Islamic Thought Review Journal Title : Islamic Thought Review (ITR) ISSN : 3025-695X (Online) DOI Prefix : Prefix 10.30983/itr by Editor in Chief : Assoc. Prof. Dr. Zulfan Tufik, M.Hum Managing Editor : Muallim Lubis, M.Pem.I Publisher : Universitas Islam Negeri Sjech M. Djamil Djambek Bukittinggi Frequency : 2 issues per-year (June and December) Citation Analysis : Scopus | SINTA | Google Scholar Islamic Thought Review (ITR) is an international, peer-reviewed academic journal that provides a platform for the study, analysis, and development of Islamic thought in contemporary contexts. Published by the Faculty of Ushuluddin, Adab, and Da’wah, Universitas Islam Negeri Sjech M. Djamil Djambek Bukittinggi, West Sumatra, Indonesia, the journal is issued twice a year, in June and December, and follows a double-blind peer-review process to ensure scholarly excellence, integrity, and originality in every published article. ITR seeks to advance intellectual discourse on the theological, philosophical, and spiritual dimensions of Islam, encouraging both classical reflections and modern interpretations. It serves as an open forum for scholars, researchers, and students to explore the intersections of Islamic theology, philosophy, mysticism, and comparative religion, promoting dialogue between traditional Islamic scholarship and contemporary academic inquiry. The journal welcomes original research articles, theoretical analyses, and critical reviews that address fundamental and emerging issues in the discipline of Islamic thought. It particularly emphasizes contributions that present novel perspectives, methodological innovations, or new interpretations of classical and modern Islamic intellectual traditions. The focus and scope of Islamic Thought Review include, but are not limited to, Islamic Theology (‘Ilm al-Kalām), Islamic Philosophy (Falsafah Islāmiyyah), Sufism and Islamic Spirituality (Taṣawwuf), Comparative Religion and Interfaith Dialogue, Qur’anic and Prophetic Thought, Contemporary Islamic Discourse and Reform, and Epistemology and Methodology in Islamic Studies. Through these areas, ITR aims to contribute to the global academic conversation on Islam as an evolving intellectual tradition, highlighting the depth, diversity, and dynamism of Islamic reasoning in addressing universal human and ethical questions. As an open-access journal, Islamic Thought Review ensures that all published works are freely available to the global scholarly community, supporting the dissemination and visibility of Islamic studies worldwide. The journal adheres to the ethical standards established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and aspires toward inclusion in major international indexing databases to expand its reach and impact.
Universitas Islam Negeri Sjech M. Djamil Djambek Bukittinggi
Perennial Philosophy and Javanese Metaphysical Spirituality in Padepokan Kediri Garuda Nusantara
This study aims to analyze the metaphysical foundations of Javanese spiritual traditions as practiced in the Padepokan Kediri Garuda Nusantara, employing Seyyed Hossein Nasr’s Perennial Philosophy as an interpretive framework. Javanese indigenous teachings such as Sangkan Paraning Dumadi, Kakang Kawah Adi Ari-ari, Sedulur Papat Limo Pancer, and Manunggaling Kawula Gusti articulate a spiritual quest that emphasizes self-realization as the pathway to divine knowledge and affirms the unity of ultimate reality. Rather than functioning merely as a site of ritual practice, the Padepokan embodies a metaphysical worldview that recognizes the One as manifested through diverse religious and cultural expressions. Using a qualitative research design, this study draws on in-depth interviews, institutional documentation, and textual analysis of Nasr’s perennial philosophy, supported by relevant scholarly literature. The findings demonstrate that the Padepokan Kediri Garuda Nusantara operates as a spiritual and socio-cultural space that bridges local metaphysical wisdom with discourses of global religious pluralism. By affirming the transcendent unity underlying religious diversity, the Padepokan contributes to the cultivation of interreligious moderation, ethical responsibility, and social harmony. This study argues that Nasr’s perennial philosophy provides a robust conceptual lens for understanding local spiritual traditions as integral components of universal and timeless metaphysical wisdom.
Copyright (c) 2025 Diyananta Qonitya Salsabella, Ibnu Hajar Ansori https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
Epistemological Anarchism and Methodological Pluralism: Reassessing Paul Feyerabend’s Thought in Relation to Islamic Ijtihad
This study aims to critically examine the relevance of Paul Feyerabend’s epistemological anarchism to the Islamic tradition of ijtihad, particularly in addressing methodological rigidity within contemporary Islamic scholarship. The increasing dominance of singular methodological frameworks in Islamic studies has contributed to epistemic stagnation and limited interpretive creativity. Employing a qualitative research design based on library research, this study analyzes Feyerabend’s major philosophical works alongside classical and contemporary Islamic epistemological sources. Using descriptive and comparative methods, the analysis explores conceptual convergences between Feyerabend’s critique of methodological absolutism—encapsulated in his principle of “anything goes”—and the inherently pluralistic nature of ijtihad as practiced by classical Muslim jurists. The findings demonstrate that both frameworks emphasize intellectual freedom, contextual reasoning, and the legitimacy of diverse methodological approaches in the pursuit of knowledge and truth. Rather than advocating epistemic relativism, the integration of Feyerabend’s insights with Islamic epistemology offers a model of methodological openness grounded in ethical responsibility and revelatory norms. This study argues that such an epistemological synthesis can contribute to the revitalization of ijtihad by promoting an inclusive, adaptive, and context-sensitive paradigm of Islamic knowledge production, capable of engaging constructively with modern scientific rationality while remaining faithful to the normative foundations of Islamic thought.
