Islamic Trends Research Articles

The transformation of the discourse on secularism/the civil state in arab academic writings post arab spring

Since the start of the Arab Spring, no topic has been more polarizing to elites than secularism, the civil state, and political Islam. In this article, I will analyze the academic literature written by researchers and sometimes political activists in journals published in the Arab world on this topic. I will conduct a quantitative (bibliometric) and qualitative analysis of this literature (149 articles), in order to try to answer the following questions: To which extent is there interest in these topics in academic journals? How did these writers address the topic of secularism or the civil state? How do leftist/secular/liberal trends on the one hand and Islamic trends on the other interact with the issue of secularism? What type of journals are these?

National Security Risks of Religious Extremism

In the present study the author examines how and why religious extremism can be linked to radical trends in Islam. What solutions should the national security and law enforcement services of developed countries seek and find for these religious extremist trends. Their goal is to ensure the safety of their own citizens, to detect in time the circle of persons who may commit an assassination attempt, and to prevent attempts to commit terrorist acts. The study also presents what solutions are available for dealing with and suppressing religious extremism from a security policy perspective.

The Spread of Sufi Doctrine in the Golden Horde and its Spiritual Values

In recent years, a lot of research has been carried out on the religious history of the Golden Horde, a large state that formed the head of the Turkic-Muslim peoples of Eurasia. The importance of studying the religion and Confessions of the peoples of the Volga region and Deshti Kipchak is growing, and a number of scientific works in this direction are increasing. The increase in interest in the study of the spiritual, philosophical and cultural role of religion is due to the conduct of scientific work. One of the most important and urgent topics in science is the fundamental study of the spread of Sufi doctrine among the peoples of the Golden Horde and its socio-cultural and spiritual role, which is considered one of the most basic religious and philosophical trends in Islam. In the state of the Golden Horde, the history of Islam, its adoption and immersion in the minds of the people attract the attention of representatives of the humanities. Despite the rather high level of development of research on the history and spirituality of Islam in the Golden Horde, there is a need for scientific research. Of these, the most relevant is the history and philosophy of Sufi teachings, and the spiritual values of this direction in the minds of the Horde peoples are considered important. The proposed scientific article discusses the spread of the Islamic religion, including Sufi teachings, and its spiritual and philosophical values in the Golden Horde, which was the largest state of the Turkic era. A historical analysis of the adoption of Islam by the people of the Golden Horde and the spread of the teachings of Sufism here is carried out and a spiritual assessment is given.

Voicing a path to the afterlife: Rituals for the dead, transnational mobility and the changing soundspace of Islam among Mongolian Kazakhs

This article explores the role of sound and space in the negotiation of Muslim identity within rituals for the dead among the Kazakhs of Mongolia, a Turkic-speaking community that forms the majority population in the west of the country. Mobile pastoralists practising a syncretic form of Islam that integrates ancestor-spirit worship, Mongolian Kazakhs traditionally commemorated the dead at funeral and memorial feasts conducted in the portable nomadic yurt, and involving men’s recitation of the Qur’an and women’s performance of laments. The political and social transformations of the post-Soviet period, however, have wrought changes in the architectonics of the rituals. Increased transnational mobility in the wake of Kazakhstan’s independence has led to memorial feasts being held in venues ranging from mud-brick houses in western Mongolia to urban apartments, restaurants or mosques in Kazakhstan. The emergence of revivalist trends in Islam has prompted debates around the legitimacy and correct performance of female lamentation. Based on ethnography in Mongolia and Kazakhstan, the article examines how changes in the spatial and sonic configuration of the rituals reflect and shape evolving concepts of religiosity and gendered relations among the transnational community of Mongolian Kazakhs. The author introduces the concept of ‘soundspace’ to underscore the significance of spatiality, embodiment and emplacement in the production of sonic religious expression and experience.

