Historical Development of Islamic Studies in the West

Abstract

This academic article is aimed at to trace back the historical development of Islamic Studies as formed in the West. The method used was documentary with descriptive historical analysis. The study found that Islamic Studies had actually began since the 12^th century and subsequently up to the present under the different topics of studies. The confrontation between Islam and the West through the almost-2 century-Crusade was the main factor caused to the attention on the matter of Islam meanwhile the other factors included especially contribution of the higher educational Islamic institutions. They started by translating Islamic treaties into Latin, and later other European languages. After that they had continued to explore in depth various topics of Islamic Studies up to the period of colonization and post colonization, with or without hidden agenda that later on, of course through academic works, they must be found.