Islamization of Knowledge - General principles and work plan

Ismail Raji al-Faruqi, Dr. Abdul Hamid Abu Sulayman

• Publisher: Qadeem Press
• Year: 2025
• eBook ISBN: 9789366089973
• Edition: 2
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Islamic Theology

Islamization of Knowledge: General Principles and Work Plan represents a seminal contribution to contemporary Islamic thought, addressing the fundamental intellectual crisis facing Muslim societies through systematic analysis and comprehensive reform proposals. Authored by Dr. Ismail Rājī al-Fārūqī and Dr. Abdul Hamid Abū Sulayman, this work emerged from decades of scholarly reflection, institutional experience, and dialogue among Muslim intellectuals concerned with educational reform. Published by the International Institute of Islamic Thought, it articulates the theoretical foundations and practical strategies that have shaped Islamic educational reform movements worldwide.

The central thesis identifies the contemporary malaise of the Muslim Ummah as fundamentally intellectual rather than primarily political, economic, or military. The authors argue that centuries of decline have produced bifurcated educational systems where "Islamic" and "secular" tracks operate in isolation, producing graduates alienated from their heritage while unable to transcend Western models. This dualism has left Muslim youth intellectually disarmed—vulnerable to de-Islamization through university curricula that present alien ideologies as objective science while relegating Islam to private sentiment. The solution requires comprehensive educational reform grounded in authentic Islamic epistemology.

The work begins by diagnosing the Ummah's condition across political, economic, and cultural dimensions. Politically, the Muslim world has fragmented into nation-states with artificially drawn boundaries designed to perpetuate friction. Economically, Muslim societies remain dependent consumers of Western products and ideas, lacking self-sufficiency in essentials. Culturally, successive generations have undergone Westernization without critical examination, adopting alien values that contradict Islamic principles. These manifestations trace back to intellectual roots: the malaise of thought and methodology that has disconnected Muslims from their heritage while failing to equip them for creative engagement with contemporary challenges.

Educational systems occupy center stage in this crisis. Colonial administrators established secular institutions that marginalized Islamic knowledge, while traditional Islamic schools ossified into conservatism that divorced religious learning from contemporary relevance. This bifurcation persists in independent Muslim nations, where public funds overwhelmingly support secular universities that de-Islamize students through curricula devoid of Islamic vision. Meanwhile, Islamic institutions remain inadequately funded, unable to modernize their offerings or engage contemporary disciplines. Graduates from neither system possess the integrated knowledge necessary for addressing real-world challenges through Islamic frameworks.

The authors ground their reform proposal in first principles of Islamic methodology derived from Qur'anic revelation. The unity of Allah (tawhid) necessitates unity of creation, truth, knowledge, life, and humanity. These principles establish that revelation and reason cannot genuinely conflict since both emanate from the same Divine source. The cosmos operates according to consistent patterns (sunnan Allah) that constitute natural laws discoverable through reason. Revelation provides guidance on ultimate purposes and moral principles that reason alone cannot fully apprehend. Together, revelation and reason enable humans to fulfill their role as Allah's vicegerents (khalifah) on earth—transforming creation to manifest Divine patterns while choosing freely to fulfill moral obligations.

This integrated epistemology contrasts sharply with Western dichotomies between faith and reason, sacred and secular, spiritual and material. Islam recognizes no such divisions. Human activities—whether economic production, political organization, scientific research, or artistic creation—all fall within Islam's comprehensive scope. The manner of performing actions, not withdrawal from them, constitutes religious life. This worldview affirms life and history as arenas for realizing Islamic values rather than domains to escape.

The authors analyze how Islamic intellectual traditions deviated from these first principles. Closing the gates of ijtihad fossilized jurisprudence into rigid conformity. Separating thought from action relegated scholars to irrelevance while political leadership operated without moral guidance. Dichotomizing revelation and reason under Greek philosophical influence introduced alien categories. These deviations culminated in intellectual stagnation that left Muslim societies vulnerable to colonialism's comprehensive assault—military conquest followed by systematic cultural domination designed to estrange Muslims from their heritage.

The reform agenda addresses multiple dimensions. Creating awareness among scholars, students, and leaders about the intellectual crisis and its centrality to other problems forms the foundation. Crystallizing Islamic thought involves articulating how revelation addresses contemporary issues across disciplines. Mastering the Islamic legacy requires making classical sources accessible through classification projects that organize materials topically rather than chronologically. Mastering contemporary knowledge demands critical surveys of Western disciplines that examine their philosophical foundations, methodological assumptions, and ideological commitments.

The Islamization process itself involves recasting disciplines within Islamic frameworks. This requires Muslim scholars who command both the Islamic legacy and contemporary sciences to redefine problems, reinterpret data, reevaluate conclusions, and reproject goals in light of Islamic principles. The social sciences and humanities receive priority since their assumptions about human nature, societal organization, and historical processes directly embody worldview commitments. Behavioral sciences, education, and political science demand immediate attention as they shape individual formation and social structures.

Practical implementation involves producing university textbooks that present disciplines from Islamic perspectives. These works must demonstrate academic rigor while grounding analysis in Islamic epistemology. Preparing academic cadres through fellowship programs, graduate training, and institutional development ensures continuity. The agenda recognizes that Islamization represents an ongoing process requiring sustained scholarly effort across generations rather than a project completable by individual scholars.

The authors distinguish Islamization from Westernization and modernization. Westernization involves uncritical adoption of Western values and institutions regardless of compatibility with Islamic principles. Modernization often serves as euphemism for Westernization. Islamization, by contrast, represents authentic engagement with contemporary realities through Islamic frameworks. It affirms that Islamic principles can inform rigorous inquiry into natural and social phenomena while offering alternatives to secular paradigms. Muslims need not choose between their faith and contemporary knowledge; properly understood, Islamic epistemology demands engagement with empirical reality through reason guided by revelation.

This work addresses multiple audiences. Scholars gain theoretical foundations for research programs across disciplines. Educators receive practical guidance for curriculum development and textbook production. Students discover frameworks for integrating Islamic knowledge with specialized studies. Muslim leaders recognize education's centrality to comprehensive reform. The book's influence extends beyond Muslim contexts, as its critique of secular epistemology's limitations and its vision of integrated knowledge resonate with scholars worldwide questioning modernity's fragmentation of knowledge into isolated specializations.

Islamization of Knowledge remains essential reading for understanding contemporary Islamic educational reform. It documents the intellectual foundations of institutions like IIIT and similar organizations pursuing knowledge integration. The work demonstrates that Islamic civilization can resume its historical role as a transformative force by developing knowledge systems that address contemporary challenges while maintaining fidelity to revelation. Its systematic approach, comprehensive scope, and practical orientation make it indispensable for anyone engaged with Islamic educational reform or interested in alternative epistemologies that transcend secular-religious dichotomies.

Table of contents

• Introduction
• Chapter I: The problem
• Chapter II: The Task
• Chapter III: Traditional methodology
• Chapter IV: First principles of Islamic methodology
• Chapter V: Agenda of the Institute
• Chapter VI: Indispensable clarifications
• Chapter VII: Financial requirements