‘Islamic Epistemology’ in a Modern Context: Anatomy of an Evolving Debate

ABSTRACT

This paper critically analyses how Islamization of Knowledge (IOK), Radical Reform (RR), and Maqasid Methodology (MM), three distinct Islamic intellectual projects, attempted to develop discourses of Islamic epistemology in facing contemporary developments of natural and social sciences. Mainly, the paper focuses on similarities, differences, and potential contributions of all three projects respectively. Initially, this paper observes that IOK, RR, and MM have solid agreements among themselves in defining the core crisis of the modern Islamic intellectual tradition, as well as in highlighting the importance of inclusion of Islamic primary sources and its normative guidance in the process of reorienting modern knowledge. Equally, each of those projects presents itself as a new reflection of Islamic primary texts considering current intellectual challenges. Nevertheless, this paper further finds that all three projects have deep disagreements among themselves in terms of defining the scope of epistemic authority of revelation, reason, and spirituality and thereby offer three different visions of Islamic epistemic schema in facing modern knowledge. Finally, this paper reflects how these differences could potentially impact visions of an alternative education system from an Islamic worldview.

KEYWORDS:

• Islamic epistemology
• Islamization of knowledge
• radical reform
• Maqasid Methodology

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No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Mohamed Fouz Mohamed Zacky

Mohamed Fouz Mohamed Zacky is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science at International Islamic University Malaysia. His research interests areas are Islam and contemporary political theory, Islamic political thought, and Islamic theory of knowledge.

Md Moniruzzaman

Md Moniruzzaman is an Associate Professor in the Department of International Relations at the University of Sharjah, UAE. His research interests cover comparative politics, Islamic political thought, and the political economy of the Muslim world.