Curated Ignorance and Islamic Epistemology: Postcolonial Perspectives on Secularism, Misinterpretation, and Knowledge Production

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This paper examines the phenomenon of curated ignorance in modern secular discourse and its impact on the representation of Islamic epistemologies. Building on Shabbir Akhtar’s critique of secular reason and drawing from Islamic philosophical traditions, the study argues that contemporary liberal thought often dismisses religious reasoning through an epistemology of exclusion that privileges empirical knowledge while marginalizing alternative intellectual traditions. At the same time, epistemic irresponsibility within Muslim communities, manifested through patriarchal misinterpretations of Quranic texts, reinforces external misconceptions and contributes to the production of distorted religious knowledge. By integrating agnotology with postcolonial critiques of knowledge production, the paper demonstrates how both Western academic structures and internal religious authorities participate in manufacturing ignorance. Through analysis of feminist scholarship, Islamic logic, and case studies of suppressed Indigenous knowledge, the study reveals how hierarchical epistemologies sustain colonial biases and obscure Islam’s foundational emphasis on reason, inquiry, and critical reflection. The paper ultimately calls for a decolonial re-evaluation of religious knowledge frameworks and advocates for inclusive, contextually grounded approaches to Islamic reasoning that challenge dominant secular narratives.