Dalam bahasa Arab dikatakan: lelaki itu telah memperoleh (‘alima) ilmu (‘ilm). Ini bermakna dia mencapai hakikat sebenar ilmu. Dia memperoleh pengetahuan tentang sesuatu bermakna dia menjadi arif mengenainya, yang bermaksud dia telah diberitahu tentang sesuatu perkara atau mengenalinya. Juga dalam bahasa itu dikatakan: dia telah memperoleh kefahaman (thaqifa), yang bermaksud dia telah menjadi mahir, lalu dia terdidik dan berbudaya (thaqif). Dia telah memahami (thaqifa) sesuatu bahasa (bermakna) dia telah menguasainya dan memahaminya dengan pantas. Makna-makna linguistik ini menjadi asas penggunaan perkataan-perkataan tersebut. Namun, jika perkataan-perkataan ini digunakan untuk menunjukkan makna lain yang berkaitan dengan makna linguistik, maka itu dibenarkan, seperti dalam hal penggunaan perkataan fa’il (subjek) dalam tatabahasa, misalnya. Makna linguistik (perkataan-perkataan itu) adalah yang lebih menonjol, dan inilah sebabnya orang-orang terdahulu menggunakan perkataan ‘ilm untuk semua bentuk pengetahuan tanpa membezakan antara sains dan disiplin ilmu. Kemudian, orang ramai mula menganggap disiplin intelek dan alam semula jadi sebagai umum kepada semua orang, manakala disiplin tradisional (berasaskan teks) lain dianggap khusus kepada bangsa dari mana ia dipindahkan. Seterusnya, setiap daripada ‘ilm (sains) dan thaqafa (kebudayaan) mula ditakrifkan mengikut disiplin khusus yang berbeza, memperoleh makna istilah yang berbeza daripada makna linguistiknya. Menurut istilah ini, ia mempunyai makna berikut: ‘ilm (sains) ialah pengetahuan yang diperoleh melalui pemerhatian, eksperimen dan pendidikan, seperti fizik, kimia dan sains empirikal yang lain; dan thaqafa (kebudayaan) ialah pengetahuan yang diperoleh melalui pemindahan, pembelajaran dan deduksi, seperti kajian sejarah, bahasa, fiqh, falsafah dan disiplin bukan empirikal yang lain. Terdapat juga disiplin bukan empirikal lain yang dimasukkan sebagai sains (‘ilm), walaupun ia tergolong dalam budaya (thaqafa), seperti aritmetik, kejuruteraan dan perindustrian. Walaupun tergolong di bawah budaya (thaqafa), ia dianggap sebahagian daripada sains kerana ia bersifat sejagat bagi semua manusia dan tidak khusus kepada mana-mana satu bangsa. Begitu juga dengan apa sahaja daripada budaya yang berkaitan dengan kraf yang menyerupai perindustrian, seperti perdagangan dan perkapalan; ia dianggap sebahagian daripada sains dan bersifat sejagat. Adapun seni, seperti lukisan, arca dan muzik, ia merupakan sebahagian daripada budaya. Ia mengikut suatu sudut pandangan tertentu, iaitu budaya yang khusus. Perbezaan antara budaya (thaqafa) dan sains (‘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)

Sains adalah sejagat bagi semua bangsa dan tidak khusus kepada mana-mana bangsa dengan mengecualikan bangsa lain. Adapun budaya (thaqafa), ia mungkin bersifat khusus, kerana dinisbahkan kepada bangsa dari mana ia terhasil, atau ia mungkin menjadi sebahagian daripada ciri-ciri khusus dan tersendiri sesuatu bangsa, seperti kesusasteraan dan biografi wira-wira, serta falsafah mereka tentang kehidupan, atau ia mungkin bersifat sejagat, seperti perdagangan, pelayaran dan seumpamanya. Oleh itu, sains diterima secara sejagat daripada semua bangsa kerana ia bersifat sejagat dan tidak khusus kepada mana-mana bangsa tertentu. Adapun budaya (thaqafa), sesuatu bangsa hendaklah bermula dengan budayanya sendiri; apabila ia telah mempelajarinya dan mengetahuinya dengan mendalam sehingga ia menjadi tertumpu dalam fikiran mereka, barulah mereka boleh mempelajari budaya-budaya lain. Orang Islam dahulu biasa membezakan antara ilmu-ilmu yang seseorang perolehi sendiri dengan ilmu-ilmu yang dia terima daripada 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:

Beliau juga berkata: "Ilmu-ilmu rasional atau semula jadi adalah milik bersama semua bangsa, kerana manusia sampai kepadanya secara semula jadi melalui pemikirannya. Adapun ilmu-ilmu naqli (berdasarkan nas) adalah khusus bagi agama Islam dan para penganutnya." Nampaknya apa yang dimaksudkan Ibn Khaldun dengan mengkhususkan ilmu-ilmu naqli kepada millah Islam hanyalah sebagai contoh, kerana bangsa-bangsa selain bangsa Islam juga mempunyai ilmu-ilmu berdasarkan nas yang khusus bagi mereka, seperti perundangan dan bahasa mereka. Kenyataan Ibn Khaldun tidak menunjukkan bahawa beliau membezakan antara ilmu dan budaya. Ia hanya menunjukkan bahawa beliau membezakan antara ilmu naqli dan ilmu rasional. Kata-katanya bukanlah bukti bahawa orang Islam dahulu membezakan antara ilmu dan budaya, sebaliknya ia membuktikan bahawa orang Islam dahulu hanya membezakan antara disiplin-disiplin ilmu. Maka mereka membahagikannya kepada dua bahagian. Namun pembahagian mereka adalah dari segi cara umum pemerolehannya, bukan dari segi kaedah pemerolehannya. Justeru mereka menamakannya ilmu rasional, iaitu yang diperoleh melalui akal, dan ilmu naqli, iaitu yang diperoleh daripada nas. Akan tetapi, orang hari ini membezakan antara disiplin-disiplin ilmu dari segi cara ia diterima. Maka mereka menggunakan istilah 'ilm' ke atas apa sahaja yang diperoleh melalui kaedah empirikal, dan menggunakan istilah 'thaqafa' (budaya) ke atas apa sahaja yang diperoleh melalui cara selain kaedah empirikal.

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