Support Research

Imam al-Ghazali, one of the most prolific scholars from the nation of the beloved Messenger of Allah ﷺ, compiled his excellent Ihya ulum al-din – revival of the religious sciences - almost 1000 years ago

This collection of forty books is a comprehensive encyclopaedia pertaining to the religious affairs, including beliefs, acts of worship, dealings and character, individual and societal welfare of a Muslim, and has, for centuries, been one of the most widely read work in the Islamic world. Imam al-Ghazali is unquestionably one of the greatest thinkers and theologians of Islam. His contributions could not have been realised without his authority in research, to succinctly command reference from the Qur’an and Sunnah and tackle contemporary issues – many of which remain prevalent today.

Research is an impulsive trait of the righteous scholars. Fatawa (religious edict) is a legal ruling on a point of Shari’a given by a qualified jurist. The process of producing a fatawa is based on research within Qur’an, Sunnah, Ijma (consensus) and Qiyas (deductive analogy). This methodology involves the collection, organisation, and analysis of evidence in light of the research topic, while controlling sources of error and bias. Approach to research depend on epistemologies which vary between the Islamic sciences. As the righteous scholars of the past, it is imperative that the same due diligence is afforded to contemporary issues today. To enable such high-quality research in western discourse, Muslims must challenge modern thought in tandem with research methodologies employed in Islamic scholarship for centuries, and avoid orientalist and secular influence.

How Do We Define Research?

Research defined here is in reference to research output which is produced as a result of research performed by a qualified person on their specialist topic. Dissemination of research output can be catered for different audiences but can exist in the following formats: (not an exhaustive list)

• Peer reviewed journal articles.
• Policy reports.
• Creative research outputs (e.g. Posters and infographics).
• Books.
• Media.
• Conference papers.
• Reports.
• Blogs.

To qualify as a researcher for the purpose of Supporting Sunni Scholars’ scope of work, the researcher must demonstrate evidence of research prowess and be a holder of an official certificate from a reputable Sunni institute/madrassa for a complete Dars-i-Nizami/Shahada al-Alimiyya course. This may alternatively be fulfilled by a collection of licences (i.e., ijazat) transmitted from qualified and competent scholars. Research proficiency can be determined by evidence of one’s own existing work with any research qualifications e.g. MRes, MPhil, PhD, EdD etc.

HOW CAN WE HELP ?

Supporting Sunni Scholars seeks to enable more advanced scholars and qualified persons to conduct research in areas of Islamic sciences that will further understanding, and knowledge of key tenets of faith e.g. Islamic theology (ilm al-Kalam), principles of jurisprudence (usul al-fiqh), Hadith and Qur’anic sciences etc.

Supporting Sunni Scholars will provide funded research projects varying from weeks to several months, depending on project scope - the research resulting thereof will contribute to future publishing of literature and dissemination of knowledge for the benefit of the public.

Primarily, we aim to provide grants to researchers covering the cost of:

Additionally, we endeavour to support educational institutes themselves by providing funding to organise in their respective institutes educational programmes, such as reading clubs, writing workshops, and further initiatives.

HOW CAN YOU HELP ?

Help Supporting Sunni Scholars by donating as much or as little as you can, one-off or regularly"
The beloved Prophet ﷺ stated regarding charity,

"The believer's shade on the day of resurrection will be his charity."