Islamic Ethnozoology: A Questionnaire-Based Assessment of Animal Perceptions, Uses, and Cultural Significance in Muslim Communities

This research examines the historical and cultural aspects of the Perang Topat ritual in Lombok, Indonesia, with a particular focus on the role of Islamic education in the preservation of this local tradition. This study examines the impact of Islamic teachings on the ritual, elucidating the interconnection between religion and culture. The study employs a qualitative methodology, encompassing ethnographic fieldwork, interviews and document analysis with key informants, including religious leaders and cultural practitioners. The findings indicate that Perang Topat is reflective of cultural and religious diversity, with participation from both Muslim and Hindu communities. The ritual is firmly embedded in the historical context of an agrarian society and serves to promote values of gratitude, togetherness and mutual respect. It can be seen that Islamic education plays a pivotal role in influencing the younger generation’s comprehension of the ritual and in guaranteeing its cultural significance is maintained. While this research is focused on a single cultural site, further studies in other regions could extend these findings and provide deeper insights into the interplay between religion and tradition in Muslim communities.

In article the analysis of the second interregional scientific and practical conference with the international participation “Islam in the Urals is given: history, the present, calls”, taken place on November 14, 2018 in Yekaterinburg. Relevant threats to Muslim community of the Volga region, the Urals and Siberia reveal, activity of the Islamic extremist and terrorist organizations and effective ways of ideological counteraction to Islamic promotion is analyzed, various directions of cooperation of public authorities and Muslim religious organizations in preservation of cultural heritage and spiritual and educational work among various categories of the population are analyzed and also the review of the latest works in the field of studying of history and the current state of the Muslim communities and Islamic infrastructure of the Volga region, the Urals and Siberia is given.

This study explores ethnomathematics in Islamic local wisdom in Kemantren Village, Lamongan Regency, focusing on Islamic traditions surrounding the tomb of Maulana Ishaq. Using qualitative descriptive methods through observation and literature review, this study examines mathematical elements embedded in the architecture of Maulana Ishaq's tomb, Al-Abror Mosque, heritage sites, and the Islamic cultural practices that have developed in the village. Data were collected through interviews, observations, and literature analysis involving ten participants, including religious figures, mathematics teachers, tomb caretakers, and local residents. The research findings reveal that the Muslim community in Kemantren has preserved advanced mathematical understanding through religious and cultural traditions, particularly in the context of Islamic rituals and local religious practices. This study provides an integrative framework for embedding Islamic cultural ethnomathematics into mathematics pedagogy and cultural heritage preservation.

This structured review explores the intersection of ethical considerations in the realm of breast milk sharing technology. In the modern landscape of healthcare, ethical breast milk sharing has emerged as a solution to address the nutritional needs of infants when traditional breastfeeding is not feasible. However, the integration of technology into this practice raises questions about adherence to Shariah principles governing acts of kindness, transparency, and charity, which are pivotal within Islamic teachings. The problem statement revolves around the need to critically assess and analyze the various dimensions of ethical breast milk sharing technology in light of Shariah compliance, considering the cultural and religious significance it holds in Muslim communities. In this paper we provided a systemically review anaylsis based on Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) technique for virtual reality implementation. The advanced searching into two powerful database which is Scopus and Web of Science (WoS). Based on searching, find finally main data n=14 and will be analysis using systhesis approach. The three main theme was decided; (1) technological advances in human milk management (2) ethical and practical considerations in human milk practices and (3) social and cultural aspects of human milk sharing. In conclusion, this review contributes valuable insights for policymakers, healthcare practitioners and technology developers seeking to align ethical breast milk sharing technology with Shariah principles. It emphasizes the significance of considering cultural and religious dimensions in the development and implementation of such technologies to ensure their acceptance and effectiveness within Muslim communities. This structured review provides a foundation for future research and initiatives aimed at fostering ethical breast milk sharing practices that align with Shariah compliance.

This structured review explores the intersection of ethical considerations in the realm of breast milk sharing technology. In the modern landscape of healthcare, ethical breast milk sharing has emerged as a solution to address the nutritional needs of infants when traditional breastfeeding is not feasible. However, the integration of technology into this practice raises questions about adherence to Shariah principles governing acts of kindness, transparency, and charity, which are pivotal within Islamic teachings. The problem statement revolves around the need to critically assess and analyze the various dimensions of ethical breast milk sharing technology in light of Shariah compliance, considering the cultural and religious significance it holds in Muslim communities. In this paper we provided a systemically review anaylsis based on Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) technique for virtual reality implementation. The advanced searching into two powerful database which is Scopus and Web of Science (WoS). Based on searching, find finally main data n=14 and will be analysis using systhesis approach. The three main theme was decided; (1) technological advances in human milk management (2) ethical and practical considerations in human milk practices and (3) social and cultural aspects of human milk sharing. In conclusion, this review contributes valuable insights for policymakers, healthcare practitioners and technology developers seeking to align ethical breast milk sharing technology with Shariah principles. It emphasizes the significance of considering cultural and religious dimensions in the development and implementation of such technologies to ensure their acceptance and effectiveness within Muslim communities. This structured review provides a foundation for future research and initiatives aimed at fostering ethical breast milk sharing practices that align with Shariah compliance.

