Modern Muslim Research Articles

The Dynamics of Inheritance in Various Modern Muslim Countries

Islamic inheritance law is an important expression of Islamic family law which is a half of the knowledge possessed by humans as emphasized by the Prophet Muhammad Saw. Islamic inheritance laws basically apply to Muslims anywhere in the world. Islamic inheritance law stipulates that children can be replace their father's position, both sons and daughters. The purpose of this research is to find out how Islamic inheritance law is implemented in several Muslim countries in the world. This research uses a library research types with a normative juridical approach. The research was conducted by collecting data as the main source such as books, journal articles and other data which were analyzed by Islamic law. The research is described normatively clearly according to the existing data. The results of this study indicate that the law of inheritance in Islam states that a child who can replace his father's position is a son and daughter from the male lineage whose father has died before the heir. Meanwhile, sons and daughters from the female lineage have no right at all to replace their mother's position to obtain property from their grandfather (heir). Besides that, the culture of a Muslim country and the social life of the people in that country have an influence on the inheritance law in that country.

Патриотизм и интернационализм в исламе

The article analyzes the problem of correlation between patriotism and internationalism in Is-lam. The concepts of patriotism and internationalism are clarified and it is proved that constructive na-tionalism, as the core of patriotism, does not contradict constructive internationalism, but is harmoni-ously combined with it. The authors consider the balance of internationalism and patriotism in tradi-tional Islam and the historical testing of this balance. Pan-Islamism is analyzed separately as a form of politicized Islamic internationalism. Two main forms of Islamic nationalism that developed in the 20th century are singled out. The constructive form led to the formation of a new synthesis of international-ism and patriotism with the dominance of the latter in modern Muslim nation states. The destructive form of modern Islamic internationalism is radical Islamic extremism and international terrorism. The authors conclude that in traditional Islam, one of the foundations of the righteous faith is humanistic patriotism based on constructive spiritual Islamic internationalism.

অর্থবিচারে হাদিসের গ্রহণযোগ্যতা নিরূপণে হাদীসপন্থি ও আধুনিকচিন্তকদের কর্মপদ্ধতি : একটি পর্যালোচনা|Approaches of Hadith Scholars and Modern Thinkers in Assessing the Acceptability of Hadith (Prophetic Tradition) through Meaning : An Appraisal

Due to its unique position in Islamic epistemology, various viewpoints and opinions have naturally arisen in the Muslim society regarding the interpretation and analysis of hadith. According to Islamic belief, hadith as a whole, holds the status of a kind of wahi or divine revelation. How to interpret revelation is a very old question in Abrahamic religions. There is a long discussion and debate about this among different sections of the Muslim society. Especially between the traditionalist hadith scholars and the rationalist community, the disagreement on this issue is quite strong and long. After the fourth century of the Hijri, this disagreement dwindled a little, but at the end of the nineteenth century, under the influence of European colonization, this debate started in a new form by the hands of modernist Muslim thinkers. It is at this stage that the discussion of determining the acceptability of hadith based on meaning becomes important. In this essay, the views and practices of prominent people of both communities are presented in a descriptive manner and their thoughts are evaluated in an analytical manner. This write up has portrayed that judging the meaning of hadith is extremely difficult. For this reason, the article argues that opportunity exists for adherents of both schools of thought to reconsider their stance in the light of history and reality.

“Territory of Islam” and “Territory of War”: Basic Concepts and Their Development

This publication is devoted to the consideration of the main concepts of Islamic theology such as the “territory of Islam” (dar al-Islam) and the “territory of war” (dar al-harb), which was developed in the works of Fiqh scholars. The author studies semantic development of this concept on the example of a number of modern Muslim scholars and theologians’ points of view, and their position regarding the related Shari‘a norms.

