Call for Papers

Date: April 23-24, 2019

Venue: Islamic University of Applied Sciences Rotterdam, The Netherlands

Deadline for Proposals: March 11, 2019

Organizers: Dr Hossam Mohamed and Ertugrul Gokcekuyu

This workshop will focus on Islamic Modernity, Reform and Tajdid (Renovation). Participants are invited to share papers from their research as a basis for discussion of the possible insights to be gained by bringing critical approaches to the category ‘religion’ to bear on our study of Islam.

With the rise of modernity in Europe and its spread to the other constituents of the world, Muslim scholars felt a dire need of Islamic reform and renewal although to a limited extent, which went on growing in the later times. The type of responses addressed toward modernity were varied, some betrayed traditional attitude of rejection, while some others accepted the modernity with no scrutiny, and this group were mostly from elite class of society, somehow involved with political institutions who tried to conform Islamic institutions with western models…

The focus was not given merely to the analysis of traditions and adopting the changes of realities. Rather, immense dedications were put simultaneously to Islamize human sciences and to structure theories combine the unchangeable Islamic principles of creeds and jurisprudence, effective from old and the useful from new. (النافع الجديد و الصالح القديم)

Questions:

1. What do we mean by Islamic reform (Islah) (إصلاح) and Renewal (Tajdid) (تجديد) in Islamic Thought?

2. Is Islamic reform mandatory or a choice? Is there a need of civilizational renascence for Muslims?

3. Why many of religious text and traditions need to be revisited or restudied and contextualized in terms of changeable realities?

4. What are the fields required to be reformed for Islamic Revival?

5. Is Islamic renaissance possible in 21^st century? if yes, what are the primary prerequisites for Islamic Renaissance?

6. What are the gaps evident between the early renaissance and the required one?

7. What are the probable challenges Islamic Renaissance might face from Western civilization and modernity? And how we can solve the problems related to these challenges.

Source: The Islamic University of Applied Sciences Rotterdam