Ilm versus Wisdom – A Ramadan Reflection

Ramadan Mubarak!

The month of Ramadan always brings my Muslim friends around the world to my mind more readily, but this year is especially significant in that a global pandemic means that the communal aspect of Ramadan, which is so core to the experience, will be missing for many in the Muslim community. Breaking the daily fast with a meal, or iftar, is a celebration that my Muslim friends look forward to each year. I cannot imagine celebrating the major holidays in my culture, like Thanksgiving and Christmas, without gathering together with many friends and family members. Ramadan without a large, communal iftar is like Thanksgiving without the feast. My heart is heavy for my friends who are practicing Ramadan without access to their community or family!

As I’ve been praying for Muslims around the world each day of Ramadan, I’ve also been reflecting on a core Islamic doctrine: ilm, or the necessity of acquiring knowledge. The Qur’an is the sacred text of the Islamic faith, but most branches of Islam agree that an understanding of the Qur’an is only revealed to a select group of scholars, or the concept of ijma, which is the consensus of Islamic scholars regarding Islamic law. The ijma are those who possess ilm, or knowledge. Surah 3:7 in the Qur’an states that only Allah (God) knows the true interpretation of the Qur’an and those “who are firmly grounded in knowledge.”

As a Christian, my worldview is incomplete without the revelation of Jesus Christ, and it is through this lens that I perceive the world. Thus, even as I study other religions and worldviews, I am aware of my own presuppositions. Yet I am continually amazed how learning about worldviews different than my own gives me a deeper appreciation for the diversity of the world as well as how my own sacred text, the Bible, speaks into and addresses every situation. My eyes are opened to profound understanding as I continue to read Scripture with an awareness of other worldviews.

With the concept of ilm in mind, Ephesians 3:1–21 comes alive in a new way. In this passage, Paul is addressing the Ephesian church regarding “the mystery made known to me by revelation… the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit” (Ephesians 3:3–5, emphasis added). The answer to this mystery is explained in verse six: that everyone is heirs and part of the promise through Christ! As I read this, I was struck by the fact that there is no separate promise that needs to be fulfilled for the Ishmaelites (as many in the Islamic tradition believe they are descendants of Ishmael), since “through the gospel the Gentiles (including the Ishmaelites) are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 3:6, insertion added).

Furthermore, Paul goes on to explain that God’s “intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms… and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3:10, 19, emphasis added). The manifold wisdom of God revealed in the love of Christ completely surpasses knowledge, or ilm!

One of my favorite teachers, Nicky Gumbel, explains in his devotional, Bible in One Year, regarding this passage that:

“Jesus is the climax of God’s great plan for the world… If we are in Christ, we are all reconciled to God and to one another – regardless of race or social and cultural background. It must also apply to the church: Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, Pentecostal, and so on. In the Old Testament, we see only hints of this – it was concealed to some extent. Now, however, the mystery has been revealed in Christ” (Mystery).

I would add that this promise extends to those of other worldviews and religions as well, including my dear Muslim friends.

As I reflect on this passage during Ramadan, I lift my humble prayer to my Savior:

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me and my Muslim cousins. Use me as an instrument to “bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things” (vs 9). Unveil my cousins’ eyes, that they may see that there is a LOVE that surpasses all ilm, and through Christ Jesus our Lord, “we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him” (vs 12). Oftentimes, this seems impossible, as there are so many barriers ahead, but I pray this “to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen” (vs 20–21).