Muhammad Mahmud Rabi
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Muhammad Mahmud Rabi is a twentieth-century scholar of political science and methodology, known for his studies on research methods and classical Islamic political philosophy, particularly the thought of Ibn Khaldun .
Academic Focus and Methodology
In his methodological writings, particularly Manahij al-Bahth fi al-Ulum al-Siyasiyya (Research Methods in Political Science), Rabi examined the philosophical and epistemological foundations underlying political and social inquiry . He argued that research methods in political science cannot be separated from philosophical currents, logical systems, and ideological frameworks, exploring both liberal and Marxist approaches to research design and analysis .
Rabi maintained that research methods are not absolute solutions on their own, but rather secondary instruments designed to train the intellect, cultivate systematic logical reasoning, and aid scholars in formulating appropriate research questions .
Analysis of Khaldunian Thought
Rabi devoted significant scholarship to the historical and political theories of Ibn Khaldun. In his English-language study The Political Theory of Ibn Khaldun, published in Leiden in 1967, he analyzed the foundations of Khaldunian political thought and sociological inquiry .
In the 1986 edition of his political science methodology treatise, completed in Kuwait, he incorporated an extensive analysis of Ibn Khaldun's methodology, positioning it within the broader tradition of Islamic scholarly inquiry that departed from classical Aristotelian syllogistic logic .
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List of Works
Manahij al-Bahth fi al-Ulum al-Siyasiyya (Research Methods in Political Science) is a methodological work that examines the epistemological foundations, approaches, and research methods utilized in political and social inquiry. It aims to provide researchers with essential analytical tools, foster logical thinking, and clarify the criteria for selecting suitable research methods, including resolving the common confusion between a research approach and a research method.