מציאת האיזון בין שמרנות לפרגמטיות בקרב הקהילה המוסלמית בארצות הברית: הגותו של השיח' יאסר קאדי כמקרה מבחן

sidered one of America’s most famous intellectual enior imams, Sheikh Dr. Yasir Qadhi is among the generation of young America imams to have burst into Western public awareness in the post-9/11 era. In the 1990s, Qadhi was a devoted Salafist. However, the 9/11 attacks, as well as his doctoral studies on Islamic theology at Yale University (2005–2013), influenced and reformed many of his worldviews, causing him to adapt a more moderate and pragmatic stance. This article’s primary argument is that Qadhi represents a case study of the American Islamic reform mindset in the post-9/11 era, which attempted to reconcile the tension between conservative and pragmatic Islamic trends and contemporary American reality. These imams try to maintain Islam’s essential principles while bravely confronting contemporary issues that must be examined afresh. The article explores Islam in America in the post-9/11 era, Qadhi’s complex biography, and a variety of case studies in Qadhi’s doctrine that are relevant to the American Muslim minority. Qadhi’s Islamic rulings manifest his affinity for Wasati scholars such as Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi and shed light on one of Qadhi’s primary goals – the preservation of Islam in America and the West for future generations.

Oryantalist William Montgomery Watt'ın Kaderle İlgili Hadislere Yaklaşımına Eleştirel Bir Bakış

Motgomery Watt, “İslâm’ın İlk Dönemlerinde Hür İrâde ve Kader” olarak tercüme edilen “Free Will and Pre-Destination in Early İslâm” adlı, doktora çalışmasında İslâm’ın kader inancını ele almış, kanaatini ayetler ve hadislere getirdiği yorumlarla desteklemek istemiştir. Söz konusu çalışmada hadislerle ayetler arasında tenakuz olduğunu iddia etmiş, ayetlerde irade özgürlüğü vurgusunun varlığını kabul ederken hadisleri fatalistik/cebriyeci olarak sunmak istemiştir. Ayrıca hadislerin uydurma olduğunu ileri sürmüştür. Konuyla ilgili ayet ve hadislere bütüncül bakabilmiş midir? Cebir ifade eden ayetler varken ayetleri değil de neden hadisleri hedef almıştır? Kader kavramı hür iradeyi de içinde barındırırken çalışmasına “Hür İrade ve Kader” adlandırmasını tercih ederek iradeyi kaderin dışında göstermek mi istemiştir? Yoksa islâm’ın ‘kader” inancını doğru kavrayamamış mıdır? Watt’ın çalışmasında hakikatle uyuşmayan yorumların yer aldığı görülmektedir. Kur’ân ile hadisin çeliştiğini, çelişkiler üzerine geniş çaplı bir inceleme yapılsa ciltler dolusu bilgiye ulaşılabileceğini, Kur’ân ile Hadisin müslümanlar arasında birbirine zıt iki büyük akımın oluşmasına neden olduğunu, hadislerin Kur’ân’a yabancı materyaller içerdiğini iddia etmiştir. Bu çalışmada ayetler ışığında İslâm düşünce ekollerinin değerlendirmeleri de dikkate alınarak hadislerin fatalist/cebriyeci bir içerik taşıyıp taşımadığı incelenecek, hadislerin kaynak tespiti yapılacak ve yukarıda belirtilen sorulara/sorunlara/iddialara açıklık getirilmeye cevap verilmeye çalışılacaktır. Watt’ın eserine aldığı hadisler ve hadislerle ilgili değerlendirmeleri tartışılacaktır.

Trends in Political Islam: Transition towards Liberalization

The evolution of Islamism/political Islam as an ideological system is analyzed. This system was formed in the 1970s‒1980s and initially played the role of a progressive and alternative model, replacing the previously dominant ideas of Arab nationalism. However, the Islamists failed to fully achieve one of their main goals—the creation of an Islamic state—because of the deterrence of secular authoritarian states. The events in the Persian Gulf and the temporary drop in oil prices in the late 1990s aggravated the ideological crisis of Islamism and led to its rethinking. As a solution, a more liberal version of Islamism was proposed in the form of post-Islamism, which combined Islamic and democratic principles and was focused on duties rather than human rights. The next milestone in liberalizing Islamist ideas was the events of the Arab Spring, which led to a rethinking of post-Islamist ideas, as well as the liberalization and politization of the Salafi doctrine. Moreover, the failures of a number of Islamist parties in achieving political power, as well as the activities of radical Islamist groups, discredited Islamism among the population of the Middle East and North Africa. It is likely that the next crisis of Islamism will lead to its further liberalization or the formation of a new ideological model.

