Islamic Roots Research Articles

THE HISTORICAL BEDROCK OF HOLY QUR’AN’S MANUSCRIPT IN MALAYSIA: A STUDY ON ITS STYLE OF CALLIGRAPHY AND ILLUMINATION

The focus of this article is to examine the historical foundation of the Holy Qur’an’s manuscript in Malaysia, with specific attention to its calligraphic style and illumination. Islamic calligraphy and manuscript traditions hold significant importance within the Malaysian Muslim heritage. These traditions have been inherited and evolved over generations, with the earliest examples of Arabic calligraphy being found in the Holy Qur'an, commonly inscribed in a script known as Kufic. The historical roots of Islam are deeply intertwined with the Holy Qur'an's manuscript, making it a primary source for understanding the advent of Islam. In this research, an extensive array of resources from the Islamic Art Museum Malaysia (IAMM) and the National Library of Malaysia (NLM) were utilised, alongside personal collections and secondary sources. Data analysis involved employing philological, comparative, deductive, and inductive methodologies. Through this approach, it was revealed that the production of Malay Holy Qur'an's manuscripts has been significantly influenced by local creative input and intellectual contributions from regions such as Turkey, China, and Persia. The study particularly accentuates the diverse calligraphic and illumination techniques across different nations. Notably, manuscripts from the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia, specifically from Malacca and Johor, exhibit distinct artistic qualities that set them apart from those originating from the east coast, including Kelantan and Terengganu. This underscores the prevalence of varied artistic expressions resulting from a broad spectrum of cultural interactions. The development of calligraphy and illumination methods in Malaysian Holy Qur'an's manuscripts mirrors a wide range of artistic expressions, which are shaped by both local innovation and broader Islamic intellectual traditions.

Seventy-Two and The One Nation

Abstract The current article sheds light on the symbolism of the number 72 in Yezidism and briefly outlines its roots in ancient Mesopotamian religions, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Furthermore, it highlights the link between 72 nations and 72 genocides in Yezidi perception.

REVITALIZATION OF MOSQUE MANAGEMENT MODELS AND THEIR APPLICATION IN SOCIAL CAPITAL

<div>The revitalization of mosque management at Kurir Langit Mosque aims to restore its function as a place of worship and a relevant social practice aligned with the current needs of the Muslim community by reinstating the practices of the early era of Islam during the time of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and his companions. The research objective is to examine the strategies for revitalizing mosque management models and their implementation in the context of social capital at Kurir Langit Mosque. This study utilizes a qualitative method with a field research approach. The research findings reveal that the revitalization of Kurir Langit Mosque's management has brought about significant transformation in</div><div>mosque management, fundraising, and various social practices, thereby introducing the concept of social capital within the community. The modern concept of revitalization at Kurir Langit Mosque involves a return to the roots of early Islam, adopting early Islamic practices, and making the mosque a centre for education and empowerment. Community funds are managed meticulously, combining religious values with educational services, primarily funded through endowments, zakat, almsgiving, and donations, enabling the mosque to operate independently. A comprehensive social welfare program focusing on education,</div><div>well-being, and empowerment is implemented with a mentorship-based approach, fostering positive change and reducing reliance on aid and donations.</div>

