This moment demands that we as Muslims produce a proper and thorough defense of Islam. This task is necessary for the safeguarding of all that we know and value. The proposed structure here is centered upon the three cornerstones, namely, God, the Prophet, and the Scripture.
God
Beginning with God, central fields of research are arguments for and against God’s existence, the concept of God’s existence with the names and attributes, and a comparative study of God among various religions with theists, polytheists and deists. Atheists are discussed under arguments against God’s existence.
In order to inquire into these subjects further, an integrative study with the humanities, social sciences, hard sciences and religious sciences brings the following: Aqidah, Philosophy, Falsafa, Kalam, Metaphysics, Atheism/Agnosticism and Comparative Religion.
Prophet
Next with the Prophet, central fields of research are Muhammad’s life with the Pre Prophetic period, Madinan period and Makkan period, his message which include prophecies in previous scriptures of his advent, his predictions of future events, and the miracles that he performed, and a study of his legacy with the community that he nurtured and the empires that arose afterward.
In order to inquire into these subjects further, an integrative study with the humanities, social sciences, hard sciences and religious sciences brings the following: Political Philosophy, Siyasah, Political Science, American Law, Tarikh, Big History, World History, Anthropology, Sociology, Orientalism, Post Colonialism, Post Modernism, Herbalism, Geography, and Psychology.
Scripture
Finally with the Scripture, central fields of research are the Quran’s origin which includes study of its authorship, its linguistic eloquence, and the miracles of its content, its message itself, and its preservation through oral as well as written transmission and variation found due to Qira’at and Ahruf.
In order to inquire into these subjects further, an integrative study with the humanities, social sciences, hard sciences and religious sciences brings the following: Epistemology, Logic, Mantiq, Bahth wal Munadhara, Tasawwuf, Aesthetics, Science, Astronomy, Deconstructionism, Linguistics/Language, Sarf, Nahw, Balaghah, Aruf, Shi’ir, Qawafi, Comparative Literature, English Poetry and Music Theory.
Although this is not a final blueprint, it is very thorough and will serve as the basis for much research to come. I hope that people interested in any of these subjects can delve further and contribute in their own way.
