SELF-REFLEXIVE: A METHOD IN UNDERSTANDING ISLAMIC STUDIES

Abstract

Philology has been utilized to study Islam which focusing mainly on early texts. Some debates from post-Orientalist, anthropological, and decolonial perspectives not only broaden the discourse but also introduced new challenges, such as separating text from practice and neglecting indigenous from outsider views. This article tries to show that these discourse and debates reveal a bigger issue where there is no clear way to examine how research methods influence our understanding of Islam. This study employs a qualitative method, conceptual approach to review relevant key words in Islamic studies and related fields, such as Orientalism, discursive tradition, lived religion, cosmopolitanism, and self-reflexity method. Instead of commenting methods as appropriate or not, the analysis looks at what each approach helps scholars notice, what it overlooks, and how it fits into larger systems of knowledge and power. Drawing on this analysis, the article introduces a self-reflexive framework with three main parts: epistemological reflexivity, positional reflexivity, and dialogical reflexivity. This framework is meant to help researchers plan and review Islamic studies projects, especially in Muslim-majority and less-explored areas, by encouraging them to consider texts, practices, and local ideas without making them too simple. The article contributes to ongoing debates by offering a new approach that moves beyond basic divisions and encourages a more open and thoughtful study of Islam.