Universal Religion Research Articles

Satriya culture and Srimanta Sankardeva's contributions to education

In most parts of Assam, the Satriya culture is prevalent. Assamese culture is incomplete without this feature. To get to where it is now, the Satriya culture has undergone a major transition. In the 15th century, Srimanta Sankardeva and Sri Sri Madhabdeva founded this practice. Srimanta Sankardeva possessed a wide range of qualities. He was an Assamese poet, playwright, painter, and sculptor who contributed significantly to Assamese culture. He pushed for a pure, honest work culture, social discipline, humanized love, and universal religion acceptance. Education was a privilege reserved for a select few from society's top crust during Sankardeva's time. The mass people were still mired in a pit of illiteracy and ignorance. We shall study about the satriya culture, its evolution, importance, and Srimanta Sankardeva's contribution to society, culture, and education in this article.

PRAKTEK JUAL BELI PERHIASAN EMAS DENGAN SISTEM TUKAR TAMBAH MENURUT HUKUM ISLAM (STUDI KASUS DI TOKO SINAR JAYA KACAMATAN TANGGUL KABUPATEN JEMBER)

Abstract:
 Islam is a perfect and universal religion, containing teachings that guarantee the benefit of human life, both in this world and the hereafter. What is taught in Islam is not only specific to certain people, because the teachings of Islam encompass all human beings who exist on this earth. The contents of the teachings were not only discussing and regulating certain fields, or merely regulating human relations with his creator, but also regulating human relations with fellow human beings themselves. The problem formulation of this research is: 1) the practice of buying and selling gold jewelry with an exchange system in the Sinar Jaya store Tanggul District, Jember Regency 2) buying and selling gold with an exchange system according to Islamic law in the Sinar Jaya store, the Tanggul District, Jember Regency.
 This study uses empirical juridical research with a case study approach, this research data source is a primary data source with secondary data collection methods by interviewing, observing and documenting, the research results are followed by data analysis with stages of editing, classifying, verifying, analizing, and concluding. The data validity technique is done by extending the observation and trialing.
 The results of this study can be concluded that, the first practice of buying and selling gold jewelry with an exchange system in the Sinar Jaya store Kagamatan embankment, Jember Regency is one of the precious metals coveted by humans, categorized as a precious metal because it has a character that makes it more valuable than other metals. The Second Practice of Buying and Selling Gold with an Exchange-Adding System According to Islamic Law Exchange-Adding is exchanging goods by giving additional money between the seller and the buyer in the transaction of buying and selling gold jewelry, which can be said to exchange the goods they have. The buyer gives additional money by paying the difference in price between the gold jewelry that you want to buy from the seller and the buyer previously had.

The ‘Church of Islam’: esotericism, Orientalism, and religious origin myths in colonial South Asia

AbstractThis article analyses the construction of religious origin myths for Islam within ‘universal religion’ and esoteric frameworks in late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century South Asia and beyond, and sheds light on the role of ‘Western’ and Anglo-Indian converts in this process. At its core is a case study of the elusive Hamid Snow, founder of the so-called ‘Church of Islam’ in 1891 in Sikanderabad, Deccan. On the following pages, I reconstruct Snow's biography from little-known Urdu and English sources, analyse his writings, and place him within a context of religious modernist, esoteric, and convert networks encompassing South Asia, Europe, the United States, the Philippines, and other parts of the world. By focusing on the nature of the scholarship of religion at the time, and the reconstruction of religious pasts under the influence of esotericism and religious modernism, the article traces the influence of Orientalist and Eurocentric views on perceptions of the Islamic tradition and contributes to larger debates about the role of laypeople, especially those with an interracial background, in interpreting religious history and acting as cultural mediators between different communities during a time of ‘hybrid transnational occultism’.1

Exercises in peace: Āẕar Kayvānī universalism and comparison in the School of Doctrines

