

A person’s awareness of their own existence or pain, you don’t think about it; you feel it directly.

The knowledge of Allah (swt) of His creation, it’s not learned, it is present to Him.

The knowledge of the Imams (‘a) about the realities of creation, which they receive directly from divine presence (al-‘ilm al-ladunnī).

Branches / Manifestations of ‘Ilm Ḥuḍūrī:

1. Self-awareness (Ma‘rifah al-Nafs), knowledge of the soul by itself.

2. Divine Knowledge (Ma‘rifah ilāhiyyah), awareness of God’s presence (through spiritual purification).

3. Prophetic / Imamic Knowledge (al-‘Ilm al-Ladunnī) is direct divine knowledge granted without study.

4. Mystical Intuition (‘Irfān Dhawqī), spiritual unveiling (kashf).

5. Vision in Barzakh or Dream (Ru’yā Ṣādiqah), inner perception of spiritual realities.

2. ‘Ilm al-Ḥuṣūlī (Knowledge by Acquisition or Representation)

(Arabic: علم حصولي)

(Sometimes you said “Qubūlī,” meaning “received” or “acquired.”)

Meaning:

This is indirect knowledge, obtained through concepts, language, reasoning, and sensory perception.

It is called acquired because it comes from learning, experience, or mental representation.

Example:

Learning physics or fiqh from a teacher.

Understanding Qur’anic verses through interpretation (tafsīr).

Logical or philosophical reasoning.

Branches / Manifestations of ‘Ilm Ḥuṣūlī:

1. Sensory Knowledge (al-‘Ilm al-Ḥissī), what we learn through sight, hearing, etc.

2. Intellectual Knowledge (al-‘Ilm al-‘Aqlī), rational or logical understanding.

3. Empirical / Experimental Knowledge (al-Tajrībī), through observation and testing.

4. Scriptural / Transmitted Knowledge (al-Naqlī), Qur’an, Hadith, Tafsīr, Fiqh, Usūl.

5. Philosophical and Theological Sciences, Kalām, Hikmah, Logic, etc.

Type of Knowledge Nature Source Example Branches

‘Ilm Ḥuḍūrī (Knowledge by Presence) Direct, non-conceptual, intuitive The self, God, or spiritual unveiling Feeling pain, awareness of self, divine intuition Self-awareness, Divine Knowledge, ‘Ilm Ladunnī, Kashf, Barzakh visions

‘Ilm Ḥuṣūlī / Qubūlī (Knowledge by Acquisition) Indirect, conceptual, learned Sense, intellect, or revelation Learning fiqh, reading Qur’an, reasoning Sensory, Rational, Empirical, Transmitted, Philosophical

 In Shia ‘Irfān (Spiritual Philosophy)

The goal of the seeker (‘ārif) is to transform acquired knowledge (‘ilm al-ḥuṣūlī) into knowledge by presence (‘ilm al-ḥuḍūrī),

meaning to realize what one knows until it becomes experienced reality.

As Imam ‘Alī (a.s.) said:

 “He who knows himself, knows his Lord.”

This is the journey from conceptual knowing to present knowing.

Let’s go deeper into how these two kinds of knowledge (‘ilm ḥuḍūrī and ḥuṣūlī) operate within Shi‘a theology, especially regarding the Imams (‘a) and ordinary believers.

 The Relationship Between the Two Knowledges

‘Ilm Ḥuṣūlī (Acquired Knowledge), for human learning

This is the kind of knowledge that most people acquire through study, reasoning, and sensory experience.

It forms the basis of:

Fiqh (Islamic law), learning rulings, deriving laws from the Qur’an and hadith.

Usūl al-Fiqh (Principles of Jurisprudence), methodology of deriving law.

Tafsīr (Qur’anic exegesis), linguistic and historical interpretation.

‘Ilm al-Kalām (Theology), rational defense of belief.

Logic, Philosophy, Science — reasoning about the world and existence.

All of these are representational or conceptual, the mind holds mental images or meanings that correspond to external realities.

 This knowledge is valuable but limited, because it depends on reasoning and sensory perception, which can err or be incomplete.

