رسول جعفریان

The First Writings on Islamic Civilization: How the Discourse on Islamic Civilization Began Among Us

By Shaykh Rasul Jafariyan

The history of civilization is a relatively new branch within the field of history. In the historical tradition of Muslim societies, there has generally not been a civilizational perspective on history. Instead, historical writing has primarily focused on political narratives and, at times, static social analyses. In contrast, over the past two centuries, European historians have actively engaged in historical studies of civilization, often framing their discussions in terms of decline or progress. This approach led Western scholars to develop a civilizational perspective not only on their own societies but also on other nations and cultures. Within the field of Islamic and Middle Eastern studies, this civilizational approach gave rise to the study of Islamic civilization as a distinct academic discipline. The first books on the history of Islamic and Arab civilization were written by Western scholars, marking the beginning of Islamic civilization studies as a formal discipline. Over time, works on the history of Islamic civilization were translated from European languages into Arabic and, eventually, into Persian. This article focuses on analyzing the development of Islamic civilization studies, examining the earliest writings on Islamic civilization and their significance in shaping the field.

Full Paper: https://iqraonline.net/the-first-writings-on-islamic-civilization-how-the-discourse-on-islamic-civilization-began-among-us/