Balancing Hope and Fear: Muslim Modernists, Democracy, and the Tyranny of the Majority

AbstractDuring the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, many Muslim modernists exhibited mixed records regarding democracy. On the one hand, they articulated cogent arguments that Islam was, at its heart, democratic in nature and worked to counter Islamist claims to the contrary. Some crafted robust visions for Islamic democratic governance. On the other hand, many of the same modernists forged political alliances with military authoritarian regimes. How can we explain this seeming inconsistency between modernist democratic ideals and their not-so-democratic practices? This article argues that this paradoxical pattern stems from a classic dilemma within democratic theory: the tyranny of the majority. After providing a brief history of majoritarian fears in Western political theory, the article investigates two prominent case studies from mid-twentieth-century Pakistan and Indonesia. The first examines Fazlur Rahman’s ties to Ayub Khan’s military regime in 1960s Pakistan, and the second analyzes why a movement of young modernists was willing to collaborate with Suharto’s New Order regime in 1970s Indonesia. Together, the two cases demonstrate that Muslim modernists balance their genuine hopes for an Islamic democratic future with persistent fears of majoritarian tyranny by advocating for constraints on the majority will. While these constraints can be controversial and even authoritarian in nature, they have important parallels in Western democratic thought. Ultimately, this article argues that Muslim modernists’ mixed records are a function of democratic theory itself rather than some Islamic exception to it.

Prophetic Eloquence After the Revelation of the Quranic verses

Ancient and modern Muslims unanimously agree that Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, was the most eloquent of the Arabs. The clearest in articulation, the most virtuous in speech, the most rhetorical in dialect, and the most upright in debate to the extent that he knew all Arabs' dialects as he spoke to each tribe by its dialects. But the question is, from where did he acquire all this eloquence? And was his unique eloquence before or after the Qur'an revelation? Scholars have contradicted the origin of his eloquence and its basis in divisions. First, they attributed it to his origin and lineage from Quraish claiming that Quraish is the most eloquent of the Arabs. Second, they attributed it to his growing up in Bani Sa'd as they are the most eloquent Arabs as well. Third, they linked it to his origins from Quraish and growing up in Bani Sa'd, and thus Prophet Mohammed. Therefore, he combined the abundance of the words of the desert and the splendor of the present speech. Fourth, some of them timidly claimed that his eloquence, lineage, and growing up were divinely inspired without explaining that it was before or after the revelation of the Qur'an. In the fifth division, which they did not mention, and which I have clarified, highlighted, and preferred: His high eloquence was exclusively after Islam with divine inspiration and support, to match his eloquence with the eloquence of the Qur'an, or close to it. In this regard, Allah distinguished him from all the Arabs by having a clear Arabic tongue, so he gave him the gist of the words, shortened the speech for him, and gave him the Qur'an and the same of it with him. Thus, his eloquence would be a sign and a miracle that would silence the Arabs, who were distinguished by the virtue of language, eloquence, and the art of speech, such as poetry and rhetoric, and they were submissive to their owners. Before the prophethood and the revelation of the Qur'an, he was neither the most eloquent of the Arabs nor the most eloquent of the Quraish. Rather, he was not distinguished in his eloquence from his peers, especially from the Quraishites who grew up like him in the Bani Sa'd, but his normal, natural eloquence before the revelation of the Qur'an was the evidence of his prophethood and the inimitability of the Qur'an. As he was unable to read or write and did not know poetry so that disbelievers would not be suspicious, he was also not different from his peers in his eloquence so that the disbelievers would not be suspicious, and then they claim that he was distinguished in the arts of speech, so he brought a new system and attributed it to Allah. One of the prerequisites for prophecy, communication, explanation, and understanding of the Noble Qur'an was that he be the most eloquent of the Arabs, and the most knowledgeable of them with God's revealed words in the official literary language of the Arabs. Also, it is not correct for the Arabs to be more eloquent or more understanding than him in the language of the Qur'an and in the words of the Arabs. Without the prophecy, he would not have been the most eloquent of Arabs; because he spent forty years before that he was not distinguished from his peers by his rare eloquence, nor has his people prevailed in his eloquence, so how can he prevail with this natural eloquence of all Arabs? In addition to explaining the secrets of his eloquence and its causes, we have reached new conclusions in explaining the sayings of the scholars and their differences with evidence, rationale, and transmission arguments, which are significant additions to his biography and distinguished eloquence.
 Keywords: Prophetic, eloquence, eloquent of the Arabs, Quraish

