The Study of Orientalism at the Department of Orientalism: An Evaluation and Analysis
Presented by
Mazin S. Motabagani
Associate Professor- Orientalistics
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Introduction
In the year 1980 when the Muslim World was experiencing
an awakening at the advent of the beginning of the fifteenth Hijrah century, it
occurred to a group of scholars from different parts of the Muslim World and
with the great support form the rector of the Islamic University of Muhammad
ibn Saud Dr. Sheikh Abdullah Al-Turky that
it was the time to establish a new field of scholarship concerning the field of
Orientalism. This was the unit of Orientalism and Christian Missionaries at the
Research Center in Riyadh .
Dr. Samarrai who headed the first unit for the study of
Orientalism describes this step by quoting the rector of the University in his
introduction to the Arabic translation of Abdul –Latif Al- Tibawi two critiques
of the English speaking Orientalists saying “it is the purpose and intention of
the University to show keen interests in the works published by Orientalists
about Islam as a whole, its languages and cultures. It is indeed part and
parcel of its academic mission which requires that we should take notice of the
different studies that are being carried out by Orientalists in the fields of
language, culture, and people of Islam. In pursuit of this objective, the
University has established a unit in the Research Center for the Study of
Orientalism as well as an independent department in the Faculty of Islamic Propagation
in Madinah.”
Three years after the establishment of the unit in Riyadh , the department of
Orientalism was established as the sole department for this purpose in the
whole Muslim World at the Higher Institute of Islamic Daawa (Faculty of Daawa now)
at Al-Madinah
In this paper we shall deal with the topic in four different parts as
follows:
Part I : Historical background this will be very brief
indeed due to the nature of the audience in this esteemed conference
Part II: The department of Orientalism : goals and
objectives.
Part III: The Curriculum and different subjects studies
by the students.
Part IV: Evaluation of Samples of the MA and PhD theses
granted by the department as well as an evaluation of the department as a
whole.
Part I
Historical
Backgrounds
When dealing with the topic of Orientalism one must
mention with great respect and dignity the leading figure in this field
Mustapha al-Sibaei who wrote the infamous book “ Assunna wa Makanatuh fi
al tashreei al –Islami” ( Hadith
Tradition and its role in the Islamic Jurisprudence.” Sibaei went on to visit
the Islamic studies Centers in Europe and look
into the works of these centers and hold debates with the leading Orientalists.
He wrote his short monograph which is still a reference in this field “Orientalists:
Pros and Cons” And though we are honoring Edward Said in this conference a due
mention must be given to Sibiei who did not just look into the works of some
Orientalists but also fulfilled his duties to visit them and establish a
dialogue with them much earlier than many nowadays who call for dialogue.
We must also mention Muhammad Al-Bahi who wrote his well known book “Modern
Islamic Thought and its relation to Western Thought.” He added appendixes to his book including the
first of the two articles published by Tibawi “ Critique of the English
Speaking Orientalists” Al-Bahi added in his a book a categorizing of the
Orientalists in through groups.
The list is long to mention all the names of the Muslim Scholars who wrote
about Orientalism but we must mention that in the Indian Semi-Continent there
appeared many leading scholars who also were interested in the works of
Orientalism about Islam and some of them wrote extensively about this matter.
What also made it a must to study
Orientalism is the great many Arab and Muslim Students who studied in the west
in the different fields in the field of Human Sciences who became very
influential in the literary as well as in almost all aspects of the
intellectual life of the Arab and Muslim World. The influence of those who
studies in the west under the supervision of Orientalists was so overwhelming.
One professor told his students that any paper that does not have English
reference in it will not be considered a good paper. Another one said to a
student asking if the Quran can be used as guide to devising a methodology to
the study of History. The teacher said: O my son don’t mix religion with
science.”
Dr. Al-Umary complained in public lecture that many of his teachers in
the university were adopting Orientalists’ views as their own without announcing that these views are those
of their teachers the Orientalists as did Hassan Ibrahim Hassan in his famous
book “ The Islamic History”
This influence reached media in its different fields (Journalism, Radio,
T.V and other modes) when the Orientalists views are exposed while the real
Islamic views are suppressed. This was so apparent in the field of literature
when the so called Modernity trend was the dominant in most of the mass media.
Part II
The department of Orientalism: Goals and Objectives
Once again we find the words of Al-Turky very helpful in explaining the
foundations of this department “…the
first step one should take in
counteracting any erroneous ideology or hostile doctrine is to study it
thoroughly, collect all the necessary information, analyse it objectively and
refute systematically.”
And in order to attain this goal it was decided that the level of studies
is to be graduate studies leading to M.A
and Ph.d’s in the different fields of disciplines undertaken by Western
Scholars as follows:
The study of Orientalism phenomenon: its rising, goals and objectives and
schools.
Islamic Studies such as Quranic, Hadith,
Aqidah, history …etc.
Linguistic Studies
The study of Orientalism Centers or Middle Eastern Studies in the West
and the imminent scholars in this field.
The Study of Christian Missionary; their efforts, thought and centers.
The students who join this department were supposed to have studied
Islamic studies in the undergraduate level. But were also required to take a
written and oral examination to evaluate their level of competency in Islamic
Studies. Some students were accepted from different background as Social
Sciences or Humanities but were required to study certain subjects.
Students were required to be fluent in one of the European languages.
When this condition is not fulfilled students were required to attend a number
of courses in a
The aims of these studies are stated in the literature of the department
and they are the following:
- Expose the students to the studies undertaken by Western Scholars about Islam and Muslism
- Bring to the attention of the students the positive sides of Islam and the misconceptions about Islam.
- To conduct analytical studies of Orientalism and the methodologies used by them to benefit from the positive points and to avoid the negative points of these studies.
- To shield the students against misconceptions about Islam and Muslims.
- To familiarize the students with Western scholarship of Islam and to establish ties with centers of learning in the west.
- To create cultural and scientific channels with the world of Orientalism through translation, conferences and direct contacts.
- To show the influence of these studies and their contribution in spreading the knowledge about Islam in the West.
- To fulfill a real need for such studies which have not been given the due attention throughout the Arab and Muslim Word.
Nature of
studies in the dept.
The department will
strictly adhere to the scientific methodology and the wise method of
propagation. And will try to shed the light on the positive as well as the
negative sides of the Orientalists’ works.
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