The Meanings of the ‘Wisdom’ and the ‘Hikmat’: A Philosophical and Analytical Discourse

The words ‘Wisdom’ and ‘Hikmat’ are generally used as synonyms, but in fact, they narrate different contents on epistemological grounds. In critical analysis, they both belong to epistemology, which is the branch of philosophy that deals with the questions relating to the sources, clarification of the meanings and definition of knowledge. On these grounds, this article proves that they are not the same things but they are two different stages of the same field of knowledge. Here the question of their status will be the focus on etymological, epistemological, theological, and philosophical basis. These fields are necessary to be consulted because etymology is the science that tells about how a word originates e.g. Hikmat or Hikmah and how it evolved in various languages and how the same meaning having different words took the present shape through ages chronologically. Epistemology, which deals with the contents and sources of knowledge e.g. what, is Hikmat? What are its sources? How it is related to sense organs and how it is related to insight instead of sensations and experimental knowledge? Theologically, how ‘Hikmat' claims to be a source of knowledge which has no roots in human experiences and how it can prove itself as above rationalism and finally, philosophy is the subject that has a great element of doubt in its investigations and it also claims to be a ‘lover of wisdom’ or Hikmat, then how can it synchronize ‘doubt’ and ‘wisdom’ or ‘Hikmat’. References Books & Book Chapters: Audi, R. (Ed.). (1999). The Cambridge dictionary of philosophy (2nd ed., p. 976). Cambridge University Press. Hughes, T. P. (1964). A dictionary of Islam. Premier Book House. (Original work published 1885) Iqbal, M. (n.d.). Tashkeel-e-Jadeed Ilahiyat-e-Islamiya (S. N. Niazi, Trans.). Lahore: Bazm-e-Iqbal. (Original work published n.d.) Jones, L. (Ed.). (2005). Encyclopedia of religion (Vol. 14, pp. 9746-9747). Macmillan Reference. Khairullah, F. S. (1993). Qamoos-ul-Kitab. Lahore: Masihi Ishaat Khana. Parvez, G. A. (n.d.). Lughat-ul-Quran. Lahore: Tuloo-e-Islam Trust. Pike, E. R. (1951). Encyclopaedia of religion and religions. Bennet Brothers Ltd. Punjab University. (n.d.). Urdu Dairah Maarif Islamiya (Vol. 8, p. 468). Lahore: Daneshgah Punjab. Qasmi, M. A. (2001). Al-Qamoos Al-Wahid. Lahore: Idara Islamiyat. Russell, B. (1996). History of western philosophy. Routledge. Sharif, S. (Trans.). (n.d.). Nahj-ul-Balagha: Sermons of Hazrat Ali. Lahore: Shia General Book Agency. Tahir, Q. M. (n.d.). Qasas-ul-Anbiya. Lahore: Mushtaq Book Corner. Religious Texts: Quranic References: Quran. (31:12). Quran. (2:129). Quran. (3:164). Quran. (4:113). Quran. (43:63). Quran. (2:231). Quran. (2:269). Quran. (4:54). Quran. (2:251). Quran. (31:12). Quran. (3:48). Quran. (5:110). Quran. (16:125). Quran. (2:272). Quran. (10:1). Quran. (24:18). Biblical References: The Holy Bible, Exodus 36:1. The Holy Bible, Proverbs 1:1. The Book of Wisdom (Wisdom of Solomon).