A Preliminary Discourse on The Islamic Scientific Study of Religion With Reference To The Muslim Scholarship in Religionswissenschaft

• Main Author: Wan Razali, Wan Mohd Fazrul Azdi Bin
• Format: Article
• Language: en_US
• Published: Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia 2016
• Subjects: Islamic scientific study of religion; Muslim scholarship in religionswissenschaft; scientific methodology; Al-Biruni and Ibn Khaldun
• Online Access: http://ddms.usim.edu.my/handle/123456789/9825
• Institution: Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia

This article discusses the possibility of the Islamic scientific study of religion in the academia. In the Muslim scholarship of religionswissenschaft, many scholars had emerged and contributed to this particular field. Many international scholars; Muslims or non-Muslims alike; recognized Muslim scholarship in religionswissenschaft. However, no scholars ever acknowledge Muslim scholarship in religionswissenschaft as an Islamic scientific study of religion due to the issue of the relationship between religion and science, philosophies of science, as well as the demarcation theory. This article suggests that the Islamic scientific study of religion is possible based on the justifications highlighted by a number of scholars on the possibility of the Islamic science. In simulating the actual model of Islamic scientific study of religion, this article highlights preliminary and precursory samples found in the works of Al-Biruni and Ibn Khaldun on religions, altogether with the acknowledgements they received by modern readers of their epoch-making works.