Intellectual Discourse (Journal)
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Islam and the West
Get PDFThe scientific and technological developments during the 18th and' the 19th centuries ensured material progress of the West, as well as emergence of the West as the dominating power which colonized the rest of the world. During the post-colonial phase, Islam emerged as a revitalized sociopolitical force. This has been mistaken as a threat by the West, and Islam has been portrayed as the "new enemy after the demise of communism. This is partly an effort to establish a Western identity, which is disintegrating due to lack of a challenge; and partly a reflection of the failure of Muslims to realize the social and ethical ideals of Islam
The Theory of Context (lkhtilāf al-Hālayn) and the Problem of Ikhtilāf in Islamic Legal Theory
No full textAs the various parts of the Qur'ān were revealed in many different situations, and the orders contained in the sunnah also belong to various periods, a closer examination of the relationship between these “contexts” and the problem of ikhtilāf is necessary. Since these two foremost sources of Islamic law have come to Muslims in the language, grammar and morphology of the Arab, the study of this neglected area in Arabic and its relation to legal studies is likely to be of use to those interested in legal conflicts as well as in linguistics. The concern of this paper is the theory of context as it was conceived of by Imām al-Shāfi‘ī (d.204 H) in the second\third century of Ḥijrah before it was developed by Western scholars/linguists in the early twentieth century
The Office of Ra'īs al-ʿUlamā Among the Bosniaks (Bosnian Muslims)
Get PDFThis paper investigates the origins, the legitimacy and the procedure of the appointment of a Ra’īs al-ʿUlamā’, the religious leader of Bosniaks (Bosnian Muslims). The answers have been sought in the tradition of the Osmanli learned hierarchy, Muslim documents of that period, and the post- Osmanli history of Bosnia. It has been found that the title of Ra'īs al-ʿUlamā’, today only used by Bosniaks to denote their religious leader, has been borrowed from the Osmanli organization of ʿulamā’, that the legality of his office had been provided by referring to Ḥanafī texts on the appointment of governors and judges for Muslims under non-Muslim rule, and that a formal letter of appointment, called manshūr, continues to be issued for newly elected Ra’īs al-ʿUlamā’
The Origins of Islamic Legal Theory (Uṣūl al-Fiqh)
No full textThe question of, and the debate on, the origins of Islamic legal theory continues, largely in the academic circles of Western Islamicists. As for Muslim scholars, they have done little to redress the imbalance. This article presents a summary of the major arguments of Western Islamicists. The arguments are then re-examined to redress any misconceptions about the origins of Islamic legal theory. The ultimate aim is to suggest a new methodology for studying the early legal history of Islam
Iqbal and the Challenge of Reform within the Muslim World
Get PDFFundamental to Iqbal's reconstruction of religious thought was his challenge to Muslims to understand tawhīd and to re-think their entire concept of, and approach to, Islam. He pleaded for the return of the spirit of ijtihād in the interpretation of the law. He was impressed by Western civilization's passion for self-consciousness, social justice and egalitarianism though he distanced himself from its atheistic strain and from the ideas that were a hindrance to the spiritual and moral advancement of the human being. Iqbal abhorred imperialism, democracy and race-based nationalism. He equally attacked the fossilised religious dogmatism that had sapped the spirit of Islam. Iqbal sketched a blue print of a polity to give life and meaning to tawhidic values
Internal Conflicts in Muslim Societies
Get PDFAn analysis of psychological theories and the social dynamics of the society help identify salient attributes and processes relevant to conflict among Muslims. The psychodynamic concept of personality and frustration-aggression hypothesis account for the socialization practices in the Muslim societies, emotional instability, unfavorable evaluation of those holding a different viewpoint and venting out one's aggression on the weaker. The tendency of the Muslims to praise their sect/tribe/religious group leads to a groupthink situation that polarizes intergroup relationships. The acts of categorization in group and out group, as postulated by the social identity theory, contribute towards the distorted perception of each other. The Islamic notions of brotherhood, unity and ethnic identity as means of personal identification and social interaction seems to have been forgotten by the Muslims. Though the Western social-psychological constructs are helpful in understanding the causes of conflict among Muslims, they are not germane to Muslim societies. The group belongingness and group favouritism is not necessarily a tool of discrimination and conflict but is an essential component of one's survival in a collectivist society. The Western theories also do not address the economic and political circumstances responsible for the multitude of conflicts among Muslims