This research explores social cohesion among Muslim, Buddhist, and Hindu communities in Pemenang Timur Village in Lombok, East Indonesia. This village stands out because its people peacefully coexist in close proximity among three religious groups. This is in contrast to discrimination and violence that often occur in interfaith relations in other regions in Indonesia. This research employs a qualitative method with an ethnographic approach to analyze social practices and to reveal meaningful insights. It involves in-depth interviews with religious leaders (Muslim, Hindu, and Buddhist), traditional leaders, Pemangku, and local community members. The findings show that social cohesion manifests in three forms: hereditary values characterized by blood relation through interfaith marriage, local wisdom in The Ngejot tradition held by sharing food during religious ceremonies, and religious cohesion represented by concepts such as Tasamuh concept in the Islam, Tri Hita Karana in Hinduism and the Vihara Brahma in Buddhism. Through these religious cohesion values, the social heritage and local traditions are preserved to maintain harmony between religious communities and foster mutual respect as part of civic culture, and to improve social solidarity between religious communities. They play a vital role in cultivating unity and integrity among different religions and ethnicities. The findings of this research emphasize the importance of social cohesion in building harmony between religious communities in other regions of Indonesia, contributing to more peaceful, and harmonious nations with respect for diverse religious beliefs, ethnicities, cultures, tribes, and languages.

This study examined the cognitive aspects and competencies of the Indonesian Muslim diaspora in Southeast Asia through a community empowerment program to preserve Islamic heritage. Muslim communities in Southeast Asia have a historical relationship in the process of da'wah, Islamic culture, and the transmission of knowledge. Historical heritage in the form of mosques, tombs, kingdoms, and religious ceremonies is a potential for halal tourism and a challenge for the cultural conservation process. In this regard, the Indonesian Muslim diaspora plays a significant role in efforts to maintain Islamic heritage in Southeast Asia due to their shared culture, traditions, and language. Enhancing the diaspora's cognitive aspects and competencies was a priority for assistance. Therefore, various activities were implemented to improve their ability to document relevant information about Islamic heritage. This endeavor employed a Participatory Action Research (PAR) methodology to support the Indonesian diaspora residing in Malaysia, Thailand, and Brunei Darussalam. The mentoring program included Focused Group Discussions about Islamic heritage and assistance in improving skills related to data collection and writing about Islamic heritage and Arabic Pegon writing. Following the mentoring activities, notable improvements were observed in the cognitive aspects of the assisted subjects concerning historical mosques and Islamic kingdoms (13.3%), Islamic museums (21.43%), Islamic traditions (35.71%), and Islamic arts (42%), tombs (38.46%), and haul ceremonies (84%). Additionally, there was increased competency in searching and writing Islamic heritage information (13.3%) and Arabic Pegon writing (28.57%) after the mentoring. To ensure program sustainability, the diaspora actively disseminates service outcomes through online directories. Furthermore, ongoing collaboration is fostered through community-based cultural initiatives, which contribute to preserving Islamic history.

After fleeing war-torn Yugoslavia, the Bosnian Muslim diaspora quickly developed institutions of sociability and solidarity in ‘the West.’ Although they align with a moderate and secular Islam, the generation born after the war endures a climate of hate and hostility. This study investigates how young Bosnian Muslims nurture political participation and keep peddling the stereotype that Muslims threaten liberal democracy. It looks at how the group under study responds to the disadvantages inherent in the post-migrant situatedness and religious identity in Belgium, Germany, and Poland. Collected qualitative data show that a high level of religious salience does not obstruct integration and civic engagement but instead stimulates unconventional and non-institutional political participation. The findings also indicate that young Muslims with Bosnian roots do not resent their family heritage and Muslim community. Yet they self-reiterate a sense of remoteness with other post-diasporic Muslim communities by associating themselves with ‘European Islam.’

