Ash'arism is a school of theology in Sunni Islam named after Abu al-Hasan al-Ash'ari, a Shāfiʿī jurist, reformer (mujaddid), and scholastic theologian, in the 9th–10th century. It established an orthodox guideline, based on scriptural authority, rationality, and theological rationalism. It is one of the three main schools alongside Maturidism and Atharism.
Lois Lamya al-Faruqi was an American scholar and expert on Islamic art and music. She made contributions to the field of ethnomusicology, particularly in the study of Islamic musical culture, and co-authored the work The Cultural Atlas of Islam with her husband, Ismail al-Faruqi.
Ziauddin Sardar is a British-Pakistani scholar, award-winning writer, cultural critic and public intellectual who specialises in Muslim thought, the future of Islam, futurology and science and cultural relations. He wrote or edited more than 50 books Prospect magazine named him as one of Britain's top 100 public intellectuals and The Independent newspaper called him: 'Britain's own Muslim polymath'.
Contemporary Islamic philosophy revives some of the trends of medieval Islamic philosophy, notably the tension between Mutazilite and Asharite views of ethics in science and law, and the duty of Muslims and role of Islam in the sociology of knowledge and in forming ethical codes and legal codes, especially the fiqh and rules of jihad.
Muslim scholars have developed a spectrum of viewpoints on science within the context of Islam. Scientists of medieval Muslim civilization contributed to the new discoveries in science. From the eighth to fifteenth century, Muslim mathematicians and astronomers furthered the development of mathematics. Concerns have been raised about the lack of scientific literacy in parts of the modern Muslim world.
Anis Ahmad is a Pakistani social scientist, an educationist, and professor of Islam. He is recipient of award, by Higher Education Commission of Pakistan, awarded fellowship by the University Science Malaysia, also earned meritorious professorship at the International Islamic University, Islamabad, Pakistan. As first Vice-President of International Islamic University, Islamabad, he visualised and founded the Da’wah Academy of the I.I.U.I. He was the first Dean of the Faculty of Usul al-din and Faculty of Social Sciences of the IIU at Islamabad. He was first Dean of the Faculty of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences of the International Islamic University, Malaysia.
Ismail Raji al-Faruqi was a Palestinian-American philosopher who worked extensively in Islamic studies and interfaith dialogue. He spent several years at Al-Azhar University in Cairo and taught at universities in North America, including McGill University in Montreal, Canada. Al-Faruqi was a Professor of Religion at Temple University, where he founded and chaired the Islamic Studies program. He also founded the International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT). Al-Faruqi authored over 100 articles and 25 books, including Christian Ethics: A Historical and Systematic Analysis of Its Dominant Ideas (1967) and Al-Tawhid: Its Implications for Thought and Life (1982).
The Muslim Institute is an intellectual organisation based in London, United Kingdom. Established in 1973, the organisation was re-launched in 2009 as a fellowship society and was modelled on "futawwah" clubs, groups that promoted a virtuous life based on knowledge, humility, magnanimity, hospitality, social work and the service of humanity during the Islamic Golden Age. The Institute promotes pluralism, innovation and creativity while also encouraging open debate and discussion on issues pertaining to Islam, Muslims and Muslim societies.
Mona Abul-Fadl (1945-2008) was a scholar of contemporary Western thought and women's studies. She was associated with the International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT) and later with what is now known as Cordoba University. Her research interests included political theory, comparative politics, Islam and the Middle East, epistemology, and feminist scholarship.
In traditionalist philosophy, desacralization of knowledge or secularization of knowledge is the process of separation of knowledge from its perceived divine source—God or the Ultimate Reality. The process reflects a paradigm shift in modern conception of knowledge in that it has rejected divine revelations as well as the idea of spiritual and metaphysical foundations of knowledge, confining knowledge to empirical domain and reason alone. Although it is a recurrent theme among the writers of the Traditionalist school that began with René Guénon, a French mystic and intellectual who earlier spoke of "the limitation of knowledge to its lowest order", the process of desacralization of knowledge was most notably surveyed, chronicled and conceptualized by the Iranian philosopher Seyyed Hossein Nasr in his 1981 Gifford Lectures that were later published as Knowledge and the Sacred.
In perennial philosophy, scientia sacra or sacred science is a form of spiritual knowledge that lies at the heart of both divine revelations and traditional sciences, embodying the very essence of every sacred tradition. It recognizes sources of knowledge beyond those accepted by modern epistemology, such as divine revelations and intellectual intuition. Intellectual intuition is believed to allow access to an innate knowledge of God, which is to be reawakened through the use of human intellect. The principles and doctrines of scientia sacra are derived from reason, revelation, and intellectual intuition, with the conviction that these sources of knowledge can be reconciled in a hierarchical order, and applied in the human quest to understand different orders of reality. Its objective is to show how the transmitted, intellectual, and physical sciences are related and unified within the framework of metaphysics, as traditionally defined.
