DOCSLIB.ORG

Alaikum! CSE in Public Schools: Important Notes on the Bayaan

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Alaikum! CSE in Public Schools: Important Notes on the Bayaan 29 January 2020 Att: Respected Imams and Khateebs Assalaamu ‘Alaikum! CSE in Public Schools: Important Notes on the Bayaan The Department of Basic Education (DBE) has effectively rolled out the Comprehensive Sex Education (CSE) curriculum. Details of the roll out emerged at a DBE convened meeting held on Thursday 23 January 2020. Even if CSE seems to be getting support from certain quarters, elements of this roll out raise concerns from some faith communities. Attached is a resource document which gives a background to the introduction of the CSE curriculum and some of the aspects of this component within Life Orientation as a school subject. It is intended that imams and khateebs will use this resource to prepare sermons on CSE, in order to guide parents and learners. Particular emphasis should be on the following points: • ‘Modesty Makes Human’ The values of chastity and modesty are central to the character of a Muslim. The protection of our faith requires all of us to uphold these values. We must continue to advocate, support and promote all measures that nurture modesty and decency in conduct. • ‘I own my body; I choose what to do with it’ The standpoint of CSE as it is being rolled out, negates the guardian role of humans for their bodies, given to us, in trust, by the Creator. It presupposes ownership, and hence, choice to what we can do with our bodies. Yet, Islam teaches us, we have no liberty to do as we please with our bodies which are sacred and subject to the Will of the Almighty. We cannot therefore leave such a responsibility in the hands of a minor to decide what to do with his/her body. • ‘Where is this all going?’ Behind the DBE’s CSE curriculum is a set of concepts. These concepts emanate from ideologies that are informing and influencing aspects of modern life. We have to be awake to these ideas which are rooted in secular humanism and mislead towards self-indulgent Godlessness. NOTE WELL: There are many things that have been circulated via social media pertaining to CSE. Most of such material should be handled with great caution. JUSA shall continue to engage the DBE on this matter and will from time to time advise the community accordingly. We pray for the Help and Guidance of the Almighty in all of our affairs. Aameen. Wassalaam. for Jamiatul Ulama South Africa E.I. Bham (Moulana) Secretary General CSE in Public Schools: A Muslim Perspective FRIDAY JUMU‘AH MESSAGE The following message has been prepared by the Jamiatul Ulama South Africa as a National Common Bayaan, to be delivered in mosques, over 3 weeks, from Friday 31 Jan 2020. It focuses on the safeguarding of values of modesty, in the wake ideologies influencing modern thought. ِ ِِ ِِ َْﳓ َﻤ ُﺪﻩُ َوﻧُ َﺼﻠّ ْﻲ َﻋﻠَﻰ َرُﺳْﻮﻟﻪ اﻟْ َﻜﺮْﱘ Allah mentions in the Qur’an: ِ ِ ِِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ وإ ْذ ﻗَ َﺎل ﻟُْﻘ َﻤ ُﺎن ﻻﺑْﻨﻪ َوُﻫَﻮ ﻳَﻌﻈُﻪُ َ� ﺑَُﱠﲏ َﻻ ﺗُ ْﺸﺮْك 䚎 ﱠﻪﻠﻟ ۖ إ ﱠن ّاﻟﺸْﺮَك ﻟَﻈُْﻠٌﻢ َﻋﻈ ٌﻴﻢ And [mention, O Muhammad], when Luqmān said to his son while he was instructing him, “O my son, do not associate [anything] with Allah. Indeed, association [with him] is a great injustice.” (31:13) Rasulullah mentions: ِ ﱠ ِ ﱠ َﻋ ْﻦ أَِﰊ ُﻫَﺮْﻳـَﺮَة، ﻗَ َﺎل: ﻗَ َﺎل َرُﺳ ُﻮل ﷲ َﺻﻠﻰ ﷲُ َﻋﻠَْﻴﻪ َو َﺳﻠَﻢ: ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِﱠ ِ ﱠ ِ ِ ِ ِ " ْاﻹﳝَ ُﺎن ﺑ ْﻀ ٌﻊ َو َﺳْﺒـﻌُ َﻮن - أَْو ﺑ ْﻀ ٌﻊ َوﺳﺘﱡ َﻮن - ُﺷْﻌﺒَﺔً، ﻓَﺄَﻓْ َﻀﻠَُﻬﺎ َﻗـْﻮُل َﻻ إﻟَﻪَ إﻻ ﷲُ، َوأَْدَ�َﻫﺎ إَﻣﺎﻃَﺔُ ْاﻷَذَى َﻋ ِﻦ اﻟﻄِﺮﻳﻖ، َو ْاﳊَﻴَﺎءُ ُﺷْﻌﺒَﺔٌ ﻣ َﻦ ْاﻹﳝَﺎن" ﻣﺴﻠﻢ. Abu Hurayrah narrates that the Messenger of Allah said: “Iman is over seventy of sixty parts. The most superior of which is to says that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, the least of which is to remove a harmful object from the path. And modesty is part of Iman.” (Bukhari, Muslim) Our children live in a world very different to the world that we were brought up in. Their challenges are very different from the challenges we faced as youth. One such challenge is the alarming level of promiscuity that has now become a social norm. This is borne out by the fact that teenage pregnancy accounts for about 8 to 10 % of all deliveries in the country. Shocking statistics have revealed that more than 3000 girl children, aged