The article proposes a framework for generating Islamic-based knowledge on International Relations (IR) that takes advantage of the explanatory power of western IR theory without adherence to its philosophical foundation. To this end, the article proposes that Islamic engagement with western IR theory should commence at the foundational level. It articulates Islam as a foundational commitment held by Muslim IR researchers different from foundational commitments in the discipline. More pointedly, it focuses on agency, specifically, Islamic agency in IR as a theoretical effort that demonstrates that Islamic foundational commitments are necessary for Islamic-based knowledge production. The article concludes not by calling on Muslim IR researchers to "abandon" the study of Western-oriented IR, but by calling on them to first bring on board their Islamic knowledge and worldview, and only then to assess Western conceptualizations of the social arrangements of IR accordingly.