Al-Shajarah Journal of the International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilization (ISTAC)

In Memoriam: Royal Laureate Professor Tan Sri Dr. Syed Muhammad Naquib Al-Attas (1931–2026)

Editorial Committee — 2026-06-30

The Hukum Kanun Pahang

Tunku Azizah Mahmood Iskandar — 2026-06-30

This study reconstructs Pahang’s historical and intellectual identity as a sovereign Malay-Islamic civilisation whose governance was founded upon law rather than conquest. At its centre stands the Hukum Kanun Pahang (HKP), compiled and codified during the reign of Sultan ʿAbdul Ghaffar Muhyiddin Shah ibni Sultan Abdul Qadir Muhyiddin Shah (1592–1614), which is argued here to constitute the embryonic form of a Malay-Islamic constitution. Long before the emergence of Western constitutional theory, the Malay world had already articulated a written constitutional order grounded in sharī’ah, ‘adat, justice, and accountability to Allah. The HKP unified terrestrial and maritime sovereignty, extending law from palace to port, from river to sea, and codifying the duties of ruler and subject, judicial procedure, trade ethics, maritime order, taxation, and moral conduct. Far from representing primitive law, the HKP reflects proto-constitutional thought and the earliest living expression of Malay constitutionalism, principles that later found continuity in the Undang-Undang Tubuh Kerajaan Pahang (UTKP). Through socio-historical approach this study re-centres Pahang as a great maritime civilisation, a key site of Islamic constitutional development in Southeast Asia and reclaims the HKP as one of the world’s earliest comprehensive constitutional texts.

The Idris Al-Marbawī’s Influence on Ḥadīth Pedagogy in the Malay Archipelago

Muhamad Syarif Hidayatulloh — 2026-06-30

This study examines the intellectual contributions of Shaykh Muḥammad Idrīs al-Marbawī through his seminal work Baḥr al-Mādhī Sharḥ Mukhtaṣar Ṣaḥīḥ al-Tirmidhī, with particular attention to its role in localizing classical ḥadīth scholarship for Malay-speaking Muslim communities in Malaysia and Indonesia. The study aims to analyze the pedagogical strategies and scholarly methodologies employed by al-Marbawī in making ḥadīth accessible to non-Arabic audiences. Employing a historical-conceptual approach, this research analyzes selected volumes of Baḥr al-Mādhī through close textual examination supported by relevant secondary literature. The findings demonstrate that al-Marbawī adopted a bilingual Arabic–Malay presentation, simplified explanatory commentary, and thematic organization that emphasized clarity and contextual relevance rather than exhaustive isnād analysis. While primarily grounded in the Shāfiʿī school of law, his work also engages other Sunni legal traditions, reflecting methodological balance and inclusivity. The study argues that Baḥr al-Mādhī functions not only as a religious commentary but also as a foundational model of localized ḥadīth pedagogy in the Malay Archipelago, contributing significantly to the development of sustainable Malay-language Islamic scholarship.

Inclusive Education as a Maqāṣidic Obligation

Ratnawati Mohd Asraf — 2026-06-30

Ensuring both inclusivity and equity remains a central challenge in education, particularly for a significant proportion of children worldwide with learning disabilities such as dyslexia, dyscalculia, and dysgraphia. Often erroneously perceived by their teachers as being “slow”, these children frequently suffer from low self-esteem, withdrawal from academic and social engagement, and a heightened risk of psychological and emotional problems if they do not receive timely intervention. Highlighting the case of children with dyslexia, this conceptual and analytical essay focusses on the application of Maqāṣid al-Sharīʿah in the preservation of the ‘aql (intellect), which would entail the providing of a good and sound education to all members of society, leaving no child behind. It then proceeds with a discussion on the challenges these children face in school; the preparedness of teachers in addressing their educational needs in an inclusive education setting; and the importance that Islam places on the inclusion of students and individuals with physical and learning disabilities in the education system. The authors conclude the article by emphasising the fact that when viewed from the higher purposes and intent of the maqṣid, or objective, of the sharīʿah, addressing the needs of children with learning disabilities is a darūriyyah (necessity) and thus, an urgent obligation for us to fulfil.

