Islamization: Reforming Contemporary Knowledge

Islamization: Reforming Contemporary Knowledge addresses the fundamental intellectual crisis confronting contemporary Muslim societies with systematic clarity and scholarly rigor. Dr. ?Abdul Hamid Ahmad Abu Sulayman, a pioneering figure in Islamic intellectual reform and Rector of the International Islamic University, Malaysia, presents both a penetrating diagnosis of the Ummah's predicament and a comprehensive prescription for renewal through the systematic Islamization of knowledge itself. The work traces the historical roots of intellectual stagnation to the critical split between political and intellectual leadership that emerged after the era of the Rightly Guided Caliphs. As political rulers adopted oppressive measures to maintain power, religious scholars—marginalized and persecuted—retreated into abstract theorizing disconnected from practical realities. This bifurcation sealed the gates of ijtihad and created intellectual paralysis that persists today, preventing creative responses to modern challenges. Abu Sulayman argues that neither blind traditionalism nor wholesale Westernization can address the Ummah's needs. Instead, he calls for original reconstruction of Islamic knowledge foundations through three interconnected reforms: rectifying the relationship between divine revelation and reason by eliminating false dichotomies that either elevate reason above revelation or suppress it entirely; redefining the scope of knowledge to recognize that modern complexity requires interdisciplinary specialists combining contemporary expertise with deep Islamic grounding; and establishing integrated educational infrastructure that eliminates dualism between “Islamic” and “secular” knowledge. The work's extended case study on political science demonstrates this methodology concretely, offering sophisticated analyses of classical concepts like khilafah and shura while critiquing uncritical adoption of Western terms like “democracy” and “sovereignty. ” Abu Sulayman distinguishes genuine Islamic political principles from both romantic idealization and apologetic distortion, showing how eternal values can be applied to contemporary circumstances without compromising foundational commitments. Written with scholarly precision yet passionate commitment to Islamic revival, the text avoids defensive apologetics while maintaining confidence in Islam’s ultimate viability. Originally published in the American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences and issued as an IIIT Occasional Paper, this work has influenced generations of Muslim scholars and reformers. Essential reading for students and scholars of Islamic thought, Muslim intellectuals committed to civilizational renewal, educators developing reformed curricula, and anyone seeking substantive understanding of contemporary Islamic intellectual movements, this volume provides a methodological blueprint for authentic Islamic engagement with modernity—one that remains urgently relevant decades after its initial publication. Table of Contents: I. The Crisis of Knowledge A. How the Crisis of Knowledge Began B. The Split in Leadership II. The Present Crisis in Islamic Thought A. Rectifying the Relationship between Revelation and Reason B. Redefining the Scope of Knowledge C. Establishing an Islamic Infrastructure and Education III. The Islamization of a Discipline: Political Science A. Examples of Deficiency B. Al Khilafah: A Case Study in Confusion C. Un-Islamic Concepts and Terminology Democracy Sovereignty Separation of Church and State D. Political Studies in Muslim Universities