MUHAMMAD (peace be upon him) was the posthumous son of Abdullah and his wife, Aaminah, among the nobility of the Qurash tribe of Mecca whose line of descent reaches Prophet Ishmael, son of Prophet Abraham. Born in 570 AD, his mother died when he was 6 and was brought up by his paternal grandfather, Abdul Mutalib, and uncle Abu Talib. He was nursed by Halimah, who took the young Muhammd to her desert home for two years............ Download the full article in pdf attachment (below)

THE ongoing campaign Malaysia is waging against corruption has gained momentum.  Tunku Abdul Aziz called it an "All-Malaysian duty" in which everyone should take part, regardless of political affiliation (NST, Jan  5). I would also add that it is an All-Muslim duty and a calling on the religious conscious of   Muslims of this country to support it. Playing a proactive role in this campaign is a veritable amal (right moral action) that the Quran repeatedly impresses on   Muslims -- an act also of great social benefit that elevates the standing of the ummah and Malaysia in the international community........... Download the full article in pdf attachment (below)

Adl or qist (justice) is, indeed, a manifestation of God’s Mercy, but may also be seen as a principal objective of the Shari’ah in its own right. Certainly, the Qur’an sees it as such when it states: “We sent Our Messengers and revealed through them the Book and the Balance so that Justice may be established amongst mankind” (Qur’an 57:25). Justice as a value or primary objective of the Shari’ah is mentioned in the Qur’an fifty-three times.)........ Download the full article in pdf attachment (below)

IT is due largely to the al-Quran's emphasis on learning (ilm) that Muslim scholars explored child education and discipline at an early stage and made significant contributions to the subject. A great deal of stress is also placed on amal saalih (virtuous conduct), which is seen as a concomitant aspect of Islam's outlook on education.......... Download the full article in pdf attachment (below)

IN recent months, Kabul, Washington and the Taliban have made overtures to work out a negotiated settlement for Afghanistan and plan the impending exit of foreign troops from the country. Yet those gestures have not been followed through and the prospects are not getting any better -- as the spate of recent violent episodes and perverse behaviour of some American soldiers over the war dead have shown......... Download the full article in pdf attachment (below)

 

Al-Maqasid al-Shari’ah, or the higher objectives of Shari’ah, is a manifestly important and yet somewhat neglected discipline of the Shari’ah. The Shari’ah generally is predicated on benefits to the individual and the community, and its laws are designed to protect these benefits and to facilitate the improvement and perfection of the conditions of human life. The Qur’an is expressive of this when it points to the main purpose of the prophethood of Muhammad (SAW): “We have not sent you but as a Mercy to the worlds” (Qur’an 21:107). This can also be seen in the Qur’an’s characterization of itself as “a healing to the (spiritual) ailments of the hearts” and “a Guidance and Mercy” for the believers and mankind (Qur’an 10:57). The objectives of rahmah (mercy or compassion) mentioned in these two verses are further substantiated by other provisions in the Qur’an and Sunnah (the Traditions of the Prophet) that seek to establish justice, eliminate prejudice, and alleviate hardship. The laws of the Qur’an and Sunnah also seek to promote cooperation and support within the family and the society at large.)........ Download the full article in pdf attachment (below)

THE untimely death of Ashraf Hafiz Abdul Aziz at 26 and the difficulties he faced put many in a reflective mood as to what could have been done better to address his suffering when he was alive. By refusing to grant Ashraf his plea to change and register his name as Aleesha Farhana, the courts may have adhered to the letter of the law but it is questionable whether they were compassionate enough. If one were to learn a lesson, it would be to find better answers through suitable legislation and grant of flexibility in the adjudication of intensely humanitarian cases such as Ashraf's.......... Download the full article in pdf attachment (below)

The centrality of peace in Islam is manifested by its nomenclature: Islām signifies peace, and then also in the daily greeting of Muslims: “as-salām alaykum / peace be upon you.” As-Salām is also one of God’s Most Excellent Names (al-asmā’ al-ḥusnā); while God praises those who act with humility and peace: “the servants of The All-Merciful are those who walk the earth with humility, and when the ignorant address them, they reply: peace!” (al-Furqān 25:63). On the other hand, instigators of violence and war are condemned: “Whenever they kindle the fire of war, God extinguishes it. They strive to create disorder on earth and God loves not those who create disorder” (al-Mā’idah 5:64)........ Download the full article in pdf attachment (below)

 

The Arab uprising is still unfolding and uncertainties exist that may yet be clarified in the course of time. But one question that arises is over the relative absence of Islam in what has been seen so far.

 

Islam has been closely aligned with most of the reform movements in the Arab world during the independence and post-independence periods. Two other themes that have also featured, with varying degrees of consistency, are Arab nationalism (qawmiyyah Arabiyyah) and, for a brief period in the era of Egypt's Gamal Abdel Nasser, socialism........ Download the full article in pdf attachment (below)