On Reliability of Data: An Application of Mantiq Instrument in Islamic Research Methodology
Shahir Akram Hassan

Abstract
This paper intends to examine the level of reliability of data according to mantiq (Islamic logic) and its application in Islamic Research Methodology. Reliability of data plays an important role in conducting research. It influences the assessment of the data and determines the confidence of the results of the research. The question is, can the method of reliability in conventional research measures and analyzes the reliability of data in Islamicrelated research? Or is there any instrument derived from the knowledge of Islam itself that can be used to measure the reliability of data? Does mantiq actually have any instrument to measure the reliability of data? To answer these questions, this paper focuses on two discussions. First, the identification of the reliability of data according to mantiq. Second, the analyzation and application of the reliability of data in accordance to the mantiq in Islamic Research Methodology. This paper uses library research and content analysis. It finds out that in mantiq, there are four main instruments that could determine the level of reliability of data. They are Yaqin, Zann, Shakk and Batil. Out of these four, Yaqin is the highest, followed sequently by Zann, Shakk and Batil. The level of reliability of data is based on evidences. The stronger the evidence, the higher is the level of reliability. According to the mantiq’s reliability of data instruments, a data can be in the level of Yaqin if the source is from al-Qur’an and hadith even without empirical evidence. In contrary, Zann and Shakk only rely on either theoretical or empirical evidences or both, while batil does not has any evidence at all. All four levels of mantiq’s reliability of data explain that research on Islam and Muslim consider both, the al-Qur’an and the hadith which contains tangible and intangible evidences and empirical proofs which contains tangible evidences. This paper also suggests that all four levels of mantiq’s reliability of data instrument can be considered as a basis to build an Islamic measurement scale.

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