The Quest for an Islamic Methodology

Abstract

The Islamization of knowledge is one of the dominant themes thatcontinue to preoccupy contemporary Muslim intellectuals. Since Isma'ila1 Fiifiqi presented this thesis little over a decade ago, numerous papers,monographs, and books have been written on the subject. This paper attemptsto examine the progress of the project of Islamization in the lastdecade by outlining the general framework of Islamization and examiningthe work of its proponents and critics. Modifications aimed at overcomingthe difficulties inherent in the original plan are then proposed.I argue that the project of Islamization is still in its premethodologicalstage. This is due partially to the limitations of the original workplan, which does not take into account some important logistical and psychologicalfactors. I therefore propose a slightly modified strategy inwhich the emphasis is placed on a critical examination of methock andtechniques developed in both the classical Muslim and the modem Westemscientific traditions.Islamization FrameworkAny study concerned with analyzing writings on methodology in thecontext of the Islamization of knowledge has to start from the two essayswritten by al Faruqi (IIIT 1987). In this monograph, he Singled out twofactors as being responsible for the present condition of theummah-conditions he termed the "malaise of the ummah"-namely, thecutrent secular-religious duality of education systems in Muslim societies ...