What is the Definition of Hikma in the Quran?

Answered by Mawlana Ilyas Patel

Question

What is the definition of “Hikma” in the Quran? I saw this guy saying he finds the traditional definition of Hikma, meaning Sunna, to be off. Who should I trust or seek knowledge from? The only bit of trust I have left is in you guys, so I am asking about this. Can you check what he is talking about?

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate.

I pray you are in good faith and health. Thank you for your question.

Allah Most High tells us, “Allah grants wisdom to whoever He wills. And whoever is granted wisdom is certainly blessed with a great privilege. But none will be mindful of this except people of reason.” [Quran, 2:269]

Al-Hikma (الْحِكْمَة): Meaning and Explanation

Hikma (wisdom) appears in the Quran twenty times in nineteen verses appearing in twelve suras. In al-Bahr al-Muhit, all positions taken by commentators have been mentioned. These come to nearly thirty; however, towards the end, it was said that all these positions are close together, and there is no contradiction among them. The only difference is that of interpretations. The word hikma (حِكْمَة) is the verbal noun of “ihkam” (الإِحكام— the first letter, hamza ھمزة with kasra کسرة ), which means “to complete what is said or done with all its properties and requisites.”

This is why the verse, “وَآتَاهُ اللَّهُ الْمُلْكَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ”— “And Allah gave him the kingdom and the hikma (حِكْمَة).” [Quran, 2:251] which concerns Sayyiduna Dawud (peace be upon him), was explained in al-Bahr al-Muhit in the following manner:

The real meaning of hikma “حِكْمَة” is to place everything where it belongs, and this can only be accomplished ideally through prophethood. Therefore, hikma “حِكْمَة” has been interpreted as prophethood here.

Imam Raghib al-Isfahani has said in Mufradat al-Quran, “When the word, hikma “حِكْمَة” is used for Allah Most High, it denotes the comprehensive knowledge and solid creative excellence of all things; and when attributed to the non-Divine, it means the rightly-guided knowledge of what exists, and the action which corresponds to it.

This sense has been interpreted in different words. Somewhere, it means the Quran; elsewhere, the Hadith. Then, at other places, it carries different meanings, such as the authentic knowledge, the righteous deed, the True Word, the wisdom, the understanding of religion, the correctness of opinion, and the fear of Allah. Incidentally, the last meaning also appears in the hadith: “The real wisdom is the fear of Allah.” The word hikma in verse, “يُعَلِّمُهُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ”— “ (…) teaches them the Book and the wisdom (…).” [Quran, 3:164] has been explained as “Hadith and Sunna” by the companions and the  Successors. Some commentators hold the opinion that hikma, in verse, “whoever is given wisdom (…).” under discussion, covers all these things.

This is the more evident view, more so since the words of the Quran “وَمَنْ يُؤْتَ الْحِكْمَةَ فَقَدْ أُوتِيَ خَيْرًا كَثِيرًا”— “And whoever is given wisdom is certainly given a lot of good” do point in that direction as they mean that the hikma “حِكْمَة” covers much good. Allah knows best. [Mufti Shafi, Ma‘rif al-Quran]

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I pray this helps with your question.
Wassalam,
[Mawlana] Ilyas Patel
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Mawlana Ilyas Patel is a traditionally trained scholar who has studied in the UK, India, Pakistan, Syria, Jordan, and Turkey. He started his early education in the UK. He went on to complete the hifz of the Quran in India, then enrolled in an Islamic seminary in the UK, where he studied the secular and ‘Aalimiyya sciences. He then traveled to Karachi, Pakistan. He has been an Imam in Rep of Ireland for several years. He has taught hifz of the Quran, Tajwid, Fiqh, and many other Islamic sciences to children and adults onsite and online extensively in the UK and Ireland. He taught at a local Islamic seminary for 12 years in the UK, where he was a librarian and a teacher of Islamic sciences. He currently resides in the UK with his wife. His interest is a love of books and gardening.