IIUM Journal of Religion and Civilisational Studies

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Alwi Alatas — 2024-07-01

In the Middle Kingdom: A Historical Survey on the Arabs and Persians’ Ventures in China, 600s–1300s

Aditya Pratama Widodo — 2024-07-01

This paper presents a historical survey concerning the ventures made by Arabs and Persians to China, both overland and sea, between the 600s and 1300s. As major participants in international trade as well as among the most advanced and literate nations in the medieval period, Arab and Persian travellers, merchants, and envoys did not fail to leave important accounts in which they recorded details about the situation that allowed their perilous yet intriguing journeys to far-off China, the situation they faced in the Middle Kingdom, as well as the roles they played and the growth of their communities in China. Furthermore, as highly appreciated foreign elements, the presence and undertakings of Arabs and Persians in some important coastal cities in the Middle Kingdom are also mentioned in some Chinese sources. Their ventures in China are a testimony to the Arabs’ and Persians’ spirit of adventure and cosmopolitan nature, as well as helping to explain why they held such a vast influence and played important roles in many developments and changes in the medieval period.

Rereading the Biblical Story of Sarah and Hagar: A Note for Interfaith Activists

Fachrizal Halim — 2024-07-01

This article examines the complex relationship between Sarah and Hagar in the book of Genesis chapters 16 and 21, with a focus on informing Muslim readers and interfaith activists. Drawing on the documentary hypothesis approach and insights from biblical scholars, the article aims to clarify the historical and cultural context of the story and challenge narrow interpretations that can lead to assumptions of theological or political supremacy. The article argues that a deeper understanding of the relationship between Sarah and Hagar in their social and political context can promote theological openness and facilitate the contemporary struggle for justice and interfaith relations.

The Role of Muwalladun, Mozarabs and Jews in Paving the Way for Coexistence in Andalusia 912 CE- 1110 CE: A Socio-Cultural Analysis of La Convivencia

Muhamad Nor Aiman Bin Mohd Nor Zaidi — 2024-07-01

This article investigates the unique interaction between three social groups; Muwalladun, Mozarabs and Jews, that lived together during Muslim Spain's era (732 CE-1492 CE) with the focus on unravelling the socio-cultural mechanism behind this interaction which led to the culmination of an interesting period known as "la Convivencia”. Viewing this topic through socio-cultural lenses, this article considers this approach the best method to understand Muwalladun, Mozarabs and Jews' interaction by assessing them as undergoing the process of acculturation and assimilation. This article aims to address the scholarly gap which, due to the lack of socio-cultural perspective of La Convivencia, led to some scholars denying the existence of this period. The presence of diverse communities in al-Andalus created multiple variables that pushed for coexistence like the emergence of new social groups, Muwalladun, which were affected by the influence of dominant Arabic culture and increased their rapid conversion to Islam due to equal opportunities for social mobility as Muslims. In addition, a similar role was exercised by Mozarabs, who built a connection with the brothers in faith in northern Iberia, spreading their tolerant attitude and knowledge gained in the south through trade and immigration. As for Jews, they benefited tremendously from this interaction; with the Muslims as the model and benchmark, their society prospered and flourished to the point of creating the Jewish Golden Age.

Women of Andalusian Court: Kingmakers, Advisors and Regents

Noor Syuhada Binti Shahidan — 2024-07-01

This research paper explores the often overlooked yet significant political roles played by women in the Islamic Civilization of al-Andalus. Despite the predominance of men in administrative positions, women from the Andalusian court exercised authority as kingmakers, advisors, and, in rare cases, regents. It began by establishing the historical context of al-Andalus and the presence of women in politics whilst emphasizing the societal loss resulting from their exclusion in the three main roles examined. Furthermore, the paper addresses how these women wielded political influence, their strategies, and the cultural contexts that shaped their roles. The paper would also briefly explore the challenges and lack of societal recognition faced by the women. Despite limited translated sources, it highlights the importance of studying the political contributions of Andalusian court women for a deeper understanding of Islamic history in Spain.

A Historical Look at the Transformation Agenda: Patriarchal Structures, Hegemony and the Fate of Nigerian Women

Dauda I. Jimoh — 2024-07-01

Development plans and economic manifestoes have become common for setting the goals and pace of administration in modern Africa. There are differences between plans and the realities of executing them. Many reasons mark the failures of such development agendas, especially when they involve women's empowerment. Nigeria adopted a 5-year development plan under the presidency of President Goodluck Jonathan, known as the Transformation Agenda. The extent to which the Agenda affected Nigerian women and the attendant weaknesses of the project in the context of Nigeria's status as a developing economy and patriarchal structures and hegemonic control is the main focus of the study. The paper relied on both primary and secondary sources in a chronological and thematic analysis of the subject matter. It was realised that the patriarchy and the attendant political instability, neo-liberal economic system, mismanagement and corruption, which dogged the Administration of President Jonathan and cultural influences were crucial to the persistence of gender inequalities in Nigeria.

The Reformation Encounter: Martin Luther's Assessment of Islam and the Turks in the Aftermath of Constantinople's Fall

Abdulwahed Jalal Nori — 2024-07-01

After Muhammad II captured Constantinople in 1453 and ended the Byzantine Empire, Islam began to spread to Europe over the next century. It was this constant threat that led Martin Luther (1483–1546) to become acquainted with Islam and acquire information about the Turks and Muslims. Luther was the pioneer of the 16th century’s Reformation in Europe and the founder of the Protestant movement. Luther’s assessment of Islam and the Turks are investigated in this article with the questions of main themes and subsequent theses. It was observed that Luther used an exclusionary, judgmental, and reactive language on Islam and Turks. His assessments are in compliance with the thesis that was constructed by Christians in Medieval Europe, with the exception of picturing Turks as papist, and his opposite attitudes against the Crusades. The article found conclusively that Luther was highly affected by his own theological and political positions, as well as the political developments of his period.