Copyright (c) 2025 Rifat Syauqi Efendi, Ahmad Farid Fanani, Vici Ramananda, Raihan Pradipta https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
Social Media Ethics in the Post-Truth Era: Ibn Miskawaih’s and Mohammed Arkoun’s Thought on Digital Literacy
This study aims to examine ethical challenges posed by social media practices in the post-truth era through an integrative analysis of Ibn Miskawaih’s virtue ethics and Mohammed Arkoun’s critical Islamic thought. The post-truth condition—marked by the primacy of emotions, personal beliefs, and algorithmic mediation over objective facts—has significantly undermined the authority of truth in digital communication. Phenomena such as ideological echo chambers, disinformation, and uncritical content circulation necessitate a robust ethical framework that extends beyond technical digital literacy. Employing qualitative library research with a philosophical approach, this study conducts conceptual and comparative analyses of Ibn Miskawaih’s Tahdhīb al-Akhlāq and Arkoun’s key writings, supported by contemporary literature on post-truth discourse and digital ethics. The findings reveal that Ibn Miskawaih’s emphasis on moral equilibrium, justice, truthfulness, self-discipline, and wisdom provides a virtue-based foundation for ethical digital behavior. Complementarily, Arkoun’s advocacy of critical reason, epistemic openness, pluralism, and resistance to ideological closure offers essential tools for confronting misinformation and extremism in digital spaces. This study argues that synthesizing these two intellectual traditions yields an ethical model that reinforces critical digital literacy, fosters responsible social media engagement, and contributes to the cultivation of a morally grounded public sphere in the post-truth era.
Copyright (c) 2025 Ihsyan Wahyudi https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
Sir Sayyid Ahmad Khan’s Theological Thought and Its Selective Reception in Contemporary Indonesian Pesantren
This article aims to examine the theological thought of Sir Sayyid Ahmad Khan (1817–1898), a prominent nineteenth-century Muslim reformer from India, and to analyze its relevance and reception within contemporary Indonesian pesantren. While previous studies often emphasize the influence of Islamic modernism on Muslim educational reform, this study argues that pesantren engagement with Sir Sayyid’s thought is neither linear nor uncritical. Using a conceptual-analytical approach, the article explores three core dimensions of Sir Sayyid’s theology: his rational reinterpretation of Qur’anic exegesis in light of modern science, his critique of taqlid and advocacy for renewed ijtihad, and his project of harmonizing Islam with modernity. The analysis demonstrates that although pesantren exhibit institutional convergence with modern educational practices—particularly in integrating scientific knowledge—they maintain significant theological resistance at the metaphysical and epistemological levels. Pesantren selectively appropriate Sir Sayyid’s rationality as an instrumental epistemology while preserving Ashʿarite theology, the sacrality of revelation, and the authority of sanad. The findings suggest that Sir Sayyid’s modernist theology functions more as a catalytic reference than a doctrinal foundation within pesantren discourse. This study contributes to Islamic intellectual history by proposing a model of selective-epistemic adaptation and provides a theoretical framework for future empirical research on the reception of modernist Islamic thought in Indonesian pesantren.
Copyright (c) 2025 Agil Shodiki Manurung https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
Paul Feyerabend’s Epistemological Anarchism and Its Relevance to the Methodology of Religious Studies
The dominance of rigid textual and monolithic methodological approaches in religious studies has increasingly limited the scope of critical and contextual inquiry. This article examines the relevance of Paul Feyerabend’s epistemological anarchism as an alternative framework for enriching the methodology of religious sciences, particularly Islamic studies. Employing a qualitative library-based approach, the study analyzes Feyerabend’s major works through conceptual and content analysis, alongside relevant secondary literature in the philosophy of science and religious studies. The findings demonstrate that Feyerabend’s rejection of a single, universal scientific method—articulated through principles such as “anything goes,” counterinduction, theory proliferation, and incommensurability—offers a productive challenge to methodological rigidity in religious scholarship. His emphasis on methodological pluralism opens space for more inclusive, dynamic, and context-sensitive approaches to theological inquiry and Qur’anic interpretation. The study argues that integrating Feyerabend’s epistemological insights enables religious studies to move beyond methodological absolutism by incorporating sociological, historical, and contextual analyses without undermining the normative role of religious texts. In conclusion, Feyerabend’s epistemological anarchism contributes conceptually to the development of a more adaptive and dialogical paradigm in religious sciences, allowing religious knowledge to engage more effectively with contemporary social realities.
