Seyyed Hossein Nasr's Thought on the Epistemology of Knowledge and Murtadha Muthahhari's Philosophy of Prophethood

Abstract

This study aims to analyze and compare Seyyed Hossein Nasr’s thought on the epistemology of knowledge and Murtadha Muthahari’s thought on prophetic philosophy. The study is motivated by the crisis of modern science, which tends to be secular, reductionist, and detached from revelation, values, and spiritual dimensions. This research employs a qualitative approach using library research. Data were collected from primary works by Nasr and Muthahari, supported by secondary sources such as journal articles, books, and relevant previous studies. Data analysis was conducted descriptively and analytically through thematic, hermeneutic, and comparative techniques to identify similarities, differences, and possible synthesis between the two thinkers. The findings show that Nasr emphasizes an integral epistemology that connects revelation, metaphysical wisdom, and spiritual experience as the basis of sacred knowledge, whereas Muthahari places revelation and prophethood as the primary sources of knowledge that guide reason, intuition, and morality. Both thinkers reject materialist reductionism and affirm the importance of integrating revelation and reason within Islamic knowledge. The study concludes that Nasr’s and Muthahari’s ideas can be synthesized into a complementary model of Islamic epistemology, in which revelation serves as the normative orientation and reason functions as a valid analytical instrument. This study recommends the development of Islamic education curricula that integrate philosophy of science, spirituality, and scientific ethics so that knowledge remains connected to its transcendent purpose.