Strategies for an Islamic Perspective of History and Historical Writing AMSS First History seminar Buffalo, New York Dhu al Qi‘dah 1-2, 1410 May 26-21, 1990

Abstract

The idea of holding the first History Seminar, which was introduced
at the 18th Annual Conference of the Association of Muslim Social Scientists
(AMSS), came to realization in Buffalo, New York on Dhu al Qi‘dah 1-2,
1410/May 26-27, 1990.
A total of fifteen papers were presented by Muslim historians coming
from across the United States. Taha J. Al-‘Alwani’s opening address was
presented by Sayyid Muhammad Syeed, the General Secretary of the AMSS.
Al-‘Alwani, who is the President of the International Institute of Islamic
Thought (IIIT), challenged Muslim historians to devise concepts and
methodologies based on the wisdom of the Qur’an that will demystify human
global history and make it possible to present solutions and alternatives to
today’s problems. He asked historians to look for the unifying factors that
can make sense out of human history and to think about mankind’s reactive
or proactive role in the historical process which might lead to universal goals.
The banquet speaker, Professor Pareshan G. Khattak, Vice Chancellor
of the Azad Kashmir University at Muzaffarabad, a historian himself, dedicated
his address to an account of the Kashmiri Muslim struggle for freedom and
its place in current history.
The first session included two papers designed to present an overview
of issues to be considered at the conference. The seminar coordinator, Aftab
Ahmad Khan of Buffalo State College, spoke on “Establishing Some Principles
and Guidelines for Islamization of History,” in which he focused on the need
for Muslim self-reliance in the writing and interpretation of their own history
as well as that of the rest of the world with the aim of exposing the worldunifying
concepts and reflections of tawhid. He called for the adoption of
a five point program toward beginning the process of Islamization of history.
This was followed by Professor Akbar Muhammad of SUNY at Binghamton,
who presented a paper entitled “On Islamic History, Muslim History, and
the Social Milieu.”
Focusing on the legacy of certain individual historians or thinkers, three
panelists presented the ideas of men spanning North Africa, the Middle East,
and South Asia. Ausaf Ali of Los Angeles spoke on Ibn Khaldun, Ibrahim ...