Islamic World Research Articles

The Conflict over the Sovereignty between Abbasid Caliphate and Seljuk Sultanate (447 - 590 A.H.)

This analytical and inductive study follows the phenomenon of the conflict over the sovereignty between Abbasid Caliphate and Seljuk Sultanate in the era between 447 and 590 A.H. I conceived the roots of this conflict, it's causes and the development of this rivalry, which extended over one hundred forty years. The Seljuk Sultans done their best to deprive Abbasid Caliphs from the sovereignty, as Buyid kings had done with Abbasid Caliphs from 334 till 447 A.H. According to Seljuk's rule, the Abbasid Caliphate must be only religious authority. Therefore, the caliph has no right to designate governors, military commanders, even his own bodyguards. If the Caliph al-Muqtadi (422-467 A.H.), shown his weak, while he deals with the first Seljuk Sultan Tughril (447 - 455 A.H.). While, this situation, would not continue during the caliphates of Al-Mustarshid (512 - 529 A.H.), al-Muqtafi (530 - 555 A.H.), and al-Nasir (575 - 622 A.H.). During al-Nasir's caliphate, the Seljuk's tyranny over the Abbasid Caliphate had terminated by the killing of the last Seljuk Sultan called Tughril Ibn Alp-Arslan in 590 A.H. When the Abbasid Caliphs would resume their authority in 590 AH.. They actually spread their authority only over Iraq and parts of Persia, while the rest of Islamic world would rule by different independent powers.

Halal procurement strategy for the halal pharmaceutical industry in Indonesia

Purpose This study aims to develop a halal procurement strategy for the halal pharmaceutical industry in Indonesia. Design/methodology/approach This qualitative research is based on in-depth interviews, followed by a strength, weakness, opportunity and threat analysis (using analytical network process technique) to develop halal procurement strategies for the halal pharmaceutical industry in Indonesia. Findings Access to halal-certified raw materials is the most difficult issue for pharmaceutical business procurement departments. Because Indonesia is heavily dependent on raw material imports, developing the raw material industry should be a top priority. Recommendations are drafted for the government, pharmaceutical industry and education to strengthen Indonesia’s halal pharmaceutical sector and procurement strategies. Research limitations/implications Few studies have been conducted on halal procurement in the pharmaceutical industry, and case studies are recommended to further explore halal procurement best practices. Quantitative research is also recommended to better understand existing halal procurement strategies and the purchasing process of halal critical items for pharmaceutical industries in Muslim-majority countries like Indonesia. Practical implications Halal critical items sourced for the halal pharmaceutical industry require halal certification, multiple supplier sourcing, evaluation mechanisms and benefit from horizontal collaboration. The main bottleneck for the halal pharmaceutical industry is lack of raw materials with the right halal certificates. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study on halal procurement strategies in the pharmaceutical industry. Its findings are relevant to regulatory, technical and business strategies in Muslim-majority countries.

Malaysia and the Balkan conflict, 1992-1995

ABSTRACT This paper discusses Malaysia’s foreign policy towards Bosnia-Herzegovina from 1992–95, following the implementation of Milosevic’s Greater Serbia policy. Milosevic’s policy led to an ethnic cleansing onslaught that targeted the Bosniaks and Croats, involving displacement, torture, killings and widespread rape by Serbian forces. The indecisiveness and inaction of the West and the UN towards the events in the Balkans was perceived by Dr Mahathir as a clear manifestation of a double standard stance by the West. Realizing that the Bosnian needed assistance, Malaysia responded to their plight. Levering on its membership in several international organizations such as the UN, OIC, NAM and the Commonwealth, Malaysian diplomats actively lobbied for support for the Bosnians. This paper argues that Islam was the primary factor that drove Malaysia towards assisting Bosnia from the period of 1992–95. Through interviews with diplomats and Ambassadors, and an analysis of available literatures, the authors conclude that Malaysia, despite being a small Muslim-majority country, played a significant role in supporting the Bosnians. It thus demonstrates, in this case, Malaysia’s commitment towards playing a major role in the international system.