Modernist movements in Islam. Historical overview. 19th century

         This article provides a brief overview of the historical conditions of emergence of modernistic movemen in muslim world in 19 century.Also made an attempt to show difference between directions in which different branches of muslim modernists developed their ideas, such as secular direction and theological modernistic direction.Also touched the main subjects of discussion within modernistic discource such as taqlid, ijtihad, hijab and woman rights. The article reveals the historical causal relationship between the modernist wave that swept the Muslim world in the 19th century, when over the decades new thinking was formed trying to reconcile the Islamic faith and modern values, such as constitutionalism, and touched upon issues such as cultural revival, nationalism, freedom religious interpretation, scientific modernist studies, education, women's rights and a host of other topics, and the subsequent political constitutionalist movements of the early 20th century. The article touches upon the question of what inconsistencies Muslim modernists saw between Islam and modern values, what they saw for their reasons and what ways they saw ways out of the prevailing circumstances. There are also some fragmentary historical parallels with the Christian world, where constitutionalism also came through a series of revolutions and socio-political reforms, and examples of repression against dissent are given, showing that religious fanaticism is historically nothing characteristic of Islam, but is a part of history and other religions. Attention is also drawn to the fact that the negative part of the history of the Inquisitions and the persecution of dissent did not prevent the Christian world from successfully going through the process of modernization and an attempt is made to find the reasons for the lagging behind in this sense of a certain part of the Muslim civilization. The article also talks about when and what kind of historical necessity pushed the Muslim world to the active development of the ideas of modernism. A specific period is named, namely the first half of the 19th century, starting with the Napoleonic military campaign in Egypt, when the threat of complete domination of the Christian world hung over the main Muslim empires, and it is said about which Muslim intellectuals and statesmen of that time were prompted activities objective awareness of the fact that the Muslim world is lagging behind, who should be considered the fathers of Islamic modernism and what works of reformers are considered to be canonical.

Islam and the Issue of Human Rights: Compatibility or Contradiction

Since the Islamic resurgence in early 1970s, there has been a great deal of interest in the ontology of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and its consistency with Islam. Ever since its foundation, the notion of human rights have long been the source of continuous contention between modern Muslim and Western intelligentsia. This paper begins with a brief introduction of Islam and the concept of human rights. The primary focus of the paper is to present a better understanding of Islamic law concerning with human rights and to examine the difference between the secular human rights and Islamic human rights. The paper will argue that the human rights in Muslim world have always been explicitly grounded in religious terms. Moreover, the paper also aims to highlight and understand the rationale why Muslim countries in particular are reluctant to accept or ratify the international covenant on human rights. Notwithstanding that, the purpose of this paper is threefold; (1) to present the human rights concept in Islam; (2) to highlight major differences between the principles of Islamic law and modern human rights notion; (3) to present the rationale behind the major disparities between Islam and the established standard of human rights.

The Dynamics of Family Law Reform in Asia and Africa (Portrait of Polygamy Regulations in Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Morocco and Tunisia)

One of the most widely promoted family law reforms in modern Muslim countries is the issue of polygamy. Until now, polygamy is considered as a form of discrimination and marginalization of women, in addition to the conditions for the permissibility of polygamy because the wife's condition is not found explicitly in the texts or opinions of traditional fiqh scholars. This study utilizes a comparative descriptive approach by analyzing the history, legal basis, and views of Madhab scholars regarding polygamy, as well as comparing the application of polygamy regulations in Asian and African countries (Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Morocco, and Tunisia). The results show that the reasoning behind polygamy regulations set in modern Muslim countries in Asia and Africa seems to be more dominant using the extra-doctrinal reform method. This cannot be separated from the goals of family law reform, the effort to unify law in a heterogeneous society, demands to increase women's status, and respond to community developments. The background factors include the influence of the colonizers, reinterpretation of the texts and madhabs adopted, and other geopolitical factors.

Modern Muslim Intellectuals and the Quest for an Islamic Episteme: Humanism as a Case Study

Looking for an Islamic humanism in the Western sense of the word is utterly irrelevant to the spirit of Islam which poses man as a vicegerent of God, not as his structural opposite. The essence of all values in Islam issues from God and obedience to God frees man from superstitions and systems that limit his potential by endowing him as a moral agent with the freedom to choose between good and evil. Al-Faruqi & al-Faruqi (1986) show the epistemological biases of Western intellectual traditions which distinguish between two realms of knowing the world: the secular, rational mundane world and the fantastic, irrational religious world. This distinction is not problematic in Arabic Islamic religious tradition and is not the outcome of the separation of church and state.

