Studying Anthropology and Sociology

Answered by Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat

Question

My main major is psychology, but in order to complete my degree, I must choose two other subjects. Most psychology majors choose Anthropology and Sociology, but I am sure that these subjects contain Western-influenced ideologies. Is this permissible?
I have a sound understanding of Islam and hope to continue studying it alongside my degree.

Answer

Yes, studying these subjects is permissible, provided you have a solid grounding in the Islamic creed and worldview. You can intend to fulfill a communal obligation (fard kifaya) by doing so.

Continue to study the din, and it will be a good idea to get in touch with some Muslim academics who have a strong grounding in the Islamic sciences, such as Shaykh Abdal-Hakim Murad (Tim Winter) and others, to ask for supplemental reading to complement what you learn with an unbiased slant. You can start with Orientalism by Edward Saeed.

May Allah grant you the best of both worlds.

[Shaykh] Abdul-Rahim Reasat

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat began studying Arabic Grammar and Morphology whilst studying for a degree in English and History. After graduating, He traveled to Damascus and studied Arabic, Hanafi Fiqh, Usul al-Fiqh, Theology, and Logic with Shaykh Adnan Darwish, Shaykh ‘Abd al-Rahman Arjan al-Binsawi, Shaykh Husayn Darwish, Shaykh Muhammad Darwish, the late Shaykh Rashad Shams, and others. He then moved to Amman to continue his studies in those fields, as well as in Tafsir, Quranic Sciences, Hadith Methodology and Commentary, Prophetic Biography, Prophetic Perfections and Traits, Rhetoric, Arabic Literature, and Tajwid. His teachers include Shaykh Ali Hani, Dr. Hamza al-Bakri, Dr Salah Abu al-Hajj, Dr Mansur Abu Zina, Shaykh Ahmad Hasanat, Shaykh Ahmad Jammal, and others.