between 10 and 14 became mothers in South Africa last year. The Recorded Live Births Report, which was commissioned by Statistics South Africa, showed that a total of 3261 girl children aged between 10 and 14 were registered as mothers in South Africa last year. The levels of modesty have decreased and society no longer frowns upon what was naturally considered as evil, harmful and immodest. In order to educate learners about the sexuality the government has introduced CSE. Modesty in Islam What is haya? It is normally translated as modesty or inhibition but neither word conveys the same idea as haya. Modesty suggests shunning indecent behaviour but it also implies bashfulness based on timidity. That is why the adjective based on its opposite, immodest, is sometimes also used as a compliment suggesting courage. Inhibition is defined as: “Conscious or unconscious mechanism whereby unacceptable impulses are suppressed.” This is a very neutral definition without any reference to right or wrong. So one finds psychiatrists “helping” their patients overcome inhibitions. In contrast to the moral ambiguity of these words, haya refers to an extremely desirable quality that protects us from all evil. It is a natural feeling that brings us pain at the very idea of committing a wrong. Along with its unique connotation comes the unique value of haya in Islam. Prophet Muhammad said: “Every religion has a distinct call. For Islam it is haya.” [Ibn Majah]. Another famous hadith says: “There are more than 70 branches of Iman (Faith). The foremost is the declaration that there is no god except Allah and the least of it is removing harmful things from the path. And haya is a branch of Iman.” (Bukhari, Muslim) As some Muhaditheen point out, the number 70 is a figure of speech. What the hadith tells us is that the declaration of faith is the most important part of Iman but that is not all. Iman also has to reflect in all kinds of actions in real life. Moreover, haya is a centrepiece of most of the actions that Iman calls for. It is the basic building block of Islamic morality. When it is lost everything is lost. Based on such teachings, Islam brought about a moral revolution of unprecedented dimensions with haya as its cornerstone. The pre-Islamic Jahiliyya society of Arabia knew the word but did not understand its meaning. Nudity, the antithesis of haya, was not only common in everyday life, it was even part of the most important religious ritual of tawaf [circumbulation of Ka'bah]. So were all the other evils that flow from it. Islam exterminated all of those evils and changed society in such a way that haya became one of its most cherished values. To this day in Friday Khutbahs around the world, the third Khalifah Hazrat Usman is mentioned as the person with perfect haya and perfect Iman [Kamil lil-haya wal Iman]. Is there any other religion that celebrates haya like that? Islam's laws about hijab, its ban against free mixing of men and women, its teachings about gender- relations all of these reflect a deep concern for haya. For men and women who have not lost their haya, these come naturally. There is a moving story from the earlier Islamic period about a woman who learnt that her young son had been lost in a battle. She ran in a panic to confirm the news, but before that, she took time to make sure that she covered herself fully in accordance with the newly revealed laws of hijab. She was asked how she managed to do that in a time of great personal tragedy. She replied: "I have lost my son, but I did not lose my haya." For centuries afterwards Muslim societies did not lose their sense of modesty. When Muslim lands came under the Western colonial rule about three centuries ago, they were faced with a civilization that was no different than the pre-Islamic Jahiliyya on the issue of haya. While it did not have better morality, it did have better guns. At the gunpoint of military and political domination, Muslim societies were made to lose their grip on haya on a collective scale. The powerful and attractive media became an important instrument in this war. First it was books, magazines and newspapers. Then radio. Now it is television. Together they projected ideas and images detrimental to haya. They made indecency attractive. The pace was increased tremendously by television, which has shown more firepower than all the previous media combined. We can get out of the morass by making haya as our number one concern in both individuals as well as public lives. There is no Islamic life without Islamic morality. There is no Islamic morality without haya. The Background of Sexuality Education In the late 1990s the Minister of Education, Mr. Kader Asmal introduced a subject called Life Orientation. The concept was in the same syllabus the subject Right Living and Guidance This subject discusses a wide range of topics including “sexuality education”. What is CSE? CSE is a comprehensive sexuality education.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • THE ULAMA in INDONESIA: Between Religious Authority and Symbolic Power