This study examines the characteristics and cultural practices of marriage among the Sama Bangingi community in Barangay Bolong, Zamboanga City, Philippines. The study emphasizes the significance of promoting modest dowries and straightforward marriage procedures, aiming to make marriage more accessible and financially feasible. By advocating for simplified marriage customs, this research highlights the importance of parents avoiding demanding excessive dowries, which can reduce issues such as elopement and financial strain. The findings reveal that the majority of participants prefer simple, low-cost weddings, mainly due to financial limitations, and that dowries, though minimal, remain a customary aspect of marriage among the Sama Bangingi. This research provides valuable insights for prospective couples, parents, Muslim communities, other cultural groups, and future researchers.

Astola Island, also known as Jezira Haft Talar, is Pakistan's first Marine Protected Area (MPA), designated to conserve its unique terrestrial, intertidal, and marine ecosystems. Located 18.6 nautical miles southeast of Pasni in Balochistan, Astola Island MPA covers a core marine zone of 225.83 km² and an outer buffer zone of 175.64 km². The island features a rugged topography with steep rocky cliffs on the southern side, sandy beaches on the northern side, and diverse habitats including coral patches, sandy shores, and rocky crevices that support a wide array of flora and fauna. Astola Island hosts 30 plant species, eight species of reptiles including the endemic Saw-scaled viper (Echis carinatus astolae), and 61 avian species, among which are significant populations of migratory birds. The island is a crucial nesting site for green turtles (Chelonia mydas) and there have been offshore sightings of hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata). The surrounding waters are rich in marine biodiversity, with more than seventy-five recorded fish species, 25 coral species (hard and soft coral colonies), and recorded sightings of threatened marine mammals like the Indo-Pacific finless porpoise (Neophocaena phocaenoides) and the Arabian Sea humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae). The socio-economic importance of the island is tied to its rich fishing grounds, which support around 800 households, primarily from Pasni and other nearby fishing towns. Astola Island also holds cultural significance as a historic shipwreck site and a religious site for both Hindu and Muslim communities. Despite its ecological, economic and cultural significance, Astola Island faces multiple threats, including invasive species like black rats and mesquite (Prosopis juliflora), Illegal unregulated and unreported fishing activities, pollution from discarded waste, as well as impacts from climate change such as coral bleaching and coastal erosion. To address these challenges, IUCN Pakistan in consultation with the MPA custodian authority Balochistan Forest and Wildlife Department and Pakistan’s National Coordinating Body on MPAs developed the Astola Island MPA Management Plan with the aim of conserving the island's biological, ecological, cultural, and socio-economic values. Key priorities include establishing a mainland MPA information center at Pasni and a field station on Astola Island, enforcing environmental laws, and controlling visitor numbers to prevent habitat degradation. Research conducted over the past year aimed to assess the existing status of biodiversity, identify key challenges, and recommend management strategies through a recognised MPA management plan to ensure that Astola Island remains a vital conservation area, balancing ecological protection with sustainable resource use for the long-term benefit of Pakistan. The management strategy focuses on habitat conservation, waste management, invasive species control, sustainable fisheries, and ecotourism management. Additional programs are designed to support community engagement, alternative livelihoods, education, scientific research, and monitoring and evaluation using SMART indicators.

The disintegration of Yugoslavia ended with the mass migration of about four million people who found refuge in different European countries and overseas. As extensive literature on the Balkan diaspora primarily focused on their attachment to their former home and the fantasy of a return, interest and awareness about the descendants have remained at an early stage. By looking at two small communities of young Muslims born to former Yugoslavian Muslim families residing in Antwerp (Belgium) and Dortmund (Germany), this paper investigates whether such post-migrant generations remain exposed, if at all, to a condition of atopicality vis-à-vis the external ascription of migration and construction as migrants. Based on qualitative research methods, the findings permit us to discuss how feelings and practices of belonging and ‘being Muslim’ are still embedded in the family heritage, and heightened by ‘migratism’ and Islamophobia in Belgium and Germany.

