Islam and the Western Philosophy of Knowledge

It is a simple truism to state that any scholar who treats such a vast topicas "Islam and the Western Philosophy of Knowledge" must be familiar withthe different domains of intellectual and philosophical discourses in bvth theMuslim and the western worlds, their epistemological bases (i.e., foundationalconceputal principles), historical evolution, and cultural expressions. Inaddition, such a scholar cannot do justice to this imponant topic without constructingan appropriate and comprehensive comparative method that mightshed some light on why there have been some important divergences betweenthe Muslim worldview and the western one, especially in the modern period(e.g., the past few centuries). Third, in dealing with the above subject, ascholar must know at least one Islamic language (e.g., Arabic) and oneEuropean language in addition to English (e.g., French or German). Measuredagainst this criteria, the author of this (very) tiny work fails miserably to justifyhis goal(s) for writing this book, to offer a convincing method of comparativeanalysis, and to prove that he possesses the appropiate tools (i.e., sourcesand languages) with which to conduct his research.To begin with, the author states in the Preface that he intends to offer "ahumble contribution to the contemporary debate on the need for a new epistemology.” The nature of the contemporary debate the author refers to is unclear:Is it an Islamic debate? Western or African? Second, what is the nature of thisnew epistemology of which he speaks? His entire discussion throughout thebook does not mention any new epistemology per se, but rather a historicallyold and established one: that of the Qur’an and other revelations. So, is the authoroffering a Qur’anic rationale for and justification of some uiucial philosophicalissues arising in the modem westem world, or is he interested in measuring theimpact of western philosophy on the modem Muslim mind in the context ofcolonialism and the new world order? No such desire is expressed. When theauthor states in his Acknowledgment that “I came to the conclusion that the realmalaise of the Muslim Umma is the intellectual,” he does not tell us why it is soand why it is not economic, political, social, or a combination of the abov ...