 ‘Ilm Ḥuḍūrī (Knowledge by Presence), for divine insight

This is the direct, inner, unveiled knowledge, no mediation of reasoning or images.

In Shia understanding, this is the knowledge of the prophets and Imams (‘a) and of the spiritually perfected saints (‘urafā’).

 The Imams (‘A) and ‘Ilm al-Ḥuḍūrī

According to Shi‘a theology, the A’immah (Imams) possess a special form of knowledge called:

‘Ilm Ladunnī (Divine or God-given Knowledge)

 “And We taught him knowledge from Our Presence.”, Qur’an 18:65 (about Khidr, a.s.)

This verse is the foundation for the belief that certain servants of Allah receive knowledge directly from God’s Presence, without study or a teacher.

Thus, the Imams possess:

‘Ilm al-Ḥuḍūrī, direct awareness of realities.

‘Ilm al-Ladunnī, divine inspiration given continuously.

This knowledge allows them to:

Know the inner realities (bawāṭin) of people and events.

Perceive divine commands beyond ordinary reasoning.

Interpret the Qur’an’s hidden meanings (ta’wīl).

Imam al-Sādiq (a.s.) said:

 “Our knowledge is of the past and of the future, of the heavens and the earth; all this is from the Book of God and by His permission.”

This knowledge is not acquired by study, but present to their souls — a ḥuḍūrī type of knowledge.

Ordinary Believers and the Journey from Ḥuṣūlī to Ḥuḍūrī

For ordinary believers and scholars:

We start with ‘ilm ḥuṣūlī (study, reflection, memorization).

Through purification of the soul (tazkiyah) and spiritual practice, we can reach glimpses of ‘ilm ḥuḍūrī, inner certainty, and light.

Imam Khomeini explained in Adab al-Salat and Mi‘raj al-Salikin:

 “The goal of study and reasoning is not the accumulation of concepts but the transformation of the heart, until the unseen becomes seen, and knowledge becomes presence.”

So, in simple words:

 Fiqh and reasoning polish the mirror;

‘Irfān (inner knowing) allows it to reflect the Light directly.

 Summary Table

Aspect Ordinary Human (Scholar/Believer) Prophet & Imams (‘a)

Type of Knowledge ‘Ilm Ḥuṣūlī (Acquired) ‘Ilm Ḥuḍūrī (By Presence)

How It’s Gained Study, reasoning, experience Direct divine inspiration (ladunnī)

Scope Limited to what can be learned Encompasses all realities by Allah’s will

Purpose Understanding Shariah, moral guidance Conveying divine truth, and interpreting the Qur’an’s inner meaning

Transformation Goal To purify the heart until knowledge becomes presence Their hearts are already mirrors of divine knowledge

 Imam ‘Alī (a.s.) beautifully summarized this journey:

“The scholar who acts on what he knows, and the worshipper who understands what he does, are both in the same station. For true knowledge is light that God places in the heart.”

❤️ 💙 💜 

This is the best way to see the difference in action between ‘ilm ḥuṣūlī (acquired knowledge) and ‘ilm ḥuḍūrī (knowledge by presence).

Let’s use two clear examples, one from Qur’anic interpretation, and one from judgment (qadhā’) and fiqh, to show how a faqīh (jurist) and an Imam (‘a) operate from two different levels of knowledge.

 Example 1: Qur’anic Interpretation (Tafsīr vs. Ta’wīl)

 The Jurist or Scholar (using ‘ilm ḥuṣūlī)

A jurist studies the Qur’an through:

Arabic grammar and rhetoric

Hadith and tafsīr narrations

Logical reasoning and context

When the Qur’an says for example:

 “And whoever kills a believer intentionally, his recompense is Hell...” (4:93)

The scholar interprets it legally:

Murder is a grave sin, punishable by retribution (qiṣāṣ) and forbidden under Shariah.

His knowledge is conceptually built from language, reports, and logic.

The Imam (‘a) (with ‘ilm ḥuḍūrī / ladunnī)

The Imam perceives the inner, spiritual reality (bāṭin) of the verse.