AbstractIn 1650, an encyclopedia of comparative religion known as Dabistān-i Maẕāhib (the School of Doctrines) was completed near the city of Hyderabad. Asserting that the religions of the world are reflections of a single inner truth, its author Mīrzā Ẕu'l-fiqār Āẕarsāsānī, known by the poetic penname ‘Mūbad’, travelled widely across India to record encounters with diverse religious figures. This article re-examines the composition and legacy of the Dabistān in light of new manuscript evidence relating to its author and the world he inhabited. It argues that the Dabistān's universalist project reflects a widely held theory of the interrelatedness of the macrocosm, in which sociality with diverse populations was understood to be a spiritual exercise leading to saintly perfection in the same way that venerating the cosmos and ascetic bodily practices were. The article provides a close reading of the Dabistān's shortest chapter on the religion of the Tibetans, the earliest such description in Persian. Situating the Dabistān within the diverse expressions of ‘Universal Peace’ (ṣulḥ-i kull) during the Safavid and Mughal periods, it argues that the Dabistān's project of recovering a universal theology that was attributed to ancient Iran and India led to expressions of dual religious belonging—to particular religions of revelation as well as to the universal religion of the philosophers—parallel to and connected with what Jan Assmann has termed the ‘religio duplex phenomenon’ in early modern Europe. Finally, the article briefly traces the legacy of the Dabistān into the modern period.The free do not think of religion, doctrine, and spiritual guidance—Those shackled by seeking liberation are not truly free.For how long must we wander the alleyways of religion and nation?—There is no highway through the land of verification (taḥqīq) besides heresy (ilḥād).—‘Mūbad’ Mīrzā Ẕu'l-fiqār Āẕarsāsānī (fl. 1060s ah/1650s ce)1

The Hare Krishnas in Bali: Localized Religion and New Religious Movement

As the Balinese sought official religious acceptance in Indonesia, they formalized their ethnic customs and transformed them into a universal religion with an Abrahamic model called “Agama Hindu Dharma”. In aligning itself with Hinduism, the Balinese had to restructure their internalized indigenous faith and share it with Hindus beyond the island, including with others in the archipelago and the religious hearth of India. The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), commonly known as The Hare Krishna Movement, is a Hindu-based New Religious Movement. With their active presence in Bali, they provided an informative and devotional perspective for inquisitive Hindus. Preferring their local expression of Hinduism instead, ISKCON books and teachings were banned in 1984 for disrupting public order during the repressive era of President Suharto. The political reformation of 1998 allowed for the recognition of ISKCON, but the exclusivism of Hare Krishna members threatened many orthodox Balinese Hindus. This opposition culminated in 2020, resulting in a decree restricting all non-Balinese Hindu sects from practicing in the Hindu-majority province. This paper documents the formalization of the indigenous Balinese theology and its recent interaction with a multinational New Religious Movement.

Keniscayaan Memahami Fikih Muamalat bagi Wirausaha

Islam as a universal religion, teaches all aspects of the lives of its adherents such as matters of worship, morals, including procedures in everyday life which we often call muamalat. For Muslim entrepreneurs, it is a necessity to know and understand religious law in business, especially fiqh muamalah. So that they understand about business and entrepreneurship; and understand the concept of fiqh muamalah, its scope in contemporary business, and the rules of fiqh that are appropriate for contemporary business. Islam emphasizes the importance of developing and upholding an entrepreneurial culture in the life of every Muslim. A Muslim entrepreneur must have basic qualities that encourage him to be a creative and reliable person in running his business or carrying out activities at the company where he works.

Review: Empty Churches: Non-Affiliation in America, edited by James L. Heft, S.M., and Jan E. Stets

Review: <i>Empty Churches: Non-Affiliation in America</i>, edited by James L. Heft, S.M., and Jan E. Stets

Theologizing in Black: On Africana Theological Ethics and Anthropology

Theologizing in Black: On Africana Theological Ethics and Anthropology

Islamic view of modernism and rationalism An intellectual debate

There is a debate among the scholars that Islam is a complete code of life or it is just a spiritual experience. Mostly Muslims consider Islam to be a complete code of life. To them, it is a universal religion that pervades a person's entire life. In the other hand those who are not convinced of the universality of Islam, consider Islam to be an outdated and irrational system. According to them, Islam has no room for modernity and universality. The majority of Orientalist intellectuals are of the opinion that there is no other option for Islam except to accept Western thinking and Western modernism. However, there are several verses in Qur'an that call for reason and reflection of the universe. The Qur'an also commands reason to conquer the universe through intellect and contemplation. This version of Quran clearly shows that Islam is not against modernism nor opposes to use of reason (Aqal). This article discusses such misunderstandings and examines the arguments for modernity and rationalism in Islam.

