Strategic Management of Organizational Knowledge

Strategic Management of Organizational Knowledge

Intuitive Knowledge Management Based on Islamic Sources

Document Type : Editor's Note

Author
Associate Professor, Intellectual Capital Management, Faculty of Management, Imam Hossein University, Tehran, Iran, tavallaei@ihu.ac.ir
10.47176/SMOK.2026.2084
Abstract
Knowledge management has primarily focused on the creation, acquisition, storage, sharing, and application of knowledge. However, comparatively less attention has been paid to how knowledge is formed in organizational actors and how organizations should engage with forms of knowing that are not yet fully articulable. This paper aims to conceptualize intuitive knowledge management on the basis of Islamic epistemological and anthropological foundations. Adopting a conceptual–analytical approach, it examines the knowledge management literature, its philosophical foundations, and selected Islamic teachings concerning knowledge and knowing, knowledge by presence and acquired knowledge, validity, consultation, justice, and responsibility, and explores their implications for intuitive knowledge management. From the perspective of Islamic epistemology, a defining characteristic of intuitive knowledge is its infallibility. Intuitive knowledge is regarded as a form of human knowledge by presence (ʿilm al-ḥuḍūrī), which, according to the majority of Islamic philosophers and sages, is considered free from error in itself. This infallibility, however, does not extend to interpretations and conceptualizations of knowledge by presence, which constitute forms of acquired knowledge (ʿilm al-ḥuṣūlī). Accordingly, recognizing intuition as a legitimate mode of knowing does not imply that every personal perception should be accepted as valid. A clear distinction must therefore be maintained among knowledge by presence, mystical unveiling (kashf), insight (baṣīrah), wisdom (ḥikmah), and professional intuitive judgment. On this basis, an intuitive knowledge management cycle is proposed, comprising six interconnected stages: cultivation of the knower, contextualized perception, narration and dialogue, assessment of validity and rightness, action and feedback, and revision of the knower and organizational practice. The proposed framework suggests that intuitive knowledge management can be distinguished from personal conjecture when an initial perception is subjected to articulation, dialogue, evidence, critical scrutiny, consideration of the rights of others, and feedback. Rational reflection, truth-seeking, epistemic humility, consultation, justice, and accountability function as regulating values throughout this cycle. An Islamic approach to intuitive knowledge management does not position intuition as a substitute for reason or evidence. Rather, it treats intuitive knowing as a form of perception that should be made open to dialogue, evaluation, and revision. This perspective can provide a conceptual foundation for future research and for developing organizational mechanisms through which intuitive knowledge may be evaluated and validated. Furthermore, within an Islamic anthropological perspective, human beings may cultivate themselves and develop their existential capacities, thereby enhancing their receptivity to divine knowledge and preparing themselves to receive divine grace in the bestowal of intuitive knowledge.

Graphical Abstract

Intuitive Knowledge Management Based on Islamic Sources

Highlights

  1. Intuitive insights should be discussed, examined, and evaluated before acceptance.
  2. Cultivating the knower is the first step in using intuitive insights responsibly.
  3. Dialogue and evidence make personal insights more open to careful evaluation.
  4. Intuition complements reason and evidence rather than replacing them in decisions.
  5. Justice, consultation, and accountability support responsible use of intuition.

Keywords
Subjects

Copyright ©, Rouhollah Tavallaei

License

Published by Imam Hossein University. This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) licence. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this licence may be seen at http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode

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