Religious Sciences

August 11, 2011 | Keynote Address By Specialist Ziad Alahdad
The fast in Ramadan consists of abstinence from eating or drinking from dawn to dusk and, more importantly, abiding by certain principles of purity. Imam Johari in a recent article in the Washington Post wrote: “Iftar, the breaking of the fast, is like having Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner every night for 30 days.” – a fitting tribute to the very strong tradition of hospitality which, Emre Bey, you alluded to earlier…

June 1, 2002 | By Specialist Hashim Kamali
M H Kamali sets out the proclamations on human dignity found in the Quran and then discusses topics pertaining to or resulting from human dignity: the physical and spiritual nobility of man; God’s love for humanity; the sanctity of life; and the necessity for freedom, equality and accountability. Finally, the author examines the measures that the Shariah has taken to protect human dignity and to promote it in social interaction.

By Specialist Hashim Kamali
With its tolerance of disagreement among the ulama over juristic issues, Islamic law is described as being one of diversity within unity – diversity in details and unity in principles. Ikhtilaf (juristic differences) in Islamic law is reflected in the existence of at least five different schools of jurisprudence surviving to this day. Islamic law has a rich tradition of diversity and disagreement even as it has remained open to the influence of various legal traditions.

By Specialist Dr. Nazeer Ahmed
Excerpt: The question is often asked what Muslims need to do to regain their civilizational initiative…The spirituality of Islam provided the life raft for Muslims in their darkest hour during the Mongol and Crusader devastations of the thirteenth century. It can do so again in the twenty-first century. To a secular modern world that is governed by a material view of humankind, Islam offers a lofty vision of man as the divine regent, animated by a soul, suffused by divine spirit, endowed with a free will, and tasked with the responsibility to rule all that is between the heavens and earth. Spirituality (Ehsan) is the core essence of Islam and the common domain from which it can build bridges to the other major faiths of humankind.

By Specialist Dr. Vincent Cornell
This essay examines the roots of Sayyid Qutb’s arguments for the contemporary application of Sharia law. Noting a similarity between the Brethern of Purity’s doctrine and and those of Sayyid Qutb, he argues that the logic of their thinking led them to create similar models. According to Cornell, this is an important oversight in academia because “A Salafi ideology like Qutb’s, which claims Islamic authenticity based on strict adherence to the Sunna of the Prophet Muhammad, would be compromised if it can be proved that he “ransacked” this doctrine from a group that epitomized the rejection of the Sunni Islamic ideal.”