Religious and political rights of minorities in constitution of Pakistan and Islamic teachings

Islam is the natural and universal religion that permits every creed of world to enjoy the freedom of their own religion, this is a religion which is for all human beings, free of religious boundaries allowing each of the theology, bent of minds, school of thoughts and people around the world. It is beauty of Islam, who cares especially for Non-Muslims as to fulfill their fundamental rights of their religion and society. Islam, the religion is a road map of life, wherein Pakistan, the home land of then Muslims of sub-continent, is found by Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah in the name of Islam. Muslims are the largest population in Pakistan living with non-Muslims side by side like Hindus, Budhs, Sikhs, Christians and others. The constitution of Pakistan guards the rights of the minorities in the fields of religio-socio-political rights in the society with greater importance. Religion and politics have immense role in human life, religion is a way to interact with creator and spiritual satisfaction, whereby politics is a way to interact and manage affairs of people ,In the Islam and constitution of Pakistan minorities are given religious freedom and protection. They may perform their religious customs, they may vote any one and they are given special seats in provincial as well as federal government. In this article diverse religious and political rights of minorities are brought into the lights of Islam and construction of Pakistan

REVISITING THE CONCEPT OF THE JAVANESE ISLAM: GENEALOGY, ACADEMIC REPRESENTATION, AND CULTURAL STRATEGY

This article aims to revisit the understanding of the concept of syncretic Javanese Islam, which scholars have much debated. From the genealogical search for the syncretic Javanese Islamic concept produced by missionaries and orientalists; mapping of the academic representations of Javanese Islam produced by recent scholars; up to an explanation of the theoretical approach used to discuss the concept of syncretism. Based on selected literature sources, the results show that the syncretic Javanese Islamic concept formulated by missionaries and orientalists tends to be highly theological due to the Christian framework used. They were especially concerned about the universality of religion, the evolution of civilization, the hierarchy of religions, and the purity of religious doctrine. Recent scholars also tend to have inherited this conception of Javanese Islam. They constantly debated the ‘true’ or the ‘purity’ of Javanese Islam, thus resulting in the two dominantly opposing views. The intensity of the cultural encounter and the necessity of syncretism requires a more robust theoretical approach to obtain a more precise understanding of syncretism.

