Islamic Scripture Research Articles

Living Islam: Study of the “Pintan” Tradition in Welcoming and Ending the Month of Ramadhan

The reception of Islamic societies to authoritative sources of Islamic teachings can be diverse. However, in the history of Islamic civilization, scholars have exerted more of their intellectual efforts to study the informative rather than the performative function of the Islamic scripture. Living Islam pointing to a new sub-field within Islamic studies that focuses on the Qurʾanic and hadith reception in society as imprinted in the socio-cultural life of the Muslim community. This article discusses the tradition of pasang Pintan as the phenomenon of Living Islam in the Javanese Muslim community, Patok Village, Kayu Aro, Kerinci. This study aims to examine how the community's understanding and reception of the source of Islamic teachings and how it was reflected in the tradition of Pasang Pintan. This tradition is categorized as a Living Islam phenomenon because it has particles and dimensions of Islam in it and has been deeply rooted in the socio-cultural of the community. In addition, this tradition is considered to have a normative foundation derived from both the Quran and hadith. Using qualitative methods and phenomenological approaches, this study found that the tradition of pasang Pintan by the Patok Village community has a functional-cultural meaning, namely as a form of unification between religion and culture. In addition, Pintan is intended as a means of filial piety to parents and social cohesion, enlivening the month of Ramadhan, do'a and zikir, as well as a medium of moral education, especially to parents.

Islam and Ecological Sustainability: An Exploration into Prophet’s Perspective on Environment

The Quran— which is considered as the most sacred Islamic Scripture, the Word of Allah was revealed to Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) via the Archangel Gabriel over 1400 years ago—and the Hadith— The Prophet Muhammad's (peace and blessings be upon him) cherished traditions, sayings, and affirmations in respect to religious issues embody Islam's perspective on the cosmos and the Divine, as well as humanity's relationship with both. When Allah constructed it, every detail was carefully thought out. These supernatural techniques guarantee the existence and protection of natural resources. Islam's environmental teachings are based on the fundamental understanding of how interconnected humans and all other living things are with the rest of the earth. Additionally, our survival and the survival of future generations depend on this information. Because caring for the world also includes caring for our own needs. Islam, is often referred to as a religion which unlike any other dictates it’s followers as to how they are supposed to be leading their life. It not only lays down religious perspectives about what is to be followed in a good and bad sense (i.e. to say the concept of Haraam and Halaal) but also brings about guidelines for the minutest of details of everyday life. According to Islam, protecting the environment is the only way to maintain the delicate balance of life. The Quranic teaching that humanity has been given guardianship over nature is supported by the most well-known Hadith on environmental issues, which states that, "The earth is green and beautiful, and Allah has appointed you his stewards over it."
 Although in the recent times the environmental crisis in Muslim nations has recently worsened due to a complicated web of issues, including globalization, economic competition, and political conflicts among the economically dominant states. In order to avert the destruction, a number of Islamic academicians and experts stressed the importance of reconsidering and going back to the Islamic environmental teachings. On the other side, many intellectuals have denounced Islamic beliefs as wholly ethical and unscientific without fully examining its discourses and detailed sermons. Since this has been emphasised as a key element of Islam as a religion and way of life, the mere fact that Islamic beliefs place weight on the individual's obligation to preserve the ecosystem needs to be thoroughly investigated. This paper highlights how the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) established by the United Nations in 2015 for environmental conservation stand aligned with lslam's strong commitment to protecting the environment and these traditions of the Prophet Muhammad's environmental practices which were practiced years ago. Environmental ethics and practices may be enhanced by focusing on the Islamic perspective on contemporary environmental concerns (such as resource depletion, pollution, and poverty). This study aims to stimulate the teachings of Islam on environmental issues in order to advance the role of religious and scientific organisations in environmental protection. providing appropriate responses. Several environmental challenges are discussed in this article from an Islamic viewpoint.

Understanding Halal leisure: a preliminary view

ABSTRACT This research note discusses why and how the conventional description of leisure makes positioning Halal leisure difficult for researchers and practitioners and then identifies four leisure zones based on the overall consensus of Islamic teachings, cultural tolerance of Islamic societies, and localized/regionalised interpretations of Islamic scriptures. In doing so, this paper contributes to enhancing the nascent understanding of the position of leisure in Islam, considering religious and socio-political factors. For practitioners, this research note alludes to the emergence of Halal-hybrid leisure spaces where Muslims’ religious and cultural identities continuously evolve to accommodate traditionally Westernised leisure habits.