    MIQOT Vol. XXXVII No. 1 Januari-Juni 2013 THE ULAMA IN INDONESIA: Between Religious Authority and Symbolic Power Zulkifli Fakultas Ilmu Sosial dan Ilmu Politik UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jl. Ir. H. Juanda No. 95, Ciputat, Jakarta, 15419 e-mail: [email protected] Abstrak: Ulama di Indonesia: Antara Otoritas Keagamaan dan Kekuatan Simbolik. Artikel ini berupaya menguji hubungan antara peranan ulama, otoritas keagamaan, dan kekuatan simbolik dalam masyarakat Muslim Indonesia dengan meneliti sejumlah literatur penting. Dalam studi ini penulis menggunakan kerangka teoretis ahli sosiologi Prancis Pierre Bourdieu, yakni teori praksis yang hampir tidak pernah digunakan dalam kajian agama di Indonesia. Studi ini mengungkapkan bahwa ulama memegang peranan yang strategis dalam masyarakat Indonesia dan peranannya tetap penting dalam konteks perubahan sosial, politik, dan ekonomi yang cepat. Tetapi otoritas keagamaan ulama telah terfragmentasi sejak lama dan media global dan teknologi informasi telah membuat otoritas tersebut semakin plural. Dalam konteks ini otoritas keagamaan merupakan arena yang kompetitif di mana kelompok tradisionalis, reformis, radikalis, dan pendatang baru berkompetisi untuk mencapai pengakuan. Studi ini juga menegaskan bahwa otoritas keagamaan dan pengakuan berjalan hanya dengan adanya kekuatan simbolik. Abstract: This article attempts to examine the relationship between the role of ulama, religious authority, and symbolic power in Indonesian Muslim society by scrutinizing famous literature of ulama in Indonesia. In the study I utilize French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu’s theoretical framework known as theory of practice, hardly ever used in the study of religion (Islam) in Indonesia. The study reveals that the ulama have played a strategic role in the Indonesian society and their role continues to be important in the context of rapid social, political, and economic changes.
    [Show full text]
  • Indonesian Schools: Shaping the Future of Islam and Democracy in a Democratic Muslim Country
    Journal of International Education and Leadership Volume 5 Issue 1 Spring 2015 http://www.jielusa.org/ ISSN: 2161-7252 Indonesian Schools: Shaping the Future of Islam and Democracy in a Democratic Muslim Country Kathleen E. Woodward University of North Georgia This paper examines the role of schools in slowly Islamizing Indonesian society and politics. Why is this Islamization happening and what does it portend for the future of democracy in Indonesia? The research is mostly qualitative and done through field experience, interviews, and data collection. It is concluded that radical madrasahs are not the main generators of Islamization, but instead the widespread prevalence of moderate Islamic schools are Islamizing Indonesian society and politics. The government began the “mainstreaming” of Islamic elementary and secondary schools, most of which are private, in 1975. This has continued and grown, making them popular options for education today. The government has more recently been increasing the role of state run Islamic universities by expanding their degree offerings to include many non- Islamic disciplines. The use of Islamic schools to educate Indonesians is due to the lack of development of secular public schools and high informal fees charged for the public schools. By making Islamic schools an attractive option that prepares students for success, society has been Islamized slowly as the number of alumni increases and as these alumni play leadership roles in society, business, and government. This Islamization is not of a radical nature, but it is resulting in more Islamic focused public discourse and governing policy, and low levels of tolerance for other faiths and variant Muslim practices.