Peran Politik Islam Dalam Dinamika Pemerintahan Perspektif Dalam Negeri dan Luar Negeri

This study discusses the role of Islamic politics in government dynamics, with a focus on domestic and foreign perspectives. Islamic politics is a key factor influencing political policies and processes in many countries with a majority Muslim population. The aim of this research is to analyze how political Islam plays an important role in shaping government systems and public policies, both domestically and at the international level. This research uses a qualitative approach by combining literature analysis and case studies from several countries that represent differences within the country and abroad. The analysis was carried out by considering aspects such as Islamic political participation, the influence of Islamic politics on policy changes, and the impact of Islamic politics in international relations. The research results show that Islamic politics has a significant role in the dynamics of government in the country. Islamic political participation, through Islamic-based political parties or social movements, can influence the policy-making process and change the political orientation of the country. Factors such as religious identity, social justice, and the aspirations of Muslims often form the basis of Islamic politics in taking positions in government. At the international level, political Islam also plays an important role. Countries with a majority Muslim population often use Islamic politics as a tool to maintain their sovereignty and fight for their interests in the international arena. This can be seen in relations between Muslim countries and Western countries and in issues such as Palestine and the role of Islam in global affairs.

Waves of Islamic Radicalism

Islamic radicalism has become a constant disturbing issue in world politics. Since the early 1980s, the dormant madness of Islamic radicalism has exploded in vicious waves of terrorist attacks around the world. Previous studies, though they contributed enormously to understanding this issue, fell short in analyzing the process that led to the dominance of Islamic radicalism and the damping of Islamic moderateness. This article (a) models the rise and fall of Islamic radical/ moderate waves utilizing Fourier series and the damping notion of waves (2) Identify and test empirically the factors that advance/hamper radicalism using time-series and panel data from 1980 to 2015 across six Islamic countries: Algeria, Bangladesh, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, and Turkey.

Islamism and nationalism: how did old enemies become new allies?

AbstractHistorically, religion and nationalism were opposing forces in many countries. Recently, however, they began to converge as part of rising populist movements globally. In the Muslim world, the partnership between Islamists and nationalists has become evident in several important countries such as Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Malaysia. This merging of Islamism and populist nationalism in the last decade signifies a third period in the Muslim world, following the era of secularist domination (1920s–1970s) and the era of Islamization (1970s–2010s). Some Islamic conservatives might regard the unification of religious and nationalist forces as beneficial to their conservative agenda. Nonetheless, this comes at the high cost of discrimination against Muslim minorities in several countries, such as India, Israel, the United States, and France. Beyond Muslim-majority countries and Muslim minorities, the global trend of advancing a religious-nationalist agenda threatens minority rights. This trend poses a major challenge to democracy, equal citizenship, and minority rights worldwide.

Exploring encounters and prodigies of Islamic banks in non-Muslim states: towards enhancing regulatory frameworks of Islamic banking system

Purpose The primary aim of this study is to explore challenges and prospects of Islamic banking system in non-Muslim states to foster regulatory frameworks of the system. Design/methodology/approach Content analysis as an integral part of qualitative research was used. Secondary data through the exploration of cursory literature was taken into consideration. Findings The findings identified three prime challenges, namely, regulatory, operational and institutional, which are impeding the smooth activities and performances of Islamic banks in using innovative Islamic products and services that can favourably compete with products and services of conventional banking system in non-Muslim states. In addition, strengthening the adoption and performance of Islamic banking in non-Muslim states can efficiently and effectively address the identified and multifarious regulatory, operational and institutional challenges to achieve financial inclusion and overall economic growth. Research limitations/implications Challenges encountered and prodigies or potentials of operating Islamic banking system by most of non-Muslim countries remains a pivotal aspect that needs research attention in the recent. Practical implications Nonetheless, the limitation of this study is that the study relies on the use of secondary data. However, it has provided a substantial direction for future studies in empirically exploring the variables of this study. Social implications Indeed, 19th century was a remarkable turning point in the development and expansion of Islamic banking system in the Muslim world. Many predominant Muslim countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, among others have been efficiently and effectively operating Islamic banking system within the framework of Islamic legal provisions. Many non-Muslim countries such as Australia, the UK, USA, etc., have also adopted Islamic banking system. Originality/value It is noted that policy directions of the study among others should address the regulatory frameworks that is Shari’ah-compliant in the operation of Islamic banking system in non-Muslim states. It is therefore suggested that the policymakers, Islamic financial experts and regulators should use the innovation that could bring competitiveness into the operation of Islamic banking system in non-Muslim states.