Continuity and Change in the Role of Mysticism under the Islamic Republic of Iran

Abstract The current study will evaluate the role of ‘irfān [the inner perception of knowledge; combining elements of philosophy, theosophy, mysticism and Shi’i thought] within the Islamic Republic of Iran as a significant component of Iran’s cultural heritage. It will focus on several prominent clerics and intellectuals who represent the regime’s diverse political factions. This article will demonstrate that under the Islamic Republic, ‘irfān evolved from a marginalized area to a central phenomenon and became a tool to debate the political direction of the state and the relationship between its revolutionary and republican elements. While mysticism in the service of politics was more wide-spread among the reformist camp, ardent supporters of the regime resorted to ‘irfān to enhance an exclusive perception of authority based on the rule of the Supreme Jurist. It also created a shared spiritual basis among the Islamic State’s diverse voices. The result was a new blend between mysticism, philosophy, Western thought, politics, Islamic law, and even messianism, within an inter-connectivity between the mystical path and the Shari‘a. Consequently, a complex understanding of ‘irfān has to take into consideration the multiple fusions between Islamic mysticism and other trends and evaluate the result in a specific socio-political context.

“Useful” Knowledge and Moral Education in Zanzibar Between Colonial and Islamic Reform, 1916–1945

Abstract The introduction of colonial schooling in Zanzibar was aimed at improving economic productivity, drawing on an exchange of educational theory with the American South to ensure a labor supply for the post-emancipation plantation economy. Yet colonial officials faced a key problem: students did not attend, preferring instead to continue studying in Qur’anic schools, institutions roundly derided by colonial officials. To secure attendance, colonial officials engaged local Muslim leaders to create an Islamic studies syllabus. While reflecting transnational Islamic reformist trends, this syllabus ultimately backfired as local parents protested its lack of moral content. Based on research in the Zanzibar National Archives, this article recounts the tensions and overlap between colonial officials, Islamic leaders connected to transnational discourses of reform, and local Muslim parents over what constitutes truly “useful” knowledge. It argues that colonial education was not particularly successful in forming students into the hard-working agricultural subjects it envisioned. It was successful, however, in orienting public institutions towards economic progress, and shifting public discourses on morality and religion to suit that goal.

Идеологические предпосылки террористических атак радикальных исламистов на объекты в США (11.09.2001 г.)

Twenty years ago, terrorist attacks were carried out against a number of significant tar-gets in the United States. As a result, several thousand people died, and members of the radical Islamist group Al-Qaeda and personally its leader, Osama bin Laden, were declared terrorists, although there are other opinions about the organizers and customers of these attacks. In this article, the author examines the ideological prerequisites that some trends in Islam have accumu-lated for centuries, and that could have triggered the acts of terrorism by adherents of radical Islamism. Despite the fact that the ideologists of modern Islamism say that it is necessary to purify Islam from «sinful» layers and bring it in line with the «golden age» of this religion (610–661), they themselves literally parasitize on the ideological heritage of the founding fathers of radical views, starting from Ibn Hanbal, Ibn Taymiyyah, their students and followers. In this regard, it can be argued that modern Islamists, directly or indirectly borrowing the views and ideas of their predecessors (ideas about takfir, jihad, the judiciary, etc.), introduce other «sinful» innovations into the doctrinal provisions of Islam. This conclusion is vital for improving the effectiveness of counteracting the ideology and practice of radical Islamism, including in the Russian Federation.

Muḥammad Bahjat al-Bīṭār and the Decline of Modernist Salafism in Twentieth-Century Syria

Abstract The Salafī version of the Islamic Modernist trend emerged in the late nineteenth century among middle-ranked ulema-cum-intellectuals in the major Arab urban centres of the Ottoman Empire. Modernist Salafīs strove to strike a balance between modernization along Western lines and an authenticity based on the model of the pious ancestors (al-salaf al-ṣāliḥ). They differed from other early modernists such as the Young Ottomans and the celebrated Jamāl al-Dīn al-Afghānī and Muḥammad ʿAbduh by drawing their inspiration from the teachings of the medieval theologian Aḥmad Ibn Taymiyya and his early modern successors, the Wahhābīs and the Indian Ahl-i Ḥadīth. The major components of the quasi-liberal and open religious reform they professed were adherence to the Qurʾān and Sunna, denunciation of saint worship, reasoned ijtihād, selective adoption of Western innovations, revival of the Arab-Islamic civilization, and opposition to autocratic rule.

