Digital Islamic Humanities

Digital Islamic Humanities

The Transformation of Islamic Text Studies in Light of Global Digital Humanities

Document Type : Original Article

Author
mohammad zareinejad
Department of Computer Engineering, Tehran South Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
10.22034/disah.2026.2082492.1060
Abstract
The rapid growth of digital technologies in recent decades has fundamentally transformed research methodologies in Islamic text studies. This article aims to conduct a systematic review of at least 20 scholarly sources published between 2015 and 2025 in order to identify research trends, applied methodologies, structural barriers, and key solutions in both domestic and international contexts. The findings indicate that research has evolved from the initial stage of digitization toward scalable quantitative and qualitative analyses. Traditional approaches to Islamic text analysis, which were largely based on subjective interpretation and limited textual samples, are now being redefined through the use of digital tools that enable large-scale data processing, statistical analysis, and information visualization. Key technical drivers of this transformation include optical character recognition of textual manuscripts, natural language processing of Arabic and Persian texts, and the application of machine learning and deep learning methods to analyze conceptual correlations. At the same time, several structural challenges have been identified, including the lack of standardized data formats, legal and accessibility constraints related to textual resources, and inequalities in access to computational infrastructure and high-quality datasets for regional languages. Based on these findings, the article proposes a conceptual framework consisting of three main pillars: data standardization, the development of open and international infrastructures, and the design of interdisciplinary educational programs to empower researchers. This framework can serve as an effective guide for advancing systematic, sustainable, and inclusive Islamic text research in digital environments and for enhancing the quality and impact of religious studies in the technological era.
Keywords
Digital Humanities
Machine Learning
Deep Learning
Natural Language Processing
 
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Digital Islamic Humanities
Volume 1, Issue 2
November 2025