Challenges of Online Learning Faced by IIUM Malay Undergraduates during COVID-19: A Case Study

Nur Atiera Binti Yunus — 2024-07-01

This study examined the challenges of online learning faced by Malay undergraduate students studying at the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) during the global pandemic of COVID-19. The study used a qualitative research technique and face-to-face semi-structured interviews for collecting data. The interview includes details about the participants' demographics, backgrounds, and the key study-related questions. Furthermore, the research employed open-ended questions to prompt participants to openly discuss their experiences without being restricted by predetermined responses. Participants were provided with information sheets and email consent forms before the interview session. Ten IIUM undergraduates were chosen using the purposive sample approach. Six females and four males participated in the research, and they were Malay students from Malaysia. The data was transcribed word for word into a Microsoft Word document and then classified into themes, analysed, interpreted, and validated. The results of the study showed that the students faced challenges in terms of internet connection, technological devices, social interaction, learning environment, and physical and mental health. The paper highlights the challenges of online learning encountered by Malay undergraduates studying at IIUM during COVID-19 pandemic. The new learning method was implemented in unprecedented global circumstances. Students remained at home, which became an alternative learning environment. Meanwhile, they went through some negative situations affecting the learning process. This paper presents and discusses five challenges and supports the findings by citing previous studies. The research results provide concerned agencies, like the Malaysian Ministry of Education, with a sociological understanding of the challenges involved in e-learning. They identify to what extent the available infrastructure for information and communication needs expansions and improvements to overcome internet access limitations in rural and urban areas. Furthermore, the research offers insight into the necessary initiatives that the Ministry of Higher Education in Malaysia should undertake to help in reducing the challenges facing higher education students.

The Challenges of the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP) in Nigeria: From Environmental Movement to Movement for Self-Determination

Adam Umar Musa — 2024-07-01

The Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP) is Nigeria’s most impactful environmental justice movement founded in 1990 to advocate for the indigenous Ogoni people’s economic, cultural, and environmental rights. Despite years of pressure, their demands have seen limited success, prompting a need to assess their strategies and obstacles. Thus, this article aims to examine the mobilisation strategies and the challenges or barriers hindering MOSOP’s success over the years. Through the lens of political opportunity structure theory, the article focuses on how political opportunities affected MOSOP’s mobilisation and outcome. Methodologically, qualitative content analysis of scholarly articles, speeches, and relevant documents was utilised. The findings indicated that the leadership crisis was a major obstacle, and MOSOP’s ethnic-based nature hindered its progress. Its shift towards more radical and violent strategies also proved to be another barrier to success. It also faced a major setback with the execution of its leader due to a shift in ideology and strategy. Despite previous successes, its violent approach was less effective than peaceful negotiation in achieving its goals. However, MOSOP deserves credit for its role in government interventions, such as the Niger Delta Clean-up programme and the UNEP environmental assessment report.

Islamic Ethics and Liberal Democracy: A Critical Analysis of Mustafa Akyol’s Perspectives

Mohamed Fouz Mohamed Zacky — 2024-07-01

The Arab Spring and its aftermath sparked a renewed interest among scholars and thinkers in exploring the potential compatibility between Islam and liberal democracy. This led to a series of debates both supporting and critiquing this idea. This study focuses on the ideas of Mustafa Akyol, a prominent scholar who actively engaged in the ongoing debate on reforming Islamic political thought over the past decade. By closely examining his primary work, Reopening Muslim Minds, this paper argues that Akyol not only presents a clear intellectual framework for demonstrating the convergence of Islam and liberal democracy but also explores how Islam can contribute to shaping modern multicultural societies. However, this study also suggests that Akyol's failure to critically examine modernity and liberalism as philosophical project to the same extent as he did with Islamic intellectual tradition resulted in a lack of genuine dialogue between Islam and liberal democracy in his work. Additionally, the paper argues that Akyol's analysis of Islamic intellectual tradition is somewhat flawed, particularly in his binary take on classical Islamic theological and philosophical movements.

Seyyed Hossein Nasr and Traditionalism

Mehmet Vural — 2024-07-01

In this study, the basic views of Seyyed Hossein Nasr, one of the contemporary Islamic thinkers, on Traditionalism have been analysed. Nasr, one of the leading figures of the Traditionalism movement, has written in many fields from art to architecture, from science to philosophy, from religion to literature, and in these works he has tried to examine issues from a Traditionalist perspective. According to Nasr, one of the main problems facing the Islamic world today lies in the modernist and secular worldview and the view of nature, science and technology. According to him, modernism has brought anthropocentrism, unprincipledness, reductionism, progressivism and evolutionism. These have not been for the good of humanity and have led to wrong paths. He proposes the rediscovery of Tradition as a solution to today's individual and social problems. Nasr's identification of the problems in this way and his solution proposals have also received some criticism, and it has been stated that Tradition and Sufism, which are presented as solution proposals, will be insufficient in solving the problems. However, his criticisms and thoughts, especially his views on Traditionalism, are followed with interest.

Editorial

Fauziah Fathil — 2024-07-01