Mughal, Muhammad Junaid and Mumtaz Ali, Mohammad (2026) The challenge of the development of Muslim mind: an analytical study of the discourse of Tāhā Jābir al-ʻAlwānī. Al-Itqān: Journal of Islamic Sciences and Comparative Studies, 11 (1). pp. 79-103. E-ISSN 2600-8432
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Abstract
This paper explores Ṭāhā Jābir al-ʻAlwānī’s (1935–2016) intellectual discourse, which identifies the contemporary crisis of the Muslim Ummahas a fundamental epistemological and methodological disorder, a “crisis of mind and thought.”It aims to analyse his vision on restoring the unity of knowledge by harmonizing revelation (waḥy) with reason (ʻaql) and empirical observation within a Tawḥīdicframework. The study employs an analytical and systematic approach to examine al-ʻAlwānī’s multi-dimensional framework for intellectual reform. It investigates his six discourses, which serve as a conceptual foundation for epistemological reconstruction, and his development of a Qur’ānicmethodology (Manhaj Qur’ānī). The research also analyzes hisprinciples for critical engagement with four primary knowledge domains: the Qur’ān, the Sunnah, Islamic intellectual heritage (turāth), and Western intellectual heritage. The study reveals that al-ʻAlwānī’s IOK project is an epistemological reform movement rather than a political or cultural slogan.Al-ʻAlwānīadvocates for a shift from atomistic, descriptive readings of sacred texts to thematic and purposive (maqāṣid-oriented) interpretations. He distinguishes between principled emulation (ittibāʻ) and blind imitation (taqlīd), urging the revival of ijtihādto address modern challenges like bioethics and environmental degradation. His discourse emphasizes methodological autonomy, liberating the Muslim mind from intellectual dependency on Western secular paradigms while maintaining a selective, constructive dialogue with them. Ultimately, the Islamization of Knowledge acts as a training ground to cultivate a disciplined, ethically conscious intellect capable of contributing to global human welfare through a unified vision of truth and morality.
| Item Type: | Article (Journal) |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | Al-ʻAlwānī, Islamization of Knowledge, Qurʿānic Methodology, Maqāṣid-Oriented Interpretations. |
| Subjects: | B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BJ Ethics > BJ1188 Religious ethics BPL Islamic education > BPL27 Aims and objectives of education. Sustainable education |
| Kulliyyahs/Centres/Divisions/Institutes (Can select more than one option. Press CONTROL button): | Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences > Department of Usul al-Din and Comparative Religion Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences > Department of Fundamental and Inter-Disciplinary Studies (Effective: 5th Feb 2014) |
| Depositing User: | Dr Muhammad Junaid Mughal |
| Date Deposited: | 16 Aug 2026 09:08 |
| Last Update: | 16 Aug 2026 09:08 |
| Queue Number: | 2026-08-Q4744 |
| URI: | http://irep.iium.edu.my/id/eprint/130797 |
| Indexed In: | Google Scholar |
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