Introduction to the Tafsir of Tabari. Translation from Arabic and Commentary. Part 2

This publication presents the second part of the commented translation into Russian of the Introduction (muqaddima) to the tafasir “Jami‘ al-bayan fī ta’wil al-Qur’an” [The Comprehensive Exposition of the interpretation of the Qur’an] by Muhammad ibn Jarir at-Tabari (839–923). It contains sections dedicated to tafsir. The fi rst of them enumerates three aspects (wujūh) of the interpretation of the Qur’an — (1) the part, which only God knowns — eschatological ayats; (2) the part, whose interpretation is possible only with the support of prophetic traditions — ayats of the Law; and (3) the part, which might be understood by everyone who knows the language of the Qur’an. In the two following sections, groups of traditions about the admissibility and inadmissibility of exegesis are compared. On bases of their analysis, the theologian approves the legitimacy of tafsir. The last section lists the “praiseworthy” and “reprehensible” early commentators on the Holy Scriptures of Islam.

Terrorism and Poverty against Child Right in South Asia: A Rhetorical Analysis of Speeches of Yousafzai and Satyarthi

This paper analyses the rhetoric and the content of the speeches on the Nobel Prize award ceremony delivered by South Asian Nobel Prize laureates Malala Yousafzai and Kailash Satyarthi. It is the argument that the speakers have exposed in international forum concerning child right and education. Their speeches encompass the South Asian philosophy, language discourse, speech and tone, Hindu and Islamic scripture’s chants and the problems of terrorism and poverty. It aims to evaluate the rhetorical elements comparatively followed in the speeches to argue and convince the audience. Terrorism, poverty and trafficking are the main problems against child right and education in South Asian countries against which they struggled and raised voice and they deserved the award. As for method, the article adopts the audio speech in YouTube and written speech of both speakers in Google. Various internet sources of rhetorical analysis are taken as secondary resources to study and analyse their speeches. The speeches are analysed from the perspective of ethos, logos and pathos which are the main rhetorical elements in public speaking as discussed by Aristotle. Satyarthi’s speech is found more inclusive and strong than of Yousafzai’s in terms of coverage and content. Both speakers are aware of using rhetorical skills while introducing South Asian problem in international forum.

Ethics

Islamic scriptures teach that charity is best given in secret. If it is a secret, however, this poses a methodological problem for the ethnographer. How do we study it? Answering this question has led me to some surprising insights for fieldwork in religion. My recent research investigated five Islamic charity organizations operating in north India. As an anthropologist, I now see “ethics” not only as a critical component of culture, or what we take as the object of our study as ethnographers, but I argue that ethics are also a tool that enables our work. Our ethics, and the professional processes that encode them like the Institutional Review Board (IRB), are as much an indispensable tool for the field as the notebooks, pens and microphones we carry.

Rainwater harvesting at place of worship: a case study in Australia

There are several ways of preserving water covering technical, legal and cultural aspects. More recently, Rainwater Harvesting (RWH) has become one of the popular means of water-saving. A few studies on RWH system at place of worship have been undertaken; however, there has not been any detailed study in Australia. This research aims to explore how Islamic scripture can be used to promote water conservation among the Muslim community, specifically, this examines the feasibility of a RWH system at St Marys Islamic Centre, New South Wales, Australia where a RWH system is proposed to supplement mains water for regular uses such as washing, gardening, and socio-religious functions. Based on local daily rainfall data, a water balance model has been developed to estimate reliability of a RWH system at the proposed location. The preliminary result shows that for a 10 kL tank size, the average reliability of the proposed RWH system is 69% for 400 people. However, if the tank size increases, reliability also increases and therefore, higher tank size is needed at the proposed site. Finally, this result will be useful to understand the effects of Islamic motivation and RWH on water preservation. It is also expected that the outcomes of this research will promote water conservation in places of worship and community centres across Australia and other countries.

