Dr Shameena RP writes about an interesting parallel between the world of science and the world of Islam - the Information-to-Wisdom Model.
Having trained and worked in science for most of my life, I have come across many interesting models and concepts. And, being a devout Muslim, I constantly look for parallels between science and Islam. One such model that I have found an equally if not more profound parallel in Islam is for the DIKW model.
What is DIKW model?
The DIKW model is a popular method in knowledge management which assists the flow from Data (the D) to Information (I) to Knowledge (K) to Wisdom (W) with the help of actions, interventions and decisions.
From a business point of view, the DIKW pathway makes complete sense. For example, in a hospital setting, the clinical and administrative Data that is collected from a patient is transformed to Information. Then, we try to grab the best Knowledge out of it through research. This knowledge later becomes Wisdom – however – acquiring wisdom is the most difficult task. The flow of Data (the D) to Information can be achieved successfully with ease, nevertheless transformation from Knowledge to Wisdom is painstaking. The other difference is that Data and Information are measurable, but Knowledge and Wisdom are not.
DIKW in Islam
We have a very similar concept in our precious religion. We all know how important gathering information and acquiring knowledge is in Islam. After all, the first Quranic verse revealed to Prophet Mohammed [PBUH] in Mount Hira began with “IQRA” which means READ. This has laid the foundation for us Muslims to read and document data and information and derive knowledge and wisdom through it.
The implication of DIKW to a Muslim is better understood when we know the three level of our faith or religiousness, which is divided into Islam, Iman and Ihsan.
Islam – is following the Islamic obligations like the five daily prayers, giving zakat, fasting in Ramadan and making the pilgrimage (Hajj) to the house of Allah upon reciting the Shahada. All these obligations and the rewards one reaps from the act can be measured. The perfect example is prayer when performed in mosque or house of Allah definitely reaps more rewards than praying at home. The same is applicable to fasting and so is the zakat or sadaqa. We can count the act and an individual can calculate the multiplied rewards in numbers for performing salah in house of Allah or fasting on a particular day. In a nutshell, the state of Islam can be measured like Data and Information in DIKW model. Although the rewards can be counted, an important point to be noted is that the level of Islam is still in a physical state and whether the individual has reached the true intellect of Iman or wisdom of Ihsan is still unknown.
Iman - Iman is the belief in Allah, His Angels, His Books. A Mùmin believes in everything Allah Almighty mentioned in the Holy Quran. Having Iman is almost believing in the unseen. This is a divine belief which can neither be attained easily nor be measured. It is a state of intellect that is very similar to the Knowledge state in DIKW.
Ihsan - Ihsan is the highest status of religiousness in Islam and attaining this level is extremely difficult. Our beloved Prophet Muhammad (SAW) has described it as: “To worship Allah as if you see Him, and if you do not see Him, He sees you.” In this state, a human being will not dare to commit any sin. Ihsan is a state of spirituality which overrides the intellectual state and is comparable to the Wisdom level of DIKW model.
It is not necessary that a Muslim who adheres to Islamic obligations such as praying the 5 prayers, fasting during the month of Ramadan or performing any other measurable Islamic actions has attained Iman or Ihsan. We can say that being an ‘outward’ Muslim is definitely easier when compared to being an ‘intellectual’ Muhsin or a ‘wise’ Mu’min. Similarly, transforming Data to Information is easier when compared to Knowledge and Wisdom according to the DIKW model.
Islam is what we see outside. But the true levels of Iman and Ihsan is so spiritual that they can only be determined by The Almighty alone and cannot be judged by his creations.
May almighty bless each of us attain all levels of faith with ease. May it be easy for us to instil Islam in our children right from childhood so that they can find their way to the states of Iman and Ihsan with ease. Aameen.
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