In traditionalist philosophy, resacralization of knowledge is the reverse of the process of secularization of knowledge. The central premise is that knowledge is intimately connected to its perceived divine source—God or the Ultimate Reality—which has been severed in the modern era. The process of resacralization of knowledge seeks to reinstate the role of intellect—the divine faculty believed to exist in every human being—above and beyond that of reason, as well as to revive the role of traditional metaphysics in acquiring knowledge—especially knowledge of God—by drawing on sacred traditions and sacred science that uphold divine revelations and the spiritual or gnostic teachings of all revealed religions. It aims to restore the primordial connection between God and humanity, which is believed to have been lost. To accomplish this, it relies on the framework of tawhid, which is developed into a comprehensive metaphysical perspective emphasizing the transcendent unity of all phenomena. Iranian philosopher Seyyed Hossein Nasr elaborated on the process of resacralization of knowledge in his book Knowledge and the Sacred, which was presented as Gifford Lectures in 1981.
'Urubah and Religion: A Study of the Fundamental Ideas of Arabism and of Islam as Its Highest Moment of Consciousness (1962) is a scholarly work by Isma'il Raji al-Faruqi, published by Djambatan N.V. The book explores the concept of Arabism, examining its historical, ethical, and spiritual dimensions, and its relationship with Islam. It was meant to be the first volume in the "On Arabism" series, which planned to further explore themes of art, society, and human existence in the context of Arabism. However, these later volumes were never completed as al-Faruqi later focused on broader Islamic thought, moving away from the specific framework of Arabism.
Christian Ethics: A Historical and Systematic Analysis of Its Dominant Ideas (1967) is a scholarly work by Isma'il Raji al-Faruqi, first published in 1967. It explores Christian ethical thought from both historical and systematic perspectives, analyzing its development and key ideas. This work is part of a broader series by al-Faruqi that examines religious and ethical principles across different faiths. The book is noted for its critical stance on the development of Christian theological doctrines and its advocacy for a rational, coherent ethical framework. The publisher emphasized the unique value of this work as the first major Muslim attempt to examine Christian dogma and ethics on their own terms. The book has been reviewed and critiqued by various scholars, including a notable review from a Christian perspective.
Meta-religion is a theoretical framework aimed at understanding and comparing various world religions by identifying common principles and values that transcend individual traditions. This concept seeks to foster a critical and rational examination of religious beliefs and practices, promoting a unified perspective that integrates diverse religious experiences. The idea of meta-religion is particularly significant within Islamic thought, where it is seen as a way to harmonize the various religious experiences of humanity under a single, comprehensive framework.
The murder of the Faruqis occurred on May 27, 1986, at their home in Wyncote, Pennsylvania, United States. Ismail Raji al-Faruqi was a prominent Islamic scholar, and his wife, Lois Lamya, was a respected art historian who made significant contributions to ethnomusicology. The crime drew significant attention due to the couple's academic prominence and the brutality of the attack.
The Cultural Atlas of Islam is a reference work by Isma'il Raji al-Faruqi and Lois Lamya al-Faruqi, published posthumously in 1986. The book provides an extensive overview of Islamic civilization, covering various aspects such as history, geography, culture, art, and science. It aims to contribute to the understanding of the diverse heritage of Islam.
Al-Tawhid: Its Implications for Thought and Life is a book by Isma'il Raji al-Faruqi, first published in 1982. The work explores the central Islamic concept of Tawhid, the oneness and unity of God, and its implications for various aspects of life and thought.
Islam and the Problem of Israel is a book by Ismail Raji al-Faruqi, first published in 1980 by the Islamic Council of Europe. The book examines the historical and contemporary issues surrounding the state of Israel from an Islamic perspective.
Islamization of Knowledge: General Principles and Work Plan is a book published by the International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT) in 1981. The primary authors are Ismail al-Faruqi, who played a significant role in the initial edition, and Abdul Hamid AbuSulayman, who revised and expanded the work in later editions. The book outlines a comprehensive strategy for integrating Islamic principles with contemporary education and knowledge systems. It addresses the intellectual and methodological challenges within the Muslim world and proposes reforms to align modern disciplines with Islamic values. The work is considered influential in the field of Islamic education reform.
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