A Critical Appraisal of 21st Century Western Scholarship on Islam — 17 February 2026

Programme

Sessions & speakers

1. Keynote

   Positive shifts in 21st-century Seerah studies

   Urging Arabic proficiency for direct access to primary sources, alongside modern modes of thought and English proficiency.

   Prof. Mohd Fahim Akhter Nadwi — former Head, Islamic Studies, MANUU

2. Video address

   Orientalism, distortion, and objective portrayals

   While past Orientalists distorted the Seerah, some serious 21st-century Western scholars have portrayed the Prophet's life more objectively, opening space for shared moral values.

   Prof. Abdur Raheem Kidwai — Director, K.A. Nizami Centre for Qur'anic Studies, AMU

3. Presidential

   A historical and intellectual overview of Orientalism

   Orientalist scholarship has largely targeted the Qur'an, Hadith, and Seerah to create doubts, yet Islam has always emerged stronger. Students were urged to engage primary sources thoughtfully.

   Prof. Iqtidar Mohd Khan — Head, Islamic Studies & Dean of Humanities, JMI

4. Plenary

   Beyond historical and philological method

   A call for interdisciplinary approaches in Islamic Studies.

   Prof. Kunwar Yusuf Amin

5. Sessions

   Two academic sessions — ten papers

   Scholars presented research papers across themes in Qur'anic studies, Hadith, and Seerah.

   Chaired by Prof. Mohammad Ishaque and Prof. Syed Shahid Ali

Key themes

What the programme engages

• Orientalism and 21st Century Western Scholarship on Islam
• Qur'anic Studies and Western Critique
• Seerah and Prophetic Biography in Western Scholarship
• Hadith Studies: Distortion and Objective Analysis
• Arabic Proficiency and Access to Primary Islamic Sources
• Interdisciplinary Methods in Islamic Studies
• Muslim Intellectual Response to Orientalism

Participants

Guests & speakers

• Prof. Mohd Fahim Akhter Nadwi — Former Head, Islamic Studies, MANUU Hyderabad (Keynote)
• Prof. Abdur Raheem Kidwai — Director, K.A. Nizami Centre for Qur'anic Studies, AMU
• Prof. Iqtidar Mohd Khan — Head, Islamic Studies & Dean, Humanities, JMI
• Prof. Kunwar Yusuf Amin — Plenary Speaker
• Dr. Mohammed Rizwan — Director, CSR New Delhi (Welcome Address)
• Prof. Mohammad Ishaque — Session Chair
• Prof. Syed Shahid Ali — Session Chair
• Dr. Mujtaba Farooq — Seminar Coordinator
• Dr. Mohammad Arshad — Organising Faculty, JMI
• Dr. Mohammad Khalid Khan — Organising Faculty, JMI