Copyright (c) 2025 Alfiyan Chasanul Muna, Muhammad Rikza Muqtada https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
The Principle of Moderation in Ibn Miskawaih’s Ethical Thought: Justice as the Virtue of the Soul
This article aims to analyze the principle of moderation (wasatiyyah) in Ibn Miskawaih’s ethical philosophy, with particular attention to his concept of justice as a central virtue of the soul. Drawing primarily on Tahdhīb al-Akhlāq wa Taṭhīr al-Aʿrāq, this study employs a qualitative library-based research method, utilizing conceptual and textual analysis of Ibn Miskawaih’s works alongside relevant secondary literature on Islamic ethics and virtue theory. The study seeks to address two main objectives: first, to examine Ibn Miskawaih’s understanding of justice within the framework of moral cultivation; and second, to explore the relationship between justice, love, and friendship in his ethical system. The findings demonstrate that Ibn Miskawaih conceives justice as the balanced mean between ẓulm (committing injustice by unlawfully taking others’ rights) and inẓilām (submitting to injustice by relinquishing one’s rights improperly). Justice, therefore, functions as an integrative virtue that harmonizes the faculties of the soul and sustains moral equilibrium. The study further reveals that Ibn Miskawaih’s ethical framework situates justice alongside simplicity, courage, and wisdom as foundational virtues essential for achieving moral perfection. This analysis highlights the enduring relevance of Ibn Miskawaih’s moderation-based ethics for contemporary discussions on moral balance, justice, and character formation in Islamic ethical thought.
Copyright (c) 2025 Taslim https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
Between Qadar and Ikhtiar: Religious Interpretations of the Manangka Hujan Tradition in Padang Pariaman
This study examines the Manangka Hujan tradition in Nagari Sikucua, Padang Pariaman Regency, which continues to be practiced within various customary and religious contexts. Commonly perceived as a rain-regulating ritual, this tradition raises theological questions concerning the relationship between human agency (ikhtiar), divine decree (qadar), and God’s absolute sovereignty. The study aims to analyze how local religious leaders interpret the concept of destiny as embedded in the Manangka Hujan tradition. Employing a qualitative research design, data were collected through in-depth interviews with religious leaders using a snowball sampling technique and analyzed through the interactive model proposed by Miles and Huberman. The findings reveal that religious leaders generally interpret Manangka Hujan not as an attempt to manipulate divine will, but as a form of human effort situated within the domain of qadar mu‘allaq, which allows for change through prayer, ethical intention, and reliance upon God (tawakkul). They maintain a clear distinction between qadar mubram, which is absolute and unchangeable, and qadar mu‘allaq, which is conditional and responsive to human endeavor. This study contributes to the discourse on contextual Islamic theology by illustrating how theological concepts of destiny are negotiated and rearticulated within local Islamic traditions, thereby enriching scholarly understandings of the dynamic relationship between religious doctrine and local wisdom in Minangkabau society.
Copyright (c) 2025 David Khalik https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
The Qur’anic Exegesis and Philological Critique: Epistemic Resilience in the Age of Corpus Coranicum
This study examines the epistemic resilience of the Islamic tafsīr tradition in responding to the philological and historical critiques advanced by the Corpus Coranicum project of the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities. By situating the Qur’an within the religious and literary context of Late Antiquity, Corpus Coranicum has significantly influenced contemporary Qur’anic studies while generating epistemological tensions with traditional Islamic scholarship. These tensions arise from differing conceptions of the Qur’an: Western philology treats it as a historical text subject to linguistic analysis, whereas tafsīr understands it as kalām Allāh, the eternal Word of God. Employing qualitative library-based research, this article analyzes selected classical and modern exegetical works through the frameworks of Jan Assmann’s cultural memory and Talal Asad’s discursive tradition. The findings demonstrate that tafsīr is not a static or defensive tradition, but one capable of adaptation, negotiation, and renewal. Three modes of epistemic response are identified—conservative, integrative, and critical-progressive—each reflecting different strategies of engagement with modern scholarship. The study concludes that such epistemic resilience allows tafsīr to maintain theological integrity while constructively engaging contemporary philological approaches, contributing to a paradigm of epistemic coexistence in Qur’anic studies.
Copyright (c) 2025 M. Ridwan, Nanda Riswanda Pohan, Faruq Aziz Al Amin, Saiful Amin https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0