«Науки об исламе» и «науки ислама»: тождество и различия

Abstract

On the assumption of the identity and differences between the “sciences of Islam” and “Islamic sci-ences”, the peculiarities of their subject matter, logic, and methodology of knowledge, the author substantiates the significance of combining the efforts and potential of various branches of Islamic studies in order to create the image of Islam adequate to the in-depth essence and forms of the Mus-lim religion and to overcome the stereotypical ideas thereof. The specific features of the “sciences of Islam” are derived from their initial focus on developing a value-neutral image of Islam formed by an outside researcher guided by the criteria of social and humanitarian knowledge. “Islamic scienc-es” are associated with their traditional orientation towards understanding Islam from within the religion itself, on the basis of unconditional faith in One Allah, the Islamic understanding of the world and man, as well as the cult, norms of behavior, and principles of Islamic doctrine prescribed from above. The article substantiates the danger of a content-related transformation of “Islamic sci-ences”, the prospect of losing their confessional essence and meaning in the event of their forced transformation into a scientific discipline that meets the criteria of social and humanitarian knowledge. Another subject to the author’s critical consideration is Islamology, which in recent dec-ades has established itself as a borderline branch of Islamic knowledge formed according to the can-ons of post-non-classical science. It is noted that Islamology, declaring itself a discipline that meets international standards of science, is based on the principles of critical analysis and dialogue with various humanities and social sciences and focuses on the paradigm of understanding God as the true goal of a scientist, actually transforms the problem of understanding the essence and existence of Islam into the problem of the essence and existence of Allah, which has always been and still re-mains the pivot of theology/theology of Islam.