2025-12-30
Maryam Habibah Kamis, Wan Adli Wan Ramli, Mohd Fauzi Hamat
The first principle of the creed of Ahli Sunnah wa al-Jama‘ah is affirmation of the meaning of reality and knowledge. This affirmation of the meaning of reality and knowledge is discussed at the beginning of Usul al-Din by Abu Mansur al-Baghdadi, who represents the Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama‘ah tradition, stating that the meaning of reality and knowledge of things can be firmly established. However, Muslim liberal thinkers such as Abou El Fadl, Ebrahim Moosa, Abdul Karim Soroush, and Zainah Anwar present differing conceptions towards affirmation of meaning. Their views are influenced by postmodernist thought that upholds epistemic doubt (scepticism), truth as limited by individual perspective (subjectivism), and the rejection of absolute truth (relativism). This study demonstrates that the affirmation of meaning is indispensable within Islamic epistemology. The absence of such affirmation would fail the cognition of the knower, thereby preventing it from constituting valid knowledge.
2025-12-30
Zuraida Ahmad Sabki, Che Zarrina Sa'ari, Syed Mohammad Hilmi b Syed Abdul Rahman, Mohd Khairul Naim Che Nordin, Asmawati Muhamad
Religious coping is an important dimension of psychological adjustment, particularly in Muslim populations where faith is central to managing stress. The Brief Religious Coping Scale (Brief RCOPE) is widely used to assess positive (PRC) and negative (NRC) religious coping; however, a validated Malay-language version has not been available. The study aimed to assess the psychometric properties of the Malay Brief RCOPE (Brief RCOPE-M) among Muslim students in a Foundation in Islamic Studies program at a Malaysian public university. A total of 144 Malay Muslim students (mean age = 18.56±0.50, 72.9% female) participated. The Brief RCOPE underwent forward–backward translation and cultural review. Exploratory factor analysis (principal axis factoring, oblimin rotation) examined factor structure. Reliability was assessed with Cronbach’s alpha, and convergent validity was evaluated through correlations with the Malay versions of the Duke University Religion Index (DUREL-M), Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI-M), and Brief Resilience Scale (BRS-M). Findings supported a two-factor solution consistent with PRC and NRC, with eigenvalues > 1, explaining 61% of the variance. Internal consistency was high (PRC α = 0.93; NRC α = 0.82). PRC was positively correlated to religiosity and resilience, while NRC was positively correlated to burnout and negatively to resilience, supporting convergent and concurrent validity. PRC and NRC were weakly correlated (r = – 0.12), suggesting relative independence. No gender differences between male and female students for PRC and NRC. Overall, the Brief RCOPE-M demonstrated sound psychometric properties and provides a reliable and valid instrument for assessing religious coping among Malay-speaking Muslim populations in Malaysia. Future studies should apply confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and cultural validation to ensure a robust and contextually appropriate instrument.
2025-12-30
Mohd Manawi Mohd Akib
The discourse on the soul is an important topic in Islamic psychology, particularly in the works of al-Kindi, al-Farabi, Ibn Sina, al-Ghazali, and Fakhr al-Din al-Razi. This theme raises two major issues: the concept of soul resuscitation and happiness in the hereafter. Understanding these principles is important for forming an individual's thought, judgment, and behavior habits. Materialistic inclinations in modern civilization have resulted in a variety of moral issues, including selfishness, dishonesty, envy, and a hedonistic culture that prioritizes worldly wealth and pleasure over moral and spiritual ideals. Thus, this article highlights these two issues as defined by two influential Muslim psychologists, Ibn Sina and al-Ghazali, using a qualitative method based on content analysis of their works to assess the continuity of their perspectives on the subject. The study discovers a significant difference between the two thinkers about the resurrection of the soul in the afterlife: Ibn Sina believes that only the soul is resurrected, whereas al-Ghazali believes in the resurrection of both the soul and the body. Nonetheless, both concur that the utmost felicity of the soul in the afterlife is gained through intellectual or spiritual delight, which occurs when the intellect's potential is utilized to acquire real knowledge, resulting in piety and cultivation of noble character. This aligns with the Islamic psychospiritual framework, which emphasises faith in God Almighty and the Hereafter as the basis for spiritual purification; worship as a means of strengthening one’s relationship with God and guiding the intellect toward its proper use; and character (akhlaq) as the manifestation of spiritual intelligence derived from knowledge that leads to piety.
