Islamic Studies is a field of knowledge that develops along with historical change, society, and the intellectual traditions of Muslims. This article aims to explain the history and development of Islamic Studies by tracing classical, medieval, modern, and contemporary traditions and identifying their characteristics, figures, approaches, and relevance to contemporary Muslim life. This study employs library research by examining relevant books, journal articles, and academic works. The findings indicate that the classical tradition established the foundations of Islamic scholarship through the development of Qur'anic studies, hadith, jurisprudence, theology, philosophy, history, and rational sciences. During the medieval period, these traditions became increasingly institutionalized while facing political and social changes that affected intellectual life. In the modern period, Islamic Studies encountered colonialism, modernity, science, and Western thought, leading to various reform movements. In the contemporary era, Islamic Studies has become increasingly interdisciplinary through social sciences and humanities, hermeneutics, history, anthropology, integration-interconnection, and digital technology. Therefore, Islamic Studies needs to preserve its fundamental sources and values while critically and contextually responding to social change.
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Kuswanti et al. (2026) studied this question.
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