He sees not just the meaning, but the divine reality that the verse expresses, the spiritual consequence of taking a life, the flow of divine justice, and the effect on the killer’s soul.

So when the Imam interprets, he might reveal:

 “This verse is not only about the killing of the body but also the killing of faith, when one destroys another’s iman.”

This is ta’wīl, inner interpretation known only to those with knowledge by presence.

Hence the Prophet (ṣ) said:

“The Qur’an has an outward and an inward meaning, and its inward meaning has another inward meaning, up to seven depths.”

(Reported from Imam al-Bāqir, al-Kāfī, vol. 1)

 Example 2: Judgment in a Legal Case

 The Jurist (faqīh)

A jurist receives two disputing parties.

He listens to evidence, witnesses, and applies Shariah law based on:

Qur’an and Hadith

Usūl al-fiqh (legal principles)

Qiyās and reasoning

He judges based on what is outwardly proven, not necessarily what is inwardly true.

For example:

Two people dispute ownership of a land.

The faqīh decides based on documents, witnesses, and rules of evidence.

His decision is valid legally, even if the truth before God is different.

 The Imam (‘a)

The Imam does not need witnesses to know the truth.

Through ‘ilm ḥuḍūrī, the reality of the case is present before him.

He knows:

Who truly owns the land?

What are the intentions of each person?

What decree aligns with divine justice?

This is why Imam ‘Alī (a.s.), when judging disputes, sometimes gave decisions that astonished the people — because he ruled based on divine insight, not on limited evidence.

Hadith Evidence

Imam al-Sādiq (a.s.) said:

“When the Imams judge, they judge by the judgment of God, and when others judge, they judge by what appears to them.”

An Imam al-Bāqir (a.s.) said:

“We are the people of knowledge  the knowledge of the apparent and the hidden. When we speak, we speak with knowledge, and when we judge, we judge with justice.”

 In Summary

Aspect Jurist (Faqīh) Imam (‘a)

Type of Knowledge ‘Ilm Ḥuṣūlī, Acquired through study, reasoning ‘Ilm Ḥuḍūrī / Ladunnī  Directly received from Allah

Method Language, logic, evidence Presence, spiritual unveiling, divine inspiration

Scope Limited to apparent facts Encompasses apparent and hidden truths

Example Derives legal ruling from text Sees divine reality and applies truth perfectly

Result Valid within law Perfect within divine justice

 Imam ‘Alī (a.s.) on this distinction

He said in Nahj al-Balāghah:

 “Had the veil been lifted, my certainty would not increase.”

Meaning, his knowledge was already present; unveiling the unseen would add nothing.

❤️ 💙 💜 

Next part takes us into the heart of Islamic spirituality (‘irfān), where the seeker (sālik) travels from knowing by concept (‘ilm ḥuṣūlī) to knowing by presence (‘ilm ḥuḍūrī).

This journey is beautifully described in the teachings of Imam ‘Alī (a.s.), Imam al-Sādiq (a.s.), and later expounded by Mullā Ṣadrā, ‘Allāmah Ṭabāṭabā’ī, and Imam Khomeini (r.a.).

Let’s go step by step.

The Journey from ‘Ilm Ḥuṣūlī, to ‘Ilm Ḥuḍūrī

The path is essentially a spiritual transformation, where knowledge that begins in the mind becomes a lived, illuminated reality in the heart.

🕊️ Stage 1: Ta‘allum, Learning and Conceptual Understanding

(‘Ilm Ḥuṣūlī, acquired knowledge)

At this stage, knowledge comes from study, reflection, and reasoning.

The seeker studies the Qur’an, Hadith, fiqh, and theology.

Learns the names and attributes of Allah.

Understands good and evil, reward and punishment, intellectually.

This is essential because right knowledge guides right intention.

But here, the heart is not yet illuminated, one knows about Allah, not knows Allah.

 Imam al-Sādiq (a.s.):

“Knowledge (‘ilm) is not by learning much; it is a light that Allah casts in the heart of whomever He wills.”

