The 4 Pillars of Integrated Islamic Knowledge

ABSTRACT* This study is motivated by the phenomenon of dichotomy in the religious practice of contemporary Muslims. Some emphasize only the textual aspect of sharia without spirit, while others are immersed in tariqa practices but neglect legal obligations. However, in the Ahlusunnah Waljamaah tradition of Ash'ariyah and Maturidiyah, Islamic knowledge is understood as a complete sequence consisting of four pillars: Sharia, Tariqa, Haqiqa, and Ma'rifa. Neglecting any one of them causes an incomplete understanding and practice of religion. This qualitative library research aims to analyze the urgency of mastering these four pillars in an integrative manner. Primary data are sourced from the Qur'an and Hadith. Secondary data are taken from AlGhazali's Ihya Ulum al-Din, Sheikh Abdul Qadir al-Jilani's Al-Ghunyah, Ibn Ataillah's Al-Hikam, Ibn Arabi's Fusus al-Hikam, and Mama Syeikh Asep Martawijaya's book Layang Muslimin Muslimat. The analysis also employs Al-Farabi's systemic algorithmic approach in Ara Ahl al-Madinah al-Fadilah. The findings show that these four pillars constitute an inseparable unified process. Sharia functions as the legal framework, Tariqa as the method of self-purification, Haqiqa as the understanding of essence, and Ma'rifa as the ultimate goal of knowing Allah. The analogy used is the human body: Sharia is the skeleton, Tariqa is the muscles, Haqiqa is the blood, and Ma'rifa is the spirit. This finding affirms that the Islamic education curriculum must reconstruct the teaching of Fiqh, Sufism, and Theology in an integrated way to avoid producing a generation that is partial in religion. *Keywords*: Sharia, Tariqa, Haqiqa, Ma'rifa, Knowledge Integration, Aswaja, Sufism