Nehru’s Vision of Swaraj and Socialism

The thought of socialism is an age old phenomenon in the human society. Its traces can be found in the writings of Greek philosophers like Plato and Aristotle. Shades of socialistic thoughts can also be discovered in the Santan Dharma scriptures, Islamic scriptures and the teachings of Jesus Christ. But it was only in the beginning of the 19th century that socialism as a political, social and economic philosophy gained momentum.
 Jawaharlal Nehru believed that no country or individual could develop much without social freedom and a socialist structure of the society and the state. The idea of socialism had been a constant thought in his mind since the pre-independence days. As an economic modernist of his times, Nehru believed in the development of large-scale industries, which he thought was the only key to overcome poverty in the country. Nehru’s concept of socialism was not merely a rigid theoretical doctrine. Theories when put to practice entertain pragmatic difficulties. When Nehru got the opportunity to apply his concept of socialism as the first Prime Minister of India, he had to confront with many complications. His idea of socialism was subjected to many changes looking to the vast population of India. A strict adherence to any doctrine may prove detrimental at times, more so in a country, like, India. Nehru, therefore, envisaged a policy of mixed economy, of course socialist in nature, which would be best suitable to the needs of the country. India has both a rural and an urban economy and what is required is a harmonious blend between the two for the growth and development of the country. The construction of a series of big dams for agricultural irrigation along with the production of hydroelectricity i.e. energy for industrial purposes reflects Nehru’s idea of drawing a balance between the two major sectors of the country. 
 What Nehru meant by Swaraj was not merely political freedom but beside political freedom it should include social and economic justice for the Indian masses. Independence should bring not only a change of the officials but should also bring a change in the fundamentals of the life of a nation.
 The year 1991 will always be remembered in India as a year which is witness to a drastic change in the Indian economy policy. This was the year when the Government of India drifted from Nehru’s policy of mixed economy and announced the new economic policy which consisted of a wide range of reforms. Thirty years have passed under this new economic system and now the time has come when we should evaluate and analyze how far this new approach has been beneficial to the country.
 Today, the country is face to face with innumerable problems; problems related to inflation, unemployment, caste, class and religious activism. The country needs to address these problems in a determined way before it is too late. I understand that the time has come when we need to once again look back to Nehru’s vision of Swaraj and socialism for a pragmatic solution to these problems.

Management of Khidmah Practices at Mualimin Muadalah Islamic Boarding Schools to Produce Quality Graduates

The purpose of this study is to investigate and reveal the management process carried out in the khidmah practice of Mualimin Muadalah Pesantren as a tradition as well as a unic programme to produce quality graduates. This study was conducted at two Mualimin Muadalah Pesantren of West Java Province, namely Pesantren Darussalam Garut and Pesantren Fajrussalam Bogor. The method used is qualitative research with descriptive analysis techniques. The data is based on observation, interviews, and documentation records. Research findings reveal that the participants undergo one year of preparatory training in scientific writing, Islamic ancient scripture literacy, worship leadership, teaching skills, and Arabic and English language skills. The training was satisfies the institution although its stopped early due to the outbreak of the Covid19 pandemic. After training, participants were sent to undergo a one-year field service period consists of two domains: (1) carrying out teaching and administrative duties; (2) working in the organizational structure of the pesantren and being involved in social and religious events held by the pesantren. The management of teacher service practice does not show significant problems, while the management of boarding service practice is still constrained by inconsistency in supervision and assessment system that is not yet optimal.

Narratives of “the Companions of the Cave,” Moses and His Servant, and Dhū ’l-Qarnayn in Sūrat al-Kahf

The Qurʾān’s accounts of the Companions of the Cave and the travels of Dhū ’l-Qarnayn strongly resonate with popular late antique Syriac Christian stories, namely, accounts of the so-called Sleepers of Ephesus and of Alexander the Great. Yet there is no evidence in the Qurʾān’s telling of these stories that it directly relied upon the specific form in which these stories have been preserved in Syriac. Rather, it is likely that oral versions of these narratives preceded their surviving written accounts and that the Qurʾān recalled aspects of these oral versions for its own purposes. Differences between the qurʾānic accounts of the Companions of the Cave and Dhū ’l-Qarnayn, on the one hand, and their Syriac parallels, on the other, serve to highlight how the qurʾānic telling of the stories under consideration is in line with and stresses the Qurʾān’s particular theological concerns. Similarly, the echoes between the story of Moses and his servant in Sūrat al-Kahf and motifs associated with Alexander should not be taken to mean that the Qurʾān is purposely creating a Moses-Alexander equivalence. Rather, the Islamic scripture may be read as utilizing familiar motifs in order to craft a new episode in the life of the biblical Moses, an episode that reports how Moses came to be prepared for his subsequent prophetic mission.

