MODERNIZATION AND HUMAN WELL-BEING FROM AN ORIENTALIST PERSPECTIVE

Orientalism, in this context, refers to the Western study of Islamic affairs and the Islamic community, whether for scientific purposes or solely as a study of religion and politics. There are many different views on Orientalism as a discipline, and as a methodology many of which serve as the basis for differing interpretations of Islam, especially in regard to Islam's birth, development and operation. Several Islamic scholars have explored Orientalist perceptions of Islam and this article builds on these beginnings, seeking to interpret and understand Orientalist views of the teachings of Islam, especially in the Malay world. Special attention is given to some of the major Orientalist areas of inquiry, including the interpretative methodology's critique of modernization and prosperity.