Ibn Khaldun's biography: unveiling global history and the sociology of modern civilization

Mohd Noor Merican, Ahmad Murad (2022) Ibn Khaldun's biography: unveiling global history and the sociology of modern civilization. Al-Shajarah, 27 (2). pp. 5-35. ISSN 1394-6870

PDF - Published Version Restricted to Registered users only Download (1MB)

Abstract

Ibn Khaldūn and his Muqaddimahis a continuing project on the European intellectual map. For a long time, most ofhis workswasstudiedby the French. The same cannot be said of the Malaysian intellectual Malaysian landscape. Ibn Khaldūn, of course, makes an attractive option for academic courses and readings in a variety of disciplines. This essay attempts to recast Ibn Khaldūn in the Malaysian intellectual landscape viz discourses on global history and approaching the study of civilization from a sociological and historical perspective. The sentiment echoes more of the Western engagement with the polymath. Malaysian university campuses are ambivalent. The Khaldunian corpus is almost non existent.The West has attempted to modernize Ibn Khaldūn. Some have construed this as “denaturing” him, accusing the thinker of “anticipatory plagiarism.” The Muslim world has been subdued in defending such accusations against him. There is no worthy defence. This essay uses the framework from Robert Irwin in his Ibn Khaldun: An Intellectual Biography. We ask who was Ibn Khaldūn writing for? For the state and authority? Orfor himself?Some of the earliest beneficiaries of the Khaldunian corpus was the Ottoman state. This essay notes the disconnect between Ibn Khaldūn and the practice of modern history and social science.The Muqaddimahhas largely been ignored as course or astext in the various social science disciplines. The corpus is not seen as providing an alternative form of knowledge. Irwin, however, provides a critical examination of IbnKhaldūn’s magnum opus, and the political and intellectual climate that he thrived on. As a scholar, Ibn Khaldūn was partisan and certainly close to political

Item Type:	Article (Journal)
Subjects:	D History General and Old World > D History (General) D History General and Old World > D History (General) > D204 Modern History H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General) H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General) > H57 Biography
Kulliyyahs/Centres/Divisions/Institutes (Can select more than one option. Press CONTROL button):	International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilization (ISTAC)
Depositing User:	PROF. DR. AHMAD MURAD MOHD NOOR MERICAN
Date Deposited:	07 Jun 2023 16:17
Last Modified:	07 Jun 2023 17:10
URI:	http://irep.iium.edu.my/id/eprint/104931

Actions (login required)

View Item