Portal: Traditional Islamic Scholars: Difference between revisions

Islam has been defined by its scholars since the 8th century (the second Islamic century). The Arabic word عالم 'aalim means simply "one who knows" and it is also used in Arabic to refer to scientists and specialists in many fields of knowledge. In Islamic discourse the word usually refers to scholars of [[fiqh]] or Islamic law, although the word is also used to refer to the early scholars who gathered the stories of [[maghazi]] (raids) and [[hadith]] of the prophet. In classical times ulemaa such as [[Tabari]] were also knowledgeable in other fields such as philosophy, medicine, and world history, but as with most other fields modernity has forced the concentration of efforts, and modern Islamic scholars tend not to be polymaths. Included in this portal are modern scholars working inside the Islamic tradition, such as [[Yasir Qadhi]], but also modern scholar-preachers such as [[Zakir Naik]]. The scholars of the Shi'i tradition, although fulfilling many of the same roles as their Sunni counterparts, also have a more systematized, organized role in the context of the Shi'ite religious hierarchy, particularly in Iran where the state is currently fused to the Shi'ite clerical establishment.