Mitigating Environmental Degradation: The Strategic Roles of Muslims for Human Well-Being and Planetary Stability

As environmental crises escalate, with rising global warming, ice melting, species extinction, and pollution, urgent action is required to safeguard humanity and the planet. This article reviews the literature on environmental risks in Muslim countries, particularly poorer ones. The environmental impact equation (I = f [T, P, A]) underscores the key drivers—technology, population, and affluence, with affluence identified as the primary driver of climate change resulting from excessive carbon emissions. The wealthiest one percent produce approximately 70 times more carbon than the poorest 50%, yet it is poorer communities that disproportionately suffer the consequences. This paper examines how Muslims can contribute to sustainability and mitigate environmental damage by addressing ecological “overshoots,” promoting “degrowth” and “steady-state” economies, and fostering qanāʿah (contentment) as a personal lifestyle practice. The emphasis is placed on affluence, rather than population, as the critical factor in combating climate change.

MANAGING COMPETITIVENESS AND RISK: THE EFFECT OF SHARIAH COMPLIANCE AND THE CENTRAL ROLE OF REPUTATION AND INVESTMENT EFFICIENCY

Business practices, especially in Muslim-majority countries, are more influenced by religious values. Therefore, CSR is less relevant or relatively limited to be implemented as an accountability mechanism, so it is advisable to consider religious values as an alternative approach to business ethics. In this context, adopting Sharia Compliance (SC) is seen as one of the dimensions of accountability, a form of business ethics implementation, and a manifestation or proxy of business ethics other than CSR. Therefore, based on the theory of business ethics, this study develops and tests a trivariate relationship model to explain how reputation and investment efficiency play a role in the relationship between SC and competitiveness and risk as proxied by the cost of equity capital. Using 825 observations, the estimation results indicate a partial mediation effect of reputation in the relationship between SC and risk (cost of equity capital). However, there is no mediation effect in the relationship between SC and competitiveness. Other estimation results indicate a partial mediation effect of investment efficiency in the relationship between SC and the cost of equity capital and competitiveness. This indicates that investment efficiency can provide additional totals in the relationship between SC and the cost of equity capital and competitiveness. However, the mediation effect of investment efficiency in the relationship between SC and SC competitiveness produces a total negative effect. Therefore, it can be said that the mediation of investment efficiency in the relationship between SC and competitiveness is an inconsistent or competitive mediation model. Overall, the partial mediation effect of reputation and investment efficiency indicates (1) there are other mediators (hidden mediators) in the relationship between SC and equity capital costs and competitiveness, (2) SC in reducing equity capital costs and producing competitiveness, among others, by building a good reputation and utilizing positive NPV investment opportunities.

The Female Body in the Arab Muslim World: Historical and Sociological Analysis

The Female Body in the Arab Muslim World: Historical and Sociological Analysis

Objectification of Women in Alhamad’s Novels: A Question of De-Humanization or Empowerment in a Post-Islamic Awakening Narrative

This paper reviews the work of the Saudi novelist, Turki Alhamad, who published in a post-Islamic Awakening in Saudi Arabia. The paper contextualizes his writing by defining the concept of sexual objectification in various theorizations of the term including several texts that represent the discourse of the Islamic Awakening movement. His work can be perceived to be de-humanizing of women particularly during the time of its publication in the 1990s and early 2000s when the movement was popular. However, a close reading of his work suggests a multiplicity of discourses in his representation of women. His work can be empowering women taking into consideration Alhamad’s non-fictional writings that promote social change in Arab and Muslim countries. Branded as a challenge of social values at the time of its publication, his work can also be interpreted as a precursor to the social shift towards women’s empowerment that took place in Saudi Arabia in recent years.