2025-12-30
Eko Zulfikar, Azhar Amrullah Hafizh, Adrika Fithrotul Aini, Syafrianto Tambunan, Kemas M. Inthizam
This article examines the concept of religious tolerance through Qur’anic exegesis, applying the insider–outsider framework introduced by Kim Knott. The study is prompted by a social fact that has generated public controversy and gone viral, namely the request by Elia Myron, a Christian, to Indonesia’s Ministry of Religious Affairs to conduct a re-examination of the interpretation of Surah al-A‘raf [7]:157. Employing a qualitative research design, the study uses content analysis grounded in the insider–outsider approach to evaluate the discourse and responses arising from the issue. The findings indicate that applying the insider–outsider perspective to Elia Myron’s open letter to the Ministry of Religious Affairs, which calls for a review of Qur’anic exegesis, has the potential to provoke tensions and deepen divisions among religious communities in Indonesia. From an outsider’s standpoint, Elia’s action is widely supported and perceived as a manifestation of tolerance by the majority of Christians, as the request specifically emphasizes revisiting the exegesis of Surah al-A‘raf [7]:157, which includes references to the Torah and the Bible. However, from the insider standpoint, the action is interpreted as encroaching too deeply on Islamic teachings and is therefore seen as neglecting a key indicator within the discourse of religious moderation, namely tolerance, as underscored by Indonesia’s Ministry of Religious Affairs. In addition, several social media posts related to Elia’s request to review the Qur’anic exegesis are found to have explicitly served as early triggers for discourse containing intolerant elements, thereby potentially undermining harmonious relations among religious communities, particularly between Muslims and Christians.
2025-12-30
Mohamad Razif Mohamad Fuad
This study explores the intellectual and theological contributions of ʿAbd al-Wahhāb al-Shaʿrānī (d. 973/1565), a towering figure in post-Mamluk Egypt who bridged the realms of Sufism, Sunni orthodoxy, and legal scholarship. Moving beyond conventional portrayals of al-Shaʿrānī as merely a Sufi or jurist, the research highlights his role as a serious theologian. Through a critical analysis of his key works, al-Yawāqīt wa al-Jawāhir fī Bayān ʿAqāʾid al-Akābir and al-Qawāʿid al-Kashfiyyah al-Muwaḍḍiḥah li Maʿānī al-Ṣifāt al-Ilāhiyyah, the article demonstrates al-Shaʿrānī’s innovative synthesis of Ashʿarī-Māturīdī theology with spiritual insight. His theology articulates a delicate balance between tanzīh (divine transcendence) and tafwīḍ (textual fidelity), addressing complex issues such as the ambiguous Qurʾanic verses, anthropomorphism, divine attributes, and concepts like ḥulūl , ittiḥād , and waḥdat al-wujūd . The study argues that al-Shaʿrānī’s theological architecture not only reaffirmed Sunni orthodoxy but offered a compassionate intellectual framework capable of engaging both elite and popular religiosity. By situating al-Shaʿrānī within the broader canon of Sunni thought, this work calls for renewed scholarly attention to his contributions, particularly regarding the integration of theology, law, and mysticism in early modern Islam.
2025-12-30
Yayah Nurhidayah, Septi Gumiandari, Ilman Nafi'a, Eti Nurhayati, Slamet Firdaus
Amid the rapid digitalization of everyday life, urban Muslim families in selected Indonesian cities are experiencing a paradox in their communication practices. Digital technologies create new avenues for connection, yet they simultaneously risk weakening affective intimacy and reinforcing patriarchal authority within households. This study examines how digital family communication reflects and challenges traditional power relations through Islamic ethical perspectives, particularly Islamic communication ethics and gender-equitable theology, using the mubadalah approach, which emphasizes mutuality, justice, and compassion in familial relations. Employing a qualitative field research design, the study collected data from 18 informants representing eight Muslim families across Jakarta, Yogyakarta, Cirebon, Bandung, and Makasar through semi-structured in-depth interviews and focus group discussions. Thematic analysis reveals four interrelated dynamics: the shift from physical to digital interaction; the reassertion of patriarchal control through digital devices; the emergence of shared decision-making practices such as shura ; and persistent ethical tensions between traditional norms and the transformative possibilities of digital media. The study argues that digital communication in Muslim families is never ethically neutral; it is shaped by spiritual, cultural, and gendered norms. When internalized and practiced in daily interactions, mubadalah values offer a powerful framework for cultivating just, spiritually grounded, and emotionally resilient family relationships in the digital age. These findings highlight the urgency of integrating mubadalah -based ethics into family education programs and gender-sensitive communication pedagogy.
2025-12-30
Atifah Ahmad Yusoff, Alwani Ghazali, Khadijah Mohd Khambali @ Hambali, Noorafifah Waipin
In 1938, Samuel P. Huntington notoriously argued that “the great divisions among humankind and the dominating source of conflict will be cultural,” a thesis that has since fuelled misconceptions about the inherent incompatibility of civilizations based on religious, ethnic, and racial differences. This perspective has particularly negatively impacted views of Islam when he added that “the crescent-shaped Islamic bloc, from the bulge of Africa to central Asia, has bloody borders.” Using a qualitative, library-based research approach, this article explores the contemporary challenges of religious tensions in Malaysia. It investigates whether meaningful interreligious coexistence is viable in a multi-religious country. These challenges, including prejudice and stereotyping, can be addressed through a comprehensive understanding of socio-religious harmony in Islamic perspectives that can be formulated by engaging with the commonalities perspective of religion, the principle of human brotherhood, the value of mutual tolerance ( tasamuh ), the role of dialogue and peaceful coexistence ( fiqh a l-ta‘ayush ). Practical methods for implementing these values include interfaith education, community engagement, inclusive policymaking, and dialogue platforms that resonate with local cultural contexts. Together, these elements contribute to an integrated framework of harmonious socio-religious relations.