Islamic Futures Studies in Futurists' Research: A Critical Analysis

Document Type : Article

Authors

1 Assistant Professor, Department of Decision Sciences and Complex Systems, Faculty of Islamic Studies and Management, Imam Sadiq University, Tehran, Iran

2 Ph.D. Candidate in Futures Studies, Faculty of Islamic Studies and Management, Imam Sadiq University, Tehran, Iran.

10.30497/rmg.2025.249048.1044

Abstract

Purpose:
This article explores Islamic futures studies as a liberatory intellectual project rather than a new academic discipline. It aims to analyze and synthesize the conceptual frameworks proposed by prominent non-Iranian thinkers, particularly regarding how this project responds to the dual crisis in the Muslim world: “epistemological colonization” resulting in “used futures,” and “internal intellectual stagnation” rooted in the closure of the gates of ijtihād.

Methodology:
Using an interpretivist paradigm and the method of thematic analysis, the study critically examines foundational texts and key works in the field. Through interpretive reading and thematic synthesis, it distills the core strategies and conceptual elements presented by leading scholars.

Findings:
The analysis reveals that the liberatory project of Islamic futures studies is built upon a two-pronged strategy. The first is a critical movement toward the decolonization of the mind, facilitated by tools such as Causal Layered Analysis (CLA). The second is a constructive movement toward a dynamic re-reading of tradition, utilizing concepts such as transformation reform and the redefinition of Maqāṣid al-Sharī‘ah. Together, these strategies aim to resist imposed futures and instead create “pluralistic” and justice-oriented futures.

Practical Implications:
The approach encourages the formulation of alternative futures grounded in epistemic autonomy and renewed intellectual vitality. It also provides methodological guidance for scholars seeking to reconstruct future visions based on Islamic intellectual resources.

Originality:
The article highlights how this liberatory approach aspires to transcend inherited or externally imposed futures by generating diverse and justice-centered visions, such as a “Global Ummah” and “multi-civilizational worlds.” Its contribution lies in synthesizing dispersed conceptual frameworks into a coherent model for Islamic futures studies as a transformative intellectual project.

Keywords

Main Subjects

Religion, Management, & Governance
Volume 4, Issue 1 - Serial Number 7
Articles
December 2025
Pages 247-266

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History

  • Receive Date: 28 August 2025
  • Revise Date: 19 November 2025
  • Accept Date: 27 November 2025

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