ecropolis

By: Mohammad Hashim Kamali “The term ‘pluralism’ is used very frequently these days, and like many words so freely and often employed it tends to become a cliché, which is why I have attempted in this article to divide and discuss pluralism into several varieties. This approach also implies that discussing pluralism as a composite […]

By: Mohammad Hashim Kamali “Jihad and ijtihad both are derived from the same root j-h-d, which signifies striving, whether physical or intellectual, on the part of a Muslim or a group of Muslims to advance a cause they believe to be of merit and that would hopefully earn them the pleasure of God. In the broad sense of effort

By: Mohammad Hashim Kamali “This essay is presented in five sections beginning with general characterisation of the maqasid al-Shari’ah and its origins in the Qur’an. The next section addresses the classification of the maqasid and a certain order of priority that is integrated into the structure of the maqasid. Section three is devoted to historical developments and the contributions of

By: Jawdat Said “We live in a world in which four fifths of its population live in frustration while the other fifth lives in fear. The United Nations, our world’s “figleaf,” does not hide the shame of humanity but rather scandalizes humanity’s malaise. It is troubling that the League of Nations and the United Nations

By: David Dakake “Qur’an (5:51): “O, you who believe, do not take Jews and Christians as awliya’. They are awliya’ to one another, and the one among you who turns to them is of them. Truly, God does not guide wrongdoing folk.” The word awliya’ (sing. “wali”), which we left above in the original Arabic, has been commonly translated into

By: Azizah al-Hibri, Esq. “Before Jones confesses his crimes to Imam Ahmad, he should be clear on the duties and role of the imam of a mosque. The imam’s duties usually consist of leading prayers and providing advice and assistance to those in the community who seek them. Imams are chosen for their knowledge in

By: Azizah al-Hibri, Esq. “Prophet Muhammad, who carried the message of Islam, was illiterate. The first divine world revealed to him was the imperative: ‘Read.’ The rest of the Qur’an is replete with verses that emphasize the importance of the pursuit of knowledge. For example, the Qur’an exhorts Muslims to ask God to increase their knowledge. It underscores the

By: Mohammad Hashim Kamali “Is there such a thing as ‘moderate Islam’, and if so, what form does it take? The events of September 11, 2001, and the subsequent Global War on Terror have led scholars to debate this issue intensively. This article proposes that the principle of‘Wasatiyyah’ or moderation and balance may provide the key

By: Mohammad Hashim Kamali “It is due mainly to the recognition and tolerance of disagreement among the“ulama” over juristic issues that Islamic law is often described as a diversity within unity: that is, unity as regards to basic principles, and diversity regarding details. A tangible manifestation of ikhtilaf in Islamic las is the prevalence of at least five

By: Azizah al-Hibri, Esq. The Qur’anic worldview is a seamless web of ideas that begins with tawhid (the belief in a single God) and permeates various aspects of Qur’anic teaching from creation and the nature of the universe to ethics, social relations, and commercial and constitutional matters. By ignoring the systematic worldview of the Qur’an, we risk