Cándida Ferrero Hernández and John Tolan, The Latin Qur’an, 1143–1500: Translation, Transmission, Interpretation. Berlin and Boston: Walter de Gruyter, 2021, vii, 498 pp.

Abstract: The Latin Qur’an is the first publication in a new book series that will share the findings of a scholarly initiative funded by the European Research Council called “The European Qu’ran: Islamic Scripture in European Culture and Religion 1150–1850 (EuQu).” The aim of this six-year project (2019–2025) is to study the impact of the Qur’an on the cultural, intellectual, and religious formation of the premodern west. The volume under review comprises twenty-one essays that treat the reception history of the earliest Latin transla­tion of the Qur’an, which Robert of Ketton made in 1143 at the request of Abbot Peter the Venerable of Cluny. The abbot’s aims in this endeavor were polemical. With the assistance of a team of translators active in Spain, Peter assembled a dossier of Muslim religious texts and had them rendered into Latin in order to write a refutation of the truth claims of Islam for a Christian audience. Upon the completion of this unprecedented translation project, the abbot of Cluny provided European readers with unfettered access to the Muslim holy book, which informed western conceptions of Islam for centuries. While this collection takes the date of Robert of Ketton’s translation as its starting point, the closing date of 1500 seems somewhat arbitrary, especially since several contributors call attention to Theodor Bibliander’s 1543 publication of Peter the Venerable’s corpus Islamolatinum as a watershed moment that exposed Robert’s Latin Qur’an to a much wider readership.

Nazira Zeineddine: a jovem e os xeiques

Abstract For over forty years discussion and debate about the hijab had raged around the Muslim Arab world, and pitted conservatives against reformists within a political context shaped by European colonialism. In 1927 Syrian shaykhs announced that women must cover their faces. Women took to the streets, and a nineteen-year-old Druze woman from the Beirut bourgeoisie took to her desk. Quoting Islamic scriptures and contemporary religious and secular authorities on almost every page, Nazira Zeineddine wrote four hundred pages about the harm to society of covering women’s faces. Within a few months she published Unveiling and Veiling. The book, the first by a woman to detail women’s rights in Islam, was an attack on shaykhs who presumed to order women to cover their faces, and who manipulated interpretations of the Qur’an and hadiths with the sole goal of empowering men. In this essay, I will provide an overview of Nazira’s hermeneutics and my hypotheses for why she and her writings remained virtually unknown until the end of the 20th century.

THE COMPARATIVE STUDY: THEOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF TOLERANCE BETWEEN ISLAM DAN CHRISTIANITY TRADITIONS

This paper discusses tolerance from Christianity and Islam perspective. What is tolerance: basis, limit, and example in the scripture—the research doing by bibliography approach. Books, journals, and scriptures are the resources. Hopefully, the results can provide a broader understanding of the theology and tolerance field. Thus these works can be used as references. Through discussion, it found that Christianity and Islam talk about tolerance. They tolerate others, even though there are some interpretations to interpret the scripture either in Christianity or Islam, but they are still open to others. Tolerance is a necessity that becomes an advantage to compete with each other in the pursuit of goodness.

Christian Tithe vis-a-vis Islamic Zakat Concept

This study is aim to compare a social fund concept in Islam and Christian. Comparing a tithe as an instrumen of christian social funds and zakat as an instrument of Islamic social funds. Moreover, this study will delve a scheme of each concepts and compare its effeciency in achieve a socio-economic goals. The study was applied a dual qualitative methods. The first is literature review method, which is use to identify a relevant theories of a study. Theories will be compared by a second method, that is, qualitative comparative analysis method. The findings is, tithe and zakat has same objectives, that is, a human prosperity. But, both of these differences in collecting and distribution procedure. A tithe is collected of 10% from a congregation when he gets sustenance. And the distribution is left to the church for any purpose. Meanwhile, a total collection fund of zakat is only 2.5% per Muslim. Then, it’s only obligated to a man who meet requirement. Distribution concept that was regulated in Islamic scripture (Qur’an)f. The research was only compare a tithe and zakat instruments as a representation of Islam and Christian social funds. And the study was only a theoritical research. That is limited in Islam and Christian in social-economic views. The study inspired by two previous studies, that is, Dahl & Ransom (1999) and the study of Ahmad & Mahmood (2009). Researcher hasn’t found a study as like as this study yet. So, it can be stated that it was an original study.