URDU: مولاناشاہ حکیم محمداختر ؒ(سلسلہ اختریہ ) کی مشہورکتب ومواعظ کاتعارفی جائزہ

Molana Hakim Muhammad Akhter was born in 1923 in village Atheha in the District of Pratapgarh province Uter Pardesh (UP) India. He got his religious education from his saint Molana Abdul Ghani Pholpuri in Madarasa Bait-ul-Aloom which is located at Sarai Meer district Azam Ghar India and after this he, got Medical Education from Tibbia College Allahabad. He was a Sufi, a great scholar, acknowledged writer and a kind reformer. Molana Muhammad Akhter was the founder of Silsla e Akhrtaria. (Religious and Spiritual genealogy) He also set up a Madrasa Asharaf ul Madaris and Khankah Imdadia Ashrafia in Karachi. Number of his followers and scholars are his disciple who got the knowledge of Sharia (Islamic laws) Tariqat (mystic ways of life). Moreover, he established a NGO “Al-Akhtar trust International” in 2001 for the well_being of humanity. As in the present scenario, our society is carried by nominal Islamic practices and trends, thus in this regard Shah Hakim Muhammad Akhter came forward to root out these types of evils from the society through the succession of Silsa e Akhatria. He wrote down various Islamic books which were translated in Arabic, Urdu, and Garman& English language. So books of Molana Hakim Muhammad Akhter are not only famous in Pakistan but also in India, South Africa, France, Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, Barma and in other countries of the world. However, the main objective of this article is to take a review of the introduction of highly noted and leading books and Exhortation of Molana Hakim Muhammad Akhtar (Silsila e Akhtaria) and bring forth the prominent features of them.

ON THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE TERRORIST ATTACKS ON FACILITIES IN THE UNITED STATES: THE IDEOLOGICAL JUSTIFICATION OF THE TAKFIRI JIHADISTS

Twenty years ago, a number of significant objects in the United States underwent terrorist attacks. As a result, several thousand people were killed, and members of the radical Islamist group Al-Qaeda and its leader Osama bin Laden were declared terrorists, although there are other opinions about the organizers and customers of these terrorist attacks. In this article, the author examines the ideological prerequisites that have been accumulated for centuries in some trends in Islam, which could become the driving motive for committing acts of terrorism by adherents of radical Islamism.

Исламистский терроризм, политика Запада и исламский фактор в Европе (на примере Франции)

The article covers the phenomenon of Islamist terrorism in the countries of Western Europe. The key research method is interdisciplinary approach. The multidimensional nature of the phenomenon under consideration, which is related to the spread of radical trends of political Islam among a certain part of the European Muslim community, particularly among young people, and also to double standards in the politics of Western countries towards radical Islamism in the Arab Muslim region, is analyzed in details. On the one hand, Western countries fought against Islamist movements, whose actions were in conflict with the interests of the West in Afghanistan and the African Sahel, but, on the other hand, they supported Islamist «rebels» and tried to use them for their own purposes in order to remove «unwanted» regimes in Libya and Syria. The results of such politics, that has given rise to radical Islamism and ISIS and their expansion in Iraq and Syria are revealed. The main aspects of «jihadist» ideology, the influence of which has led to the intensification of Islamist terrorist activity, are examined. The particular attention is paid to the internal situation in the European Arab Muslim society on the example of its largest community in France. The difficult social and economic problems aggravated by the COVID-19 pandemic and affecting primarily the Muslim-migrant community (especially its youth segment), are exposed. They became most important factors in the radicalization of the part of Muslim community. The activities of numerous Muslim organizations reflecting the interests of various ethnic groups and trends in Islam are examined thoroughly. The role of Islamic factor which became the integral element of the social and cultural landscape of French society is analyzed. Also, it is exposed that a part of French society does not accept this reality. The author concludes that the problem of combating the Islamist threat is complex and diverse. Western society cannot adequately respond to this challenge.

Исламский терроризм: кейс ФРГ

The likely terrorist capacity of the Muslim community in Germany is examined in relation to the ethnic and religious diversity of this community. Domestic policy measures taken by state structures to prevent and combat Islamic terrorism are shown and their effectiveness is investigated. Due to its domestic politics, Germany too late realized the necessity of integrating the Muslim diaspora into national life and close monitoring of the activities of Islamic organizations present in the country. At the beginning of the new millennium, when the danger of Islamic terrorism became apparent in the West, there was a strong Muslim diaspora in Germany, ethnically diverse, practicing different trends in Islam, functioning in parallel to the life of the state and vulnerable to radicalization. Aware of the need to integrate Muslims, German government entered into a dialogue with Muslim organizations and alliances that displayed interest in it. At the same time, Islamic organizations which were incapable of or not interested in domestic political integration were politically and legally marginalized. The government’s course towards radical Islamic associations was significantly tightened during the 2015–2017 immigration crisis, when the country accepted large contingents of Mus-lim refugees and when German citizens became victims of terrorist attacks. There is now a (mostly) well-coordinated, structured fight against Islamism, which includes both preventive and repressive measures and involves all levels of society, ranging from state authorities to civil society organizations.

