Religious Obligation Research Articles

Hamas, the Islamic Wing of Palestinian Resistance: Its Roots, Characteristics, and Way of Politics

Hamas is an organization that has blended the historical and ideological legacy of Muslim Brotherhood (Ikhwan) that has spread all over the Arab world with the sui generis living characteristics of the Palestinian people. Having such legacy and characteristics, Hamas has been considering Palestinian resistance as a religious obligation and struggling against Israel in the front line stating that the occupied territories cannot be abandoned since the day it emerged in 1987. The group has become one of the principal actors regarding the Palestinian question. Hence, Hamas has been one of the most significant non-state actors in the region. From this point, this study first addresses the Ikhwan past of Hamas. Then, the sui generis living conditions of Palestine under occupation that produced Hamas are scrutinized. Meanwhile, the study clarifies the organizational structure and main features of Hamas by paying attention to its rivalry with Fatah.

ENERGY CONSERVATION AND ENERGY MANAGEMENT FOR INDUSTRY IN INDONESIA IN ISLAMIC ECONOMIC PERSPECTIVE

This article will explore energy conservation as part of the national energy policy in Indonesia. Although the government has implemented a strategy for implementing energy conservation by applying energy management to the industrial sector, energy conservation still has challenges and obstacles in making it happen. By analyzing energy conservation policies and understanding the Maqasid Al-shariah framework which is the operational foundation of Islamic economics on the themes of economic energy, this paper concludes that energy conservation as part of religious obligations implemented in energy consumption behavior, because energy is the main source for sustainability human life. Therefore, moral values become the main foundation in energy conservation behavior as a reflection of the achievement of the objectives of Islamic law and energy management as a systematic effort to utilize energy in industry, not only to increase productivity through energy effciency and conservation but also to maintain sustainability towards the energy needs themselves.

تقیہ" كی اصطلاح اور علامہ آلوسی كا مؤقف"

Taqiya being a legal term absorbed a wide range of debate among Muslim theologins.Ahlu’s – Sunnati wa’al-Jumati considers it as a source of determination and persistence while the Shia school of thought preambles it as a source of permissiveness. Furthermore, Shia edifice provides a course of arguments to assimilate it as a religious obligation that establishes the fundamental of the religion. According to Shia discourses, taqiya should be treated as a paramount element in all social interaction and exclude one who does not commit it from the religion. On the other hand, Ahlu’s-Sunna dignifies one who omits taqiya in his practicalities, because they graded it as admissible while executing religious affairs. Allama Alusi comprehensively discussed this subject in his prominent work and elaborated the arguments of Ahlu’s-Sunna and Shia school of thought.This paper deals with the mentioned subject as well as explore how Alusi prefers the viewpoint of Ahlu’s-Sunnati wa’al-jamati.

Experiences of Formal Foster Parents in Ghana: Motivations and Challenges

In Ghana, the reform of the child welfare system is shifting the care of orphans and vulnerable children from residential care to foster care. However, the system has faced difficulties in recruiting foster parents. Therefore, this qualitative research explored the motivations and challenges of foster parents in Accra, Ghana. A total of 15 foster parents took part in semi-structured interviews that were analysed using an inductive thematic approach. The study found that the participants undertook the role of fostering because of their love for children, religious and social obligations, and satisfaction of personal goals. Challenges experienced by the foster parents included stigma, financial challenges, and emotional issues as a result of fostering children. The recommendations of the study which aim to help in dealing with the challenges that confront foster parents include the provision of financial resources, sensitisation campaigns to reduce the stigma, and the creation of foster parent associations to help with the emotional issues.

Is German Religionsverfassungsrecht under threat from the European Union?

Abstract Two recent judgments of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) raise fundamental questions about the relationship between European Union Law and German religious constitutional law. This article outlines the German constitutional context for the law of labour relations within religious associations before considering those judgments in detail. The article argues that in its approach to religious occupational requirements and loyalty obligations the case law of the CJEU risks bringing about a fundamental change in German religious constitutional law. This is in breach of the terms of membership of Germany in the European Union and contrary to European law itself.