Alternative Historiography of the Islamist Movement: A Periodization Proposal

The modernity movement, which emerged as a manifestation of the political, economic, and religious transformation of the West, claimed that religions would become obsolete in the process. The systems and understandings institutionalized on this claim and belief have applied this situation to non-Western religions and defined the religious movement and discourse as “reactionary”. When viewed from a different perspective, it is understood that Islamic movements, which are handled with a Western-centered historiography, emerged with Islamic methods. As a matter of fact, when the experiences of transforming the concepts and institutions (Persian bureaucracy, Greek Philosophy, Mongolian Customs...) encountered by Muslims in the history of Islam and the methods they use are taken into account, It is seen that this situation shows itself again against the Orientalist Western states. First of all, Muslims, who acted with methods coming from the Muslim self-perception to resist the invasion attempts of Western states, derived the concept of "Islamic Civilization" from the history and roots of Islam, despite the "civilization" policy of the Orientalist West. These movements, which took place between 1865 and 1920, showed themselves as "Islamization of Civilization". In the renewal process that started after the First World War, Muslims encountered the concept of the modern state and aimed to Islamize this concept or to oppose it. Concepts such as "nation, citizen, monopoly of violence, and constitution", which are the elements of the modern state, have become new issues that Islamists deal with. In this context, between the years of 1923-1979, Islamists, reacting to the understanding of the modern state (Kemalism, Nasserism, Pahlavi Dynasty), engaged in the conceptualization of the Islamic state, and in this process, efforts to "Islamize the Modern State" occurred. The modern state system was hit hard by the Iranian Islamic Revolution in 1979; A new process has begun for Islamic movements. After the understanding based on Arab nationalism lost its influence with the Camp David Agreement and the Afghan Jihad, Islam was reinterpreted as a new element. In this process, Islamic movements, which were reorganized as an alternative to the regimes that were institutionalized in isolation from the people, aimed to have a say in power through democracy. In this context, the prominent concept of this process has been democracy, and Islamists have developed new understandings by "Islamizing democracy". The process that started in 1979 continued with the ten-year cycle (end of the cold war, September 11 attacks). In this process, Islamic movements, with regimes representing the established order, at the local level; They have redefined themselves and their roadmaps at the global level to oppose the policy developed by the USA against the Islamic world. When it came to 2011, Islamism found itself at the center of change against the regimes that entered into a systemic and mental crisis as a result of the popular uprising. Confronting the concepts of power, such as democracy, pluralism, human rights and equality in this process, Islamic movements have embarked on the path of "Islamization of power". The Islamist movement, which is discussed in the literature through anti-Westernism and allegedly "failure", has redefined itself by reinterpreting concepts such as democracy and human rights (the Ennahda Party in Tunisia). In this process, where the western-centred system and understanding changed, the Islamism movement, which was synthesized with local interpretations, aimed to build a new understanding around the concepts of moderation and reconciliation in the new process. This study, which tries to produce counter-arguments that the Islamist movement can only exist with Western values, has tried to bring a new perspective to the literature by periodizing political history. As a result of the study, it has been claimed that this trend, which developed reactively, occurred in order to resist the dominant current of the period with its own methods, and that Islamists tried to make these concepts suitable for the Muslim mind world. This study, which deals with the alleged periodizations with individuals and institutions, aims to bring different perspectives to the politics of Islamism, which is a controversial issue today.

Some roots and branches of anti-Judaism, Jew hatred and antisemitism – A historical overview

This review elucidates some of the historical roots and continuities that link different forms of antisemitism and how they developed and intersected to produce the various constellations we see today. We trace several historical themes and formulations from their roots in Christianity, Islam, racism, anti-capitalism and other beliefs and ideologies, and show how they are being produced and reformulated today. This short guide will enable readers to identify current expressions of antisemitism even when they are formulated in ways that may disguise their nature.

QU Press Dialogue with 2021 Literature Nobel Laureate Prof. Abdulrazak Gurnah

ABSTRACT: Nobel laureate Prof. Abdulrazak Gourna was invited by Qatar University Press and warmly welcomed by the audience of the Doha International Book Fair. The long interview focused on the relationship between the author and publisher and responsibilities of the author to represent the concerns of his local culture on a world stage. Here, the significance of translation was apparent as well as direct communication between author and audiences worldwide. His African, Arabic, and Islamic roots contributed to the rich heritage of Prof. Gurnah, whose novels unravel this complexity of identities. The dialogue was enriched by a discussion on how the author as a novelist and academic dealt with postcolonialism and the evil of colonialism. More importantly, how in his original home Zanzibar, different societies, the coastal cultures, the Arab traders, the Indian traders, the Swahili traders, and the people in the interior, negotiated their coexistence peacefully, which ended with the arrival of European colonialism. This led to fragmentation of African societies and in many ways was responsible for the oppression and dictatorship that ravaged the contents.