Muslim Turcophobia: A Study of Two Missionary Authors

Among Turks, major religions with universal messages have always been tolerated. The fact that Turks generally did not convert to religions other than Islam led to the interpretation of Islam as “the most suitable religion for the character and national culture of the Turks”; therefore, Turks accepted Islam voluntarily, not by force. Among all these belief systems and religions, Islam was based on the belief in “Gök Tengri”. The proximity of the Turks to the Muslim Regions made it easier for the Turks to become Muslims and they became Muslims in groups. The statement in the Quranic Ayat al-Kursi (Al-Baqarah, 255); “His pulpit has encompassed the heavens and the earth كُرْسِيُّهُ السَّمٰوَاتِ وَالْاَرْضَۚ وَلَََا يَؤُ۫دُهُ حِفْظُهُمَاۚ وَهُوَ الْعَلِيُّ الْعَظ۪يمُ” The similarity in the fact that “Gök Tengri”, which they have believed in since the beginning of their existence, is both in the sky and much closer to them (closer than their jugular veins) has facilitated the change of belief in the Turks. The seven stories of the sky, which their ancestors saw as “Uçmak”, the fact that hell is seven stories below the earth, free thought and tolerance in both religions, and the fact that there is only one God religion. The compatibility of the belief in God with hundreds of years of customs and traditions facilitated the acceptance of the idea that Islam was a suitable religion for them. The enmity against Muslim Turks, which started in the Christian world with the progress of Turkish tribes towards the West after the adoption of Islam, has increased the efforts of fanatical missionary Christian writers to create prejudice with their publications, which are far from historical facts, to demonize Turks in the Western public opinion. The common characteristics of these writers are that they fictionalize alleged inhumane crimes against Christians and present them as if they were true, and that they unconditionally support Greeks and Armenians, whom they see as the real owners of Anatolia. In this way, they accelerated the spread of "Islamophobia" in Western public opinion, and the persecution and massacres of Muslims were ignored. However, neither the Holy Quran, nor the Turks, nor the Prophet Muhammad deserve these accusations and slanders. After Afet Inan shared with Atatürk a history book that disparaged the Turks during her studies at the French Notre Dame de Sion High School in Istanbul, the struggle against the unchanging mentality of the West was turned into a state policy, and the Turkish Historical Society was established after April 15, 1931, to rescue Turkish history from the prejudiced views of Western states through scientific studies. The aim of the study is to investigate the publications of two of the dozens of missionaries (George Horton, Sir Edwin Pears) who saw Muslims as a threat to Christianity in the Turkish nation as an example from the publications of works written by missionary writers and containing insults, slander and attacks against Islam.

Why Are There More Atheists in the Muslim World?

Why Are There More Atheists in the Muslim World? For many years, Muslim countries were outside the secularization trend experienced in different parts of the world. This situation seems to have changed in recent years. Surveys in many Muslim countries show that Muslim societies are rapidly moving away from religion, trust in religious leaders and Islamist parties is declining, and fewer people want religion to have an impact on politics. Yet, it seems that none of the explanations provided by secularization literature, such as revised modernization theory or religious markets theory, can help us adequately understand the decline in religiosity in Muslim countries. I claim that there could be a relationship between people's well-being and religiosity and argue that governments' declining economic performance can explain the recent developments taking place in Muslim countries. Various authors have already shown that politics can influence religion just as religion and religiosity influence politics. With this study, I tried to provide details about conditions under which politics can affect religion and religiosity in Muslim countries. Considering that religion affects every part of Muslims' lives, results from this study may give us an idea about the future of politics in the Muslim world.