From Takfīr to Takhṭiʾah

Mohammed Gamal Abdelnour — 2026-06-30

This article proposes a new theological framework for Muslim–Christian–Jewish dialogue rooted in humility, epistemic openness, and shared reverence for divine mystery. Beginning with the Qurʾānic affirmation of God’s ineffability, it contrasts the distinct yet complementary theological “grammars” of the Abrahamic faiths: Islam’s emphasis on divine attributes (ṣifāt), Christianity’s on divine essence (dhāt), and Judaism’s on divine action (afʿāl). The article argues that these divergent emphases reflect not contradiction but divine intentionality, each revealing partial dimensions of the unknowable God. Central to the paper is the recovery of the Qurʾānic principle of taṣdīq (confirmation) as a hermeneutical corrective to the polemical use of naskh (abrogation), positioning the Qurʾān as a confirmer rather than a canceller of prior revelations. Building on this, the author advances a shift from takfīr (excommunication) to takhṭiʾah (assuming error without exclusion) as a model for intra- and interfaith theological engagement. The article concludes by reframing Christian–Muslim relations as an intra-Abrahamic dialogue grounded in shared pursuit of divine truth, proposing a maqāṣid-based theology oriented not toward boundary defence but toward truth-seeking as a spiritual vocation.

An Assessment of the Distinction between Ishārī Tafsīr and Taṣawwufī Tafsīr

Hasan İslam SAK — 2026-06-30

This study examines ishārī tafsīr, a contested concept in the tafsīr literature, with regard to its meaning and content. It analyzes the effects of the differing usages of the constituent term ishārah across various Islamic disciplines on the definition of ishārī tafsīr. The study has established that conflating these different usages under a single compound term has resulted in conceptual ambiguity regarding the scope and nature of ishārī tafsīr. To resolve this ambiguity, interpretations commonly classified as ishārī tafsīr are examined and differentiated according to their defining characteristics, and a terminological and definitional proposal is put forward. Foregrounding the juridical usage of ishārah, the study argues that interpretations deriving indirect meanings from the lexical or semantic indications of the Qurʾānic text, whose connection with the text can be established, should properly be designated as ishārī tafsīr. By contrast, Sufi explanations distinguished by their source of knowledge, content, terminology, and pedagogical orientation are more appropriately classified as taṣawwufī tafsīr. The study further notes that some Sufi interpretations that establish a clear link with the text may be treated as an intermediate category designated as “taṣawwufī–ishārī tafsīr.” Methodologically, data gathered through a literature review were analyzed by means of content analysis; the topic was addressed primarily within a theoretical framework and supported by examples. It has been concluded that the proposed distinction will contribute to a more consistent and sound evaluation of Qurʾānic interpretations.

Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas, The Mysticism of Ḥamzah Fanṣūrī. Kuala Lumpur: University of Malaya Press, 1970. xvii + 556 pages. Appendix, bibliography. Hardback.

Azenita Abdullah — 2026-06-30

Abstract

This article reviews Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas’s The Mysticism of Ḥamzah Fanṣūrī as a tribute to his scholarly legacy following his recent passing. It situates the work within al-Attas’s broader intellectual project of recovering the depth and coherence of the Malay-Islamic intellectual tradition. The review examines the book’s central argument that Ḥamzah Fanṣūrī should be understood as a major metaphysical thinker of the Malay world, and highlights al-Attas’s method, which combines textual commentary with linguistic and semantic analysis in order to reconstruct Ḥamzah’s thought. It also considers the book’s contribution to the study of Malay scholarship, particularly its demonstration of Malay as a language of systematic metaphysical expression and its placement of Ḥamzah within a classical Ṣūfī intellectual lineage. The article asserts that the book remains a landmark in Malay intellectual studies, both for its methodological rigour and for its enduring influence on subsequent scholarship.

Adis Duderija. Islam and Constructive Interreligious Engagement. New York: Bloomsbury Academic, 2026, vi + 280 pp. Bibliography, index. Hardback. ISBN: 978-1-6669-7277-1

Nuruddin Al Akbar — 2026-06-30

This book offers a systematic attempt to evaluate contemporary Muslim approaches to interreligious engagement through the framework of comparative theology, drawing primarily on Catherine Cornille’s concepts of comparative theological learning and the conditions for dialogue. By examining a range of Muslim thinkers, the author seeks to assess the extent to which their theological orientations enable meaningful engagement with religious others.

