Muslim Epistemology in Contemporary age: A case study of International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT) on Islamization of Knowledge
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2013
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Abstract
Epistemology or theory of knowledge has a close relationship with human thought and action at individual level as well as at society. Islamic Epistemology has been given due importance in the Quran and Hadith. Its nature, sources, characteristics and limits have been described by the Islamic scholars and determined within the light of Islamic principles. Epistemology has flourished within the Islamic paradigm in the early days of Islam but lost its glory and identity due to the Muslim’s decline especially in education. The influence of the European colonial rule and Western educational system brought modernity and secularism in all fields of life. Different Muslim scholars and institutions have made efforts regarding the development of aneducational system in their own paradigm; some of them succeeded to some extent while some failed because the roots of the problem have never been tackled and social sciences were never taught from Islamic perspective. Thus the notion of “Islamization of Knowledge” was first started by an eminent scholar Ismail Raji al-Faruqi who gave it a practical form in the establishment of IIIT (International Institute of Islamic Thought). The purpose of IIIT is to Islamize knowledge, to revive and reform Islamic thought and to rebuild a competent, efficient and productive Ummah.However Al-Faruqi’s project focused entirely on the humanities which should be broadened to include all kinds of knowledge starting from the lower grades at school level up to the higher level University education. To developan educational system on the Islamic world view, a deeply perceptive and well planned step by step process needs to be elaborated. This goal can be achieved only if all the Muslim leaders, scholars and intellectuals cooperate and collaborate with the IIITusing all their material and intellectual resources for a successful venture.
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M.Phil Thesis, Islamic Thought and Civilization