Novel Traces of the Qur'an?

Novel Traces of the Qur'an?

Meat consumers and Islamic scholars’ understanding of humane slaughter, and effects of pre-slaughter stunning on meat purchasing decisions in Ghana

PurposeThis paper aims to seek the understanding and opinion of meat consumers and Islamic scholars in Ghana, on preslaughter stunning of livestock, and its effects on meat patronage by consumers.Design/methodology/approachA total of 170 meat consumers and 19 Islamic Scholars were interviewed to examine their perception and levels of understanding of pre-slaughter stunning of livestock, and whether stunning had any influence on their meat purchasing decisions. Descriptive statistics and Probit regression model were used to analyse the data obtained.FindingsIt was observed that majority (94.4%) of the meat consumers had no idea on what pre-slaughter stunning of livestock entails. However, 32.7% concurred that stunning is capable of reducing the pain associated with neck cutting of slaughter animals. Evidence from the Probit analysis suggested that variables such as age, marital status, religion, source of meat, product label and Muslims’ religiosity negatively influenced the willingness to consume meat from animals stunned prior to slaughter. In contrast, variables such as gender, knowledge on stunning, beef as the preferred meat, pain reduction and knowledge on stunning, positively influenced the willingness to consume same. The level of education and knowledge on pre-stunning is associated with the acceptance of pre-slaughter stunning of livestock among Islamic ScholarsResearch limitations/implicationsEven though the study is Islamic oriented, majority of the respondents except the Islamic scholars were non-Muslims. Given this, the implications of the study have been differentiated for both Muslims and non-Muslims.Practical implicationsThe findings present an opportunity for researchers, retailers and Islamic scholars to increase education around different slaughter technologies so that consumers can understand these methods to make informed purchasing decisions. Higher educational institutions such as agriculture and veterinary schools can also use the findings to develop future modules around animal welfare. The research can also inform governments, non-governmental organisations and retailers in the formulation of future policies on animal welfare. Further research is also needed to investigate the welfare aspects of slaughter with and without stunning and how to address any lapses in animal welfare.Social implicationsFrom animal welfare standpoint, the results may be interpreted to imply that consumers’ purchasing decisions are not based on animal welfare indices. From halal perspective, it implies that Muslims are consuming products that may have been slaughtered using stunning techniques that contravene the rules of halal slaughter.Originality/valueDespite the popularity of pre-slaughter stunning and relative literature in the industrialised world, it appears to be less researched in developing countries like Ghana. Besides, there is a lack of consensus among Islamic jurists in interpreting Islamic scriptures on pre-stunning. Nevertheless, there is a paucity of studies on the reasons apart from the interpretation of Islamic scriptures, which influences Islamic scholars' stance on pre-stunning in Ghana.

Religious norms and homeownership among Norwegian Muslim women

ABSTRACT This article examines how the Islamic prohibition of riba (interest) shapes ideas about homeownership and housing choices among Muslim professional women in Oslo, Norway. While ‘homeownership for all’ has been an explicit policy goal of the post-war Norwegian welfare state, denoting for immigrants a salient measure of ‘successful integration’, the lack of interest-free housing finance in Norway makes homeownership unattainable for parts of the Muslim minority, who consider interest prohibited by their religion. While research on Muslim immigrants is plentiful, little attention has been given to the relationship between religion and homeownership in migrants’ everyday life, and how the prospect of homeownership relates to questions of integration and belonging. Examining how Muslim professional women negotiate majority and minority norms related to housing and finance, we offer analysis highlighting intergenerational differences as well as gendered and transnational dimensions. We find that the prohibition of riba matters to our research participants and that they actively consider Islamic scripture, their own codes of ethics, and the wider social and economic consequences of their actions when deciding to obtain a loan with interest. Negotiating different, and often diverging, norms, these women straddle expectations of being ‘a good citizen’ and of being ‘a good Muslim’.