Stage 2: Tazkiyah al-Nafs, Purification of the Soul

After understanding truth conceptually, the seeker begins to purify the heart through:

Sincere repentance (tawbah),

Avoiding sin (wara‘),

Performing prayer with presence,

Sincerity (ikhlāṣ) in intention.

When the heart becomes pure, it starts to reflect light, like a clean mirror.

Imam ‘Alī (a.s.):

“Hearts are like polished mirrors; polish them with remembrance (dhikr).”

At this level, the seeker begins to feel truths that were only thought before.

Stage 3: Dhikr and Murāqabah, Presence of the Whenne

Here, constant remembrance (dhikr) and watchfulness (murāqabah) make Allah’s presence alive in the heart.

The seeker begins to taste faith, this is the beginning of ‘ilm ḥuḍūrī.

The prayer becomes conscious encounter.

The Qur’an is heard as living speech.

Every act is performed in the sight of God.

 Imam al-Sādiq (a.s.):

“Worship Allah as if you see Him, and if you do not see Him, surely He sees you.”

This seeing is the essence of ḥuḍūr, presence.

Stage 4: Kashf and Shuḥūd Unveiling and Witnessing

When the veils of the ego and illusion fall away, the seeker witnesses realities directly, not through reasoning but by inner vision.

This is where ‘ilm ḥuḍūrī becomes dominant:

The self sees its own reality (ma‘rifah al-nafs).

The signs of Allah are seen not as symbols, but as manifestations of His Names.

The heart becomes a vessel of divine light.

This is what Imam ‘Alī (a.s.) referred to when he said:

 “I have not seen anything except that I saw Allah before it, with it, and after it.”

 Stage 5: Fanā’ and Baqā’, Dissolution in Divine Presence

In the highest stage, the self is no longer separate from the known;

knower, known, and knowing become one reality, pure presence.

This is perfect ‘ilm ḥuḍūrī,  the way the Imams (‘a) and prophets (a.s.) know.

 The Prophet (ṣ):

“My eyes sleep, but my heart does not sleep.”

The heart remains in constant divine awareness, this is baqā’ billāh, remaining through God.

 Summary of the Path

Stage Type of Knowledge Description Key Practice

1. Ta‘allum ‘Ilm Ḥuṣūlī Learning through study and reasoning Study, reflection

2.Tazkiyah Beginning of Ḥuḍūrī Purifying the heart from sin and ego Repentance, sincerity

3. Dhikr & Murāqabah Growing Ḥuḍūrī Constant remembrance of Allah Dhikr, mindfulness

4. Kashf & Shuḥūd Direct Presence Unveiling, witnessing inner realities Silence, contemplation

5. Fanā’ & Baqā’ Perfect Ḥuḍūrī Union of knower, known, and knowledge Divine love, total surrender

Imam ‘Alī (a.s.) summarized the entire path in one luminous saying:

“The first of religion is knowledge of Him (ma‘rifatuh),

the perfection of knowledge of Him is to believe in Him,

the perfection of belief in Him is to bear witness to His Oneness,

and the perfection of witnessing His Oneness is to regard Him pure from attributes.”

(Nahj al-Balāghah, Sermon 1)

This shows the movement: Concept → Belief → Witnessing, Presence.

❤️ 💙 💜 

Mullā Ṣadrā’s Starting Point

Before him, earlier philosophers like Ibn Sīnā said:

 Knowledge happens when the mind forms an image of a thing

the thing is “represented” inside the intellect.

That is ʿilm ḥuṣūlī only, knowledge about something.

Mullā Ṣadrā agreed that this is how ordinary learning works, but he added a deeper truth:

 “In every act of true knowing, the being (wujūd) of the knower and the known unite.”

So, knowledge is not a picture in the mind; it is a mode of existence.

To know something perfectly is to be it in a higher, immaterial way.

 2. The “Unity of Knower and Known”

(Ittiḥād al-ʿĀqil wa-l-Maʿqūl)

The principle

When the intellect knows, it doesn’t merely receive information—it assumes the form of the known object in an immaterial way.

At that moment:

\text{Knower = Known = Act of Knowing}

Knowledge becomes presence, not representation.