The Roots of Political Islam in 19th Century Egypt

Tracing back political Islam to the French Campaign that invaded Egypt in 1798, the article argues that political Islam emerged and developed from within the folds of the modern nation state in Egypt. The article conceptualizes three historical phases: from 1805 to 1849, 1849 to 1879, and 1879 to the mid-1920s. Each of these phases is centered around a common theme that characterized the discourses, knowledge, and structures of politics, the economy and “Islam”, as they encountered the West, which are, in order, technology, civilization, and ideology. The works of Ḥasan al-ʿAṭṭār will be explored as an example of the first phase, and the works of Rifāʿah al-Ṭahṭāwī will be the example of the second phase, where Islam, as it encounters politics, becomes the foundation of state nationalism. The third phase will start with a transitional period of undifferentiated discourses, but will quickly, after the British occupation in 1882, differentiate into three political Islams: liberal, represented by Muḥammad ʿAbduh and al-Ummah Party; official, represented by ʿAlī Yūsuf and the Reform on the Constitutional Principles Party; and extra-state, radical Islamism, represented by ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz Jāwiš, and the Nationalist Party. The article will explain the national and international political and economic contexts that surrounded and participated in the formations of political Islam in all its varieties. Against the popular academic conviction of rooting Ḥasan al-Bannā’s thought in Muḥammad ʿAbduh’s work, and rooting ʿAbduh in Jamāl al-Afghānī’s movement, this article will explain the rupture and contradictions between Afghānī and ʿAbduh, on the one hand, and the rooting of al-Bannā’s ideology in ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz Jāwīš’s thought, on the other hand.

TELAAH HERMENEUTIKA HANS-GOERG GADAMER; MENUJU PENDEKATAN INTEGRATIF DALAM STUDI ISLAM

The hermeneutic approach was rejected by some Muslim scholars because it came from the West, but some other scholars actually tried to lend the theory in understanding the Qur'an and hadith. Not only because of the contribution to Islamic studies, but this approach has very strong roots in Islam itself. This paper shows the possibility of applying hermeneutic methods, especially Hans-Georg Gadamer's circle hermeneutics in understanding religious texts. This paper also explores the contemporary Muslim perspective and the classical position of hermeneutic approach. This data shows that circular hermeneutics is a new term in Islamic thought but has existed since early times such as the time of the prophets, companions and successors known as ta`wil. This shows that there are several hermeneutic theories that can be applied in understanding the Qur'an and hadith. Classical sciences, such as ulumul Qur'an, ulumul hadith and ushul fiqh can be strengthened by a hermeneutic approach towards a more comprehensive and contextual understanding.

Review: Demanding Images: Democracy, Mediation, and the Image-Event in Indonesia, by Karen Strassler

Review: <i>Demanding Images: Democracy, Mediation, and the Image-Event in Indonesia</i>, by Karen Strassler

Spiritual Benefit from Cannabis

ABSTRACT Like many mind-altering plants, cannabis has been part of spiritual practices for thousands of years. It has deep roots in Hinduism, Islam, Rastafarianism, and indigenous traditions in Asia, Africa, and elsewhere. Yet almost no attention has been given to how contemporary adults employ it spiritually. A sample of 1087 participants (mean age = 38.9) completed an online survey assessing their use of cannabis and other substances, as well as spiritual and psychological characteristics. Spiritual benefit from cannabis was reported by 66.1% of the sample, and 5.5% reported it had sometimes been a spiritual hindrance. A MANOVA showed that those who reported spiritual benefit differed significantly from those who did not on several outcome variables, and a post hoc descriptive discriminant analysis revealed that expansiveness motivation, non-theistic daily spiritual experience, meditation frequency, and two mindfulness facets contributed most to differentiating the two groups. The majority of the sample (63%) was free of cannabis use disorder. Compared to disordered groups, the non-disordered group was significantly older and scored lower on experiential avoidance, psychological distress, and several motives for use. Results suggest that spiritual motives for cannabis use may be widespread. Implications for future research on spiritual use of cannabis are discussed.