The Oxford Handbook of Contemporary Middle Eastern and North African History

The Oxford Handbook of Contemporary Middle Eastern and North African History

An Islamic Perspective on Peaceful Coexistence

According to Abrahamic religions, namely Judaism, Christianity and Islam, human beings exist on the earth for a common purpose, and they have patrilineally and matrilineally descended from a single couple, namely Adam and Hawa (Eve). The Qur’an unambiguously mentions: “O mankind! reverence your Guardian-Lord, who created you from a single person, created, of like nature, His mate, and from them twain scattered (like seeds) countless men and women; reverence Allah, through whom ye demand your mutual (rights), and (reverence) the wombs (That bore you): for Allah ever watches over you.” Thus, it is incumbent upon human beings to live together in peace rather than constant hostility to fulfil the purpose of their existence on the earth. This paper endeavours to contribute to the understanding of the concept of ‘peaceful coexistence’ from the Islamic perspective. It specifically answers the following research questions: What is peaceful coexistence? What is necessary for peaceful coexistence? What are the fundamental principles that we must adhere to in order to coexist peacefully? The paper is structured into eight sections, beginning with introduction on the concept of ‘peace’ in Islam. The second section focuses on the main objectives of Islam. The third section is on the meaning of peaceful coexistence. The fourth and fifth sections are on the need for peaceful coexistence, and the necessary requirements and tools for peaceful coexistence respectively. The sixth section is on categorization of peaceful coexistence into: peaceful coexistence in marriage, peaceful coexistence of mankind, peaceful coexistence of the members of the Muslim ummah and peaceful coexistence of mankind and the environment. The seventh section is a summary of the Islamic principles of peaceful coexistence. The final section sums up the main conclusions drawn from this study. The translation of the ayat (verses) of the Qur’an related to this study is extracted from the work of Abdullah Yusuf Ali, The Holy Qur’an: Text and Translation unless stated otherwise. At the end of this paper, it is hoped that the readers will: first, appreciate the message of Islam as a universal religion and the need for mutual care, mutual respect, and mutual cooperation; and second, explore the methodology of the Qur’an and the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) in managing human diversity. It is also hoped that this study will lead to a better understanding of peaceful coexistence as an integral part of Islam and one of the characteristics of the Muslim ummah. The findings of this study highlight the role of Islam in promoting peace and security. The study reveals that peaceful coexistence is a key factor in the success of human beings and it requires nurturing love, respect, care, and salam (a greeting of peace) in one’s relationship with others.

Chinese Cultures and the Practices of Islamic Teachings

This article explores the Chinese cultures which are similar to the practices of Islam that can be continued by new converts. Although Islam is recognized as a universal religion, there are still those who still think that with the introduction of Islam will cause a change to their original identities and eliminate racial identity that has been held for generations. In Malaysia, for example, there is an understanding amongst the people of China that "Islam means being a Malay" which practices the culture of their ancestors. Based on this study, there are cultural practices of the Non-Muslims that are actually similar to the practices in Islam that are distinguished by beliefs and ways of implementation. Culture is seen as a factor that can be misunderstood with little change in terms of ways and beliefs. The research method is qualitative with the document analysis method in which the documents are reviewed by the researcher to evaluate the evaluation theme, proving that Islam does not completely reject the culture of any race as long as it does not contradict to the basics of Islam itself. Islam does not eliminate the identity of a race.

The Relevance Of Shura In Promoting Shared Prosperity In Developed And Developing Countries: ICIS 2021

The issue of greater inequalities and social exclusion reckoned to be the result of economic growth led the World Bank to set the new goal, to end extreme poverty and promote shared prosperity. Interestingly, the approach of the contemporary solution is largely in consonance with the maqasid or objectives of the Shari’ah. Islam is a universal religion and addresses the entire mankind not the believers alone. It is, therefore, no surprise that people irrespective of faith do often think along Islamic lines. The term shura has generally accepted by Muslims scholars as that which most closely approximates the notion of democracy. This study analyzed the impact of the shura as one elements of governance from Islamic perspective on poverty, by adopting a cross-country approach. Specifically, the study examined the impact of Shura on the poorest quintiles of the population by evaluating the relationship between the factors and the changes in the per capita income of the poor of the developed and developing countries. This study applied panel regression to examine the significance of the shura as one component of the governance from Islamic perspective towards the shared prosperity of the developed and developing countries. It is found that equality of participation, effective participation and representation are the significant factors in promoting shared prosperity. It is hoped that this study will serve as an effective mechanism for poverty eradication in the respective countries.

Http://habibiaislamicus.com/index.php/hirj/article/view/185

Islam is an universal religion which has determined duties and rights of every individual for the betterment, stability, peace and reformation of an individual as well as society. No matter if they are slaves or independent, children or parents, brother or sister, labourers or common men or even if they are non- Muslims, their rights are well protected. No body in the world can live peacefully without recognizing and following these rights. The Holy Prophet (PBUH) got the constitutional document written for the Madina state. The document contains provision of care not only for Muslims but the non-Muslims also and it presents a practical roadmap for this. In this societal, judicial, political, and trade rights are guaranteed, This was the first constitution given over by any ruler in the world. Success here in this life and in life hereafter lies in union of Huqooqullah (Rights of Allah) and Huqoou-ul-Ibad (Rights of people) and even today a peaceful life can be lived by acting upon them

