Scholarship and Social Engagement: Reflecting on the Career of Sulayman Nyang

The theme of this editorial is inspired by the passing of a dear friend, Sulayman Nyang, whose life epitomized the nexus between scholarship and social engagement. Dr. Nyang’s life and career follows a long-held Islamic tradition stretching over a millennium. I would like to begin my reflections by citing the tradition of social engagement and social responsibility within Islamic scholarship, and then briefly examine how that tradition was upheld by Dr. Nyang and offer a synopsis of his thoughts and actions.
Scholarship is a quest for knowledge and truth, and a concerted effort to enhance the human condition. Scholars are dedicated to discovering the nature of social reality and the inner workings of the human spirit, and to shed light on the social patterns that permit human beings to institutionalize their values and beliefs to better their lives and bring purpose and meaning to their day-to-day reality. This quest requires a high level of discipline and of critical thinking to overcome individual and cultural biases. It requires dedication to methodical inquiries and to conclusions based on evidence rather than emotions or attachments to established social and cultural norms. This dedication to methodical inquiries that aims at overcoming social and intellectual contradictions and limitations, and rejecting distortions and prejudices, is what sets the scholar apart from the ideologue, and allows for positive change borne out of critical reviews of inherited notions and biases.