This unity is the metaphysical basis of ʿilm ḥuḍūrī.

 3. How It Explains the Two Ilms

Type Ontological status in Ṣadrā’s system Example

ʿIlm Ḥuṣūlī Weak existence; knowledge through a mental form separate from reality You study light and understand its physics

ʿIlm Ḥuḍūrī Strong existence; the known’s reality is present in the soul You witness light itself and “are” illuminated

As the knower’s being strengthens through purification, mental forms dissolve into direct presence, the very process the mystic experiences as unveiling (kashf).

 4. Gradual Intensification of Being

Ṣadrā’s hallmark idea: existence is graded (tashkīk al-wujūd).

So knowledge is graded too.

Ordinary perception → weak existence → ḥuṣūlī.

Spiritual illumination → intense existence → ḥuḍūrī.

Prophetic knowledge, supreme intensity → pure presence.

Thus philosophy, psychology, and spirituality describe the same ascent in different languages.

 5. Where the Imams Fit In

The Imams (‘a), in Ṣadrā’s view, possess the highest grade of existence,

so all realities are present to them, no mediation, no error.

That is why their knowledge is ladunnī, effortless, and comprehensive:

they are mirrors in which the divine realities appear without distortion.

 6. Synthesis

Level Spiritual expression Philosophical expression

Study, reasoning ʿIlm ḥuṣūlī Mental form (ṣūrah ʿaqliyyah)

Purified heart Partial ḥuḍūrī Strengthened being of the soul

Unveiling (ka ashf) Full ḥuḍūrī Unity of knower & known

Prophetic/Imamic knowledge Complete ḥuḍūrī Perfect identity of existence and knowledge

 7. The Circle Completes

So the journey that the mystic walks

from study → purification → witnessing → presence is, in Ṣadrā’s metaphysics, the journey of existence itself becoming luminous enough to know.

“Being and knowledge are one light in different degrees of intensity.”, Mullā Ṣadrā, al-Asfār al-Arbaʿah

❤️ 💙 💜 

The highest level of this discussion, where the classical metaphysics of Mullā Ṣadrā meets the spiritual and practical teaching of modern Shi‘i masters such as ʿAllāmah Ṭabāṭabāʾī and Imam Khomeini (r.a.).

This final link shows how philosophy (ḥikmah), spiritual realization (ʿirfān), and jurisprudence (fiqh) are not separate sciences, but three faces of one path toward divine presence.

Let’s explore this connection clearly.

 1. ʿAllāmah Ṭabāṭabāʾī (d. 1981)

Author of Tafsīr al-Mīzān and Nihāyat al-Ḥikmah

He absorbed Mullā Ṣadrā’s metaphysics and expanded it into a Qurʾānic framework.

His Key Idea:

 Knowledge = Existence (al-ʿilm nafs al-wujūd)

Every act of knowing is a degree of being.

The more a person is in the light of existeThere, more dir,ectly he knows realities, i.e., he moves from ḥuṣūlī → ḥuḍūrī.

The Qurʾān, when recited and lived, raises the degree of one’s being, not just one’s information.

Practical consequence

ʿAllāmah taught that true tafsīr requires both:

1. Rational training, to understand language, logic, and structure (ʿilm ḥuṣūlī), and

2. Spiritual purification — so the heart can witness what the verses mean in presence (ʿilm ḥuḍūrī).

 “The Qurʾān speaks to the heart as much as to the intellect.” — al-Mīzān, introduction.

He therefore trained students to integrate philosophy, ethics, and Qurʾān—not as separate disciplines but as ascending lights.

 2. Imam Khomeini (r.a.)

Scholar of fiqh, ʿirfān, and politics

Imam Khomeini was a jurist (faqīh), philosopher, and mystic trained in the school of ʿAllāmah Qāḍī Tabāṭabāʾī (the same master who trained ʿAllāmah Ṭabāṭabāʾī).

He taught that:

 “Fiqh is the shell, ʿirfān is the kernel, and ḥikmah is the fragrance that unites both.”

