Epistemic Justice and the Right to Know

Sor Juana's exclusion from formal education was not incidental but central to her oppression: keeping women ignorant served patriarchal control. Contemporary epistemic injustice works similarly—some people's knowledge is dismissed, some communities lack access to information and education, some voices are treated as unreliable simply based on identity rather than evidence. Islamic adl demands epistemic justice: the right to know, to learn, to have one's testimony respected, to participate in the production and interpretation of knowledge. The Prophet Muhammad emphasized seeking knowledge from cradle to grave and commanded education for all believers. Yet in many Muslim contexts, barriers remain: girls denied schooling, poor communities without resources, minorities marginalized from intellectual institutions. Sor Juana's life demonstrates that epistemic justice is not separate from but foundational to other forms of justice. When people are kept ignorant, they cannot recognize injustice, advocate for their rights, or participate in governance. For Muslims serious about adl, this means prioritizing educational access, supporting diverse voices and knowledge systems, and resisting gatekeeping that privileges some knowers over others. Creating pathways to knowledge for all is a form of worship aligned with divine justice.