Management of Zakat in Indonesia | تنظيم الزكاة في إندونيسا

Zakat is a religious obligation, and one of the largest Islamic financial resources, organized since the second of hijriah. Zakat has been managed in Indonesia since before the independence era, but in colonial era zakat was declined, and began to stretch again after the independence of Indonesia. In Indonesia Zakat was initially managed by the Ministry of Religious Affairs of the Republic Indonesia, with issuing the Minister regulation in 1968, based on this and guided by 1945 Constituion which stated that Indonesia was founded on the One Godhead and freedom of whorship for every believer, than the government established Badan Amil Zakat Nasional (BAZNAS), and in 1999 the Government issued a special law on zakat management, wich later completed amended in 2011, pursuant to this special law government formed National Independent Zakat Authority. In terms of collecting an distributing Zakat managed by Badan Amil Zakat Nasional (BAZNAS) formed by the Government, and Lembaga Amil Zakat (LAZ) formed by the Islamic community based on applicable legal provisions, while the distribution carried out in two systems: distributing directly to mustahiq, and productive utilization.

Factual or Moral Persuasion in the United States? Evidence from the Papal Encyclical on Climate Change

How do elite cues shape public opinion? We assess two ways in which such cues may be influential: by changing citizens’ factual beliefs about the world (the “factual channel”) or by triggering a moral reevaluation (the “moral channel”). We study this issue in the context of the papal encyclical on climate change, in which Pope Francis attempted to persuade Catholics that there is a scientific consensus around climate change and that protecting the environment is a moral and religious obligation. Exploiting panel data from the United States before and after the encyclical, we find that both mechanisms played a role: Catholics who regularly attended church became disproportionately more likely to believe both that global warming was happening and that climate change was a religious issue. The pope's influence on Catholic policy preferences, however, operated only through the factual channel.

Cultural Oppression Disguised as Religious Obligation: A Fatal Misrepresentation to the Advancement of Muslim Women’s Rights in the Context of the So-Called Honor Killings

Author(s): AlBader, Fatemah | Abstract: Advocates of women’s rights have faced various struggles throughout the decades in the advancement of women’s rights and emancipation in Muslim-majority countries. Much of the struggle is caused by the long-held misconception that the principal barrier to the advancement of such rights is due to the religion of Islam or, more accurately, the prevailing interpretations of Islam. In fact, historically, Islam has helped to further women’s rights. If that is so, then there must be another reason so as to why Muslim women living in Muslim-majority countries or Muslim communities in the west are often deprived of the same rights that are granted to their western counterparts. The answer lies within the culture itself.The dangers of misconstruing culture with religion is apparent. For one, mixing up religion with culture does not create an accurate depiction of Islam, which is why Muslim communities in different parts of the world practice “Islam” differently. What often occurs is different communities often mix their culture with religion, resulting in different versions of Islam being practiced from one community to the next with dire consequences for women. Second and more relevant to this discussion, if one were to perceive tension between women’s rights and religion, the advancement of women’s rights would be much more difficult to achieve. That is because opponents often hide behind arguments that religion takes precedence over all other rights.Because of the complexities caused by mistaking cultural norms as religion, this Article aims to lay to rest the misconception that women’s rights are hindered by religion. By arguing that it is culture and tradition that are the main obstacles to the advancement of women’s rights in Muslim communities, this Article hopes to defeat any potential arguments that aim to hinder the advancement of women’s rights under the false guise of religion. In doing so, this Article will look at one practice that is erroneously perceived as being governed by Islamic law: honor killings.

Multi National Survey of the Advice Given to Muslim Kidney Graft Recipients by Muslim Nephrologists about Lifestyle and Religious Rituals with Potential Medical Risk.

Muslim renal transplant recipients often ask their physicians if performing certain lifestyles or religious obligations may be harmful to their health. Permissibility as advised by an expert Muslim physician is considered as being religiously accepted. A cross-sectional, survey-based study was conducted enquiring what nephrologists would advise their transplant recipients to do, about some lifestyles and religious duties. Fifty-eight nephrologists responded to the survey. Of these, 77% routinely follow-up post-transplant patients; 34% were from Saudi Arabia, 18% from the USA, and 20% from Pakistan. Fifty-four percent of the respondents would let patients with stable graft function fast during Ramadan, while 20% would not recommend fasting at any time following transplantation. This response did not change much if the patient was diabetic although in these patients, not recommending fasting at any time increased to 32%. For kidney donors, fasting would be allowed by 58% of the respondents once the kidney function stabilizes. About 50% would let their patients perform Omrah or obligatory Hajj any time after 12 months following transplantation, and only about 3% would not recommend that at any time after transplantation. For nonobligatory Hajj, 37% and 22%, respectively, would allow. Sixty-one percent would delay the pregnancy in nullipara with stable renal function, and none of the nephrologists would deny the opportunity to pregnancy at any time. In multiparous transplant recipients, the respective frequencies would be 45% and 20%. To our knowledge, this the first study exploring the consensus among Muslim nephrologists regarding the advice they would give on performance of potentially risky lifestyles and religious rituals by Muslim posttransplant patients.