The article presents the results of studying the process of constructing new religious spaces in Tomsk in the post-Soviet period, starting from the 1990s – the period of legitimation of religion in Russia. The author’s inclusion of the desecularisation concept in the analytical apparatus of the study allowed us to examine in detail the specifics of the transition of historical Muslim communities from a secular, atheistic social formation to a religious one. The purpose of the study is to examine the process of formation of religious practices among local Muslim Tatars in the context of their construction of urban religious space. The analytical framework of the desecularisation concept implied identification of a number of factors that influence their activism in the religious revivalist movement. They include the following: updating the historical ethno-confessional heritage, privatisation of religious institutions – mosque buildings built in the pre-revolutionary period; post-Soviet religious re-socialisation with the restoration of religious norms and practices at the everyday level; the formation of an accompanying institutional environment for these practices and demands; the complex and contradictory process of restoring the institution of the clergy; ethnocultural revival with formation of online communities. Anthropological and ethnological methods used by the author of the study allowed identifying a set of objective and subjective factors that have a significant impact on the dynamics and quality of the formation of urban religious spaces by local Muslim Tatars and visiting Muslim migrants from the countries of Central Asia and the Caucasus republics. At the same time, it is shown how differentiation occurs in the religious institutional space according to the principle of “locals” – “newcomers”, which, one way or another, affects the sphere of religious worship and practices, the specifics of religious infrastructure, the situation of competitive relations between imams from the Tatar community and from number of arriving Muslim migrants. The study shows that local religious Tatar activists create unique religious spaces and practices in the Muslim community, including the media space. Urban spaces, adapted to the needs of believers, become a part of religious relations within the Tatar community. Along with this, the increasing activity of imams, immigrants from Central Asia and the Caucasus republics, who accumulate administrative and territorial resources around themselves, has been noted. This leads to the replacement of traditional Islamic actors from among local Tatars with newcomers from among migrants. The article analyses field materials, observations and in-depth interviews collected from informants in Tomsk and the Tomsk Region from late 2019 to 2024.

This study explores in depth the role of Arabic language instruction in strengthening cultural identity and supporting Islamic education among students. The findings indicate that learning Arabic not only enhances understanding of Islamic teachings but also promotes greater social engagement and the preservation of local cultural values aligned with Islamic principles. Arabic is positioned as a crucial medium that bridges formal education with spiritual and historical cultural heritage. To ensure the validity and reliability of the data, this study employed methodological triangulation and pre-testing of research instruments. The analysis reveals that the applied approach successfully uncovered the strong relationship between Arabic language proficiency and the reinforcement of both Islamic and cultural identity among learners. These findings provide valuable insights into the integration of language and culture within education and offer a solid foundation for the implementation of similar programs in other Muslim communities.

This study examines the informal religious practices of the Muslim communities in Adjara, Georgia, with a particular focus on elements of Sharia law that have persisted as “silent norms.” The research aims to identify these Sharia elements, analyze their social functions, gender dimensions, and normative significance, and explore the hybrid normative environment created through their integration with local cultural traditions. Methodologically, the study employs a qualitative, interdisciplinary approach combining historical and comparative analysis, ethnographic fieldwork, semi-structured interviews with local elders and religious leaders, and documentary analysis. Ethical standards were strictly observed, ensuring respondent anonymity and informed consent. Data were analyzed through thematic coding and comparative analysis, allowing for a comprehensive understanding of the historical, social, and legal coexistence of Sharia norms in the region. The findings reveal that despite the formal abolition of Sharia institutions following Russian and Soviet rule, certain elements continue to function as informal norms within the community. These practices-encompassing marriage rituals (Aqdis Gachra), inheritance, funeral rites, oaths on the Quran, and other life-cycle ceremonies-play a significant role in maintaining social order, gender arrangements, community identity, and cultural memory. They represent a hybrid normative system where secular state standards and religious-cultural norms coexist and shape everyday social life. In conclusion, the study demonstrates that Adjara’s Muslim communities maintain historical religious heritage alongside contemporary social standards. Informal Sharia norms function not only as cultural and religious practices but also as mechanisms of social regulation, intercultural continuity, and community cohesion, illustrating a unique example of normative pluralism and cultural resilience.

The historical narrative of Manipur illustrates the sustained contributions of diverse communities, marked by their bravery, resilience, and innovative spirit, in which the Muslim community, locally recognized as Meitei-Pangals, holds a particularly notable status. In spite of being a minority, they played a significant role in the defending of the kingdom, enhancing its economic framework, and contributing to its cultural heritage. Embedded in the lallup system, Pangals made substantial military and economic contributions, often sacrificing their lives in wars against neighboring kingdoms and the British during the Anglo-Manipur War of 1891.Their contributions surpassed beyond the military engagement: they initiated progressive agricultural practices including paddy transplantation and the application of bullock-drawn ploughs, advanced craft skills such as weaving, pottery, paper production, carpentry, and firearms manufacturing, and encouraged the proliferation of commercial networks. Muslim women similarly participated energetically in socio-political movements, as exemplified by the Nupi Lal, standing shoulder to shoulder with their Meitei sisters. Nevertheless, their contributions and innovations remain largely unacknowledged in conventional historical narratives. This manuscript endeavours to recover and highlight the various contributions of Muslims in the historical and cultural heritage of Manipur, emphasizing their contributions as warriors, innovators, and unsung patriots.