Muslim Backwardness and Rejection of The Discipline of Religious Studies

Abstract

According to the QS World University Rankings for Theology, Divinity, and
Religious Studies 2024, religious studies in Muslim regions are inadequately developed.
The Muslims' dismissal of religious studies is intricately linked to the underdevelopment
of the field. Nevertheless, the dismissal of religious studies by Muslims is frequently
regarded as commonplace without additional scrutiny. This study aimed to examine the
Muslim aversion to religious studies and propose solutions to address the
underdevelopment of religious studies within the Islamic world. Western religious
scholars have frequently positioned modern European history, particularly secularism,
as the core of their explanation of religion. For them, scientific examinations of religion
must exclude the sacred aspect of religion. Consequently, Muslims perceive that their
interpretation of Islam is limited. The hostility and rejection of religious studies by
Muslims fundamentally signify a repudiation of secularism, which negates the
transcendence of God and dismisses the role of religion in society. The debate on
religious studies has not established a neutral environment for Muslims. The author
contemplates this antagonism to counter the narrative surrounding religious studies.
This study aimed to develop Muslim conflict as a contemporary phenomenon,
integrating religious studies, particularly Islamic studies, into Islam's worldview or
epistemology framework, devoid of any characterization as non-rational or nonscientific.
The underdevelopment of religious studies in Muslim nations is attributed to
a deficiency of experts educated in contemporary academic approaches to religion. The
normative-doctrinal approach has thus far been the predominant method employed by
Muslim scholars in the study of Islam. To address the stagnation of religious studies in
the Islamic world, Muslim scholars must amalgamate the normative-doctrinal approach
with the social sciences methodology.