Self-Education Mechanism and Community Strengthening: Understanding Da’wa as Formalized Ritual of Tablighi Jemaat

This article identifies the da’wa movement of the Tablighi Jemaat as a formalized ritual performed by the community to strengthen its existence as a transnational Islamic movement. By applying a phenomenological approach to study the members and activists of Tablighi Jemaat in West Java, Indonesia, this article aims to uncover the understanding and experience of the community carrying out da’wa movements. Data was obtained through participant observation, in-depth interviews, and literature study. This data reveals that da’wa means more than just conducting religious obligations for the Tablighi Jemaat community. As part of the formal rituals required, it becomes the collective identity of the community, which distinguishes it from similar transnational Islamic movements. This is demonstrated in two ways. First, da’wah activities summarized in the khuruj ritual are a self-education mechanism meant to improve the good qualities of each member. It is believed that conveying kindness to others directly will reflect positively on the performers of da’wa. Second, the series of da’wa activities conducted in khuruj aims to invite others to join the community so that it will become stronger and more widespread.

The Islamic State as the Epitome of the Terrorist Parastate

AbstractThis article examines a category of parastatates that has been largely neglected; the terrorist parastate. The main aim of the article is to fill this gap by scrutinizing the case of the Islamic State (IS), an organization that could be considered as the epitome of a terrorist parastate. Before the collapse of its territorial strategy in 2019, the group had targeted a significant number of states through terrorist attacks, while simultaneously controlling large swathes of territory and developing state-like institutions. During its buoyant period, IS called itself a state (Dawla), it viewed itself as a state (accomplishing a religious obligation), and perhaps more significantly, it was often perceived as a state by its enemies. The article will discuss the future prospects for the Islamic State after the collapse of its territorial/statehood strategy. After conceptualizing the nature of the terrorist parastate, the article will venture into comparative uncharted territory through an examination of the terrorist parastate vis-Á-vis its ordinary secessionist counterparts. One of the chief dissimilarities is the fact that IS, and terrorist parastates in general, tend to be less durable projects than secessionist parastates because they lack international sponsorship and they are more susceptible to foreign military interventions.

Human Rights in Xinjiang 1978-2007: Internationalisation of the Uyghur Dilemma and China’s Reaction

Since 1978 when Deng Xiaoping took over the leadership of China after the demise of Mao Zedong in 1976, the country witnessed dramatic changes in the human rights situation. These included freedom in performing religious obligations such as pilgrimage, for the Muslim Uyghurs and freedom to practice their culture and language. Hence, there was an overall improvement in human rights situation in Xinjiang province. However, in the late 1990s the Chinese Communist Party reverted to harsh policies once again. They declared the policy of ‘Strike Hard’ which sanctioned the use of torture and arbitrary detention as well as extra-judicial killings of the Uyghurs. This article examines the factors that have influenced China’s policies on the human rights condition in Xinjiang from 1978 until 2007. It also analyses the role of Uyghur diasporas in their struggle to internationalise the human rights issues in Xinjiang and China’s reaction towards the international pressures.

The Islamic veil in the Gulf and Arabian modernity: A qualitative study on female managers

The aim of this study is to identify the feelings of female managers in the Gulf region about the Islamic veil, and the meanings they attribute to this veil, a key element of Arabian modernity and of the evolving gender-inclusive business environment. This three-year study, conducted in the Gulf region focused on the values of Arabian female managers after their sudden admission into the professional world, especially since the early 2000s. Twenty women participated in the qualitative study, in which semi-structured interviews were used to question interviewees about their values, notably the influence of religion on their daily behavior and way of thinking. The discussion is supported by both anthropological data and religious sources. A significant proportion of the questionnaire focused on the interviewees’ religious feelings, and in particular on a crucial and controversial subject in Europe: the Islamic veil. The main findings suggest that although the Islamic veil has religious significance for the interviewees, they consistently privileged the concept of free choice, showing that female managers in the Gulf region consider freedom of choice as a form of symbolization of religious obligation, and this view is one of the essential markers of Arabian modernity.

