Islamize

Islamize (or islamize) is a verb meaning to cause to become Islamic or to adopt Islamic practices, beliefs, or institutions. It can refer to the process by which an individual converts to Islam, as well as broader social or political changes that align a community, state, or legal system with Islamic norms. Etymologically, the word is formed from Islam plus the English suffix -ize.

The concept has been used in historical and contemporary contexts. In historical terms, it has described periods of expansion, conversion, and integration where populations adopted Islam and incorporated Islamic law, culture, and institutions. In modern discourse, islamization may refer to the introduction or enforcement of Islamic-ruled legislation, the expansion of religious education, the establishment of religious courts, or the promotion of sharia-based norms in public life. The term is used with varying implications: supporters may present it as a return to religious principles or cultural continuity, while critics may see it as the imposition of religious rule or as a threat to secular governance and minority rights.

Usage and connotations vary by region and era. In academic contexts it can be descriptive of historical processes; in political debates it can be used more polemically. Related terms include Islamization, Islamification, and related ideas such as the Islamization of knowledge, a movement that seeks to reinterpret or reorganize knowledge within an Islamic worldview.