Halim Rane and Ibrahim Zein, Covenants with Allāh: Keystone of Islam. New York: Routledge, 2026. xv + 240 pp. References, index. Paperback. ISBN: 978-1-032-79766-3.

Yusra Hulaimi — 2026-06-30

The book pursues two primary objectives: (1) a historical survey of the application of the concept of covenant in Islamic history, and (2) a theorisation of covenants in Islam, whether in the form of a theory or a paradigm. As such, this review shall adopt these two objectives as the criteria for analysis. To attain these two objectives, the book employs a fairly straightforward methodological framework. For data collection, it conducts an inductive textual survey of Islam’s primary sources—namely, the Qurʾān and the Sunnah—by mapping the semantic relations between key terms within selected verses and narrations. For example, to establish that fulfilling the requirements of the primordial covenant (mīthāq) promises everlasting happiness in the hereafter, the work identifies the key term taqwā as the bridge between Sūrat al-Baqarah (2):63 and (2):25. This semantic survey reveals a natural logical unfolding, both structurally and empirically. Structurally, it begins with God as the source of the covenant, which entails man as the second party and Satan as a third party—albeit an outsider intent on sabotaging man’s earthly mission in keeping the Trust (amānah) associated with the covenant. Empirically, the work traces the spatiotemporal applications and misapplications of the covenant from the time of Adam to the advent of Prophet Muḥammad, and subsequently to the modern history of Islam—ranging from the individual to the family, community, nation, and finally, international relations. This methodological framework consequently informs the arrangement of the book’s chapters.

Introduction and Analytical Study of Paintings from a Previously Understudied 12th Century A.H. Khamsa Manuscript from the Library of Marashi in Qom

HamidReza Rohani — 2026-06-30

The Iskandarnāma, the fifth Masnavi of the Nezami’s Khamsa, recounts the legendary and historical episodes of Iskandar the Great. This study examines an understudied manuscript of the Nezami’s Iskandarnāma preserved in the Marashi Library of Qom. The manuscript dates to 1115 A.H. (1703 AD). The aim of this research is to introduce this Iskandarnama manuscript and analyze its paintings. In this regard, the following questions are answered: Which of the Iranian painting schools are the images of this Iskandarnāma most associated with, and what are the specific formal features of this manuscript? By examining the images in a descriptive-analytical manner, we conclude that this Iskandarnāma is probably a manuscript commissioned by a court or prince in the late Safavid period. From the uniformity of their images and lines, we can conclude that all the paintings were executed by a single painter and scribe. Its paintings and illuminations reflect the continuity of the artistic style of Herat and Isfahan school of that period. The writings are in Nastaliq script and were executed quickly. The illustrations are unsigned and the scenes of the story are faithful to the text. All elements such as plants, clothes, landscapes and animals are carefully designed.

Said Nursi’s Perspective of Islamic Spirituality

Hüseyin Çaksen — 2026-06-30

This article re-examines the concepts of “religion” and “spirituality” within an Islamic framework by situating them in contemporary academic discussions and in selected writings of Said Nursi. While Islamic scholarship traditionally treats spirituality as an inner dimension of din, modern disciplinary approaches to religion have reshaped how these terms are analysed and compared. Drawing on recent scholarship in religious studies, anthropology, and Sufi thought, this study clarifies the terms and explores their interrelationship in light of Islamic metaphysics, Qurʾānic ethics, and the spiritual psychology found in Nursi’s Risale-i Nur. The article argues that although religion and spirituality are sometimes treated as distinct domains in modern discourse, Islamic intellectual traditions view them as mutually constitutive, with spirituality functioning as the interior realization of the divine guidance articulated through revelation, law, and prophetic teachings. The study concludes that a comprehensive understanding of spirituality within Islam requires acknowledging its rootedness in the broader structures of din, its historical expressions, and its ongoing reinterpretation in modern Muslim thought.