Islamic Faith and Knowledge of God

Abstract

Abstract This chapter critically discusses a particular view of Islamic faith (Ar. iman) that the author calls the ‘faith is knowledge’ view. According to this view, faith involves an appropriate response to knowledge of God. The author of the chapter argues that this understanding of faith, specifically of its cognitive component, may be reasonably doubted from the perspective of the ‘reflective Muslim’. Typically, Muslim apologists who defend the ‘faith is knowledge’ claim that knowledge of God is part of our natural disposition. They also contend that cosmological and teleological considerations provide evidence for knowledge of God. Both claims may be reasonably rejected by reflective Muslims, as it will be shown. Because of this, Muslim thinkers would do well to take seriously and explore other models of Islamic faith that do not require the ‘faith is knowledge’ view.