CHAPTER 3

AL-QURANIC MODEL & APPROACH

OF KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT

By Mohamad Fauzan
Noordin
C a) Storytelling
An Overview of in Relation to
O Al-Quran &
Knowledge
Lesson
Learned

N 1) Knowledge
b) Storytelling
Sharing
in Relation to
T Concept of Wise
Knowledge Judgement
2) Community
E Management
from Quranic
of Practices
(CoP) c) Storytelling
Perspective
N Overview of Al- in Relation to
Quran Decision
T 3) Storytelling Making

d) Storytelling
Conclusion in Relation
with
Creativity and
Innovation
C  Al-Quran: Mukjizat (miracle) to Prophet
Muhammad SAW with a lot of knowledge
O embedded in it
 As humankind has the responsibility to
N explore, discover and connect the
knowledge with human’s life
T An Overview of
Al-Quran &
E Knowledge

N For instance,
T “ And pursue not that of which you have no
knowledge; for every act of hearing, or of seeing
or of (feeling in) the heart will be inquired into
(on the Day of Reckoning) ” – (Al Isra’ : 36)
C
1) Knowledge
O Sharing

N
Concept of
T Knowledge
Management
from Quranic
E Perspective
2) Community of
Practices (CoP)
Overview of Al-
N Quran

T
3) Storytelling
 Concept of Knowledge Management
from Quranic Perspective

Prophet Muhammad S.A.W emphasised the importance of Al-Qur’an in his

last sermon:

(Reported by Imam Malik rahimahullah)

“I leave behind me two things, the Al-Quran and my example, As-Sunnah, and
if you follow these you will never go astray”

Alquran
- Guide mankind to the best behaviour and deeds
- Rich with knowledge and contains many lessons to be discovered and
learned
- The knowledge that revealed by Allah S.W.T is applicable universally and is
not restricted to any given period
- Contains issues that addressed in real application in daily living
  A process that requires active involvement among members of the
C community to exchange the knowledge
 Its benefits include the behavior, cultural factor, success factors and tools
enabling the knowledge sharing
O
 Two categories of exchanged
N Concept of and shared knowledge:-
Knowledge a) Explicit knowledge: easy to
T Management 1) Knowledge captured and documented
from Quranic Sharing b) Tacit knowledge: personal and
E Perspective
Overview of
only can shared through
socialization, interaction and
Al-Quran training
N
T  The importance of knowledge sharing:
Hadith 1: by Abdullah bin Amr that Prophet Muhammad SAW said:
“Convey (my teachings) to the people even if it were a single sentence....”
- Useful knowledge to future generations
Hadith 2: by Abu Dawud and reported by at-Tirmidzi that Rasulullah SAW stressed:
“Whoever is asked about knowledge that he knows but hid it, will be tied with
a muzzle made of fire on the Day of Resurrection.”
C  The intervention of Wisdom in
Knowledge sharing:
O Concept of • A criterion for a wise
judgment between right or
Knowledge
wrong and good and bad
N Management
from Quranic
1)Knowledge • For selecting the best/good
Sharing knowledge to be
Perspective
T Overview of disseminated from
Al-Quran harmfulness to an
E individual, society and
environment

N
T  A method towards innovation and creativity
“ Knowledge sharing is consisting of knowledge collecting and
donating has influenced to the rapid innovation in an organization”
(Kamasak & Bulutlar, 2010)
 Example case: the story on how Prophet Yusuf a.s used knowledge
sharing by his wisdom in interpreting the dream that led to the
innovation preparation (eg: from big disaster (dry seasons))
 Concept of Knowledge Management from Quranic
Perspective
1) Knowledge Sharing
1.
Importance of knowledge sharing that useful for others. Useful knowledge means
non-corrupt and non-deviant knowledge. Otherwise, It will give an adverse impact on
religion, society and the environment.
A person is required to identify which knowledge is worth sharing. In this case of
soothsayers and the devils in the lifetime from Prophet Sulayman a.s.

Surah AlBaqarah : 102

“And they followed [instead] what the devils had recited during the reign of Solomon.
It was not Solomon who disbelieved, but the devils disbelieved, teaching people magic
and that which was revealed to the two angels at Babylon, Harut and Marut. But the
two angels do not teach anyone unless they say, "We are a trial, so do not disbelieve
[by practicing magic]." And [yet] they learn from them that by which they cause
separation between a man and his wife. But they do not harm anyone through it
except by permission of Allah . And the people learn what harms them and does not
benefit them. But the Children of Israel certainly knew that whoever purchased the
magic would not have in the Hereafter any share. And wretched is that for which they
sold themselves, if they only knew.”
 Concept of Knowledge Management from Quranic
Perspective
1) Knowledge Sharing
2.
Influence of knowledge sharing on innovation. In the case of Prophet Yusuf a.s.
Interprets The King’s dream, that has a meaning “how to deal with long dry
season after fertile period”. This innovation and creativity brought by The Prophet
Yusuf a.s. in managing the nation and people’s welfare through knowledge
sharing. The ability to interpret and explain one’s dream is a gift to Him in
performing his responsibility as a minister in Egypt as well as the messenger of
Allah SWT