Helping a Neighbour in Need: An Auto-ethnography of Lived Hadith Citizenship

This study presents specific ahadīth (sing. hadīth) which inform neighbourly relations on a day-to-day basis. I interpret my actions towards a neighbour, who was experiencing personal problems, as lived-hadīth citizenship. That is, my interactions with my neighbour were infused with Prophet Muhammad's teachings and instructions as found in ahadīth. Aspects of Prophetic wisdom, such as care and easing somebody’s burdens, align with contemporary sociological, anthropological, and psychological definitions of citizenship. This study thus shows that Islamic scripture has a positive role to play in Western societies, shaping daily behaviours such as being a good citizen in one’s neighbourhood.

Implementation of the Policy of the Head of the Education Office in Increasing Understanding of the Islamic Scriptures at State Elementary Schools in South Labuhanbatu Regency, Indonesia

This research aims to analyze several things, namely: 1) analyze pthe policy procedure of the Head of the Education Office in increasing understanding of the Islamic Scriptures in the State Elementary School of South Labuhanbatu Regency. Then 2) analyze the implementation of the policy of the Head of the Education Office in increasing understanding of the Islamic holy book at the State Elementary School of South Labuhanbatu Regency. Furthermore, 3) analyzing the performance of the Head of the Education Office in increasing understanding of the Islamic holy book at the State Elementary School of South Labuhanbatu Regency.This research is qualitative. The process of extracting data holistically, either by means of in-depth interviews with a series of questions, observations in the form of observations, and collection of documents with the aim of obtaining correct and valid data.There are 3 (three) findings that became the result of this research, namely: 1) The procedure for formulating the policy of the Head of the Education Office in increasing understanding of the Islamic holy book, which is in accordance with PP. 55 of 2007 and Regional Regulation Number 10 of 2015 concerning Improved Understanding of the Holy Book of Islam in South Labuhanbatu for regional efforts through religious education in order to encourage local governments through religious education to create people who have noble character, have noble character, have basic knowledge and skills religious basis. 2) Implementation of the policy of the Head of the Education Office in increasing understanding of the Islamic holy book at the State Elementary School of South Labuhanbatu Regency starting in May 2018 by coordinating, monitoring and evaluating teachers. Al-Qur'an literacy educators consist of teachers who are graduates of Islamic Religious Education and those who are not from an Islamic education background with a record of being able to provide lessons to students and have a pesantren background with the approval of the Ministry of Religion office of South Labuanbatu Regency. Teachers who teach must comply with the syllabus provided by the Education Office of South Labuhanbatu Regency. 3) The Performance of the Head of the Education Office in Increasing Understanding of the Islamic Scriptures at the State Elementary School of South Labuhanbatu Regency by controlling the performance of educators in increasing understanding of the holy book and together with the respective school principals to supervise educators in improving the holy book of the Qur'an in South Labuhanbatu. Every month, educators receive an honorarium of Rp. 1,500,000 from the South Labuhanbatu Regency government and are given training every six months and all honorary teachers use the syllabus provided by the South Labuhanbatu Regency Education Office.

Islam Reformed in Indian History: The Dynamic Sufi Heart in Vital Transition to Printed Scripture

Attempting to comprehend the controversial subject of Islamic reform, this study compares the development of Indian Islam to the Protestant Reformation. Seminal findings from social science aid in understanding religious reform as an evolving historical process. During the transition to colonial rule in India, Christian missionaries introduced a scripturally defined concept of religion that challenged the traditional worldview with Sufis at the heart of organic universal order. Shah Waliullah interpreted the social disorder as the historical operation of the transcendent and willful God, declaring Islamic scriptures as the only authoritative guide for believers. Reformers translated the Qur’ān, preached to the masses, and established independent Muslim schools. Scripturalism expressed as literalism became puritanical resulting in sectarian fragmentation and conflict with Islamic and Christian reform. But the most disruptive change agent was technological: the printing press transformed scripture from oral and manuscript traditions, and the pervasive printed Qur’ān in local languages shaped individual and communal Muslim identity. The profound historical impact of religious reform with printed scripture could portend a new era with digital scripture in cyberspace.