Opinions & Reflections on Texts Masquerading as Scholarship!

The terms "scholar" and "scholarship," especially within Muslim circles, are used so casually that everyone is given the title, and everything “produced” tends to blur the lines. We end up today with mere

opinions and reflections on existing texts masquerading as scholarship. To some extent, the word 'scholar' has been so misused that it’s hard to tell the difference between those who just read a book and then confidently offer broad, unqualified conclusions or recommendations about what a person should or should not do, versus real and substantiated scholarship. Importantly, this overconfidence makes some feel so sure that their personal “interpretations” about Islam, such as Islam's view on any topic, are reflected in their self-made opinions shared in a Friday sermon or a supposedly promoted cutting-edge lecture. This ignorance leads others astray regarding religious matters because it equates personal, unqualified opinions—believe me, I have many—with Islam as a revelation. What’s dangerous is that the person claiming to be a 'scholar' often doesn’t inform others that what they’re sharing is merely their opinion, based only on conjecture, reaction to events, and even misreading current trends.

On another level, the terms 'scholar' and 'scholarship' have lost clear standards to define what they mean within the community. When discussing any field of expertise, 'scholar' and 'scholarship' refer to someone dedicated to systematically pursuing, creating, sharing, and applying knowledge within a specific area or across multiple disciplines. Even a well-read expert isn't necessarily a scholar. A scholar requires the active creation or significant reinterpretation of knowledge through considerable research and makes a substantial contribution to a given field. I can speak of Professor Hamid Algar, who authored so many original, well-researched books, wrote specialized journal articles, edited volumes, spoke and wrote in multiple languages, contributed hundreds of entries to encyclopedias, supervised countless MA and Ph.D. dissertations, taught hundreds of classes, and had a deep scholarly engagement throughout his career, but also has the humility to refuse to make any claims beyond what his research and findings provide.

Here, those who engage in Dawah, lecturing for fundraising purposes or sermon giving, should understand the difference and refrain from making claims beyond the scope of their training. This is often not the case, and the role is projected into the public based on unqualified titles such as ‘scholars’ and ‘scholarship,’ or a host of other misleading adjectives, thereby claiming authority where it does not exist. In the hope of reducing the confusion, I would like to offer some general guidelines for when the term ‘scholar’ or ‘scholarship’ is used within the context of the community:

Deep Expertise: Possesses a profound, nuanced, and well-structured understanding of a particular subject area (or areas), built through extensive and well-documented study. Muslims claiming expertise without any deep study of any field make a mockery of Islam, which calls for knowledge acquisition from the first revelation.

Research Focus: Engages actively in original research and inquiry; rather than being ready to offer an opinion on every issue, news item, or social media post. Everyone has an opinion, including myself, but this is not what a scholar does or what we do when referencing scholarship.

Critical Analysis: Rigorously examining existing knowledge, theories, and evidence, even those that contradict or work against their prevailing opinions. This should be easily verifiable through actual scholarly production, writing, and publishing on the topic, as well as responding to scholarly criticism from those within a given field, rather than merely receiving praise from a closed, admiring circle.

Methodical Investigation: Applying disciplined methodologies (specific to their field) to explore questions, test hypotheses, or solve problems. Muslims use the title of scholar and scholarship by looking at the world through making a pinhole in their own door and only admitting that which is allowed to come through it. Never examine or engage with the full spectrum of scholarly investigation, let alone explore and discuss sources in different languages.

Discovery/Creation: Aiming to uncover new facts, develop new theories, offer new or extend the interpretations, or create original works within the field. Yes, we adhere to and engage with classical sources, but ‘scholars’ and ‘scholarship’ are about constantly extending the kernel of the tradition to the contemporary eras with sound responses to emerging problems.

Contribution to Knowledge: The primary goal is to make a meaningful contribution to the collective understanding within their field. This means advancing knowledge beyond what was previously known or accepted. Most contemporary Muslim production has focused on publishing critical, edited versions of classical texts, accompanied by lengthy, florid biographies of the authors, translations from one language to another, and re-shuffling sections from classical texts.

Dissemination: Scholars share findings and insights through peer-reviewed publications (books, journal articles), conference presentations, lectures, teaching, public engagement, or other appropriate channels (not only in academic settings). This is essential for validation and building upon collective knowledge. The concept of consensus in Islam should be read more broadly and not only confined to the legal debate, but also includes the collective scholarly examination for truth and soundness of argument, which belongs in the public sphere and not the domain of the ‘unseen’ that only the ‘scholar’ has supposed privilege to it.

Critical Thinking & Intellectual Rigor: A scholar employs logical reasoning, skepticism, evidence-based argumentation, and careful evaluation of sources and methodologies, especially those that refute their thesis. Upholds high standards of intellectual honesty. Any production should involve a wide reading of the field and not a mere selection of agreeable texts, for an argument stands only when it is examined and challenged by all in the field. This is not to say or imply that every argument is sound, but to make sure that the selectivity of agreeable evidence is not scholarship.

Lifelong Learning: A scholar maintains a persistent intellectual curiosity and commitment to staying current with developments in their field and related areas. Learning and engagement are continuous, which means knowing who the leading figures are in their field, reading the newly published materials, and the ongoing debates in the field, as well as attending and participating in gatherings and conferences to discuss openly all these issues.

Ethical Standards: Adheres to principles of academic integrity, including proper attribution of sources (avoiding plagiarism), transparency in methodology, and objectivity in analysis and reporting. The argument is strengthened by more evidence and use of the highest ethical standards. Ethical standards include the courage to admit being wrong, change opinion, and direct people to others who are more accurate on the question being discussed.

Content over Form: Scholars pay attention to the content of the arguments and soundness of scholarship, rather than preoccupation with the form or aesthetic of the place, stage, or environment. Yes, Islam does call for beautiful aesthetics, but this should not be a trap set to overwhelm the senses and divert attention away from examining the veracity of the arguments and the depth of scholarship. Increasingly, the aesthetics included the particular mode of clothing that conveys spiritual authority, video productions to keep up with the demands of the medium, and elaborate staging to compete with Hollywood productions. Please don’t ask how much it costs for Islam calls us to beauty, and ‘scholars’ need to perform their ‘scholarly’ magic.