Intellectual Discourse (Journal)
Not a member yet
597 research outputs found
Sort by
Islamic Context of Electronic Encyclopedias in English Language: A Critical Evaluation
No full textA systematic evaluation of Islam and Muslim world in electronic encyclopedias was conducted by using two-dimensional criteria: searching and technological capabilities, and qualitative evaluation of their content. The factors used to assess searching and technological capabilities are related to direct link, hypertext, related articles, illustration, multimedia, Boolean searching, Internet links, and search history. Content evaluation was conducted in relation to length, scope, treatment level, currency, accuracy, bias, presentation, authorship, and bibliographic documentation. The researchers identified topics that are expected to be valid indicators of the coverage and treatment of Islam and the Muslim world. Some topics are related to theological doctrines, while the others pertained to socio-historical themes. Altogether 21 topics were searched in each title. Five encyclopedias used the same terminology for certain topics, while broader or narrower terms were used for other titles. Total articles thus identified were in the range of 13 to 19. As the search was conducted for a topic, search-related data were noted. Printouts of the identified articles were obtained, and evaluated against specific criteria. It has been found that each encyclopedia has its specific strengths in regard to software and searching capabilities. In content evaluation, it was found that about 30-40% of articles in each encyclopedia had problems with regard to accuracy of information objectivity, coverage, and presentation
Multimedia and Communication Curricula: The Medium vs. the Message
Get PDFMultimedia technology is restructuring the field of communication in various ways. The prevalent nature of this new media invites flexibility which can make communication curricula accommodate a wide range of competencies including technical competency. I have argued in this paper that multimedia, much like printing, radio, television and film, is mainly the means whereby content is delivered. Central to multimedia are content and effects. Content requires perspective which can then be reproduced in texts and images, while effects involves assessment of the influence of multimedia on society and culture. As such, multimedia needs to be approached from a mass communication perspective which preserves the identity of the field and provides a vital link between theory and practical application
The Spread of Islam in the Niger and Senegal Valleys before the Rise of Almoravids
Get PDFThis study traces the early contacts of the middle and upper Niger and Senegal Rivers with the Muslims in the first five centuries after hijrah and shows the spread of Islam and the rise of states long before the emergence of Al-Moravids. It analyses the early Muslim expansion in the Western Sahara, the role of the Ibāḍiyyah in central Sahara and the efforts of the Sanhadja in the Western Sahara which resulted in the spread of Islam and rise of Islamic kingdoms in the Niger and the Senegal Valleys before the 5th centaury AH
Al-Tafakkur min al-Mushāhadah ilá al-Shuhūd (Contemplation from Witnessing to Bearing Witness). By Malik B. Badri
Get PDFḤanafī Biographical Dictionaries: A Survey
No full textThis paper deals with biographical dictionaries-one of the main genres in Muslim historiography. The first part involves some theoretical considerations related to biographical dictionaries. This includes definition and classification of this type of literature. In addition, this paper dismisses the claim forwarded by some Orientalists that this genre was initiated by Traditionalists so that they could pass themselves off as 'genuine' scholars to the exclusion of all others. While the Orientalists' claim may have some weight, this study contends that biographical dictionaries have been primarily motivated by the Islamic conception of historiography, i.e. the preservation of the memory of previous scholars so that later Muslim generations could emulate their deeds. The second part surveys five Ḥanafī biographical dictionaries within the framework of the questions of motive, method, selectivity, and the issue of factual information and subjective evaluation. The survey confirms the hypothesis that the composition of biographical dictionaries was genuinely inspired by religious considerations. The paper also examines the linkage among these different dictionaries, and derives several important conclusions there from. Lastly, the paper analyzes the content of the surveyed dictionaries and relates it to the theoretical considerations discussed in the first part
