..s..t..u..d..y..

Islamic studiesis an ambiguous term. In a Muslim context, "Islamic studies" can be an umbrella term for all virtually all of academia, both originally researched and as defined by the Islamization of knowledge. As such it includes all the traditional forms of religious thought, such as Islamic theology and Islamic jurisprudence. In addition, it assimilates fields generally considered to be secular in the West, such as Islamic science and Islamic economics.

In a non-Muslim context, Islamic studies generally refers to the historical study of Islamic religion, culture, history and philosophy. Academics from diverse disciplines participate and exchange ideas about predominantly Muslim societies, past and present. In spite of their non-religious approach, some non-Muslim scholars have written works which are widely read by Muslims. Before 1980, such non-Muslim scholars in this field have been called "Islamicists"; their discipline came under the field often called Oriental studies, now often Asian studies.