by inspiration
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MUHAMMADIYAH.OR.ID, YOGYAKARTA – The dominance of Eurocentrism in the academic world, especially in Muslim-majority countries, has long marginalized Islamic epistemology. This has created a gap between traditional Islamic scholarship and modern university curricula.
This pressing issue was the main focus of the International Seminar on Islamic Studies with the theme “Islamic Framework on Decolonization” which was held on Friday (02/05), at the Muhammadiyah University of Yogyakarta (UMY).
Organized by the Center for Integrative Science and Islamic Civilization (CISIC) UMY, the event featured a keynote speech from Dr. Joseph EB Lumbard, a renowned scholar known for his criticism of Western academic hegemony. Meanwhile, Secretary of the Tarjih and Tajdid Council of PP Muhammadiyah Muhamad Rofiq Muzakkir delivered a speech.
In his remarks, Rofiq highlighted the subtle yet pervasive influence of Western frameworks on academic disciplines, even in Muslim-majority countries. “The problem is not just ‘out there’ in the West—it is also very much present ‘in here,’ in the structures and customs of our own academic institutions,” he said.
He highlights the tendency to privilege Western thinkers such as Plato, Max Weber, and Karl Popper in areas such as political thought, sociology, and the philosophy of science, while marginalizing Islamic intellectuals such as al-Mawardi, al-Ghazali, and Ibn Taymiyyah, whose contributions to governance, ethics, logic, and epistemology were rarely integrated into university curricula.
Rofiq identified a systemic gap between the knowledge developed in pesantren and academic discourse in universities. “There is no epistemological bridge connecting the two,” he said, calling this phenomenon “epistemological amnesia,” the failure to bring the rich intellectual tradition of Islam into the modern academic space.
He gives examples across disciplines: in political thought, the concept of the imamate is ignored in favor of Aristotle; in international relations, ukhuwwah islāmiyyah (Islamic solidarity) is marginalized by Morgenthau’s realism; and in communication studies, the communication skills of the Prophet Muhammad are rarely acknowledged alongside those of Habermas.
Rofiq cites three main obstacles to integrating Islamic epistemology into academia: the lack of Arabic language skills among university lecturers, which limits access to classical texts; the Eurocentric assumptions embedded in the curriculum that regard Western knowledge as the universal standard; and the lack of awareness of the depth and diversity of the Islamic intellectual tradition.
“We have reduced this tradition to legalism or dogma, when in fact it contains lively debate, critical inquiry, and philosophical richness,” Rofiq stressed.
As an Islamic university, UMY has taken concrete steps to address these challenges. Rofiq noted that UMY’s environment is more conducive to integrating Islamic perspectives than many state universities, which he described as “hostile or apathetic” toward the Islamic intellectual tradition.
One of the leading initiatives is the establishment of the Center for Integrative Science and Islamic Civilization (CISIC) three years ago, which aims to bridge Islamic epistemology with modern academic disciplines. The center organizes seminars, public lectures, and collaborations to develop paradigms rooted in critical and productive Islamic epistemology.
Previous events have featured scholars such as Dr. Ovamir Anjum and Dr. Mohammad Fadel, with Dr. Lumbard’s presence this time continuing the intellectual dialogue.
Rofiq calls for repositioning the Islamic tradition as an “active partner in the construction of knowledge,” not as nostalgia, but as a dynamic source for responding to contemporary challenges.
Rofiq stressed the importance of teaching Arabic as a gateway to classical texts and rethinking the curriculum to challenge Eurocentrism. The seminar, he hoped, would encourage “constructive reflection—towards building a decolonized academic culture grounded in spirituality.”
Categories: Islamic Guidance, Islamic Literature, Islamic Society, Islamic Training, Muslims