DRAFT - 4 years program in Islamic Studies (Presentation created to seek feedback from scholars) (original) (raw)

Bulletin on Islam and Muslims (No. 1 Jan - Dec 2023)

Bulletin on Islam and Muslims, 2024

Assalāmu ‘alaykum wrb, warm greetings and kia ora! Welcome to our first issue of the Bulletin on Islam and Muslims brought to you by Ulul Albāb Islamic Institute New Zealand. In my focus article “the Dawn of Ulul Albab Islamic Institute New Zealand” I am sharing the establishment, vision and mission of Ulul Albāb Islamic Institute New Zealand with the readers. Shaykh Hafiz Tajammul has briefly introduced our after school online Islamic school (madrasah) known as Ulul Albāb Fardul-‘Ayn Madrasah. Fardul-‘Ayn denotes matters essential for individual Muslims. The madrasah focuses on essential subjects that can inculcate and strengthen a sense of Islamic identity in Muslim students who do not have the opportunity to study Islamic studies formally. Shaykhah Aminah Sadika talked about the lifelong learning program of UAIINZ which targets gents and ladies of all walks of life to relearn Islamic teachings and revive their spirituality through specially tailored subjects matching their levels. Assoc. Prof. Dr Nadzrah Ahmad penned the beautiful characteristics and description of Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) as depicted by a woman-companion (sahābiyah) Umm Maʿbad ‘Atikah bint Khālid al-Khuza‘iyyah (RA). The Prophet (ﷺ) along with his companions stopped at her place when he was migrating to Madinah. That is when she first saw him (ﷺ) and experienced the miracles that emanated from him. In my article “Why Palestine, Baytul-Muqaddas (Jerusalem) and Masjid Al-Aqsā are Important for Muslims,” I highlighted the biased narratives when it comes to the struggle of Palestinians for freedom. I also presented eight significant points in the light of Qur’an and Sunnah to remind the new generation of the importance of Palestine, Jerusalem and Masjid al-Aqsā for us Muslims. The preservation of Palestine, Jerusalem and al-Aqsā is not based on materialistic, or colonialistic or racist or nationalistic motives, but purely for spiritual and moral objectives. Shaykh Hafiz Tajammul in his article “Understanding the True Essence of Worship (‘Ibādah)” cleared the misconceptions about worship (‘Ibādah). Almighty Allah created humans solely for His worship, but the essence of worship is not limited to rituals such as praying, and dhikr (remembrance of Allah), but it includes ethics, mutual cooperation, love and care for fellow humans, animals and the environment. In the last article, “Importance of Learning Qur’an for the Muslimāt (Muslim Women)” Shaykhah Aminah Sadika explains the importance of learning Qur’an for the Muslimāt. The Qur'an answers and solves the contemporary challenges faced by women. Dignity, real-freedom, identity, self-esteem, and mental wellbeing all can be secured for women who connect themselves to the Qur’an. After the articles, we presented the reports of events and programs UAIINZ accomplished in 2023, followed by the works accomplished, works in progress, presentations, research and publications of UAIINZ academics.

[Book] The Islamic Studies Notebook: A Student Manual of Islamic Traditions

How much can fourteen undergraduate students learn from a six-week summer course about Islam? One of the course assignments in a six-week undergraduate Summer course on Islamic Traditions at the University of California, Santa Barbara was for the students to maintain their notes on all aspects of the course as a collaboratively authored living document that would be continually updated and reorganized to present their total understanding of the course topics in the form of a textbook. Their remarkable final product is presented here, without any significant changes to the content. This volume offers educators the valuable opportunity to directly perceive what students took away from an introductory undergraduate course on Islam. How did the students understand the assigned readings? What topics did students engage with most enthusiastically, and why? What expermental teaching styles were employed in the course, and how effective were they as means to support the learning objectives of the course? Collaboratively authored by Sean Knight, Trent Davidson, Paul Pineda, Thao Nguyen, Anthony Khoa A. Tran, Leslie J.Acero, Sara Moretti, Alexandra Kineret, Blake Keane, Mingfei Xu, Afreen Chaus, Ramzi Bekeri, Kaitlyn Woodward, and Aniela Grych. Edited by Brendan Newlon. Forewords by Ahmad Atif Ahmad, Ovamir Anjum, Jamaal Diwan, and Suheil Laher.

Professor Islamic Thought and Cultures Personal UPDATED 2022

Updated CV, 2022

The overall profile has been made, over the past 42 years, of three major fields of interest: First: A progressive involvement in academic research and teaching on issues pertaining to the formation of Muslim thought in classical times. Questions dealing with early Muslim dogma, creeds, theology and sects, were addressed. So were the issues related to Muslim law, scholarship, classical Literature, Qur'anic and Hadith Sciences. In the few recent years, more focus has been made on the formation of the Vulgate according to San'a Qur'anic manuscripts. This academic interest has shaped the profile in re-understanding contemporary issues challenging Muslim societies. Appropriation(s) of the past, approaches to Modernity, reformist thinking, Gender in Muslim contexts, and emerging religious minorities in Muslim societies, are but few matters that have been critically analysed to comprehend the underlying politics and strategies aiming at bringing change to contemporary Muslim societies.

