Liberating Islamic Studies from Sectarian Strongholds - From Sect to Scripture: Let Civil Society Teach Islam

Epigraph (Reading Time: Approximately 5-6 minutes)

إِنَّ هَٰذَا ٱلْقُرْءَانَ يَهْدِى لِلَّتِى هِىَ أَقْوَمُ
"Indeed, this Qur’an guides to that which is most upright."
— Qur’an, al-Isrā’ (17:9)

"The corruption of knowledge comes from blind following, where the intellect is suspended and truth is measured by personalities rather than by evidence."
— Ibn Khaldūn, Muqaddimah

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Georges Clemenceau (1841–1929), the renowned French statesman, once observed:
"War is much too serious a matter to be entrusted to the military."

This assertion, pointed, provocative, and deeply reflective, can be applied to the contemporary teaching of Islamic Studies, perhaps with even greater urgency.

The instruction of this profound and sensitive discipline is far too consequential to be left solely to traditional clerics or, for that matter, to those holding degrees in Islamic Studies — whether MA, MPhil, or even PhD — without a broader intellectual and moral framework. In Pakistan’s current religious and academic landscape, formal qualifications alone often fail to guarantee depth, impartiality, or Qur’anic fidelity.

Too often, Islamic education in our context functions not as a bridge toward shared understanding but as a tool for entrenching sectarian allegiances. Instructors — sometimes inadvertently — glorify their sectarian interpretations, rarely subjecting them to critical scrutiny or independent thought. The Qur’an, rather than being approached as a living and dynamic source of moral guidance, is frequently reduced to a static text interpreted exclusively through inherited dogma.

This narrow, and at times rigid, pedagogical model contributes to the perpetuation of problematic theological ideas, such as:

• That Jihad is primarily a militant endeavor for Islam’s expansion
• That Khilafah must be re-established through political or militant struggle, often idealizing early history without contextual nuance
• That Muslims are guaranteed salvation merely by virtue of their religious identity — mirroring the very presumptions the Qur’an critiques in the Children of Israel
• That non-Muslims are to be viewed categorically as kafir in the most pejorative and exclusionary sense

These latent yet perilous assumptions often go unchallenged. Alarmingly, they persist in the religious imagination, although the Qur’an itself repeatedly contests such notions.

What is needed is not merely reform in curriculum but a reimagining of Islamic Studies as a discipline rooted in intellectual honesty, Qur’an-centric interpretation, historical awareness, and moral reasoning. It must rise above emotional rhetoric and uncritical loyalty to inherited sectarian paradigms.

The teaching of Islamic Studies must, therefore, be entrusted to individuals who combine academic integrity with spiritual sensitivity — people drawn not only from seminaries or universities, but also from civil society: scholars, educators, professionals, and thinkers who approach the Qur’an directly, engaging it with humility, rational inquiry, and a commitment to universal ethical principles.

Only then can Islamic Studies evolve into a truly transformative discipline, one that nurtures hearts, sharpens minds, and bridges divisions.

Aamir Yazdani