Hijrah dalam Narasi Etika Sufistik

Hijrah which interpreted to move, now become a new role model in society. Hijrah often interpreted as the process of moving from behavior haven’t accordance with sharia to behavior as accordance with sharia. This is shown by lifestyle, especially in terms of dress. Now hijrah glow not more than a symbol, but poor ethics. Whereas the meaning of hijrah is not as narrow as today, because basically, hijrah always talked about inner displacement in this era, has a different term with Prophet Muhammad’s era who was more dominant in moving physically. But that doesn't change the meaning of Hijrah itself. This research uses descriptive qualitative research methods. Here, tasawuf comes as a continuous scientific integrity. Sufi teachings as the roots of moderate Islam. Through ethics according perspective sufi, hijrah that undergoes a shift meaning can be actualized through uzlah, muraqobah, musabahah, raja'. Thus, the meaning of hijrah today can be moved, both physically and mentally, so that hijrah is not just a symbolization

Más allá de la Revolución: estudio comparado del pensamiento político de Ali Shariati y Ruholá Jomeini

Este artículo analiza los proyectos políticos frente a la modernidad occidental de dos de los pensadores islámicos más prominentes en la segunda mitad del siglo XX en Irán. La Revolución Islámica de 1979 es habitualmente presentada como una revolución unicolor, orquestada y culminada por el Ayatolá Jomeini y sus seguidores. Esta narrativa elude y niega la diversidad de ideas, proyectos y pensamientos que caracterizan el Irán prerrevolucionario. A modo de demostración, presentaremos de manera comparada los pensamientos y proyectos políticos de ‘Ali Shari’ati y Ruholá Jomeini, que se pueden considerar como los más significativos de la intelligentsia religiosa de la época. El primero se distingue como proponente de una modernidad alternativa basada en la revolución del chiismo. Por su parte, defenderemos que el proyecto presentado por Jomeini es teórica y analíticamente mejor definido como un populismo pragmático de base islámica que como un proyecto fundamentalista chií.

PEMIKIRAN ETIKA POLITIK MUHAMMAD CHOLIL BISRI DALAM AL-DURR AL-RUMBĀNĪ

This article discusses the idea of Political Ethics from one of the Indonesian scholars named Muhammad Cholil Bisri in the Book of Al-Durr Al-Rumbānī. This study is under descriptive qualitative research using a socio-historical approach and sociology of knowledge that studies the interrelationships between thought and society. The results of this paper state that in Islam; the political problem is the area of ijtihādī which has strong roots in Islam. The relationship between them can be called a mutually reinforcing symbiotic relationship (ʻalāqah indimājiyah). One of the influences of Islam in political traditions, for instance is its teachings on ethics that must inspire all policy issues. Even ethical configuration must also inspire the most important elements in the democratic political systems as called political parties. The term animates, explains that Islam as a system does not have to be realized in the form of formalization of sharīa or political Islam movements. In addition to ethics, the goals that result from political dynamics must be in the form of benefit (maqṣad al-siyāsah). Therefore, political work carried out in the corridor of truth can be considered as worship and deliver the politician to the noblest profession in the sight of God.

Honor Crime in Sanaa Shalan’s Tale of Tales

Honor crime is a heinous global phenomenon occurring in several Arab and Islamic societies with varying magnitudes from one country to another. The growing number of honor crime cases, mostly in developing countries such as Jordan, demands serious academic investigation not only because the lives of the victims are at stake, but also because the phenomenon is still gravely overlooked and unaddressed due to socio-cultural norms branding it as a social taboo. Recently, there has been increasing interest among Arab and Jordanian writers in portraying honor killings against Jordanian women through their literary works (Fanous, 2018). Thus, in this paper, we shall examine the manifestations of honor crimes against women in the Jordanian context through a textual analysis of Tale of Tales by Sanaa Shalan, an author belonging to the Jordanian contemporary literary movement. Originally written in Arabic, this novella highlights the suffering of many Jordanian women due to honor crimes inflicted upon them by the poor and male-dominated society. Through an Islamic reading based on Quranic verses and Sunni Hadiths to read of Tale of Tales (2007), we shall examine Shalan’s depictions of honor crimes against women in the novella as an extremely engendered phenomenon resulting from male domination and power and gender inequity prevalent in the Jordanian society. This paper is premised based on two elements, namely: the misconception of honor and its association with the women’s body and its roots in Islam, as depicted in Tale of Tales through the novella’s female characters, notably the main protagonist.