Perception of Shariah Scholars toward Islamic Banking in Pakistan

Purpose Islamic finance growth depends on factors that are crucial for fostering positive perceptions and increasing acceptance, particularly in Muslim countries. This study aims to investigate the influence of awareness, knowledge, religion and the advantages on perceptions of Shariah scholars toward Islamic banks in Pakistan and the mediating role of attitude. Design/methodology/approach The study collected data through a questionnaire from 200 Shariah scholars in Pakistan who have completed or are currently enrolled in Islamic banking and finance courses. It employed exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses using SPSS and AMOS software to analyze the data to evaluate measurement and structural models, ensuring the validity and reliability of the constructs and testing hypotheses to examine the relationships among factors and perception. Findings The study identified a significant influence of knowledge and attitude on perception, thus supporting H3 and H9. H2, H6 and H8 indicate an insignificant impact of awareness, religious motivation and advantage on perception. This highlights the need for Islamic banks to bridge academic and industry gaps, ensuring that their promotional efforts emphasize monitoring by Sharia committees. The research revealed significant impacts of factors on attitude, confirming H1, H3, H5 and H7. Importantly, attitude was found to play a pivotal role as a mediator between factors and Shariah scholars’ perceptions of Islamic banking in Pakistan. Research limitations/implications By investigating the perspectives of Shariah scholars, this research seeks to provide insights into enhancing the understanding and development of Islamic banking practices within the context of Islamic principles and global financial landscapes. Originality/value This research contributes to the field by uniquely focusing on Shariah scholars’ perceptions of Islamic banking, addressing a significant gap in literature because little research has been conducted to address these issues from the Shariah scholars’ perspectives.

Mapping the Past Two Decades of Nutrition and Food Security in Iran: A Co-Word Network Analysis

Background: Food security in communities can prevent health complications, so investigators have made efforts to find its related factors through various fields. This study aims to draw a road map for nutrition and food security research in Iran. Methods: Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Islamic World Citation Center were searched for eligible publications in nutrition and food security related to Iran for the two decades from 2001 to 2020. Content analysis was done by a co-word network technique using VOSviewer software. Results: Finally, 28,995 scientific publications among 50,444 search results were eligible to include in this study. The research map was drawn using 403,262 keywords obtained from the title and abstract of the papers. A 23.53% growth rate of publications was seen. Iranian articles were mainly published in scientific journals under 10 subject categories. The highly repeated keywords of "treatment", "plant", "age", "risk", and "consumption" were in publications. Moreover, the articles were categorized into thematic clusters of "environmental and climate change", "health ", "food industry and food safety", and "agriculture and water resources management" which were related to nutrition and food security. An increasing trend was observed in the number of publications during the past two decades in Iran. Conclusion: The relation of clinical nutrition, malnutrition, diet, and in recent years, food production and climate change with food security have been extensively studied by Iranian researchers. However, they have neglected studies on public health and policy in food and nutrition security, which reveals their dominant clinical or agricultural approach.

Living in the City: Jews and Their Residences in Medieval Fusṭāṭ

Scholarly consensus maintains that there was a ‘Jewish neighbourhood’, or perhaps several such neighbourhoods, in cities throughout the Islamicate world. In the present article, I delve deeply into this concept, seeking to problematise and unpack it more fully, using the city of Fusṭāṭ in Egypt as a test case.

Revolutionizing Islamic Religious Education: Transforming Paradigms from Al-Azhar in Anticipation of the Future

Islamic religious education has undergone a substantial metamorphosis over time, reflecting the dynamics of societal development and the changing demands of the era. This article delineates the journey of the Islamic religious education revolution through paradigm shifts that occurred at Al-Azhar, a prominent institution of higher education in the Islamic world. Through a deep historical analysis, this article explores the significant steps taken by figures such as Muhammad Ali Pasha, Muhammad Abduh, and Muhammad Rashid Rida in bringing about changes to the Al-Azhar curriculum. The process of renewal not only encompasses the integration of modern elements from the West but also involves responding to the challenges of the times. This article details the role of Al-Azhar in creating a new foundation that enables Islamic religious education to face the future more dynamically and relevantly

“Islam” and “Muslimisme” in the official discourse and categorical apparatus of the French authorities in the 1920s

