Dalam bahasa Arab dikatakan: *'alima al-rajulu* (orang itu telah memperoleh) *'ilm* (ilmu pengetahuan). Maksudnya, ia telah mencapai hakikat sebenarnya dari ilmu. Seseorang yang memperoleh pengetahuan tentang sesuatu berarti ia menjadi mengetahuinya, yakni ia telah diberi tahu tentang suatu perkara atau mengenalnya. Dalam bahasa juga dikatakan: *thaqifa* (ia telah memperoleh pemahaman), yang berarti ia telah menjadi mahir, sehingga ia terdidik dan berbudaya (*thaqif*). *Thaqifa* bahasa (ia telah memahami suatu bahasa) berarti ia telah menguasainya dan memahaminya dengan cepat. Makna-makna linguistik ini menjadi dasar penggunaan kata-kata tersebut. Namun, jika kata-kata ini digunakan untuk menunjukkan makna lain yang berkaitan dengan makna linguistiknya, hal itu diperbolehkan, seperti halnya penggunaan kata *fa'il* (subjek) dalam ilmu nahwu. Makna linguistik (kata-kata tersebut) pada awalnya berlaku secara umum, dan karena itulah para ulama terdahulu menerapkan kata *'ilm* pada segala bentuk pengetahuan tanpa membedakan antara ilmu-ilmu dan disiplin-disiplin. Kemudian orang mulai menganggap disiplin intelektual dan alamiah bersifat umum bagi semua manusia, sementara disiplin tradisional (berbasis teks) dianggap khusus bagi bangsa dari mana ia berasal. Selanjutnya, masing-masing dari *'ilm* dan *thaqafah* mulai didefinisikan sesuai dengan disiplin-disiplin khusus yang berbeda, sehingga memperoleh makna terminologis yang berbeda dari makna linguistiknya. Menurut terminologi ini, keduanya memiliki makna sebagai berikut: *'ilm* adalah pengetahuan yang diperoleh melalui pengamatan, eksperimen, dan pendidikan, seperti fisika, kimia, dan ilmu-ilmu empiris lainnya. Sedangkan *thaqafah* adalah pengetahuan yang diperoleh melalui transmisi, pembelajaran, dan penalaran deduktif, seperti sejarah, bahasa, fikih, filsafat, dan disiplin-disiplin non-empiris lainnya. Dan ada pula disiplin-disiplin non-empiris lainnya yang termasuk ilmu (‘ilm) meskipun berada dalam lingkup budaya (thaqafa), seperti aritmatika, teknik, dan industri. Meskipun termasuk dalam budaya, semua ini dianggap bagian dari ilmu karena bersifat universal bagi seluruh manusia dan tidak khas milik satu bangsa tertentu. Demikian pula, segala sesuatu dalam budaya yang berkaitan dengan kerajinan yang menyerupai industri, seperti perdagangan dan pelayaran, dianggap bagian dari ilmu dan bersifat universal. Adapun seni seperti lukisan, seni pahat, dan musik, semuanya termasuk budaya. Seni-seni ini mengikuti sudut pandang tertentu, yaitu suatu budaya yang khas. Di sinilah perbedaan antara budaya (thaqafa) dan ilmu (‘ilm).

In Arabic language it is said: the man has obtained (‘alima) knowledge (‘ilm). This means that he attained the true reality of knowledge (‘ilm). He gained knowledge of a thing means he became cognisant of it, which means that he became informed of a matter or acquainted with it. Also in the language it is said: He has gained comprehension (thaqifa), which means that he has become proficient, thus he is educated and cultured (thaqif). He has understood (thaqifa) a language (means) he has mastered and understood it swiftly. These linguistic meanings are the basis of the use of words, However if these words were used to indicate other meanings that relate to the linguistic meaning then that is permitted, like in the case of the adoption of the word fa’il (subject) in grammar for example. The linguistic meaning (of the words) was prevailing and this is why the ancients used to apply the word ‘ilm on all forms of knowledge without differentiating between the sciences and disciplines. Then people began to consider intellectual and natural disciplines as being general to all people whilst other traditional (textual) disciplines were considered specific to the nation from which it was transferred. Subsequently, each of science (‘ilm) and culture (thaqafa) began to be defined according to different specific disciplines, acquiring terminological meanings which were different to their linguistic meanings. According to this terminology they have the following meaning: Science (‘ilm) is the knowledge which is acquired through observation, experimentation and education like physics, chemistry and the rest of the empirical sciences and culture (thaqafa) is the knowledge which is acquired by way of transmission, learning and deduction as in (the study of) history, languages, jurisprudence (fiqh), philosophy and the rest of the non-empirical disciplines. And there are other non-empirical disciplines which are included as sciences (‘ilm) even though they come within culture such as arithmetic, engineering and industry; even though they come under culture (thaqafa) they are regarded as part of science because they are universal to all people and not specific to any one nation. In a similar way anything from the culture related to crafts which resemble industry such as trade and shipping; they are considered to be part of science and they are universal. As for the arts such as; painting, sculpture and music they are part of culture. They follow a particular viewpoint; which is a specific culture. The difference between culture (thaqafa) and science (‘ilm)