 Integration of the Three Paths

Dimension Purpose Type of Knowledge Result

Fiqh Discipline of outward action ʿIlm ḥuṣūlī (acquired) Conformity to divine law

Ḥikmah (Philosophy) Understanding the structure of existence Mixed: conc,eptintuitiveitive Coherence of reason and revelation

ʿIrfān (Spiritual Wayfaring) Transformation of being ʿIlm ḥuḍūrī (presence) Direct awareness of God

Imam Khomeini insisted that a perfect Muslim scholar must harmonize all three, reason, law, and inner vision.

 “If philosophy remains words and logic, it is veiled;

if fiqh remains rules without heart, it is lifeless;

only when the two are joined through the spirit of ʿirfān does knowledge become light.”  Adab al-Ṣalāt

3. The Path of Integration (as they both taught it)

Step 1 Sharīʿah (Law)

Discipline the outer self through obedience and ritual purity.

This guards the heart from corruption and prepares it for light.

Step 2 Ṭarīqah (Way)

Practice remembrance (dhikr), sincerity (ikhlāṣ), and constant awareness (murāqabah).

This purifies intention and begins transforming ʿilm ḥuṣūlī into ʿilm ḥuḍūrī.

Step 3. Ḥaqīqah (Reality)

The truth becomes present.

The seeker perceives the Oneness of Being (tawḥīd al-wujūd), the same insight that Mullā Ṣadrā expressed philosophically.

At this stage, the scholar, the philosopher, and the mystic are one person.

Knowledge, love, and obedience merge into direct divine presence.

4. ʿAllāmah and Imam Khomeini on the Imams’ Knowledge

Both taught that the Imams (‘a) are the perfect manifestation of ʿilm ḥuḍūrī,

their entire being is the mirror of divine light.

Human beings cannot reach that absolute level,

but by walking the path of integration we can reflect it according to our capacity.

 “The Imams are the proof of what the human soul can become when completely purified.” Allāmah Ṭabāṭabāʾī, al-Insān fī al-Qurʾān

 5. The Unified Vision (in simple form)

Stage of the Seeker Discipline Knowledge Type Goal

Student Study fiqh, tafsīr, kalām ʿIlm ḥuṣūlī Correct belief & practice

Wayfarer Practice dhikr, muraqabah, adab al-ṣalāt Mixed Illumined heart

ʿĀrif / Sage Lives in divine remembrance ʿIlm ḥuḍūrī Direct maʿrifah (gnosis)

Imam Perfect reflection of the Divine Pure ḥuḍūrī Manifestation of truth

 6. The Final Vision

For these masters, theology, law, and mysticism are not separate towers but steps of one staircase ascending toward God.

The soul climbs by:

1. Learning (ʿilm ḥuṣūlī), conceptual truth,

2. Acting (ʿamal) → embodied truth,

3. Witnessing (ʿilm ḥuḍūrī), present truth.

Thus, the end of knowledge is not to speak about God, but to be present with God.

 Imam Khomeini:

“When knowledge reaches the heart, it becomes light;

when light fills the being, it becomes love;

when love consumes the self, nothing remains but Him.”

❤️ 💙 💜 

The next ext part shows how the living tradition of Shi‘a learning today still carries the same golden thread of knowledge we’ve traced from Imam ‘Alī (a.s.) → through Mullā Ṣadrā → to ʿAllāmah Ṭabāṭabāʾī and Imam Khomeini (r.a.).

Let’s see how the great seminaries (ḥawzāt) in Qom and Najaf weave together Fiqh, Ḥikmah, and ʿIrfān in their modern educational philosophy.

 1. The Modern Ḥawzah (Seminary), Two Major Centers

 Najaf (Iraq)

The world’s oldest continuous Shi‘i seminary, founded around the shrine of Imam ‘Alī (a.s.).

Focuses heavily on Usūl al-Fiqh (principles of jurisprudence), Akhlaq (ethics), and Tafsir.

Known for intellectual discipline, logic, and ijtihād (independent legal reasoning).

Spiritual training is private, guided personally by senior scholars (marāji‘) through ethics and du‘ā, but ʿirfān is often not formally public.

