ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on intra-Muslim civilization impediments and requirements to the dialogue with other civilizations. It discusses the characteristics of classical paradigm of Sharia in epistemological and methodological terms. The chapter examines the paradigm shift debate among contemporary Muslim reformists. This new perspective criticises the classical Muslim paradigm for lack of contextual epistemology which has led to two methodological pitfalls. The first is the classical paradigms failure to use historical contextual analysis. The second is its failure to empirically evaluate Sharia. The paradigm shift calls for two changes: one is to bring history back into the classical discourse; the other is to submit it to empirical methods. The chapter argues that this paradigm shift would open new possibilities for the dialogue between the civilizations. It examines the modernist epistemological and methodological shift and its influence on making history and empirical analysis relevant to Sharia.