    [Show full text]
  • Download Article (PDF)
    Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, volume 329 4th International Conference on Contemporary Education, Social Sciences and Humanities (ICCESSH 2019) Political Philosophy of Al-Ghazali* Nur Kirabaev Maythem Al-Janabi Department of History of Philosophy Department of History of Philosophy Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia Moscow, Russia Moscow, Russia E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] Abstract—The article is dedicated to the major issues of the embodiment in the spirit and way of Sufism, so cherished by political philosophy of the prominent medieval philosopher of al-Ghazali. His political philosophy had changed and formed the Muslim East al-Ghazali (1058 - 1111). It is exactly the under these complex processes. consideration of both the historical circumstances and political practice of the state (Caliphate / Imamate) of his days that An analysis of his works on socio-philosophical and allowed al-Ghazali to re-examine the traditional Sunni dogma political issues shows that he allowed himself moderate of combining the authority and power, and to take a different freedom of thought yet within the framework of the Sunni look at the nature of the state in his teaching about the tradition. His position is that of a rational jurist and moralist Imamate, which differed both from the model found during the who well understood Islam being both spiritual and worldly, reign of the Prophet and the Rashidun Caliphs, and from al- for all Muslim movements were as well political ones, be it Ghazali’s predecessors and contemporaries among the fuqaha Kalām, fiqh, or philosophy of Sufism.
    [Show full text]
  • Following Madhhab Fiqh) According to Sa'id Ramadhan Al-Buthi
    THE CONCEPT OF TAMADHHUB (FOLLOWING MADHHAB FIQH) ACCORDING TO SA'ID RAMADHAN AL-BUTHI Muhammad Andrie Bagia' e-mail: m.andriebagia@gmail .com Abstrak Pada umumnya, pandangan para ulama mengenai ibadah menggunakan fiqh di kalangan umat Islam ter bagi menjadi dua. Sebagian ulama menganggap umat Islam awam harus bertakl id kepada Imam Madhhab . Sebagian ulama me larang ha l itu dan mewajibkan setiap muslim untuk be rijtihad sendiri . Salah seorang ulama kontem- porer , Sa 'Id Ramaan al-Buml mempunyai penjelasan lengkap akan masalah tersebut. Argumentasinya banyak ter tulis da lam buku-buku dan program telev isinya yang menjadi rujukan umat Islam dunia. Menurut al-Bumi, tamadhhub adalah se su atu yang dibo lehkan secara ijma' ulama . Ini karena tidak setiap muslim memiliki kemamp uan untuk berijtihad terhadap permasalahan yang ia hadapi . Maka masalah in i bisa dipercaya kan kepada Imam ber kualifikasi yang memi liki otoritas un tuk mencari hukum yang benar dari permasalah tersebu t. M aka tidak ada kewajiban bag i Musl im awam terseb ut kecuali mengikut i pe ndapa t s ang Imam. Bagaima napun, mas ih ban yak golongan ya ng t er lalu fanatik dan me larang prak rik ber mad hh ab, meng angg apnya seba gai bid ' a h yang se sat. Padahal in i buka n waktu nya un tuk saling menyal ahka n, tapi s ekarang a dalah w aktu ny a uma t Isla m untuk b er satu dan b erjal an b ers ama, mel awan s eti ap m asalah sebenarnya yang d atan g dar i luar, dan s ang at berbah aya jika d iab aik an.