Surah Yusuf : 47 – 49

“[Yusuf] said, "You will plant for seven years consecutively; and what you harvest
leave in its spikes, except a little from which you will eat.
Then will come after that seven difficult [years] which will consume what you
saved for them, except a little from which you will store.
Then will come after that a year in which the people will be given rain and in
which they will press [olives and grapes]”
  Groups of people who share a concern, problems, passion about a
C topic by deepen the knowledge and expertise in the area continuously.
 Method use : Open sharing
 Impact: individual, community, organization and environment
O
 In Islam, CoP consist of:
N 1) Concept of Sahabah
-Has reliable sources to be
Concept of
T Knowledge 2)Community
referred
-Hadith : statement, action,
Management of Practices character and confirmations of
E from Quranic
Perspective
(CoP) Prophet SAW
-Community seeks, shares,
Overview of
N Al-Quran
transfers the knowledge from
hadith for deep understanding
and to gain Prophet's mission
T
2) Documented the Hadith after Rasullullah SAW & Khulafa’ Al-Rashidin
time to filter the fake hadith from spreading
3) Nation administration during Khulafa’ Al-Rashidin time that governed
Muslim nation based on Al-Quran & Hadith
4) Alshura – members can participate in discussion to make decision
making without autocracy
 Concept of Knowledge Management from Quranic
Perspective
2) Community of Practice

- Concept of community of practices found in many organisation and among

experts,

- Member : formal or nonformal of community

- Method : open sharing by contributing ideas, experiences, knowledge to

certain domains
 Concept of Knowledge Management from Quranic
Perspective
2) Community of Practice (Cont’)

Concept of Sahabah

- Shahabahs are the reliable source for solving problem since they are well-
acquainted with the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad SAW.
- Hadith functions as a confirmation and support for the principles and laws
stated in AlQuran.
- Shahabah asks to Prophet SAW in order to get understand from the greater
depth of AlQuran and hadith. Once shahabah get the point, they will apply it
in their life and share with others shahabah. After Prophet SAW died, their
acquisition will be transmitted by shahabah to those who wanted to learn.
 Concept of Knowledge Management from Quranic
Perspective
2) Community of Practice (Cont’)

Concept of Hadith Documentation

- Caliph ‘Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz embarks to preserve the sanctity of hadith by
documenting so the spread of fake hadith can be filtered
- First step is documenting hadith using systematic approach in arranging the
hadith according to the designated topic. It was continued by distinguishing
between hadith authenticated by The Prophet SAW an d the words of The
sahabah
- Next step is filter the hadith to avoid the inclusion of fabricated hadiths
- This is how the efforts to preserve the authentic hadith for the benefit of
future generations
 Concept of Knowledge Management from Quranic
Perspective
2) Community of Practice (Cont’)

Concept of National Administration

- Khulafa’ ArRasyidin preserved the Islamic administration established by
Prophet SAW, based on AlQuran and hadith. They are is an example of Islamic
governance

Concept of Alshura
- Used to reduce autocracy in decision making, at te time for choosing caliph.
- Established during the reign of Caliph ‘Umar alKhattab to decide and appoint
a new caliph, named Shura council. Used for administrative and to select the
caliph/successor
- Members : Sahabah with collective views, discussions, opinions gathered in
order to select the rightly-guided succesor to rule the caliphate
- Treated as Consultant Assembly (Majlis Syura) : To set and standardise
legislation.
 Concept of Knowledge Management from Quranic
Perspective
2) Community of Practice (Cont’)

Concept of Alshura

“And those who have responded to their lord and established prayer and whose
affair is [determined by] consultation among themselves, and from what We have
provided them, they spend”

(Asy-Syura : 38)
C Storytelling in
Relation to
O Lesson
Learned
N Concept of
Knowledge  Stories from past nations
T Management
3)Storytelling
has recorded in Al-Quran
as reference for current
from Quranic
E Perspective
Overview of
and future generations
 Eg: Prophet Nuh a.s story
Al-Quran  Lesson:
N - To obey Allah SWT
Messenger
T - To worship Allah SWT
- To protect from bad
actions/attitude
 Concept of Knowledge Management from Quranic
Perspective
3) Story Telling

