Introduction
In the wake of the “renaissance” or “reform” trend that emerged in the 19th century, the select group of figures speaking “in the name of Islam” on scientific matters stretched beyond the ulama[1] class, that body of scholars trained in traditional establishments such as Al-Azhar university in Egypt or indeed the University of al-Qarawiyyin in Fes. Since the beginning of the 20th century, the opening of universities adopting the disciplines and methodology developed in Europe, along with the availability to Muslim students of scholarships in European or North-American countries have caused far-reaching changes giving rise to tensions, debates and sometimes confrontations. During the seventies, these modern universities took it upon themselves to open “departments of Islamic studies” with a view to reinstate classical Islamic disciplines. This chapter will focus on groups, persons and themes connected to this movement. They share the characteristic of affirming that the Muslim faith is concerned with every aspect of a person's life: cultural, economic, political and social.
Informations[2]