ACHIEVING TRUE HAPPINESS: A STUDY OF MUHAMMAD HOSSEIN TABATABAI’S PHILOSOPHICAL-MYSTICAL THOUGHT

The question of what constitutes true happiness has been a core philosophical issue that has warranted multiple attempts in the attempt to provide a final answer, either from a purely religious or philosophical perspective. The issue of happiness is closely connected to the meaning of life and its ultimate outcome and purpose. The modern Muslim philosopher Muhammad Hossein Tabatabai discussed the nature of happiness at length. In his view, human beings instinctively strive to attain happiness or the ultimate good which can only be achieved through nearness to God. Therefore, true happiness requires the believer to commit righteous deeds and avoid sinful acts. This study follows a philosophical-Sufi approach and uses a descriptive-analytical method to examine the nature of happiness, the relationship between happiness, goodness and pleasure according to Tabatabai. In line with Islamic thought, true and lasting happiness can only be attained in the Hereafter, and happiness in this life, no matter how acutely and deeply felt, is merely a shadow of the true happiness of the believers who have attained God’s permission to enter Paradise.

Konsep Kesetaraan Gender Perspektif Fatima Mernissi

Fatima Mernissi is a figure of modern Muslim feminism. Gender issues and women's issues are always interesting to study. Although women play a role in social, economic and other positions, they are still under a smaller portion than men. Women are often considered to have no abilities, in contrast to men who are considered capable of holding power in all fields. This research uses a qualitative descript approach with the type of library research. Meanwhile, the data collection technique uses libraries and data analysis uses data reduction, data exposure and conclusions. So that in this study we get the following findings: 1. That fatima mernissi is a female figure from Maroka who has a mission about the importance of gender equality in modern life. 2. That gender equality according to fatima mernissi is a study that demands gender equality between men and women because it is influenced by culture, human rights and religious pluralism.

The role of the Qadiyat of the Muslim Religious Board in the modern Muslim Community of Tatarstan

The study of the activities of Muslim institutions in the field of regulation of social relations in a secular state is of particular interest in terms of religious associations’ adaptation. The authors explore the structure of the Qadiyat of the Muslim Religious Board of the Republic of Tatarstan, the powers of qadis, the main directions of their activities and give examples of the consideration of cases by Muslim judges, analyzing regulations and publications within the framework of the structural-functional approach. Tatarstan qadis as members of the Qadis Council and as regional Muslim judges perform control, advisory, mediation and arbitration functions. Qadis deal with marriage and family matters, inheritance disputes, settle conflicts in the business sphere, consult on Sharia issues and are engaged in the preservation and strengthening of Tatar traditions. One of the promising directions for the development of the institution of Qadiyat as an instrument for pre-trial settlement of disputes is the creation of a mediation and arbitration body on its basis that can help a wide range of believers to resolve conflicts according to the norms of Islam and Russian laws.

Assistance to justice in the modern muslim model of criminal proceedings (on the example of criminal procedure legislation Islamic Republic of Afghanistan)

The article analyzes the institute for the promotion of justice in the Muslim system of law on the example of the criminal process of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (based on the Code of Criminal Procedure), but using the canons of the sacred religious scriptures. Within the framework of the conducted research, the conclusion is formulated that in the criminal process of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, the persons assisting in the administration of justice should include a witness, an expert and an interpreter, a doctor and a specialist. It is noted that their procedural status is not fixed in the hotel rules, but at the same time, the existence of the rights, duties and responsibilities of these participants mentioned by the legislator in the Criminal Procedure Code of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan is traced. It is established that the criminal procedure legislation of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan does not allow to fully ensure the safety of persons assisting justice, since it is limited only to ensuring the safety of a witness (Chapter 7 of the Criminal Procedure Code of the IRA).