Storytelling in Relation to Lesson Learned

- Disobedient nations and wrongdoers were punished, while those who obeyed
their Prophet and followed his path were saved from punishment
- The punishment is the land was submerged in the flood, none of the
disbeliever were saved. While Prophet Nuh and his follower and animals in
pairs headed into the ark for their salvation from terrible flood
“And said, 'Never leave your gods and never leave Wadd or Suwa' or Yaghuth and
Ya'uq and Nasr” (Nuh : 23)

“And We certainly sent Noah to his people, and he remained among them a
thousand years minus fifty years, and the flood seized them while they were
wrongdoers” (Al ‘Ankabut : 14)
 Storytelling in
C Relation to
Wise
O Judgement
Concept of
N Knowledge  Required wisdom – granted
Management from Allah SWT (hidayah)
3)Storytelling
T from Quranic
Perspective
 All prophets have wisdom to
become outstanding in
Overview of community
E Al-Quran  But Allah SWT also select
people to stand to the truth
and His words
N  Eg: Prophet Yusuf a.s story
 Result:
T - Do not directly jump into
conclusion without any
investigation
- Do gather the
reliable/true data &
evidence before making a
decision
- Do not biases & fitnah
 Concept of Knowledge Management from Quranic
Perspective
3) Story Telling (Cont’)

• Storytelling in Relation to Wise Judgement

- Mentioned in Surah Yusuf : 26-27

“[Joseph] said, "It was she who sought to seduce me." And a witness from her
family testified. "If his shirt is torn from the front, then she has told the truth, and
he is of the liars. But if his shirt is torn from the back, then she has lied, and he is
of the truthful”

- Finally, her husband decided that she was the one who perpetrated the wrong
to Prophet Yusuf a.s. and requested that she seek forgiveness. This tells that
no defamation has been made to inflict Prophet Yusuf a.s even though the
person involved in the case was his wife
C Storytelling in
Relation to
O Decision
Making
N
Concept of
 The need of decision
T Knowledge
Management making:
Storytelling - Prevention from
from Quranic
E Perspective biasness and errors
Overview of  Eg: Zulkarnain story
N Al-Quran  Result:
- Defensive wall has
exist
T - Good community live
 Concept of Knowledge Management from Quranic
Perspective
3) Story Telling (Cont’)

• Storytelling in Relation to Decision Making

- Mentioned in Surah Kahf : 98

“[Dhul-Qarnayn] said, "This is a mercy from my Lord; but when the promise of my
Lord comes, He will make it level, and ever is the promise of my Lord true”

- Zulqarnain as a King that has abundance given by Allah S.W.T to share with
others. He saved one community from Ya’juj Ma’juj by construct a rampart as
a barrier for them. This decision enabled the community to live in peace until
such time that the barrier will collapse by Allah
 Storytelling in
C Relation with
Creativity and
O Innovation

N Concept of  The creativity and

Knowledge
T Management Storytelling
innovation has been taught
by Allah SWT to His prophets
from Quranic  Other variety of knowledge
E Perspective is about life, marriage,
Overview of economy and Syariah and so
N Al-Quran on
 Eg:
- Prophet Nuh a.s : build
T an ark/ship
- Prophet Daud a.s: make
the armor/shield
 Result:
- Knowledge for benefits
has stated in Al-Quran
 Concept of Knowledge Management from Quranic
Perspective
3) Story Telling (Cont’)

• Storytelling in Relation with Creativity and Innovation

- Mentioned in Surah Saba’ : 10-11

“And We certainly gave David from Us bounty. [We said], "O mountains, repeat
[Our] praises with him, and the birds [as well]." And We made pliable for him iron.
[Commanding him], "Make full coats of mail and calculate [precisely] the links,
and work [all of you] righteousness. Indeed I, of what you do, am Seeing”

Allah S.W.T revealed Al Quran FULL with knowledge to

benefit mankind.
It all but requires a person to study Al Quran and put it
into practice for peace in this life and Hereafter.
 Conclusion
 The concept of KM
already mention in
Al-Quran
Depending on
Muslim to grab the
opportunity or not
by knowledge
given, analyze and
practice it
 CONCLUSION (Cont’)

- Three concept of knowledge management in Islam, including 1)

Knowledge Sharing, 2) Community of Practices, and 3) Story
Telling
- These concept were existed at previous time before Prophet
Muhammad S.A.W (and during Prophet SAW llifetime) and have
been practiced, and mentioned in the Al Quran through the story
inside Al Quran
- These stories narrated in AlQuran contains lessons and preserved
and never change (unchanged). Therefore, AlQuran is used by
humankind as a reference to do good deeds and as a standard to
decide on the veracity