Abstract

 In fact, the study of Islam as a religion has a long history in the Muslim world. With the expansion of Islam as well as with the establishment of Muslim empires at different places, the study of Islam got a considerable attention from Muslim scholars and intellectuals. These scholars and intellectuals began to study Islam in educational institutions. However , the study of Islam at academic level is a contemporary approach which is commonly known as 'Islamic Studies '.The Study of Islam at academic level covers multiple courses: Islamic civilization, culture, history, religion, Social Science, Islamic scientific heritage, Islamic Philosophy, Sufism, spirituality, comparative study of religions, gender studies, Islamic economics and finance, human rights, Islam and Modernity, modern challenges to Islam, Islam and Science Islam and West, etc.
Introduction
Islamic studies is a contemporary approach to study Islam at academic level .It covers various courses like Islamic civilization, ,culture, history, religion, Social science, Islamic scientific heritage, Islamic philosophy, Sufism, spirituality, comparative study of religions, Islamic jurisprudence, Islamic economics and finance, interfaith dialogue, etc with comparative and interdisciplinary approaches. It is an academic expression against the Western penetration of the Muslim countries and a response against European colonialism.

Islamic Studies in the West

The colonial period witnessed the development of Islamic studies in the western countries at academic level. To serve their colonial interests, scholarly study of Islam began at different academic institutions of Western countries. Since their motive was economic and political hegemony of the Muslim countries, therefore, they began to study the Muslim societies. On the other hand, this Western study aimed at distorting the original image of Islam. The term 'Orientalism' is the product the Western study of Islam. Similarly the term 'Isl amophobia', which is an inseparable part of Western study of Muslim societies is also outcome of Western study of Islam. However, later on it became an academic discipline in the Western countries, although the bias and prejudice exits continually. The dominant feature of religious studies in the west is that it focuses on the truth about religion rather than the truth or falsity of religion.

Islamic Studies in the Muslim Countries

The interaction between Islamic and Western civilizations, emergence of new economic and political challenges, rise of Islamophobia and orientalist approach to study Islam during mid eighteenth century were some reasons which inclined Muslim scholars and intellectuals towards the scholarly study of Islam. Furthermore, the trend of modernism and new scientific discoveries were also responsible for introducing Islamic studies at academic level in the Muslim countries. It was the period of democracy, machinery and free thought. Actually it was a response against the Western penetration of the Muslim countries.
In subcontinent, primarily the revivalist movements played a vital role in this regard. It was an academic expression against the Western colonialism. Multiple educational institutions were established for the scholarly study of Islam. In this regard the universities of Aligarh, Decca, Karachi and Punjab can be mentioned. Islamic studies, for multiple centuries possessed a vast curriculum, theological, linguistic and legal subjects, philosophy and science constituted main courses in Islamic studies. In contemporary time , Islamic studies at different educational institutions overs a vast number courses including comparative study of religions, interfaith dialogue, issues related to Islamic jurisprudence, etc. Nevertheless there is a dire need to introduce research methodology course at college level for undergraduate students and at University level for postgraduate students who are inclined towards research in the Islamic studies field, because they can easily understand the aims and objectives of research in Islamic studies, as well as it will prove helpful to frame a positive image of Islam in the front of West and to clear all the misconceptions and misunderstandings about Islam. Similarly the Arabic language as a main course in Islamic studies at different academic institutions , has no less importance. Because Arabic language helps to understand the Qur'an through Qur'an.

Writer is Research Scholar at IUST, dept of Islamic Studies
EMAIL:-----niyazahlone@gmail.com