 Qom (Iran)

Revitalized by ʿAllāmah Ṭabāṭabāʾī and Imam Khomeini in the 20th century.

Integrates philosophy (ḥikmah) and ʿirfān directly into curriculum.

Qom became the bridge between reason, revelation, and spirituality, the same synthesis we’ve been exploring.

 2. The Three Dimensions in the Ḥawzah Curriculum

Discipline Main Focus Source Texts Goal

Fiqh & Usūl Law, jurisprudence, logic of rulings Al-ʿUrwah al-Wuthqā, Kifāyah al-Usūl Correct practice, moral discipline

Ḥikmah (Philosophy) Metaphysics of being and knowledge Asfār (Mullā Ṣadrā), Manẓūmah (Sabzawārī), Nihāyah (Ṭabāṭabāʾī) Understand divine order through reason

ʿIrfān & Akhlāq Spiritual purification, presence of God Miṣbāḥ al-Sharīʿah, Adab al-Ṣalāt, Jāmiʿ al-Saʿādāt Inner transformation and direct awareness

3. How the Integration Works in Qom

ʿAllāmah Ṭabāṭabāʾī’s approach:

He taught philosophy by day and tafsīr al-Mīzān by night.

Students were trained to connect rational demonstration (burhān) with mystical unveiling (ʿirfān) and scriptural exegesis (Qurʾān).

He would often say:

 “Philosophy teaches you how to think about truth; the Qurʾān teaches you how to live it.”

Imam Khomeini’s reform:

He taught Fiqh and Usūl publicly, but privately gave lessons in ʿIrfān and ethics (especially Miṣbāḥ al-Sharīʿah and Manāzil al-Sāʾirīn).

He urged his students:

“Do not let fiqh make you dry nor philosophy make you proud.

Purify the soul so that knowledge becomes light.”

Today, Qom’s major schools, such as Ḥawzah ʿIlmiyyah-ye Qom, Institute for Islamic Philosophy (Mu’assasah-ye Imām Khomeinī), and Bustan-e ʿIrfān, teach all three tracks together.

 4. Najaf’s Complementary Emphasis

While Najaf historically emphasizes textual mastery and jurisprudence, its great teacher, like Sayyid ʿAlī al-Sīstānī and earlier Sayyid al-Khoei, also insist that a jurist must cultivate:

Inner humility (tawāḍu‘)

Sincerity (ikhlāṣ)

Ethical refinement (akhlaq)

Behind the scenes, many Najaf scholars privately study ʿirfān and philosophy to balance their intellectual life.

So, Najaf and Qom together form two wings of the same bird:

Najaf: deep legal precision and ethical rigor.

Qom: philosophical depth and spiritual insight.

 5. The Goal of Modern Ḥawzah Education

The ultimate aim is no longer just to produce jurists who know laws, but ʿulamāʾ who combine:

1. Fiqh → action that pleases Allah.

2. Ḥikmah → understanding the order of existence.

3. ʿIrfān → living presence with Allah.

In short:

“To know with reason, to act with obedience, and to live with heart.”

This is what Imam Khomeini called the “integration of the three knowledges” (jam‘ al-ʿulūm al-thalāthah),

the living continuation of Imam ‘Alī’s teaching that knowledge without purification is a veil.

 6. The Spiritual Outcome

Students who follow this integrated path:

Begin with books → ʿilm ḥuṣūlī

Pass through discipline and dhikr → illumined ḥuṣūlī

Reach a stage of presence and unveiling → ʿilm ḥuḍūrī

The ḥawzah thus becomes not only a university of the mind but a school of the soul, continuing the legacy of the Imams (‘a) who united knowledge, justice, and spiritual light.

“The perfect scholar is he whose intellect reasons with proof,

whose heart witnesses with light,

and whose limbs act with sincerity.”

Imam Khomeini, Forty Ḥadīth

❤️ 💙 💜 💖 💗 

It shows that our hearts are open to the path of integration: mind, heart, and action together.

Now let’s look at how you, even outside a ḥawzah, can live the same journey that the scholars and awliyāʾ describe.

