Abstract
This paper critically re-examines the dialogue between Islamic studies and sociology in contemporary Iran, specifically analyzing the contribution and influence of Dr. Ali Shariati. The research delineates three distinct phases of Islamic studies in Iran: "Revolutionary Islamic Studies," "Religious Intellectualism," and "Academic Islamic Studies." It demonstrates how the continued sociological engagement with earlier forms of Islamic studies (particularly focusing on Shariati), despite its initial constructive role, now acts as a point of rupture and even impasse in this dialogue. Adopting a historical-hermeneutical approach, the article argues that ideological and prescriptive readings of Islam, such as Shariati's class-oriented interpretation, face fundamental methodological and ontological challenges from the perspective of academic Islamic studies. Finally, to overcome this stalemate, the author proposes that sociology adopt a middle ground: a path that leverages the "empirical rationality" of religious intellectualism while remaining faithful to the "hermeneutical historicity" of academic Islamic studies. This trajectory, it is hoped, will lead to a deeper, non-ideological, and historically-informed understanding of Islam, enabling sociology to effectively address contemporary social issues.
Keywords:Islamic Studies, Sociology, Religious Intellectualism, Ali Shariati, Academic Islamic Studies, Hermeneutical Historicity, Empirical Rationality.
 
Introduction
The nexus between Islamic studies and sociology in contemporary Iran has held a special place, particularly during and after the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Dr. Ali Shariati, adopting a synthetic approach, sought to integrate Islamic teachings with sociological analyses. While his efforts opened new horizons, they also introduced challenges. Islamic studies in Iran has traversed three main stages: Revolutionary Islamic Studies (centered on Shariati, emphasizing social and class dimensions of Islam), Religious Intellectualism (focused on re-examining religious concepts based on the modern world), and Academic Islamic Studies (scientific and historical investigation of Islam). This research aims to analyze Shariati's role, explore the strengths and weaknesses of his efforts in linking these two fields, and propose solutions for deepening this interaction.
 
Materials & Methods
This research adopts an analytical-historical and hermeneutical approach. By critically re-examining the works of Dr. Ali Shariati (such as "Class Orientation of Islam") and analyzing related intellectual discourses, the study aims to reveal the current challenges in the dialogue between sociology and Islamic studies. In specific sections, for instance, economic concepts in Islamic texts are explored using an "idea-history" (تاریخ انگاره‌ای) and historical-cultural anthropological approach, to highlight the distinction between academic and ideological/prescriptive readings.
 
Discussion & Result
Dr. Ali Shariati, as a unique figure, simultaneously served as a sociologist and an Islamologist, establishing a deep connection between these two fields. However, just as he was a point of connection, he has also become a point of rupture and impasse, as sociology still finds itself compelled to re-read Shariati, preventing attention to subsequent developments in Islamic studies. Islamic studies in contemporary Iran has undergone three stages: 1. Revolutionary Islamic Studies (centered on Shariati, radical and ideological, in opposition to stagnant traditional jurisprudence, aiming for social transformation). 2. Religious Intellectualism (post-revolution, ideological but focused on realism and empirical rationality, in opposition to political Islam). 3. Academic Islamic Studies (from the 2000s onwards, non-ideological and non-prescriptive, adopting a historical-research approach, seeking to understand religion "as it was," with a potentially more fundamental challenging capacity for traditional Islam than religious intellectualism).
The continuation of sociology's dialogue with outdated versions of Islamic studies (Revolutionary and Religious Intellectualism) has challenging consequences. Specifically, Shariati's class-oriented interpretation of Islam faces methodological and ontological challenges from the perspective of academic Islamic studies. Imposing modern economic/class models on early Islamic society contradicts the principles of academic Islamic studies, which emphasize a historical and anthropological understanding of concepts (such as poverty, wealth, blessing). A case study of "Barakah" (blessing) revealed that this concept in the era of revelation had a metaphysical, not economic, nature. Furthermore, a re-reading of poverty and wealth concepts in Islamic texts with an academic approach shows five types of encounters (praised/condemned poverty, praised/condemned wealth, Kafaaf), all of which are examined subjectively and relatively (depending on the individual, worldly/otherworldly context, and stage of supplication/realization), rather than essentialistically or idealistically. Sociology has often overlooked academic Islamic studies due to its non-rhetorical and non-critical nature, despite this approach offering new capacities for studying Islam.
 
Conclusion
This research demonstrated that the complex dialogue between Islamic studies and sociology in Iran, despite Shariati's significant past role, now requires re-evaluation. The three stages of Islamic studies (Revolutionary, Religious Intellectualism, and Academic Islamic Studies) were each elucidated with their distinct characteristics and approaches. Shariati's ideological and prescriptive readings face fundamental methodological and ontological challenges from the perspective of academic Islamic studies, as they impose modern concepts onto the historical context of early Islam. To overcome this impasse, it is proposed that sociology adopt a middle ground: leveraging the "empirical rationality" of religious intellectualism to address contemporary and practical concerns, while remaining faithful to the "hermeneutical historicity" of academic Islamic studies to achieve a non-ideological, precise, and historically-informed understanding of Islam. This trajectory will lead to a deepening of the dialogue between these two fields and assist sociology in responding to contemporary social issues.