Jaffary Awang

Is an Islamic Scientific Study of Religion Possible? A Preliminary Discourse with Reference to the Muslim Scholarship in Religionswissenschaft

This paper 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 paper 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 paper 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.

Pendekatan Islamic Information & Services Foundation (IIS) dalam Pembudayaan Dialog antara Agama di Malaysia

Budaya dialog antara agama semakin mendapat perhatian di Malaysia. Aktiviti ini banyak digerakkan oleh badanbadan bukan kerajaan seperti Islamic Information & Services Foundation (IIS). Dalam membudayakan dialog antara agama di Malaysia, IIS mempunyai pendekatan dan gaya tersendiri. Pendekatannya ialah pendekatan berdasarkan level pemahaman dan pemikiran rakan atau sasaran dialog. Objektif kajian ini adalah untuk meneliti pendekatan sebuah daripada badan bukan kerajaan di Malaysia; Islamic Information & Services Foundation (IIS) dalam membudayakan dialog antara agama di Malaysia. Kajian ini berdasarkan analisis temu bual, rakaman video dan pemerhatian yang khusus tentang dialog antara agama dengan menggunakan pendekatan tematik. Kajian ini merumuskan bahawa pendekatan IIS dalam pembudayaan dialog antara agama ialah suatu yang praktikal dan relevan untuk dijadikan amalan kalangan masyarakat majmuk, khususnya di Malaysia.

Muslim Heritage in Religionswissenschaft : A Preliminary Study on the Purposiveness and the Non - Purposiveness of Muslim Scholarship

The history of the study of religions has begun as early as man initially questioned on religion. Throughout the history of the study of religion or religions, many scholars had emerged and contributed to this vocation. Many international scholars; be them from the east and west, Muslims or non-Muslims; recognize Muslim scholarship in religionswissenschaft. In sum, comparative study of religions is regarded as one of the great contributions of Muslim’s civilization to mankind’s intellectual progress. Nevertheless, when referring to the popular works of Muslim scholars in this discipline, most people will refer to only some treatises with negligence to the great bulk of Muslim Heritage in Religionswissenschaft. This paper will unravel this issue and propose an alternative categorization or taxonomy with regards to Muslim heritage in religionswissenschaft. The main reason for this effort is to guide the contemporary and future researchers to the great treatises of Muslim heritage in religionswissenschaft. Therefore, this categorization or taxonomy will chart the mapping of possible references for any prospective readings, researches and new findings. This categorization can assist one’s reading towards deeper understanding on issues in Muslim scholarship in religionswissenschaft. Likewise, this categorization can also help researchers to attain a better understanding of the opinion of any Muslim scholars in the field of comparative religion.