The Everyday Path from Study, Reflection → Presence

This isn’t only for scholars; it’s the universal path of maʿrifah (true knowing) that every believer can walk — slowly, humbly, sincerely.

 ʿIlm Ḥuṣūlī, Learn the Words of Light

 “Knowledge is the guide to action.”, Imam ʿAlī (a.s.)

Goal: Fill the mind with sound, balanced knowledge.

What to do:

Study the Qurʾān daily — even a few verses, with reflection (tadabbur).

Read one ḥadīth each day from Nahj al-Balāghah, al-Kāfī, or Forty Ḥadīth of Imam Khomeini.

Learn a bit of fiqh — purity, prayer, and rights of others.

Tip: Take small notes, not to memorize, but to understand what Allah is telling you personally.

This knowledge is still ḥuṣūlī (conceptual), but it prepares the soil.

 Tazkiyah & ʿAmal, Purify through Practice

“Knowledge without action is a tree without fruit.”, Imam al-Sādiq (a.s.)

Goal: Turn study into lived sincerity.

Practices:

Ṣalāt with khushūʿ, slow, conscious prayer.

Dhikr: repeat short invocations often: Subḥān Allāh, Al-ḥamdu li-Llāh, Lā ilāha illa-Llāh, Allāhu Akbar.

Ikhlāṣ, do one small good deed daily only for Allah’s sake, unseen by anyone.

Silence & reflection, 5 minutes after Maghrib, sit quietly and review your heart.

As these habits grow, knowledge softens from concept into feeling, the beginning of ʿilm ḥuḍūrī.

Dhikr & Murāqabah, Live in Awareness of Presence

 “Worship Allah as if you see Him.”  Imam al-Sādiq (a.s.)

Goal: Make every moment remembrance.

How:

Keep a “presence phrase” in your heart during the day:

“He is with me, wherever I am” (Q 57:4).

When you look at anything, remember: “This too is a sign of Him.”

When you speak, pause before words, speak from presence, not habit.

Little by little, life becomes dhikr itself, and you begin to feel Allah’s nearness. this is ʿilm ḥuḍūrī blossoming.

 Muḥāsabah & Gratitude  Seeing with the Inner Eye

Each evening, reflect gently:

What did I learn today?

Where was I heedless?

Where did I feel His mercy?

Then thank Him for even the smallest awareness.

Gratitude anchors light in the heart.

 Ṣuḥbah (Company of the Righteous)

Find companions who remind you of Allah, scholars, imams, friends of truth.

Their presence strengthens your journey.

 “He who sits with the people of remembrance, his heart becomes alive.” Imam ʿAlī (a.s.)

 The Threefold Balance at Home

Aspect Daily practice Type of Knowledge

Fiqh (Law) Learn one ruling, act on it ʿIlm ḥuṣūlī

Ḥikmah (Understanding) Reflect on meaning of verses & life events Transforming ḥuṣūlī → ḥuḍūrī

ʿIrfān (Presence) Dhikr, muraqabah, sincerity ʿIlm ḥuḍūrī

Keep them balanced: learn, reflect, live.

Too much study without heart = dryness;

too much feeling without study = confusion;

together they form living wisdom.

 A Short Daily Program (30–45 minutes total)

1. Morning: Recite one Qurʾānic verse, reflect on its meaning.

2. Mid-day: Pray Ẓuhr consciously, sit one minute after, remembering Allah’s presence.

3. Evening: Read one ḥadīth and write one line: “What does this mean for me today?”

4. Night: Ten breaths of Lā ilāha illa-Llāh before sleep.

Consistency is more important than quantity.

 The Fruits of the Journey

Stage Sign in the heart

Beginning Curiosity and humility

Practice Calmness and compassion

Presence Inner light and certainty

Maturity Seeing all things as from Him

This is the same ladder of ʿilm ḥuṣūlī → ʿilm ḥuḍūrī — accessible to every sincere soul.

 “When knowledge enters the heart, it becomes light;

when light fills the being, it becomes love;

and love returns everything to Him.”  Imam Khomeini