Islamic Theology in the Turkish Republic. By Philip Dorroll

Islamic Theology in the Turkish Republic begins with a statement of origins: “Modern Turkish theology seeks to answer the question: what does it mean to believe in the One God in the context of modernity?” (17). A striking question considering the nearly century-long assumption that the Republic of Turkey represents a paradigmatic example of successful secularization in the so-called Muslim world. Instead, Philip Dorroll asks what it would mean to tell the history of modern Turkey from the perspective of its theological developments rather than from its ostensible marginalization and suppression of religion in public and political life. Moreover, Islamic Theology offers a cogent example of how to write about twentieth-century Turkish Islam in the wake of critiques of secularization by showing that Kemalism and secularism (which are often conflated to imply a single coterminous project) were not the only explanatory forces shaping Turkish discourses about religion. Islamic Theology provides an overview of the genesis, development, reformulation, and institutionalization of Sunni “systematic theology,” or kalām, within higher educational structures of the modern Turkish state. This constitutes an important intervention into the field of Ottoman-Turkish and Islamic studies. Although much has been written in Turkish about ilahiyat faculties, or faculties of divinity, Dorroll’s work contributes to a small but growing body of literature on the topic in the field of Turkish Islamic studies in English. Whereas most other studies have been primarily historical in focus, addressing nineteenth- and early twentieth-century debates about Islamic reform, Muslim modernism, the fall of the Caliphate, and the rise of Islamism, Dorroll tells a different story of Islamic theology’s development while remaining focused on the content and style of theological argumentation, an oft-ignored element in Republican historiography. In this way, the actual arguments of Turkish theologians take on a renewed relevance as contemporary thinkers working through the legacies of modernity (materialism, positivism, liberal humanism, etc.) and their various critiques, both theological and sociological. Ultimately, Dorroll argues that modern Turkish theology takes shape at the nexus of three interrelated traditions of thought that continue to impact it today: “1) the legacy of Sunni Ottoman systematic theology (kalām); 2) late nineteenth-and early-twentieth century Islamic modernism; and 3) late Ottoman and early Republican Turkish sociological theory” (17, 42). These three strands thus constitute the discursive “problem-space,” to borrow from the anthropologist David Scott, in which modern Turkish theology took form.

Malevolent Spirits, Noxious Vapours, and the Will of God

This article describes Islam’s theological approach towards disease transmission. Modern commentators, including many conservative Muslims, argue that Islam is theologically predisposed to deny disease transmission, particularly in the context of the plague, instead framing illness as non-communicable. Whether an individual contracts a disease, they claim, is a consequence of Divine Will, as the originator of that disease in the first place. No room exists for lesser causative factors, like contagion. However, a review of Islamic scripture and the pre- and early modern Muslim responses to it across regions as diverse as North Africa and Southeast Asia reveals a far richer and more complex understanding. While several ḥadīths do ostensibly deny contagion, Muslim jurists and medical practitioners have, far from reading these as denials of disease transmission in all its forms, positioned such statements alongside other ḥadīths acknowledging the reality of that phenomenon. Utilizing the theological principle of secondary causation, they have imparted congruence to these statements, creating a theological space in which disease can be passed from one host to another without compromising the integrity of the Divine Will. The recent COVID-19 pandemic foregrounds the importance of re-discovering and re-emphasizing these interpretations, especially as small yet persistent groups of Muslims refuse vaccination in the belief that God alone can protect them from illness. Such views arguably misunderstand Islamic teachings.

Eskatologi Hamâmî Zâdah: Kajian Atas Kitab Tafsîr Sûrah Yâsin

It is well known that in Surah Yâsin, there are several discussions, one of which is the discussion on eschatology. This research was conducted to make it easier to know and review the eschatology in surah Yâsin. The researcher chose Hamâmî Zâdah as the object of his book entitled Tafsîr Surah Yâsin because he is a modern Muslim scholar (12 H.) who has talked a lot about eschatology, but not much is highlighted it. This study uses a qualitative method with a descriptive-analytic approach, which in the end, the researcher can conclude that the eschatological points in the Interpretation of Surah Yâsin written by Hamâmî Zâdah include; blowing of the trumpet, resurrection after death, mahshar, hisâb, handing over of charity books, mîzân, shirath, heaven, hell and the existence (condition) of people who are in heaven or hell. This study of eschatology serves as material for reflection on the metaphysics of the afterlife and motivation and education for all of us to live a better life and adequately prepare for the next life.

