Struktur Pemikiran Epistemologi Al- Farabi dalam Mengembangkan Metode Hukum Islam Modern

Abstract

This study aims to construct the structure of Al-Farabi's epistemological thought as a foundation for developing a modern Islamic legal method relevant to contemporary dynamics. Amidst the complex challenges of modernity, Islamic legal methodology often faces a deadlock between textual rigidity and the demands of rationality. Al-Farabi, as a great Muslim philosopher, offered a unique synthesis of Aristotelian logic, revelation, and the demands of social welfare as embodied in the concept of Al-Madinah Al-Fadhilah. This study uses a library research method with a philosophical-hermeneutic approach. Data are analyzed through deductive steps to draw the relevance of Al-Farabi's epistemology to the contemporary Usul Fiqh framework. The results show that Al-Farabi's epistemology, which places reason as a tool for understanding universal essence (revelation), provides space for the development of a more dynamic and solution-oriented legal method without losing its transcendental value. Furthermore, this study finds that the effectiveness of the transformation of epistemology into Islamic law is highly dependent on the role of leadership. The concept of Rais (leader) in Al-Farabi's thought, which requires a combination of philosophical wisdom and political vision, serves as a crucial catalyst. A leader serves not only as an enforcer of the law, but also as a practical intellectual capable of translating epistemology into progressive policies (Siyasah Syar'iyyah). In conclusion, integrating Al-Farabi's epistemology into modern Islamic legal methodology requires transformative leadership possessing scientific integrity and dialectical skills to articulate Islamic law as a rational, ethical, and contextual system.