    [Show full text]
  • Ghazali and His Theory of Government
    Ghazali and His Theory of Government by Khoiruddin Nasution Khoiruddin Nasution. adalah Alumnus Fak. Syari'ah IAIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta (89/90) dan diangkat sebagaltenagapengajarpadaalmamaternya. Dansejak tahun 1993iamengikuttProgramMasfertentangIslamic Studies di MC GillUniversityMontreal, Canada. Introduction government, and the last-part comprises In his article, Islamic Concept the conclusion., of State, Nasim .Hasan Shah stkes that there are many foims ofan Islamic state,, Al-Ghazali's Life and Works. and every period Muslim comunity Abu Hamid Muhammad al-GazaT discreate most suitable form to their w^s bom in Tiis,^ a town near modem demands, and the most consonant with the Meshhed in northeast Iran, in 1058/450 spirit of the Shari'a.^ That is probably A.H. Almost since his lifetime, there has why muslim*thinkers both the earlier and been a debate on whether his nisba the present period have expressed ideas (relative name), should be considered to about Authority in Islam as a dogmatic be al-GhazaT or GazzaT. The former approach. This is greatly different from al- would relateto village or womancalled al- Mawardi's administrative approach, Ibn GazaT, while the latter relate to. the Khaldun's sociological approach and al- profession ofthespirmer or seller of spun Farabi's philospohical approaches.^ yam (ghazzal). But there is no certainty This paper will discuss al-GhazaT's about the ancestor who was a spinner, theory of Islamic government. Before since he had a grand-uncle (or less discussing this subject, it is necessary to probably an uncle), who was also called understand al-GhazaT and his works so al-GhazaT, mid the village or woman is we are able to understand his theory otherwi^ unknowa'^ better.
    [Show full text]
  • Islamic Religious Schools, Madrasas: Background
    Order Code RS21654 Updated January 23, 2008 Islamic Religious Schools, Madrasas: Background Christopher M. Blanchard Analyst in Middle Eastern Affairs Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division Summary Since the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, the Islamic religious schools known as madrasas (or madrassahs) in the Middle East, Central, and Southeast Asia have been of increasing interest to U.S. policy makers. Some allege ties between madrasas and terrorist organizations, such as Al Qaeda, and assert that these religious schools promote Islamic extremism and militancy. Others maintain that most madrasas have been blamed unfairly for fostering anti-Americanism and for producing terrorists. This report provides an overview of madrasas, their role in the Muslim world, and issues related to their alleged links to terrorism. The report also addresses the findings of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (the “9/11 Commission”) and issues relevant to the second session of the 110th Congress. Related products include CRS Report RS22009, CRS Report RL33533, CRS Report RL32499, CRS Report RS21695, CRS Report RS21457, CRS Report RL32259, and CRS Report RS21432. This report will be updated periodically. Overview Since the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, the Islamic schools known as madrasas have been of increasing interest to analysts and to officials involved in formulating U.S. foreign policy toward the Middle East, Central Asia, and Southeast Asia. Madrasas drew added attention when it became known that several Taliban leaders and Al Qaeda members had developed radical political views at madrasas in Pakistan, some of which allegedly were built and partially financed by donors in the Persian Gulf states.
    [Show full text]
  • The Education of Indonesian Shi'i Ustadhs
    > IIAS research Seeking knowledge unto Qum: The education of Indonesian Shi’i ustadhs Much attention has been paid to Malay-Indonesian students studying at Al-Azhar in Cairo, which has become an important centre of Islamic learning for Sunnis throughout the world. Indonesia’s minority Shi’i, meanwhile, have flocked to the so-called hawza ‘ilmiyya (colleges of Islamic learning) of Qum, Iran. Zulkifli sentatives Ayatollah Ibrahim Amini, influential, and the modern system. The Indonesians, are provided with this Indonesian students who have come to Ayatollah Masduqi, and Hujjat al-Islam traditional system’s curriculum includes modern type of programme. Iran attended Madrasa Hujjatiyya, ince the Iranian revolution of 1978- Mahmudi to Indonesia. Among their both transmitted and intellectual reli- including the presently prominent Shi’i S1979, Indonesia’s Shi’i minority has activities was a visit to YAPI (Yayasan gious sciences. Each subject has its own The Islamic Republic of Iran has made ustadh Husein Shahab, who was trans- grown. An increasing number of Pesantren Islam, the Foundation of standard texts (Nasr 1987: 165-182), educational innovations in Qum’s ferred to this madrasa after he had stud- Indonesian students pursue their Islam- Islamic Education) of Bangil, East Java, which are studied in halaqat (study cir- hawza ‘ilmiyya through the above-men- ied for two years at the Dar al-Tabligh. ic studies in the hawza ‘ilmiyya of Qum, where they met with its leader, Husein cles) under an ayatollah’s supervision. tioned ICIS, which coordinates pro- Unlike Dar al-Tabligh, the Madrasa Huj- the most prominent centre of Shi’i Al-Habsyi (1921-1994), who became the The educational programme is com- grammes for foreign students, assigns jatiyya follows the traditional system of Islamic education in the world.