Rethinking Hijab in Contemporary Indonesia: A Study of Hijab Community “Tuneeca Lover Community”

Hijab (veil) for female Muslims has been subject to a debate regarding its meanings. On the one hand, it represents the virtue of religious obedience and piety. Still, on the other hand, it is associated with the form of women oppressions in the public domain. At this point, the hijab has been an arena of contesting interpretations. Meanwhile, contemporary Indonesia is witnessing the increase in the use of veil among urban female Muslims that leads to the birth of various hijab wearer communities. One of them is Tuneeca Lover Community (TLC). This community has become a new sphere where female Muslims articulate their ideas about Islam through various activities such as religious gathering, hijab tutorial class, fashion show, and charity activities. This study seeks to answer several questions: Why do these women decide to wear a hijab? Why do they join the TLC? How do they perceive the veil? Is it related to religious doctrines or other factors such as lifestyle? This research employs a qualitative method using documentation and interview to gather the data among 150 members of the TLC. This research shows that their understanding of the hijab results from the common perception that places the veil as a religious obligation. Nevertheless, each of the members has one's orientation over the hijab. This paper also suggests that they try to transform this understanding into modern settings. As a consequence, they are not only committed to the traditionally spiritual meaning of the hijab but are also nuanced with modern ideas such as lifestyle and particular social class. Their participation in the TLC enables them to reach both goals simultaneously.

Influence of Religiosity on the Behavior of Buying Sports Apparel: A Study of the Muslim Market Segment in India


 
 
 The paper is aimed to study the influence of religiosity on the behavior of buying sports apparel in the Muslim market segment of India. The data was collected from 1000 Muslim respondents from four states: Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Uttarakhand, and Jammu & Kashmir. The paper has found that religion plays no role when Muslims buy sports apparel. They shop as any other religious person does. No other factor, even fashion and religious obligation, is influenced by religion, except for shopping enjoyment responsiveness, which is influenced by intrapersonal Islamic religiosity. The paper’s perspective in studying the religious influences will assist sporting apparel manufacturers to design new products that will meet the requirements of the large Muslim segment in India, which is neglected so far. It will help marketers to save their effort and energy which would be utilized for Muslim Population.
 
 

Good Faith Principles in Islamic Contract Law: A Comparative Study with Western Contract Law

Purpose - Every country needs smooth, reliable, and efficient business growth, both domestically and internationally. Nevertheless, every country differs in terms of its legal, political, cultural, and religious environments and backgrounds, and therefore possesses specific rules and regulations for launching international business. In this context, this research presents a comparative analysis of the good faith principle of Islamic contract law with existing civil and common law. Design/methodology/approach - Descriptive and analytical research methodology was adopted in this study in which relevant materials (verses) have been collected from the Holy Quran, Islamic books, different research papers, and web sites. Findings - This analysis reveals that the good faith principle of Islamic contract law is more business friendly, comprehensive, simple, and realistic, based on honesty and fairness in a business transaction. The good faith principle of Islamic contract law covers all stages of a contract. Research implications or Originality - The good faith principle comprises the prescribed laws, religious, and cultural-backed obligations, as well as trust and fair dealing. Therefore, the good faith principles of different regions, countries, cultures, and religions need to be investigated in order to increase the efficiency of international business. This study could provide a lesson for many lawmakers.

شرعی امورمیں آسانی اور سہولت کا تصور:قرآنی احکام کی روشنی میں

Islam is considered to be the religion of nature due to its originality and suitability to human nature for all times or centuries. It continues to be successful in the developed world, and elsewhere, because its call is in accordance with the fitrah or natural inclinations of mankind. Allah, subhanahu wata'aala, is the creator of mankind and therefore knows his nature more intricately than mankind himself. Allah has therefore chosen for us a religion best suited to the nature of mankind, a religion that goes neither to the extremes of hardship nor of laxity, but instead provides a middle path; in other words, a religion of ease. Islam does not lay on people tasks that they cannot do or they will have difficulty in doing. Whenever, there is any difficulty performing any religious obligation faced by Muslims, they have provided an element of ease and comfort. In this regard, the focus of this paper is to throw light on the notion of ease and leniency of Islam.