Bulletin on Islam and Muslims (No. 2 Jan Jun 2024)

Bulletin on Islam and Muslims, 2024

Assalāmu ‘alaykum wrb, warm greetings and kia ora! Welcome to our second issue of the Bulletin on Islam and Muslims brought to you by Ulul Albāb Islamic Institute New Zealand. In my focus article “KHAIR Leadership: Learning to Become Responsible Leaders,” I am sharing UAIINZ’s latest Professional Learning Development (PLD) program. KHAIR leadership is based on the concept of Khilāfah (stewardship), Amanah (Trust), Iqra’ (Knowledge) and Rahmatan lil’-’Alamīn (Mercy for the World). These four cardinal principles of leadership with the relevant hadith and commentarial notes were published by International Islamic University Press with the title Forty Hadith on Leading the Way. Shaykh Hafiz Tajammul’s article “Ulul Albāb Learning Community Hub: Muslim Parents” is informing the readers about Ulul Albab engagement as a registered Learning Community Hub under the Ministry of Education New Zealand. The role of this Hub is to assist Muslim parents from various ethnicities to understand the New Zealand education system, and empower them to become effective partners with teachers and schools in the educational journey of their children. Shaykhah Amina Sadika is introducing a new UAIINZ service entitled “Ulul Albāb Women, Children and Family Development.” As the coordinator of this service, she looks into contemporary challenges of women, children and family with solutions in the light of Qur’an and Sunnah. For women to women Islamic consultation, Shaykhah Amina can be contacted through telephone, email and in face to face sessions. Islamic scholars (‘ālimah) Sumaiyah Razak, Asma Razak and Saleha Razak are publishing their Problem Based Learning (PBL) assignment: “Application of Hibah in Management and Distribution of the Estate (al-Mawruth),” which was a partial requirement of the Advanced Certificate in Islamic Jurisprudence: The Five Legal Maxims offered earlier this year by UAIINZ. In “Challenges of Consuming Halal Meat Birds Posed by Industrial Revolution and Commercial Demands: Friday Sermon Series by Dr Mohammed Farid Ali al-Fijawi” Shaykh Hafiz Tajammul is presenting the summary of the four Friday Sermons Dr Farid delivered on lawful and unlawful meat in the Qur’an, cross-contamination of meat, animals fed with impure food (jallālah) and Muslim consumer behavior. Mouaz bin Maulana Abed Ali Hafeji and Dr Farid al-Fijawi as the corresponding author in “Islamic Ruling of Consuming Meat-Birds that Go through the Contemporary Scalding and EviscerationProcess” discussed the issue of scalding (immersing in hot water to ease plucking) before evisceration (gutting). Scientific-Industrial practices and parameters are evaluated against the Islamic ruling (hukm) and its cause (‘illah) in Islamic Jurisprudence (Fiqh). A special reference to Fathul-Qadīr of Hanafi Jurist Ibn Humam (d.861AH) is made. The last article, “Journey to Learn the Craft of Writing and Issuing Fatwa,” shares the journey and experience of Ustadhah Amina Sadika and Ustadhah Saleha Razak. After the articles, we present the reports of events and programs UAIINZ accomplished from January to June 2024, Ulul Albab Fardul-’Ayn Madrasah Mid-year report, followed by the works accomplished, works in progress, presentations, research and publications of UAIINZ academics.

Islamochristiana 48 (2022) Table of Contents and Editorial

Islamochristiana, 2022

The table of contents and editorial (in English and French) of the 2022 edition of Islamochristiana (published by PISAI, Rome), which I co-edited together with Fr Diego Sarrió Cucarella. The thematic focus of this edition is 'Christian Theological Engagement with Islam'.

Introduction : Current Issues in Islamic Studies

2010

What are the concerns of Islamic scholars today? This compendium of articles from outstanding scholars throughout the world presents a wide-ranging series of issues and developments in Islamic Studies, in order to profile the ‘state of the art’ in the discipline. The chapters are subdivided into five groups. First, Islam is defined, its multicultural aspect emphasized, and then illuminated with a review of the Islamic experience in Iberia. Next, the foundations of Islam – the Qur’an, justice, economics, education and political philosophy – are described and analyzed. The rich Islamic culture is then examined in the areas of literature and art. Contemporary issues concerned with the experience of Muslim women, Islam and democracy in Turkey, and Islam in the West are chronicled. The final three chapters present discourse on the diversity found within Islam of the Shi‘a and Sufi traditions. A brief paragraph to introduce each of the chapters is presented in the following section.