Nidal Guessoum Perspective on A Logical Synthesis Between Science And Islam

In this modern era appeared the modern thinker of Muslims who are trying to respond to the development of modern science with different points of view such as Zia Eddin Sardar, Seyyed Hossein Nasr and others. One such modern Muslim thinker is Nidal Guessoum. Through his book Islam's Quantum Question: Reconciling Muslim Tradition and Modern Science, the author attempted to reconcile Islam and science, which have been in conflict with each other in terms of the truth of knowledge since time immemorial. Islam believes that the source of reality of knowledge is the text (the Qur’an and Hadith), and science believes that the source of reality of knowledge is the mind. Through this launch, Nidal researched in-depth and integrative research on the position of Islam in looking at science, and most of his research revolves around natural sciences such as physics, development theory, global principles (Antropik Principle, Philosophy of Modern Science) and other natural sciences. With his accurate and profound background in the beauty of physical science and astronomy, Nidal presented some philosophical questions about the universality of the modern world, either from the perspective of philosophy or from the perspective of applied sciences.

Cabaran Pendidikan Akidah dan Akhlak Anak Era Revolusi Perindustrian 4.0 di Nusantara serta Solusi Menurut Sarjana Muslim Challenges of Children's Faith and Morals of the Industry Revolution 4.0 Era in Nusantara and The Solutions according to the Muslim Scholars

The Industry Revolution 4.0 Era shows changes in various dimensions of human life including in the formation of family institutions as the main socialization agent in the Muslim community. Although the sophistication of digital technology dominates all human activities, the teachings and principles of Islam remain relevant as a life manual in facing the challenges of this era. Modern Muslim parents should now have accurate knowledge and understanding of religion as preparation in educating their children. However, the reference sources available throughout the archipelago are still limited, especially in relation to the process of refreshing the faith and the formation of morals in children. As such, this study unravels the challenges of child education from the perspective of Aqidah and Ethics of the Industry 4.0 era in the archipelago and then details the appropriate solution to overcome this issue based on the views of three Muslim scholars such as Ibnu Qayyim, Abdullah Nasih 'Ulwan and Muhammad Suwayd. These three scholars were selected based on their expertise in the field of children's education which is accepted all over the world until now. This study is qualitative in nature and uses the literature review method on the works of selected Muslim scholars as well as previous studies. As a result, the researcher found that the integration of the discourse of thought and the throwing of ideas of the selected Muslim scholars are able to generate a transformation of the thoughts of parents now in carrying out the responsibility of educating their children to always make a paradigm shift on the path of true Islamic faith and morals that characterize the prophetic sunnah.

Cabaran Pendidikan Akidah dan Akhlak Anak Era Revolusi Perindustrian 4.0 di Nusantara serta Solusi Menurut Sarjana Muslim Challenges of Children's Faith and Morals of the Industry Revolution 4.0 Era in Nusantara and The Solutions according to the Muslim Scholars

The Industry Revolution 4.0 Era shows changes in various dimensions of human life including in the formation of family institutions as the main socialization agent in the Muslim community. Although the sophistication of digital technology dominates all human activities, the teachings and principles of Islam remain relevant as a life manual in facing the challenges of this era. Modern Muslim parents should now have accurate knowledge and understanding of religion as preparation in educating their children. However, the reference sources available throughout the archipelago are still limited, especially in relation to the process of refreshing the faith and the formation of morals in children. As such, this study unravels the challenges of child education from the perspective of Aqidah and Ethics of the Industry 4.0 era in the archipelago and then details the appropriate solution to overcome this issue based on the views of three Muslim scholars such as Ibnu Qayyim, Abdullah Nasih 'Ulwan and Muhammad Suwayd. These three scholars were selected based on their expertise in the field of children's education which is accepted all over the world until now. This study is qualitative in nature and uses the literature review method on the works of selected Muslim scholars as well as previous studies. As a result, the researcher found that the integration of the discourse of thought and the throwing of ideas of the selected Muslim scholars are able to generate a transformation of the thoughts of parents now in carrying out the responsibility of educating their children to always make a paradigm shift on the path of true Islamic faith and morals that characterize the prophetic sunnah.