Standards of Islamic Rooting for the Concepts of Education

The study aimed to identify a set of Islamic standards for the educational concepts that should be taken into account when addressing the process of Islamic rooting. The researcher used the analytical descriptive method, and the results of the study showed the absence of Interdisciplinary studies, which may contribute more to correcting the methodology of Islamic rooting for educational sciences, among specialists in the origins of education and other disciplines in the educational fields or otherwise. Thus, the study presented a set of Islamic Rooting standards for the educational concepts which are: reliance on sources of Islamic education, adherence to the rules of derivation and reasoning in Islamic methodology, ability to critique and deal with the heritage tales and understanding and knowledge of Arabic language methods and their multiple uses. The distinction between the sources of knowledge in Islam and other nations, starting from the Islamic perception of the universe, man and life, extensive knowledge in the field of education and work within the field. Results also indicate the presentation of educational concepts clearly after rooting them, verification of rooting objectives of educational concepts, emergence of features of the methodology of Islamic roots when dealing with educational concepts, averageness in dealing with educational concepts coming from other educational cultures, taking into consideration the aspects of the legal dispute and its reflection on educational applications. The study concluded with a set of recommendations in the light of its findings

Standards of Islamic Rooting for the Concepts of Education

The study aimed to identify a set of Islamic standards for the educational concepts that should be taken into account when addressing the process of Islamic rooting. The researcher used the analytical descriptive method, and the results of the study showed the absence of Interdisciplinary studies, which may contribute more to correcting the methodology of Islamic rooting for educational sciences, among specialists in the origins of education and other disciplines in the educational fields or otherwise. Thus, the study presented a set of Islamic Rooting standards for the educational concepts which are: reliance on sources of Islamic education, adherence to the rules of derivation and reasoning in Islamic methodology, ability to critique and deal with the heritage tales and understanding and knowledge of Arabic language methods and their multiple uses. The distinction between the sources of knowledge in Islam and other nations, starting from the Islamic perception of the universe, man and life, extensive knowledge in the field of education and work within the field. Results also indicate the presentation of educational concepts clearly after rooting them, verification of rooting objectives of educational concepts, emergence of features of the methodology of Islamic roots when dealing with educational concepts, averageness in dealing with educational concepts coming from other educational cultures, taking into consideration the aspects of the legal dispute and its reflection on educational applications. The study concluded with a set of recommendations in the light of its findings

Early Marriage in Iran: A Pragmatic Approach

AbstractThe international human rights system has identified any marriage before the age of 18 as forced marriage or a harmful traditional practice which should be eradicated mainly through legal reform. In many legal systems, the minimum age of marriage is still below 18. In Iran, girls can marry at the age of 13 and boys at the age of 15. Thus, the issue of early marriage has been a point of struggle between the international human rights system and Iran. What is lost in these mainly legal debates is the reality of early marriage. Those who advocate for the eradication of early marriage present a singular perception of such marriage as forced and harmful, while those who oppose the international approach in Iran merely focus on the Islamic roots of the current legislation. In practice, marriage is a complicated social construct. To address early marriage, one should analyse different causes and contexts that influence this institution and determine whether the negative consequences apply in all cases of early marriage. This article argues that the international human rights system should provide a context-sensitive response to early marriage. The human rights discourse is not the only setting for addressing early marriage. The general categorization of early marriage as a violation of human rights fails to recognize various factors that influence the timing of marriage, in particular girls’ agency. To effectively address early marriage in Iran, a multidisciplinary approach is necessary.

