This study departs from the anxiety related to the study of religion, which is still a dichotomy between the insider perspective and the outsider perspective (Knott, 2005, p. 243). These two perspectives are also addressed to the study of Islam so far, namely the study of Islam with an insider character and an outsider character. Islamic studies with an insider perspective are characterized as subjective, conducted by Muslims, normative, theological, truth-seeking, and for da'wah purposes. This is what is developed by Muslim communities in Muslim-majority countries, for example, in the Middle East.

Meanwhile, outsider Islamic studies are characterized as objective, conducted by non-Muslims, not for da'wah purposes but more academic and empirical. It develops on Western campuses that organize Islamic studies. These two perspectives show the dichotomy in Islamic studies. Leif Stenberg and Philip Wood say that the academic tradition of Islamic studies with a Western approach tends to contradict the scientific tradition of Islamic studies that has developed in the Islamic world (Stenberg & Wood, 2022, p. 1).

Outsider studies of Islam are often referred to as Orientalism. In America, Orientalism and Islamism are still being discussed, but both are contradictory. Edward Said is one of the scientists who opposed Orientalism by writing a famous book entitled Orientalism (Said, 1979). According to Tayob (2011), the presence of this book makes the study of Islam adjacent to social studies, and its themes are not dominantly about the Middle East. Meanwhile, Ibn Warraq rejects Edward Said's ideas about Orientalism (Ibn Warraq, 2007). According to Ahmad Zainul Bahri, the controversy concerns the epistemological debate between the West and the East (Bahri, 2022, pp. 266-298). Although the two are contradictory, they can be integrated, including those encouraged by (Hassan, 2015).

Interesting developments need to be recognized in relation to the study of Islam in the West in a dynamic manner from its early development to the present. Richard Martin once criticized the study of Islam in America, which needs to be deconstructed and then reconstructed for future generations to welcome the 21st century (Martin, 2010). In its development, the approach to studying Islam in the West shifted from Orientalism to a social science approach to the humanities through responsive education and critical theories and methodologies (Morgenstein Fuerst & Ayubi, 2016). Similar changes also occurred at Hartford Seminary in North America. Islamic studies here have changed from a missionary approach to strengthening Christian-Muslim relations to an interfaith education model (Salem, 2018). This development is said to mean that the study of Islam in the West has progressed, and many scholars have emerged who have freed themselves from the old burden with the support of good education (al Faruqi, 1998).

Nevertheless, although colonialism is over, many scholars are still influenced by Orientalism. They endeavor to change and adapt what has become the hegemonic discourse at that time for their interests (Pouillon & Vatin, 2015). This is in line with Chiara Formichi's findings, which show that previous research conducted by Western anthropologists still overshadows Islamic studies in Southeast Asia. Scholars in the region have difficulty finding names or themes that differ from previous researchers' themes. Formichi puts it, “Islamic Studies is missing the opportunity to reflect its subject.” Formichi emphasized that another problem with Islamic Studies in the Southeast Asian region is still considered an outsider (Formichi, 2016).

In addition to the problems described above, there are also problems specifically related to Islamic education about Islamic studies. The problems that arise include the educational process being carried out exclusively based on religious teachings and education without regard to academic achievement; the study of Islam focuses on dogma, history, current conditions, and development trends. The Islamic academic system has yet to become an integral part of religious studies in the Islamic education system (M. Yakhyaev & G. Baysaidova, 2021). Another problem is the weak ability of the reviewers (students) to read primary sources in Arabic (Ahmad et al., 2012). Another issue that is considered important is related to the curriculum reform of Islamic studies, which is considered insubstantial (Alkandari & Alsuwailan, 2019). Students are generally less satisfied with Islamic studies organized by Islamic education, including those in Australia (Abdalla et al., 2020). Muhammad Abed al-Jaberi emphasises the dualism of the education system between modern and traditional, so this is part of the factor that causes the problem of contemporary Arab Islamic thought to overlap (al-Jaberi, 1990).

The question that needs to be asked related to the dichotomy in Islamic studies is, is there no other alternative (approach) to overcome the problem of the dichotomy of Islamic studies organised by Islamic universities? This article aims to examine and analyze approaches to Islamic studies that integrate insider and outsider perspectives. Unlike previous researchers, the strength of this article lies in its empirical examination of the integration of these two perspectives, which could potentially become a new approach in Islamic studies. This article is a case study conducted at an Islamic university in Indonesia, focusing on the Postgraduate School of UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta. More specifically, this research analyses the integrative approach in developing a research model at the Postgraduate School of UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta. The findings of this research can contribute to Islamic universities in integrating insider and outsider approaches in Islamic studies, which are considered to be contradictory. This research can also contribute to combining science and religion (Islamic studies).

Link: Integrative research of Islamic studies in Indonesian Islamic higher education - ScienceDirect 

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590291126002548#sec9