Bahwa ilmu pengetahuan itu bersifat universal bagi seluruh bangsa dan tidak khusus milik suatu bangsa dengan mengecualikan bangsa lain. Adapun kebudayaan (thaqafa) bisa jadi bersifat khusus, karena dinisbatkan kepada bangsa tempat ia lahir, atau bisa menjadi bagian dari karakteristik dan ciri khas bangsa tersebut, seperti sastra, biografi para pahlawan, dan filsafat mereka tentang kehidupan; atau bisa pula bersifat universal, seperti perdagangan, pelayaran, dan sebagainya. Oleh karena itu, ilmu pengetahuan diambil dari semua bangsa secara universal karena ia bersifat universal dan tidak khusus milik bangsa tertentu. Adapun kebudayaan (thaqafa), hendaknya suatu bangsa memulai dengan kebudayaannya sendiri; ketika ia telah mempelajarinya dan mengenalnya hingga tertanam kuat dalam pikirannya, barulah ia dapat mempelajari kebudayaan-kebudayaan lain. Kaum Muslimin dahulu membedakan antara ilmu-ilmu yang diperoleh seseorang melalui usahanya sendiri dan ilmu-ilmu yang ia terima dari orang lain. Ibnu Khaldun berkata dalam kitabnya al-Muqaddimah:

is that science is universal to all nations and not specific to any nation to the exclusion of another nation. As for culture (thaqafa) it might be specific, being ascribed to the nation from which it resulted or it may be part of the nation’s specific and particular characteristics such as literature and biographies of heroes, and their philosophy concerning life or they may be universal such as trade, shipping etc. Therefore, science is adopted universally from all nations because it is universal and not specific to any particular nation. As for culture (thaqafa) the nation should begin with its own culture, when she has studied it and is cognisant of it until it becomes focused in their minds then they can study other cultures. The Muslims used to differentiate between the sciences which a person used to attain by himself and the sciences he used to receive from others. Ibn Khaldun says in his book al-Muqaddima:

Ia juga berkata, "Ilmu-ilmu rasional atau alami itu umum bagi semua bangsa, karena manusia mencapainya secara alami melalui pikirannya. Adapun ilmu-ilmu naqli itu khusus bagi agama Islam dan para pemeluknya." Tampaknya, ketika Ibnu Khaldun mengkhususkan ilmu-ilmu naqli dengan millah Islam, hal itu hanyalah contoh, karena bangsa-bangsa selain bangsa Islam juga memiliki ilmu-ilmu naqli yang khusus bagi mereka, seperti hukum dan bahasa mereka. Pernyataan Ibnu Khaldun tidak menunjukkan bahwa ia membedakan antara ilmu dan budaya. Ia hanya menunjukkan bahwa ia membedakan antara ilmu-ilmu naqli dan ilmu-ilmu rasional. Komentarnya bukanlah bukti bahwa kaum Muslim dahulu membedakan antara ilmu dan budaya, melainkan bukti bahwa kaum Muslim dahulu hanya membedakan antara disiplin-disiplin ilmu. Dengan demikian, mereka membaginya menjadi dua bagian. Namun pembagian mereka didasarkan pada cara umum perolehannya, bukan pada cara perolehannya secara rinci. Karena itu, mereka menamainya ilmu-ilmu rasional, yaitu yang diperoleh melalui akal, dan ilmu-ilmu naqli, yaitu yang diperoleh dari teks. Adapun orang-orang zaman sekarang membedakan antara disiplin-disiplin ilmu berdasarkan cara penerimaannya. Dengan begitu, mereka menerapkan istilah 'ilmu' ('ilm) pada segala sesuatu yang diperoleh melalui metode empiris, dan menerapkan istilah 'budaya' (thaqafa) pada segala sesuatu yang diperoleh dengan cara selain metode empiris.

He also said “The rational or natural sciences are common to all nations since man arrives at them naturally through his thought. As for the textual sciences they are specific to the Muslim religion and its adherents.” It appears that what Ibn Khaldun meant by specifying the textual sciences with the Islamic millah was only an example because nations other than the Islamic nation as well have textual sciences specific to them such as their legislation and language. Ibn Khaldun’s statement does not indicate that he distinguished between science and culture. It only indicates that he distinguished between textual and rational sciences. His comments are not an evidence to say that the Muslims used to differentiate between science and culture rather they are an evidence to prove that the Muslims used only to differentiate between disciplines. Thus, they divided them into two sections. However their division was in terms of their general acquisition and not in terms of the manner of acquisition. So they designated them as rational sciences i.e, acquired via the mind. And textual sciences acquired from the text. However, people today differentiate between disciplines in terms of the manner in which they were received. Thus, they apply the term ‘science’ (‘ilm) on anything that is acquired through the empirical method and they apply the term ‘culture’ (thaqafa) on anything acquired by means other than the empirical method