Throughout history, France and the Muslim world have been connected in various ways. Their interactions have ranged from constructive collaboration to colonial (or semi-colonial) domination and mutual animosity. In this article, the author seeks to examine the nuances of the discursive mobilisation and contextualisation of terms such as “Islam” and “Muslimisme” within the public and secret documents of French diplomacy and colonial administration during the 1920s. He attempts to address the following questions: What was the terminological and semantic conflict surrounding the aforementioned concepts? What were the objectives of the French officials in articulating one or another aspect of “Islam” and “Muslimisme”? Contemporary neocolonialism and a necessity to study its historical genesis and forms determine relevance of the article. The author makes use of insufficiently researched archival and published material. This, in conjunction with the nature of the research question, provides the rationale behind the originality of the analysis presented in the essay. He employs the methodology of the “history of concepts” and comparative-historical analysis to examine the intricate interrelationship between the discursive mobilisation of “Islam” and “Muslimisme”, on the one hand, and the practical policies of Paris, on the other. The author draws on a range of sources to inform his analysis, including French diplomatic documents, the notes and reports of Marshal Hubert Lyautey, books and pamphlets by various French experts and public figures, and material from the French and Algerian press. He concludes that the semantic colouring of “Islam” and “Muslimisme” in the French official discourse of the 1920s was not homogeneous. This perception included a sense of superiority close to Orientalism, a perception of the backwardness of “Islamic civilization” and its incompatibility with the Western socio-political order, and a perception of “Islam” as a potential danger, especially if it was combined with other religious (pan-Islamism) and/or socio-political challenges (pan-Turkism, Bolshevism). Concurrently, the Third Republic’s authorities frequently regarded Islam as a means of securing Muslim allegiance and enhancing France’s “soft power”.

“The Revival of Islam”: a French view of the Islamic Revolution in Iran

In this article, the author investigates the responses of French diplomats and experts to the events occurring in Iran during 1978–1979 and their consequences. This analysis is conducted primarily in the context of the rising prominence of religious considerations in international relations. To this end, the author draws on materials from the archives of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In France, the dual nature of these events was acknowledged. Firstly, there was a notable “re-Islamisation” of the populations in Muslim countries. In many of them, Islam became an influential factor in the formation of national identities after independence, serving to unify and stabilise communities. Secondly, French diplomats emphasised that while religion played a part in these developments, it was not the sole driving force. Rather, it was employed by local leaders as a political tool to advance their own agendas. The French experts demonstrated a tendency to overestimate the degree of Western influence on educated and wealthy sections of Muslim populations, while simultaneously underestimating the capacity of nationally oriented Islamic leaders and movements to modernise their respective countries. Furthermore, these experts also underestimated the ability of these leaders and movements to defend their right to development in accordance with their own customs and traditions. It is notable that many of the conclusions drawn by French diplomats at the turn of the 1970s and 1980s do not align with the contemporary interpretations of the French authorities. A review of the French Foreign Ministry notes from 1978 to 1979 revealed no mention of the issue of Islamic influence and its radical form in the Maghreb and the Middle East on the Muslim community in France.

Doubt Method Between (Al-Ghazali and Descartes)

This research, The Method of Doubt between (Al-Ghazali and Descartes), interprets and explains the similarities and differences of the two philosophers on the issue of knowledge from doubt to certainty. In order to understand the truth and different dimensions of this issue, which belongs to two different worldviews and eras in the medieval Islamic and modern European world, the theses and arguments of both philosophers on doubt as the beginning and path to knowledge and certainty are discussed. This is done by highlighting their main views on their chain of reasoning, how arguments begin with the precedence of doubt until they reach the truth. Although most of their arguments are similar, but they differ in the way they get rid of doubt and reach certainty. This radical difference is that Descartes reaches certainty and truth through doubt, within rational thinking, and his Cogito (I think, Therefore I am), but Al-Ghazali in his Sufi Philosophical journey (Mysticism), he waits for the truth to be revealed to him by God (Allah) and put into his heart as a bright and illuminating light, which is a kind of enlightenment of the heart. However, despite the methodological differences between both of them in the Rational and the heart knowledge, doubt and the method of doubt for both are steps towards achieving certain knowledge beyond all doubt, to access emphatic knowledge, but each gives different status to consciousness and emotion, as well as to mind and heart. As a result, we find that the experiences of both philosophers in sustaining preconceptions and methods of arriving at truth are important and unique, even though they belong to two different philosophical and religious worldviews.