ilm

Ilm (Arabic: علم) is a noun meaning knowledge, understanding, or science. Derived from the root 'a-l-m', it denotes knowledge in general as well as a body of learned disciplines. The term has entered many languages through Arabic and Islamic culture; in Indonesian and Malay it appears as ilmu, in Turkish as ilim, and in other languages the root is recognizable in words meaning knowledge or science.

In Islamic thought, ilm is central to education and religious life. It encompasses both outward sciences—jurisprudence (fiqh), hadith, Qur’anic exegesis (tafsir), theology (kalam)—and, in Sufism, inner knowledge or gnosis (ma'rifa). The pursuit of ilm is encouraged in the Qur’an and Hadith, and historical schools and institutions (madrasas, universities) organized learning around it. Ulama are scholars who specialize in various fields of ilm.

Outside strictly religious contexts, ilm also means knowledge in general. Phrases such as ilmu pengetahuan (Indonesian) or ilmu pengetahuan and ilim (Turkish) refer to science, systematic inquiry, or field studies.

Today, the term remains a key cultural and intellectual concept in Muslim-majority societies and in multilingual regions influenced by Arabic. It reflects the view that knowledge—whether religious, philosophical, or empirical—is a valued and ongoing human endeavor.