    [Show full text]
  • Islam in Modern South Asia: Continuity and Change Since the Early Twentieth Century Muhammad Qasim Zaman Princeton University December, 2016
    Key Issues in Religion and World Affairs Islam in Modern South Asia: Continuity and Change since the Early Twentieth Century Muhammad Qasim Zaman Princeton University December, 2016 Muhammad Qasim Zaman is a faculty South Asia (postcolonial India, Pakistan, and member in Near East Studies and Religion at Princeton University. He has Bangladesh) is home to almost a third of the written on the relationship between Muslim population worldwide. After Indonesia, religious and political institutions in Pakistan today is the second most populous medieval and modern Islam, on social Muslim country in the world. What are the and legal thought in the modern Muslim directions in which some of the major Islamic world, on institutions and traditions of learning in Islam, and on the flow of trends have evolved in this region since the ideas between South Asia and the Arab beginning of the twentieth century? Somewhat Middle East. He is the author of Religion more specifically, how has the religious and Politics under the Early landscape changed in Pakistan since its Abbasids (1997), The Ulama in inception, in 1947, as the first state in the Contemporary Islam: Custodians of Change (2002), Ashraf Ali Thanawi: modern world to have been established in the Islam in Modern South Asia (2008), name of Islam? These are the questions I and Modern Islamic Thought in a Radical propose to briefly address here. I begin, Age: Religious Authority and Internal however, with some illustrations of what has not Criticism (2012). With Robert W. Hefner, changed very much in this landscape. he is also the co-editor of Schooling Islam: The Culture and Politics of Modern Muslim Education (2007); with Roxanne In mid-1960, with Ayub Khan (president, 1958- L.
    [Show full text]
  • Chapter 11 Reading Quiz Answers 1
    AP World History Chapter 11 Reading Quiz Answers 1. What distinguished the first centuries of Islamic history form the early history of Christianity and Buddhism? a. Islam differed sharply from Christianity and Buddhism because its founder was not only a religious figure but also a political and military leader. b. Moreover, from the start the Islamic community found itself constituted as a state. Because of this, Islam did not develop as clearly defined a separation between church and state as did both Christianity and Buddhism. 2. How might you account for the immense religious and political/military success of Islam in its early centuries? a. For the first time a shared faith in Islam allowed the newly organized state to mobilize the military potential of the entire Arab population. b. The Byzantine and Persian empires were weakened by decades of war with each other and by internal revolts. The 2 empires also underestimated the Arab threat. c. Merchant leaders of the new Islamic community wanted to capture profitable trade routes and wealthy agricultural regions. d. Individual Arabs found in military expansion a route to wealth and social promotion. e. Expansion provided a common task for the Arab Community, which reinforced the fragile unity of the Islamic umma. f. Arabs were motivated by a religious dimension, as many viewed the mission of empire in terms of jihad, bringing righteous government to the peoples they conquered. g. Islam experienced success in attracting converts: Muhammad’s religious message was attractive to many, while Jews, Christians, and Zoroastrians could find familiar elements of their own faiths in Islam.
