Achievements

Achievements in 2014

IAIS Malaysia’s Achievements in 2014

2014 has been a year full of trials and tribulations for many Muslims around the world, not forgetting the series of surprises and tragedies befalling Malaysia and its people. Malaysians under leadership of the government have been spirited and united for the sake of peace, good livelihood and mutual respect. Indeed man is in a state of loss, as the Holy Qur’an says, “Verily man is in a state of loss, except those who believe, and those who enjoin upon one another truth and enjoin upon one another patience,” (Al-‘Asr: 2-3), if he or she no longer believes in the mercy of the Almighty and stops striving for the truth or forsaking patience in his or her actions. IAIS Malaysia went through the year sharing every sense of sorrow felt by the citizens of Malaysia, trying best to raise the knowledge of Islam and expose its potentialities for self-improvement of Muslims and the state of our relations with other civilisations.

IAIS Malaysia arrived at the beginning of 2014 with several plans for international conferences and programmes. The Institute started the year with a two-day International Conference on Shariah Objectives (Maqasid al-Shariah) in Muamalat and Contracts. The conference was co-organised with the Securities Commission of Malaysia, Islamic Banking and Finance Institute Malaysia (IBFIM) and International Shariah Research Academy for Islamic Finance (ISRA). It was a major success with close to 200 participants and good attendance in sessions. The conference programme addressed issues related to maqasid al-shariah in the ever-expanding sector of global Islamic banking and finance. The programme was well received by both world renowned academicians and experts in Islamic banking and finance, as well as seasoned practitioners and regulators in the industry.

The second international conference organised by IAIS Malaysia was the International Conference on Developing Synergies between Islam and Science & Technology for Mankind’s Benefit held on 3-4 October. IAIS Malaysia along with six other collaborators cooperated for a busy and highly successful two-day conference programme wherein 37 papers were presented in parallel sessions. The conference also attracted internationally-renowned keynote and invited speakers and specialists in the field of Islamic Science. Conference collaborating institutions included the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), International Institute of Muslim Unity (IIMU), Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Universiti Malaya (UM), Sultan Omar Ali Saifudeen Centre for Islamic Studies (SOASCIS), Brunei, and the National Centre for Excellence in Islamic Studies (NCEIS), Griffith University, Australia. The conference was multi-themed covering many aspects of the relationship between religion and science with a special focus on ethical issues in bio-ethics and biotechnology. Leading conference speakers suggested that this conference provided a sound base for IAIS Malaysia to continue with a second in a series of conferences on Islam and Science & Technology in the future. Selected papers are planned to be published as a book of Proceedings by Springer publishers.

Conferences and seminars at IAIS Malaysia have not only attracted prominent scholars but also dignitaries and distinguished guests ranging from royalty, top government officials, ambassadors, high commissioners and important members of local and international organisations. In February 2014, IAIS Malaysia had the honour to host former Chief Justice of Malaysia, Tun Abdul Hamid Mohamad for a public lecture on Hudud law in Malaysia in the wake of the announcement that the government of Brunei had passed the law to introduce hudud and qisas in the oil-rich nation. The event drew much public attention and resulted in fruitful engagement from various stakeholders. Then in April last year, IAIS Malaysia hosted a special public lecture on ‘Peace Making Efforts Among ASEAN Nations’ by the former Secretary General and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, H.E. Emeritus Professor Dr. Surin Pitsuwan, a renowned Muslim academic and expert in international politics and champion of peace building. He delivered a most interesting lecture that was enlightening and very well received. IAIS has transcribed it and it is due to appear in our flagship journal, Islam and Civilisational Renewal.

No stranger to IAIS Malaysia, Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf presented on ‘Constructing an Islamic Government and Rule of Law Index’ with much interest from the audience in April 2014. IAIS Malaysia as an international think tank plays a significant role in addressing issues relating to Muslim minorities especially in the region. In this connection, IAIS hosted in November 2014 Professor Dr. Johan Galtung, holder of the Tun Mahathir PGPF Chair for Global Peace at the Ahmad Ibrahim Kulliyyah of Laws (AIKOL), IIUM, who spoke on conflict resolution between Muslims and Buddhists in Sri Lanka and Myanmar.

