<![CDATA[According to the QS World University Rankings for Theology, Divinity, andReligious Studies 2024, religious studies in Muslim regions are inadequately developed.The Muslims' dismissal of religious studies is intricately linked to the underdevelopmentof the field. Nevertheless, the dismissal of religious studies by Muslims is frequentlyregarded as commonplace without additional scrutiny. This study aimed to examine theMuslim aversion to religious studies and propose solutions to address theunderdevelopment of religious studies within the Islamic world. Western religiousscholars have frequently positioned modern European history, particularly secularism,as the core of their explanation of religion. For them, scientific examinations of religionmust exclude the sacred aspect of religion. Consequently, Muslims perceive that theirinterpretation of Islam is limited. The hostility and rejection of religious studies byMuslims fundamentally signify a repudiation of secularism, which negates thetranscendence of God and dismisses the role of religion in society. The debate onreligious studies has not established a neutral environment for Muslims. The authorcontemplates this antagonism to counter the narrative surrounding religious studies.This study aimed to develop Muslim conflict as a contemporary phenomenon,integrating religious studies, particularly Islamic studies, into Islam's worldview orepistemology framework, devoid of any characterization as non-rational or nonscientific.The underdevelopment of religious studies in Muslim nations is attributed toa deficiency of experts educated in contemporary academic approaches to religion. Thenormative-doctrinal approach has thus far been the predominant method employed byMuslim scholars in the study of Islam. To address the stagnation of religious studies inthe Islamic world, Muslim scholars must amalgamate the normative-doctrinal approachwith the social sciences methodology.]]>