    [Show full text]
  • Female 'Ulama in West Yorkshire
    Female ‘Ulama in West Yorkshire How and to what extent do they engage with Muslim communities? Seherish Abrar School of History, Archaeology and Religion MA Islam in Contemporary Britain Supervisor: Dr Mansur Ali Word count: 17846 Seherish Abrar c1872412 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful I would firstly like to express my appreciation to my supervisor, Dr Mansur Ali for his guidance. Also, I want to thank my friends for their invaluable support and encouragement throughout this year. Without your help I would not have made it. Finally, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to Mr Jameel for giving me this opportunity. 2 Seherish Abrar c1872412 Abstract Religious authority and leadership have always been central to Islam. Discussions about who is entitled to be regarded as a religious authority have been ongoing since the years following the demise of the Prophet Muhammad. The ‘Ulama have often been charged with guiding Muslim communities through offering guidance on religious matters. Historically, women have participated in these debates and have made significant contributions to the Islamic intellectual tradition. However, in more recent times their visibility as authoritative leaders has dropped. This study analyses the authority of female ‘Ulama in West Yorkshire by looking at their interactions with Muslims. The findings of this research are the result of in-depth interviews that touch upon the perception of female scholars by Muslim communities as well as their reflections on being Alimahs. Through exploring the experiences of female scholars, this research endeavours to highlight the factors affecting religious authority among women.
    [Show full text]
  • Naqshbandi Sufi, Persian Poet
    ABD AL-RAHMAN JAMI: “NAQSHBANDI SUFI, PERSIAN POET A Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement for The Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of the Ohio State University By Farah Fatima Golparvaran Shadchehr, M.A. The Ohio State University 2008 Approved by Professor Stephen Dale, Advisor Professor Dick Davis Professor Joseph Zeidan ____________________ Advisor Graduate Program in History Copyright by Farah Shadchehr 2008 ABSTRACT The era of the Timurids, the dynasty that ruled Transoxiana, Iran, and Afghanistan from 1370 to 1506 had a profound cultural and artistic impact on the history of Central Asia, the Ottoman Empire, and Mughal India in the early modern era. While Timurid fine art such as miniature painting has been extensively studied, the literary production of the era has not been fully explored. Abd al-Rahman Jami (817/1414- 898/1492), the most renowned poet of the Timurids, is among those Timurid poets who have not been methodically studied in Iran and the West. Although, Jami was recognized by his contemporaries as a major authority in several disciplines, such as science, philosophy, astronomy, music, art, and most important of all poetry, he has yet not been entirely acknowledged in the post Timurid era. This dissertation highlights the significant contribution of Jami, the great poet and Sufi thinker of the fifteenth century, who is regarded as the last great classical poet of Persian literature. It discusses his influence on Persian literature, his central role in the Naqshbandi Order, and his input in clarifying Ibn Arabi's thought. Jami spent most of his life in Herat, the main center for artistic ability and aptitude in the fifteenth century; the city where Jami grew up, studied, flourished and produced a variety of prose and poetry.
    [Show full text]
  • Religion and State in Late Mughal India: the Official Status of the Fatawa Alamgiri
    Religion and State in Late Mughal India: The Official Status of the Fatawa Alamgiri Dr. Muhammad Khalid Masud* Following the advent of the phenomenon of the nation-state in modern Muslim countries, the issue of the relationship between the state and religion assumed great significance. Islamic scholars have differed over the scope of this relationship, and a key factor underpinning this inquiry has been different interpretations of the various schools of Islamic law. In this regard, the Hanafi school, due to its wide following, has been the center of attention of Islamic scholars since long. This article examines the Fatawa Alamgiri, a compilation of authoritative Hanafi doctrines, with respect to the meaning of the official recognition of the Hanafi school and the relationship between the state and madhhab (school). The meaning of official recognition is explored in the context of personal madhhab of the kings, royal patronage of madhhab, madhhab as a source of legislation, requirements for judges to interpret madhhab, and prevalence of madhhab among the masses. This article concludes that official recognition of madhhab cannot be obtained only on the basis of the evidence of personal adoption of madhhab by kings, its royal patronage, and its prevalence among the masses. In fact, official recognition is obtained when a madhhab becomes the exclusive source of legislation in the state, and judges are required to adhere to it exclusively. In this sense the Hanafi madhhab was never recognized as an official madhhab in pre-colonial India. 1. Introduction The formation of the nation-state in modern Muslim countries raised some important questions about the place of Islamic law in the structure of the state.
    [Show full text]