Further, IAIS Malaysia also organised programmes with a focus on gender studies and women affairs. A public lecture by Miss Ni’mah Nawwab on Women and Youth in Saudi Arabia enlightened the audience with gender and youth issues in Saudi Arabia in April. A one-day seminar was also held at IAIS in May on Women and Leadership in Islam hosted together with Pertubuhan IKRAM Malaysia, which featured IAIS Malaysia’s CEO, Professor Mohammad Hashim Kamali, Associate Professor Dr. Raihanah Abdullah and Datin Paduka Che Asmah. Another one-day seminar on Gender and Islamic Legal Reform featuring Dr. Rumee Ahmed and Dr. Ayeesha Chaudhry from the University of British Columbia, Canada was held at IAIS in December.

IAIS Malaysia also had the honour of hosting Professor Dr. Muhammed Haron from Bostwana who spoke on ‘Muslim Higher Education in the Southern African Region’. On a separate occasion Professor Dr. Suleyman Derin from Marmara University, Istanbul spoke on Sufism. Both of these were interesting and informative and generated considerable interest among the audience. Continuing on what has been developed in previous years with regard to youth and activism, IAIS Malaysia together with the Muslim Youth Movement of Malaysia (ABIM) organised a workshop in May 2014 on ‘Maqasid al-Shariah: Youth and Civil Societies: Issues and Challenges’ with Dr. Jasser Auda, a specialist in the study of maqasid from the Qatar Faculty of Islamic Studies. Earlier, in February 2014, the Institute also collaborated with Al-Maghrib Institute in organising a talk at IAIS by Shaykh Abu Eesa Niamatullah on understanding the role of Muslim youth in facing modernity and contemporary challenges.

Another highlight of the year for IAIS was to organise an eight-day programme for Shaykh Hamza Yusuf from Zaytuna College, USA. This programme demanded detailed preparations and work with various parties involved and required all staff of IAIS Malaysia to work extra hours. This was also the first time the Institute organised a fund-raising dinner which was a successful exercise. The response from the public was tremendous. Up until the very last minute arrangements after arrangements were made to ensure the success of the programme. And thanks to Allah all went well. This programme was co-organisedwith An-Naqiy Foundation with the additional involvement of other higher education institutions. Shaykh Hamza Yusuf’s visit was successful and so encouraging that it may be repeated in future. His emphasis on addressing the challenges of the contemporary world with knowledge and a better understanding is in line with IAIS Malaysia’s focus on civilisational renewal in all its programmes and publications.

Apart from hosting lectures, seminars and conferences, IAIS Malaysia also had three book launches, the first of which was on Islamic Transactions and Finance: Principles and Developments, edited by Mohammad Hashim Kamali and Sheila Ainon Yusoff, jointly published with the Current Law Journal (CKJ). The second was on Wasatiyah Dalam Al-Quran dan As-Sunnah, a translation of Professor Mohammad Hashim Kamali’s original work in English, Moderation and Balance in Islam: The Qur’anic Principle of Wasatiyyah. Translated by Tan Sri Dr. Syed Hamid Albar, the book was officially launched by the Minister of Communication and Multimedia, Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek. The third book launch was of Emeritus Professor Datuk Dr. Osman Bakar’s book, Islamic Civilisation and the Modern World: Thematic Essays, which was followed by a public lecture by the learned author. It was a full house event at the IAIS Conference Hall.

There has been a significant reform in the organisational structure of IAIS Malaysia. The Institute’s Board of Directors appointed former Prime Minister, Y.A.Bhg. Tun Abdullah Haji Ahmad Badawi as the new Chairman of IAIS Malaysia. This is a very important occasion for the Institute and all staff of IAIS Malaysia as it will further enhance the profile of the Institute and improve the relationship of IAIS Malaysia as an independent think tank with government organisations and policy makers of the country. The Senior Management of IAIS Malaysia also revised and revamped the research structure of the Institute to better reflect its vision and mission. IAIS now has five research units (compared to six in the earlier setup) namely: 1) Shariah, Law, Governance and Halal Studies, 2) Civilisation, Interfaith, Peace and Security, 3) Economics, Finance, Zakat and Awqaf, 4) Science and Technology, Environment and Ethics, 5) Education, Culture and Arts.

