January 01

Christian Thomasius was born in 1655 and became a pioneering legal scholar in Germany. He championed the use of vernacular German instead of Latin in academia to reach broader audiences. Thomasius's writings on natural law and civil rights laid foundations for modern public law. He promoted freedom of opinion and laid groundwork for secular ethics during the Enlightenment. His lectures and publications influenced thinkers such as Christian Wolff and Immanuel Kant. Thomasius's legacy endures in legal philosophy and the spread of Enlightenment values.

Ismail al-Faruqi was born on January 1, 1921, in Jaffa, then part of Mandatory Palestine. He earned his doctorate at Harvard University, specializing in comparative religion. Al-Faruqi taught at several universities, including Temple University and the National University of Malaysia. He pioneered the concept of the Islamization of knowledge, seeking to integrate faith and academic disciplines. His publications, such as The Cultural Atlas of Islam, remain influential in Islamic studies and interfaith dialogue. Tragically, he was assassinated in 1986, but his scholarly work continues to inspire researchers and students.