Role of Islamic Universities of The Modern Age Towards Islamization of Knowledge
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Date
2006-08
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Publisher
CRP (International Islamic University Chittagong)
Abstract
Knowledge (lim) is power. Islam makes "Education" or "Acquiring Knowledge" obligatory for eve/}' Muslim, male orfemale. Muslims considered seeking 'intellectual' or 'human' knowledge as 'lbadah' or religious service that brings blessings and pleasure of Allah, in the same way as they
considered seeking 'revealed' knowledge. According to Islam human knowledge has two main sources: Divine source and human source. So 'Knowledge' is obtained either through revelation or through human intuition, reason, rational thinking, deduction, experience or empirical observation. It is evident that there was no contradiction or conflict between clergy and scientists or between 'religious' and 'scientific' knowledge. Under the above circumstances Muslim scholars around the world struggled to find out solutions for this conflicting dualism in education. Their suggestions were establishment of 'Islamic University'. It was not meant only to facilitate higher
education and research in 'Islamic disciplines', but also to teach other disciplines of humanities and science in the light of Islamic perspective, Islamic thoughts, ideals and values. In other word
it was meant for 'Islamization of Knowledge'. Islamization has two-fold job: first: expanding, upgrading and modernizing Islamic disciplines, second: connecting all other disciplines to Islamic faith and values. The article identifies the roles played by the Islamic Universities especially i) AI-
Imam Muhammad Bin Saud Islamic University, Riyadh; ii) International Islamic University, Islamabad; iii) International Islamic University Malaysia; and ivy Islamic University, Kushtia, Bangladesh towards Islamization of knowledge. International Islamic University, Chittagong, Bangladesh also plays a vital role in Islamization of knowledge in Bangladesh. Thus it is seen that the universities in the Muslim countries were established upon a unique and unified Islamic system. Under this system they produced numerous scientists, philosophers, thinkers, intellectuals and scholars who preserved and developed the human heritage in all fields of humanities and
science, carried the torch of learning and led the world toward knowledge. These Universities also produced scholars in Islamic theology and jurisprudence, who mastered knowledge of the Holy Qura-n and Hadith. They knew all mailers affecting the lives of Muslims. They also had good command on all the disciplines from literature and philosophy to medicine and astronomy. They have got the clear-sighted, intuitive knowledge of Islamic law and ethics. They got the ability of '!jtihad'.
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Keywords
Islamic University, Islamization of Knowledge, Modern Age
Citation
Business Review, Vol-01, Article-07, August 2006 (Page 67-82)