Other sectors in the Institute enjoyed their own success. The IAIS Malaysia Publication Unit managed to produce 4 quarterly journals as usual and the IAIS Bulletin on Islam and Contemporary Issues is regularly published bimonthly. The institute also recently published a book of essays on sukuk, entitled Islamic Finance: Issues in Sukuk and Proposals for Reform edited by Professor Kamali and Abdul Karim Abdullah, jointly published with the Islamic Foundation, UK. This is an important work consisting of essays by a number of scholars and industry specialists from different parts of the world, one which rightly belongs to the list of important references if not a textbook on the subject. IAIS’s Publication Unit has been exerting its capabilities to the maximum within its own limited resources and is looking forward to expand its activities and come out with many other titles in the coming year. The IAIS Library keeps on expanding with its new look in 2014 after the completion of major renovation and refurbishment work in the previous year; it is now targeting to become a special library focusing on collections of materials on reference books with special focus on maqasid al-shariah and policy studies. The IAIS Library also established relationships with other major libraries such as the IIUM Library and INCEIF Knowledge Management Centre. All other units in the administrative structure of IAIS Malaysia have always performed their best for the success of the Institute through harmonious engagement and open discussion for collective decision making that benefits all. IAIS Malaysia and its staff have been living with the spirit of ‘enjoining upon one another truth’ and ‘enjoining upon one another patience’ in togetherness throughout 2014. It has definitely been one of the most memorable years in the history of IAIS Malaysia. May Allah shower His Mercy and Guidance on all of us for everlasting success in future.

Prepared by:
Mohd Fariz bin Zainal Abdullah
Head, Administration and Human Resource Division

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Page 8 of 8

Sadly, not a day passes that we do not hear of acts of violence, conflict, kidnapping, terrorist attacks, killings and destruction, it is horrible that at times, to justify such barbarism, the name of a religion or the name of God himself is invoked. – Pope Francis addressed the representatives of different religions at Vatican City, November 2016

The sage is self-effacing and scanty of words. When the task is accomplished and things have been completed, all the people say, "We ourselves have achieved it!" – Chinese Text, Tao Te Jing

Food is the chief of all medicines. – Indian Text, Upanishads

One on tip-toe cannot stand. One who parades his own success will not endure. – Chinese Text, Tao Te Jing

It is the fate of every truth to be the object of ridicule when it is first acclaimed. It was once considered foolish to suppose that black men were really human beings and ought to be treated as such. – Albert Schweitzer

I asked the tree to speak to me about God, and it blossomed. – Rabindranath Tagore

There is a variety of gifts, but it is always the same Spirit. There are all sorts of services to be done, but always to the same Lord, working in all sorts of different ways in different people. It is the same God working in all of them. – Paul in 1 Corinthians (12:4-6)

The Native American Cree people say, "Only when the last tree has been cut, the last river poisoned, and the last fish caught, only then will you realize that one cannot eat money. – Thomas Menamparampil

The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them. – Albert Einstein (d. 1955)

I have often regretted my speech, never my silence. – Xenocrates (d. 314 BC)

A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty. – Sir Winston Churchill (d. 1965)

There is nothing on this earth more to be prized than true friendship. - Thomas Aquinas

He that falls in love with himself will have no rivals. - Benjamin Franklin

The test of a man or woman’s breeding is how they behave in a quarrel. - George Bernard Shaw

Cowards die many times before their deaths; The valiant never taste of death but once. - William Shakespeare

Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage. – Dao de Ching by Lao Tzu

A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves. – Dao de Ching by Lao Tzu

Treat those who are good with goodness, and also treat those who are not good with goodness. Thus goodness is attained. Be honest to those who are honest, and be also honest to those who are not honest. Thus honesty is attained. – Dao de Ching by Lao Tzu

