Islamic studies
Encyclopedia : I : IS : ISL : Islamic studies
| Part of a of articles on Islam |
| Beliefs and practices |
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Oneness of God Profession of Faith Prayer • Fasting Pilgrimage • Charity |
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Muhammad • Ali Abu Bakr • Umar Household of Muhammad Companions of Muhammad Prophets of Islam |
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Qur'an • Hadith Jurisprudence • Theology Biographies of Muhammad Esotericism (Sufism) • Exotericism (Sharia) |
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| Sunni • Shi'a • Ibadi |
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Academics • Theology Philosophy • Science Art • Architecture • Cities Calendar • Holidays Women • ..in the Qu'ran Leaders • Politics Islamism • Liberalism |
| See also |
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Vocabulary of Islam |
- ''This is a sub-article to religious education, academic discipline, and Islam.
It is important to distinguish Islamicists from Islamists. The former generally are involved in the academic study of Islam and Islamic culture. The latter are, in Western usage of the term, individuals who seek to promulgate Islam as a political or governmental system.
In a Muslim context, Islamic Studies can be an umbrella term for all virtually all of academia as defined by the Islamization of knowledge. As such it includes all the traditional forms of religious thought, such as Islamic theology and Islamic jurisprudence. In addition, it assimilates fields generally considered to be secular in the West, such as Islamic science and Islamic economics. Many universities offer academic degrees in the subject.
Terms
It greatly aids understanding of these articles to be familiar with the list of Islamic terms in Arabic especially as used in early Muslim philosophy, since these provide the ontology on which all sects of Islam later built:
Subarticles
Islamic studies incorporates elements of :
Islamization of knowledge is a term which describes a variety of attempts and approaches to synthesize the ethics of Islam with various fields of modern thought.
The field of Islamic history includes the early development of Islam, as well as its continuation into the different rulers and denominations, and confluence of its philosophy and history where these affected each other:
The term "Muslim" is preferred here as no single "Islamic" view yet existed.
Islamic philosophy is a part of Islamic Studies. It is a longstanding attempt to create harmony between faith, reason or philosophy, and the religious teachings of Islam. A Muslim engaged in this field is called a Muslim philosopher.
It is divided in fields like:
Theology
Kalam (علم الكلم)is one of the 'religious sciences' of Islam. In Arabic the word means "discussion", and refers to the Islamic tradition of seeking theological principles through dialectic. A scholar of kalam is referred to as a mutakallam.
Mysticism
Sufism (Arabic: تصوف, taṣawwuf) is a mystic tradition of Islam based on the pursuit of spiritual truth as it is gradually revealed to the heart and mind of the Sufi (one who practices Sufism).
It might also be referred to as Islamic mysticism. While other branches of Islam generally focus on exoteric aspects of religion, Sufism is mainly focused on the direct perception of Truth or God through mystic practices based on divine love. Sufism embodies a number of cultures, philosophies, central teachings and bodies of esoteric knowledge.
Islamic jurisprudence
Islamic jurisprudence relates to everyday and social issues in the life of Muslims. It is divided in fields like:
- the study of sharia law
- Islamic economics
- Qur'an and Hadith studies
Islamic science is science in the context of traditional religious ideas of Islam, including its ethics and prohibitions. A Muslim engaged in this field is called a Muslim scientist
This is not the same as science as conducted by any Muslim in a secular context. Certain liberal movements in Islam eschew the practice of Islamic science, arguing that science should be considered separate from religion as it is today in the West. As in Catholicism however, believers argue that the guiding role of religion in forming ethics of science cannot be ignored and must impose absolute constraints on inquiry.
Islamic art, a part of the Islamic studies, has throughout history has been mainly abstract and decorative, portraying geometric, floral, Arabesque, and calligraphic designs. Unlike the strong tradition of portraying the human figure in Christian art, Islamic art does not include depictions of human beings. The lack of portraiture is due to the fact that early Islam forbade the painting of human beings, including the Prophet, as Muslims believe this tempts followers of the Prophet to idolatry. This prohibition against human beings or icons is called aniconism. Over the past two centuries, especially given increased contact with Western civilization, this prohibition has relaxed to the point where only the most orthodox Muslims oppose portraiture.
Islamic entertainment
- Islamic comedy
- Islamic movies
Islamic entertainment is entertainment regulated by Sharia.
This field includes the study of modern and classical Arabic and the litarature written in those languages. It also often includes other modern, classic or ancient languages of the Middle East and other areas that are or have been part of, or influenced by, Islamic culture, such as Hebrew, Turkish, Persian, Armenian and Uzbek.
Islamic architecture is the entire range of architecture that has evolved within Muslim culture in the course of the history of Islam. Hence the term encompasses religious buildings as well as secular ones, historic as well as modern expressions and the production of all places that have come under the varying levels of Islamic influence.
It is very common to mistake Persian Architecture for Islamic Architecture and thus advisable to read both articles.
- Early Muslim sociology
- Islamic And Western Sociological Thoughts
Islamic comparative religion is the study of religions in the view of Islam. This study may be undertaken from a conservative Muslim perspective, which often sees Judaism and Christianity as having been originally similar to Islam, and later developing away from the root monotheist religion. However, some liberal movements within Islam dispute the conservative view as being ahistorical; they claim that Islam is the end-result rather than the origin point of monotheist thought.
Islamic economics is economics in accordance with Islamic law. Because the Qur'an spoke against usury in the context of early Muslim society, it generally entails trying to remove or redefine interest rates from financial institutions. In doing so, Islamic economists hope to produce a more 'Islamic society'. However, liberal movements within Islam may deny the need for this field, since they generally see Islam as compatible with modern secular institutions and law.
Islamic athletics is athletics goverened by Sharia and evolved through the Islamic history.Parallel articles
- Early Muslim sociology
- Islamic And Western Sociological Thoughts
Islamic comparative religion is the study of religions in the view of Islam. This study may be undertaken from a conservative Muslim perspective, which often sees Judaism and Christianity as having been originally similar to Islam, and later developing away from the root monotheist religion. However, some liberal movements within Islam dispute the conservative view as being ahistorical; they claim that Islam is the end-result rather than the origin point of monotheist thought.
Islamic economics is economics in accordance with Islamic law. Because the Qur'an spoke against usury in the context of early Muslim society, it generally entails trying to remove or redefine interest rates from financial institutions. In doing so, Islamic economists hope to produce a more 'Islamic society'. However, liberal movements within Islam may deny the need for this field, since they generally see Islam as compatible with modern secular institutions and law.
Islamic athletics is athletics goverened by Sharia and evolved through the Islamic history.Parallel articles
| Islamic studies |
| Islamic science |
| Islamic science • Timeline of Islamic science • Astronomy • Medicine • Mathematics • Islamic Golden Age |
| Islamic art |
| Architecture • Pottery • Calligraphy • Music • Poetry • Literature |
| Others |
| History • Philosophy • Theology • Mysticism • Jurisprudence • Economics |
See also
External links
- [Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies]
- [Islamic Knowledge]
- [Institute of Islamic Studies at McGill University]
- [Article from The University of Chicago Chronicle]
- [Study Islamic Business in Indonesia]
- [A history of Islamic culture]
- [Islamic Civilization]
- [Muslim Philosophy]
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