A IMPORTANCE OF JAP IN MANTRA YÓG

Indian culture is based on Dharma which is known as Sanatan Dharma or Universal Religion. As per the principles of Sanatan Dharma, the individual soul itself is the Supreme soul. One small component of the Parmatma or the Supreme soul is present in all beings in the form of the Jivatma. Out of the 84 lakh species that are believed to exist in this world, the human species is considered to be of paramount importance as the ultimate self can be realised only through the means of the human body by the performance of YógSadhana. Indian sages have shown the path of Yógin order to attain this aim of realising the Paramatma. Four typesof Yóg have been mentioned in the scriptures and Mantra Yóg is considered to be the gateway to Yóg.

How coloniality generated religious illiteracy in Africa, and how to compensate the situation: Perspectives on Lesotho

This article debated how coloniality created religious illiteracy in Lesotho. Three parameters were suggested in this regard. Firstly, it is assumed that the prevalence of religious illiteracy started during missionary involvement in Lesotho. Secondly, it is argued that three strategies were applied in this exertion: (1) the missionaries categorised Basotho as being without religion and, therefore, are liable for conversion into religion, which is Christianity. This predisposition ended up in the creation of religion synonymic to Christianity whilst all others disqualified, (2) Basotho were enticed into the binary of religious secularism and privatisation disassociated from spiritualism whilst connected to materialism and private affairs and (3) Basotho were indoctrinated into accepting the existence of one universal religion which is Christianity through Western formal education. Thirdly and finally, decoloniality turn is recommended to curtail illiteracy in religion through the ontology of pluriversality, the hegemony of diversality and the epistemology of pluriversality.Contribution: The article identified the pervasiveness of religious illiteracy in Africa with special reference to Lesotho. It highlighted its repercussions if left unchecked. Consequently, it examined and put forward the possible causes. As a result of the discoveries, the article suggested procedures to counter the causes in order to promote literacy in religion.

GLOBALISASI DAN DAKWAH ISLAM KONTEMPORER

Globalization is recognized as consciously carrying two sides of values ​​for human life, namely good values ​​and bad values. These two sides of value penetrate into all aspects of the order of life. Consequently, globalization raises many problems that plague the inhabitants of planet earth today. Among the impacts of globalization are the emergence of contemporary issues related to religion as well as challenges for Islamic da'wah, such as: religious pluralism, liberal Islam (religious liberalism), radicalism-terrorism and so on. Islam and its people who are in a global vortex and are related to several contemporary issues should come to the surface with contemporary Islamic ideas or thoughts to answer the challenge of da'wah while positioning Islam as a universal religion. Contemporary Islamic thought is thought that is able to bridge between the two poles, namely between tradition and modernity (al-turats wa al-hadatsah), so that it raises new awareness in giving birth to ideas that can respond to contemporary problems. Preaching contemporary Islamic thought like this is essentially continuing the missionary task that Allah and His Messenger ordered.&#x0D; &#x0D; Keywords: Globalization, Da'wah, Contemporary Islam

Theological Stage of Islamic Studies in the West

Islamic studies is a distinct field of study in the West, particularly in Europe, that is both complex and integral to the larger intellectual current. Even in its early stages, Islamic studies became inextricably linked to political currents in Western countries, giving rise to the term 'orientalism.' The purpose of this research is to consider a variety theological stage that have occurred in the development of Islamic studies in the West. This study reveals that there are three stages in Western-style Islamic studies, namely theological, political, and scientific stages, through a review of the literature. In the West, the study of Islam begins with the paradigm that Islam is a religion that can be studied from any perspective and with such freedom. The issue of dar al-Islam versus dar al-harb, understanding the text and sources of basic and contextual principles, understanding and application of governance Islamic courts (Usul al-Fiqh), the concept of Islam as a universal religion, and ijtihad issues are among the theological issues and Islamic legislation related to the issue of European Muslim identity.