People are qualified for civil liberty, in exact proportion to their disposition to put moral chains on their own appetites. It is ordained in the eternal constitution of things that men of intemperate minds cannot be free. Their passions forge their fetters. – Edmund Burke

We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm, and adventure. There is no end to the adventures we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open. – Jawaharlal Nehru (d. 1964)

Religion is never more tested than when our emotions are ablaze. At such a time, the timeless grandeur of the Law and its ethics stand at our mercy.– Timothy J. Winter (Abdal Hakim Murad)

Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired, signifies in the final sense a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed. – Dwight D. Eisenhower

Let us always meet each other with a smile, for the smile is the beginning of love. – Mother Theresa

Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Do not resist them - that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like. – Lao Tzu

Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything. – George Bernard Shaw

In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends. – Martin Luther King Jr. (d. 1968)

You can avoid reality, but you cannot avoid the consequences of avoiding reality. – Ayn Rand, Russian novelist (d. 1982)

The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good. – Samuel Johnson, English writer (d. 1784)

A people that values its privileges above its principles soon loses both. – Dwight D. Eisenhower (d. 1969)

Justice, mercy, wisdom, righteousness and common good are the basics of Islam. Whatever gets out of justice to injustice is not from Islam. Whatever gets out of mercy to violence is not from Islam. Whatever deviates from common good to harm is not from Islam, and whatever dissents from wisdom to imprudence is not from Islam. – Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah

It is reported that Imam Abu Hanifah was passing through the bazar and a small amount of mud fell on his clothes. He went to the local river and washed it. Someone asked him, "O Imam, you say a certain amount of dirt is exonerated and yet you are washing a little mud!" The imam replied, "Yes that was fatwa and this is taqwa." – Fariduddin Attar

For every sin but the killing of Time there is forgiveness. – Essential Sufism

Enlightenment must come little by little, otherwise it would overwhelm. – Idries Shah

To let go of attachments and belongings doesn’t mean you should own nothing. It means nothing should own you. – Ali ibn Abi Talib (RA)

Hearts are vessels of God on earth. And the most beloved heart to Him is the one most clean, pure and pristine. – Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal

Knowledge is not what is memorised. Knowledge is what benefits. – Imam Shafi’i

Learn to be quiet just as you learn to talk, because if talking guides you, being quiet protects you. By being quiet, you attain two characteristics: you are able to take knowledge from those more knowledgeable than you and you are able to repel the ignorance of those more ignorant than you. – Ali ibn Abi Talib (RA)

If words come out of the heart, they will enter the heart, but if they come from the tongue, they will not pass beyond the ears. – Al-Suhrawardi (Essential Sufism)

Shall I tell you who is kept away from Hell?...Everyone who is gentle and kindly, approachable and of an easy disposition. – Hadith

God is merciful to those who show mercy to others. – Hadith

A moment of patience in a moment of anger saves a thousand moments of regrets. – Ali ibn Abi Talib (RA)

Lead such a life that, when you die, the people may mourn you, and while you are alive they long for your company. – Ali ibn Abi Talib (RA)

Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself. – Jalaluddin Rumi

Power consists not in being able to strike another, but in being able to control oneself when anger arises. - Hadith

The highest status amongst the forgiving is of that person who has all the power to avenge, yet chooses to forgive. – Hussain ibn Ali ibn Abi Talib

Hearts are vessels of God on earth. And the most beloved heart to Him is the one most clean, pure and pristine. – Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal

To get what you love, you must first be patient with what you hate. – Imam al-Ghazali

To be humble is to accept the truth and submit to it even when you heard it from the tongue of a child, an educated one, or an ignorant person. – Fudhayl ibn Iyadh

Some people have passed away but their characters keep them alive. Others are alive but their character have killed them. – Imam Shafi’i

And still, after all this time, the sun never says to the earth, "Earth! You owe me". Look at the love like that. It illuminates the whole sky. – Hafez

As the very survival of the world itself is perhaps at stake, we Muslims and Christians should let the unpleasantness between us become a thing of the past. - The Grand Imam of al-Azhar, Dr Ahmad al-Tayyeb's speech in Abu Dhabi

