The history of Islamic sciences is not merely a sequential process in which knowledge accumulates in chronological order; rather, it is a multilayered system of thought shaped around humanity’s pursuit of understanding the truth. This structural integrity has manifested itself across various cultural contexts and under shifting socio-political conditions throughout history, ultimately transforming into a universal intellectual heritage through continuity, reproduction, and the plural construction of meaning.
The multilingual character of the Islamic scholarly tradition—especially its production in Arabic, Persian, and Turkish—points not only to the reproduction of texts, but also to a foundation that institutionalizes the plurality of meaning and the possibility of interpretation. In this regard, the tradition has become an intellectual vehicle for a universal conception of truth, transcending geographical and cultural boundaries.
Today, Islamic sciences are taught largely within the institutional framework of university faculties of Theology and Islamic Studies. While these faculties may not be considered direct continuations of the historical madrasa tradition, the intellectual heritage they carry, the epistemological depth they have internalized, and the worldview they represent can be read as contemporary reflections of the ancient tradition. In this context, what stands out is not a static approach limited to analyzing the texts of the past, but a dynamic understanding of knowledge that aims to reconstruct the spirit of those texts in contemporary contexts.
Indeed, in Islamic thought, knowledge (‘ilm) is not a stagnant or neutral mass of information, but a multidimensional journey that deepens human existence and leads toward truth. Knowing is not merely a mental acquisition; it is a comprehensive process that includes turning inward, developing moral responsibility, and integrating with meaning. In this sense, knowledge is not only the production of information, but also a state of being, an attitude, and a direction. Knowledge is perfected when reinforced by action, and when internalized in the heart, it transforms into wisdom. In this framework, the true scholar is not merely one who “knows,” but one who “lives by what they know” and builds their very existence through knowledge.
Our faculty, in harmony with this intellectual and scholarly legacy, adopts as its core principle the cultivation of individuals who unite knowledge with wisdom and internalize a consciousness of universal responsibility—through undergraduate programs at national and international levels, and a curriculum consistent with these programs.
Prof. Alican DAĞDEVİREN
Dean of the Faculty of Theology