Democracy, Pluralism and Political Ethics in Middle East; in an Interview With Prof. Abdulaziz Sachedina

Abdulaziz Abdulhussein Sachedina hails from Tanzania (originally is from India) and he was educated in Tanzania, India, Iran, Iraq, and Canada. After completing the school in Tanzania, he traveled to India and did his B.A. General in Philosophy, Political Science, and Islamic Studies at Aligarh Muslim University. Then, he did another bachelor’s degree in Persian language and literature in Ferdowsi University of Mashhad and he simultaneously received seminary (religious) education in Iran. During his stay in Iran, he was strongly influenced by Dr. Ali Shariati as one of his students. Afterwards, he traveled to Canada, started his education at the University of Toronto in 1971, and got his MA and PhD in Middle East and Islamic Studies. After graduating in 1976, at the same year he joined the University of Virginia, the Department of Religious Studies, and remained there until 2011. Now, he is Chair, Religious Studies and Professor of Islamic Studies in International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT) at George Mason University, Virginia. He has also taught at other Universities and institutes in US, Canada, Iran, Iraq, Jordan and so on. He has been teaching courses on Classical Islam, Islam in the Modern Age, Islam, Democracy and Human Rights, Islamic Bioethics and Muslim Theology. Because of his pluralist view on religions, Ayatollah Sistani issued a statement (fatwa) against him in 1998 that advised Muslims not to listen to his talks or to ask him questions about religious matters. In addition to his work at the university, he has been a consultant to the United States Department of State and Department of Defense, regarding the spiritual and moral dimensions, Middle Eastern affairs, and the question of the freedom of religion in Islam and related topics. In this relation, he was also an adviser to those drafting the Constitution of Iraq that was put into effect in 2005. His doctoral dissertation was published under Islamic Messianism in 1980. Some of his other works are The Just Ruler in Shi’ite Islam (al-sultan al-‘adil), 1988, Human Rights and the Conflict of Cultures, 1988, The Islamic Roots of Democratic Pluralism, 2002, The Islamic World: Past and Present, 2004, Islamic Biomedical Ethics, 2009, Islam and the Challenge of Human Rights, 2009.

Book Review: Filling the Gap in the Arabian Roots of Islam

Book Review: Filling the Gap in the Arabian Roots of Islam

AKAR HISTORIS DAN PERKEMBANGAN ISLAM DI INGGRIS

This paper will reveal the historical roots and Islamic development in British. The discussion covers various areas of study pertaining to historical situations. The study tends to focus on the search for the historical roots of Islam in the 7th to 15th and 16th-17th centuries, and also the development of Islamic institutions in British contemporer.The historical roots of Islam in Britain have existed since the discovery of several coins with the words 'laa ilaaha illallah' belonging to the King of Central England, Offa of Mercia, who died in 796. The history records that this Anglo Saxon King had trade ties with the peoples Muslim Spain, France and North Africa. In addition, also found in the 9th century the words 'bismillah' by Kufi Arabic on Ballycottin Cross. Indeed, in the eighth century history has noted that trade between Britain and the Muslim nations has been established. In fact, in 817 Muhammad bin Musa al-Khawarizmi wrote the book Shurat al-Ardhi (World Map) which contains a picture of a number of places in England. In the 12th century, when the feud with Pope Innocent III, King John established a relationship with Muslim rulers in North Africa. Later, in the era of Henry II, Adelard of Bath, a private teacher of the King of England who had visited Syria and Muslim Spain, translated a number of books by Arab Muslim writers into Latin. The same is done by Danel of Marley and Michael Scouts who translated Aristotle's works from Arabic. In 1386 Chaucer wrote in his book prologue Canterbury of Tales, a book that says that on the way back to Canterbury from the holy land, Palestine, a number of pilgrims visit physicists and other experts such as al-Razi, Ibn Sina and Ibnu Rusyd. At that time Ibn Sina's work, al-Qanun fi al-Tibb, had become the standard text for medical students until the seventeenth century.The development of Islam increasingly rapidly era after. In 1636 opened the Arabic language department at the University of Oxford. In addition, it is well known that the English King Charles I had collected Arabic and Persian manuscripts. In the era of Cromwell's post civil war, the Koran for the first time in 1649 was translated in English by Alexander Ross. In the nineteenth century more and more small Muslim communities, both immigrants from Africa and Asia, settled in port cities such as Cardif, South Shield (near New Castle), London and Liverpool. In the next stage, to this day, Islam in Britain has formally developed rapidly through the roles of institutions and priests, and the existence of Islam is also widely acknowledged by the kingdom, government, intellectuals, and the public at large.