The literal meaning of this word and of its synonyms in other languages...

The literal meaning of this word and of its synonyms in other languages, such as dānesh and dānestan in Farsi, are clear and require no explanation; but*‘ilm* has various technical meanings, among which the most important are: Certain belief corresponding to reality, which is the opposite of simple and compound ignorance, even if used in a single proposition. The set of propositions considered to be relevant to one another, even if the propositions are singular and specific.

And it is in this sense that*‘ilm* is also applied to the science of history (knowing specific historical events), the science of geography (knowing the specific conditions of different areas on the globe), the science of rijāl [the study of the transmitters of hadiths] and biography. The set of universal propositions which are considered pivotal…