Analysis on Non Muslim Heir Position Towards the Inheritance of Muslim Testator in Indonesia

Article 171 section c the Compilation of Islamic Law which was ratified through the Presidential Instruction of the Republic of Indonesia Number 1 of 1991 stressed that one of the conditions for heirs in Islamic inheritance law is Mulsim. In its development, the requirement of the Islamic religious obligation is deemed not to provide justice, this can be seen from the many complaints filed by the community to the court. Based on this background, the formulation of the problem in this study is Firstly position of Non-Muslim Inheritance of Islamic Inheritance Inheritance according to positive law in Indonesia Secondly, to find out the position of Non-Muslim Inheritance Against Islamic Inheritance Inheritance from various court decisions in Indonesia. This research is a juridical research, with a statutory, conceptual, and case approach. The results of this study indicate, that First, according to positive law in Indonesia, Non-Muslim Heirs are not entitled to Islamic Inheritance. Secondly, in its development, to fulfill the sense of justice in the community, the judge in Indonesia, decided that the Non-Muslim heirs, although not entitled to become heirs, were still entitled to the inheritance of the Islamic heirs through the obligatory wills. This can be seen from the various court decisions that exist, such as Supreme Court Decision Number 368 K/AG/1995, Supreme Court Decision Number 51 K/AG/1999, Supreme Court Decision Number 16 K/AG/2010, and Supreme Court Decision No. 331 K/Ag/2018

The Role of Accounting Information in the Determination to Muzakki's Decisions for Zakat payment

According to Research about the decision of zakat payment by compulsory zakat or muzakki in determining how much zakat to pay is very interesting to be traced as a muzakki behavior to fulfill his religious obligations. Muzakki's behavior towards zakat payment is inseparable from the explanation of some of the underlying reasons by looking at it from the perspective that leads to their understanding of religion or subjective norms, attitudes, and wills held by the muzakki. In terms of accounting it also relates to the accounting behavior of calculations and decisions that are the basis for muzakki's considerations. For this purpose, this study is to examine the behavior (compliance, attitudes and norms) of the decision to pay zakat and to find out whether accounting information mediates the relationship between behavior and the decision to pay zakat. This research was conducted on the perception of 100 muzakki people who pay zakat in all Baitul Mal in Aceh. Based on the results of the study, it was found that Muzakki's attitude had a positive and significant effect on the perception of zakat accounting information. The perception of accounting information has a positive and significant effect on the decision of muzaki to pay zakat through Baitul Mal. Accounting information only mediates the influence of attitudes on muzakki's decision to pay zakat but does not mediate subjective norms and muzakku's compliance to pay zakat. The study recommends the importance of accounting information to improve the decision of muzakki to pay zakat in Baitul Mal Aceh. Keywords: Zakat, Accounting Information, Muzakki, Mediation.

Determinants of Customer’s Intention to Use Murabaha Financing In Indonesia: Modified the TRA Model

This study aims to investigate factors influencing customer’s intention to use murabaha financing in Indonesia, and to what extent do attitude, social influence, religious obligation, price mechanism, and government support affect customer’s intention to use murabaha financing in Indonesian Islamic banks. 200 customers of Bank Muamalat Indonesia and Bank Syariah Mandiri were collected through a semi-structured questionnaire. The study modifies the theory of reasoned action and extends the earlier research conducted by Amin et al. (2011) and Ali et al. (2015). The findings show that attitude, social influence, government support, and price mechanism have a positive and strong relationship with intention to use murabaha financing. In the contrary, the religious obligation is not the main factors that determine the customer’s intention to use murabaha financing. The findings have practical implications to fill the gap between the current practices of Islamic banks and perception from a consumer point of view. This study also analyzed possible variables that may influence the strategies to attract more customers to use murabaha financing and increase Islamic bank’s market share. To the best of author’s knowledge, this is the first study which modified the TRA model in the context of murabaha financing in Indonesian Islamic Banks.