ISLAMIC JURISPRUDENCE AND SCIENTIFIC RATIONALITY:A METHODOLOGICAL INTEGRATION FOR CONTEMPORARY CHALLENGES

Abstract

This paper explores the methodological integration of Islamic Jurisprudence (Fiqh) and Scientific Rationality as a coherent framework for addressing contemporary challenges in the 21st century. Drawing upon the foundational sources of Sharia Qur’an, Sunnah, Ijmaʿ, and Qiyas and the principles of Usul al-Fiqh, the study examines how Islamic legal reasoning can engage constructively with the empirical and analytical methods of modern science. It traces the historical convergence of jurisprudence and scientific inquiry during the Islamic Golden Age, highlighting the contributions of polymaths such as Ibn Rushd, Al-Biruni, and Ibn Sina, and analyzes the decline of this integrated tradition. The paper then focuses on contemporary issues bioethics, artificial intelligence, environmental sustainability, and Islamic financial regulationthat demand a unified approach grounded in both divine law and rational investigation. A methodological framework is proposed that identifies epistemological common ground, advocates interdisciplinary collaboration, and applies the model to practical policy-making. The study concludes that reviving the symbiosis between Islamic jurisprudence and scientific rationality is not only possible but essential for fostering ethical innovation and socio-economic development in Muslim-majority contexts.