METODOLOŠKE SMJERNICE ZA PRAVILAN ODNOS PREMA ZAPADNOJ MISLI
METHODOLOGICAL GUIDELINES FOR A RIGHT ATTITUDE TOWARDS WESTERN THOUGHT

Summary/Abstract: Domination of Western Civilization globally presents a great problem for small nations and cultural communities. That problem is especially noticeable in the light of globalization when many peoples and nations almost completely lose their identity. The formula of success many people are aware of today is to remain devoted to one’s own tradition and culture, and to acquire positive streams of contemporary times. However, the answer to the question how to achieve that in a quality manner, so that it is not detrimental to either of the components, is not yet completely defined. One of important segments of academic work is scientificresearch work that has its own methodology. Unfortunately, as in other segments of life, western concept is the one that dominates. It is a rarity today to find Muslim researchers that manage to adopt positive aspects of the methodology and to liberate themselves from its colouration by Western view that is contrary to Islamic view. The aim of this paper is to specify broad methodological guidelines that will help Muslim researchers in the field of their faith, so that they remain on the right path, and accept scientific methodology of research at the same time. When Islam is concerned, it is based on the fact that everything in terms of faith defined by the Qur’an and the authentic hadith is the bare truth that cannot be doubted in any case and that cannot be outdated ; regardless if it is related to ghaib (metaphysics), as the matter of the Divinity, hereafter and the origin of man, or to general postulates as the perfection of Islam and its foundation on oneness of the Creator (tawheed), or to disrupting one’s belief (iman) by following some other faiths apart from Islam, etc. And when Western thought is concerned, its philosophical and religious conceptions, moral values, cognitive and social systems, it is a result of human effort and by that it is subject to correctness and mistake. Nevertheless, the fact that it was developed without any connection to the true faith, due to various social and civilization movements of unbelieving peoples, does not mean that it is completely inaccurate and that is has to be dismissed automatically.

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