Dr. Yasir Qadhi: Traversing Traditions: From Medina to Yale

It might appear to some that studying Islam from a faith-based seminary perspective is so totally di erent from the academic study of Islam that there is little common ground between the two. The questions asked, the methodology used, the trust given to various sources, and other epistemological issues are indeed strikingly di erent from one another.The fact that seminary students and academics of Islam rarely intermingle or share joint conferences, despite sharing the same passions and subject matter, might reinforce this stereotype. However, this paper argues, based on the personal experiences of the author, that each of the two worlds has a lot to bene tfrom the other, and that perhaps a combination of some aspects of both paradigms would produce higher levels of scholarship. As well, each of the two paradigms has its strengths and weaknesses, and it is helpful for those in one paradigm to be cognizant of the pros and cons of their own, and of the other. Finally, the paper suggests practical steps in how to build bridges between these two seemingly separate worlds.