EPISTEMOLOGI BAYANI (ISLAM)

Abstract

The terminology bayani refers to a concept of knowledge within the Islamic intellectual tradition that emphasizes the authority of sacred texts, particularly the Qur’an and Hadith, as the primary sources of truth. From the perspective of Islamic epistemology, bayani is understood as a normative-deductive approach oriented toward literal, analogical, and textual interpretations of revelation. This approach gave rise to a strong methodology of law and ethics, as reflected in the classical tradition of Islamic jurisprudence. In modern developments, however, bayani is often debated for being less responsive to dynamic social realities. Nevertheless, bayani remains relevant as a normative foundation that safeguards the authenticity of religious teachings, while also being open to integration with other epistemological frameworks such as burhani (rational) and ‘irfani (intuitive). Thus, the terminology bayani not only represents a textual mode of thought in Islam but also constitutes an essential part of the comprehensive dialectic of Islamic knowledge.