Shura and Pluralism from an Islamic Perspective “Jordanian Parties, as a Model”

Shura and pluralism are two sides of ideologically different ideas, Islamic thought that adopts the Shura as an Islamic democratic system and Western thought embraces political pluralism. As for the Jordanian Islamic trend, since its establishment in 1945, it has been involved in political work and supported the system of government in facing the challenges it faced, and it was not involved in any subversive or terrorist acts. After 1989 he began participating in political and party pluralism, seeing Shura's concept as a feature of Islamic thinkers and thought in pluralism and democracy. That pluralism is a permissible and legitimate interest, has coexisted with left and middle political currents being the largest and most influential political currents on the Jordanian scene.

Islamic Scholars' Research Intends and Trends at University Level

In this era, research is considered a source of success and development in developed countries. The objectives of the study were to sort out the intends of research scholars in universities and to check the research trends in universities; to investigate the role of research facilities and research culture in promoting research attitude among university students; and to explore the relationship among research culture, research attitude and research facilities at universities. The sample of the study consisted of 341 Islamic research scholars from four distinguished universities of Punjab through a simple random sampling technique. It is empirically estimated the association among research facilities in universities (RFU), research culture in universities (RCU) and research attitude in universities (RAU) show that RFU and RCU have a positive and significant relationship with RAU. Therefore, improvement in research facilities and promotion of research culture in universities may promote research attitude among students.

Review of The Crisis of the Holy

In this review, I analyze, in regard to Judaism, Islam, and Hinduism, how the crisis of the holy in contemporary culture is not formed directly by the effect of modernity on traditional religion but rather by the defensive steps of the religion itself in protection of its religious identity. In other words, I show how the contemporary concern for religious identity renders contemporary spirituality—the living relationship with God—problematic. In the course of this analysis, I focus first upon the thought of R. A. I. Kook as well as upon contemporary trends in Islam and Hinduism. In the second part of the essay, drawing especially upon contemporary Jewish thought and the Frankfurt School critique of modern capitalist society, I show how both postmodern theory and “negative theology” can be resources for the contemporary renewal of spirituality.

Islamic Trend Among the Pioneering Poets in Iraq

Free verse poetry has faced fierce criticism by scholars who claim that its use is detrimental to ancient Arabic and Islamic poetic heritage. The evolution of poetic form and content does not mean the destruction of poetic tradition, as both change to become more suited to deal with emerging issues. This research aims to study the Islamic trend among the pioneering poets and its importance in the life of Muslim communities. By following an analytic approach in the analysis of Islamic poetic texts (free verse), the findings show a strong influence of Islamic heritage and values on the poetry produced by the pioneering poets. This also supports the notion that free verse remained consistent with the values of the Islamic civilization, despite the influence of Western poetry.

THE FACTORS OF SERVICE, RELIGIOSITY AND KNOWLEDGE IN THE DECISION OF CUSTOMERS TO SAVE FUNDS IN SHARIA BANKS IN YOGYAKARTA CITY

Islamic banks are experiencing rapid development amid the current global crisis in Indonesia and even in the world. This becomes evidence that Sharia Bank can maintain its existence from all the problems of a complex economic crisis that hit in 2007. Indonesia as the largest Islamic country in the world is a potential market that supports the sustainability of Islamic banking. The Islamic sharia principles in its management, causes many people in Indonesia, especially in Yogyakarta decide to save their funds in Islamic banks. The population in this study is all Islamic bank customers in Yogyakarta, with sample selection using incidental sampling. The data analysis method used is multiple linear regression. This study shows the positive influence of service and public trust in Islamic banks. Similarly, knowledge about Islamic banks, and one's religiosity has an important role in the decision making to save funds in Islamic banks in the city. Islamic labelity and current trends supported by high community religiosity are also important factors in the decision to deposit funds in Islamic banks. In fact, the biggest influence that influences customer's decision to save funds in a bank is the quality of service and trust. Thus, the attention of banking players is needed in improving performance and banking services, so that public confidence is higher in the decision to save funds in the bank. In other words, the community remains consistent to make economic transactions with banks in order to respond to the challenges of the economic crisis in the future.