Declare your jihad on twelve enemies you cannot see _ egoism, arrogance, conceit, selfishness, greed, lust, intolerance, anger, lying, cheating, gossiping and slandering. If you can master and destroy them, then you will be ready to fight the enemy you can see. – Abu Hamid al-Ghazali

By all means marry. If you get a good wife, you will become happy. And if you get a bad one, you will become a philosopher. – Socrates

Research is what I'm doing when I don't know what I'm doing. – Wernher Von Braun (d. 1977)

Buzi, a native of Zhengxian, asked his wife to make him a new pair of trousers. When asked the style of the new trousers, Buzi said: “Just like my old trousers.” His wife put a few holes in them so they would resemble the old pair.

A man was trapped by a tiger. In an attempt to save him, the man’s son took a cutlass and rushed towards the wild beast. At this juncture, the man shouted at the top of his lungs, “My dear son! My dear son! Attack its feet, not its skin, which is worth its weight in silver!”

At an art gallery, a woman and her ten-year-old son were having a tough time choosing between one of my paintings and another artist's work. They finally went with mine. "I guess you decided you prefer an autumn scene to a floral, " I said. "No," said the boy. "Your painting is wider, so it'll cover three holes in our wall."

I once gave my husband the silent treatment for an entire week, at the end of which he declared, “Hey, we’re getting along pretty great lately!”

They say we learn from our mistakes. That’s why I am making as many as possible. I will soon be a genius!

A men fell on the ground, and soon after fell down again. He said to himself: "Had I known I was going to fall a second time, I would have not gotten up so soon."

A government office issued an urgent document to be distributed among its subsidiaries. To ensure that it would be delivered in time, the messenger was provided with a horse. Running behing the horse, the messenger whipped the horse until it was galloping at full speed. Someone asked him in amazement: "If it's such an urgent mission why don't you ride the horse?" The messenger asnwered: "Running on six legs is certainly quicker than on four, isn't it?"

Hija purchased a sack of flour and hired a labourer to carry it. The labourer ran off with the whole sack. On seeing the labourer after a few days, Hija hid from him. "Why are you hiding from him?" the people asked. He replied, "I fear that he may ask for his wage."

The Ameer of the town appealed for funds to build a wall around the graveyard. Mulla Nasruddin, who was also present, got up and responded: "There is absolutely no need for any wall around the graveyard!"

A Mullah's friend asked the mulla how old are you? Forty replied the mullah. The friend said but you said the same thing two years ago! Yes, replied the mullah, I always stand by my word.

Young man: Ya Shaykh, I have repented, Alhamdulillah, but I cannot forget the woman I love. Shaykh: Pray to Allah using various supplications Young man: Please tell me some that I may use Shaykh: Oh Allah, put Iman in my heart, in my hearing, in my sight and in my path The young man interrupted and said, "Ya Shaykh, the woman that I love is called Iman."

Three people were praying salat in congregation. A man walks by and without knowing they are in salat says, "Assalamu Alaykum". One man in salat says "Waalaykum Assalam". The second person angrily says, "Astaghfirullah, you are not supposed to talk in salat." The third person praying says "Alhamdulillah, I didn't talk."

Here is the story of an Imam who got up after Friday prayers and announced to the people: "I have good news and bad news. The good news is, we have enough money to pay for our new building programme. The bad news is, it's still out there in your pockets".

During a Q&A session, a scholar was asked, "Will we get cigarettes in Jannah?" to which he replied, "Maybe, but you'd have to go to Jahannam to light it".

A man who was an adherent of the Magian religion died and left behind a huge debt. Some of his creditors said to his son, "Sell the house and pay off your father's debt." The son said, "If I sell the house and pay off his debt, will he enter paradise?" They said, "No". He said, "Then leave him wherever he is and leave me in the house."

Hasan bin Sahl asked Dinar bin 'Abdullah,: "What is your religion?" He said, "I never thought that anyone alive would have to answer this question, for it is the question the angels of death, Nakir and Munkar, ask the dead."

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Achievements

Achievements in 2014