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Purpose This study aims to demonstrate al-Biruni’s originality in the study of religion and the exploration of religious truth, while his firm stance on his religion effectively advocated his need to understand others more accurately. Design/methodology/approach This study is a review of al-Biruni’s literature that uses content analysis method in establishing al-Biruni’s approach in understanding other religions through three main methodologies. From these approaches, this paper advocates al-Biruni’s firm stance toward his own faith despite using a scientific study on Hindu, which is in contrary to other phenomenological scholars who find that religious truth is relative in nature. Findings Al-Biruni’s methods have proven that researchers are not necessarily required to dispose off their religious identity and commitment to faith, while simultaneously achieving objectivity and accuracy. Al-Biruni’s approach to understanding others may be seen as a remarkable early model of interfaith, intercultural and inter-civilizational dialogue seeking, eventually, to promote a harmonious co-existence within a highly polarized cultural and religious context. This inquiry demonstrates al-Biruni’s scholarly depth in his attempt to harmonize his methodology with the study of religious phenomena in compliance with Islam. Originality/value This study signifies al-Biruni’s intellectual background with his mastery of first-hand information as a solid basis and grounds for the effective understanding of others in a descriptive, systematic and comparative manner. This paper also signifies al-Biruni’s methods of understanding others without having to dispose off one’s religious identity and commitment to faith which could be exemplified by other religious scholars.

Purpose The purpose of this research is to analyze the motivation behind the hijab behavior in a multicultural environment of Malaysia; it is a religious obligation or fashion behavior. In an analytic thinking of motivation in influencing women in wearing a hijab, learning from the social environment on religious obligation and fashion in hijab has been discussed. Design/methodology/approach Quantitative analysis has been conducted for 100 hijab-wearing female students in the University of Malaya. Findings The findings were tabulated and the outcomes proved that most of the women took the hijab as a religious obligation instead of fashion motivation. Muslim women are still taking on the religious obligation in styling up the hijab. Modification in the hijab can be accepted in Malaysia, but the substantial design to wear the hijab is an obligation. Originality/value This study exclusively discusses the hijab as fashion and religious obligation within the context of Malaysia.

Fadila Grine, Ouassila Khezzar İbn Haldun’un düşünceleri hem Arap dünyasında, hem de Batı’da fikri tartışmalar yaratmaya devam etmektedir. İbn Haldun’un devlet kavramı, yönetimin temelleri, devletin yükselmesinin ve çöküşünün dâhili nedenleri hakkındaki görüşleri, Arap toplumunun bugünkü ve gelecekteki emarelerini ziyadesiyle taşımaktadır. İbn Haldun devletin gerilemesinin kesin sebebi olarak daha çok iç amillerle alâkadar olmuştur. Bununla birlikte, devletin zayıflamasında yabancı istilaların ve harici faktörlerin etkisini de kabul etmektedir. Öte yandan, İbn Haldun dış taarruzların ancak toplumdaki parçalanma belli bir seviyeye ulaştıktan sonra etkili olduğuna inanmaktadır. Başka bir deyişle, asabiyet anlayışının sosyal ve siyasi güçleri bir araya getirmekte zorlandığı veya harici saldırılara karşı bu güçleri harekete geçiremediği durumlarda harici saldırılar devletin zayıflamasında müessirdirler. Abdullah Şerit’e göre, günümüz Arap toplumunun sosyal, siyasi ve kültürel bakımdan eleştirel değerlendirmesi; İbn Haldun’un devrinden bu yana değişen çok bir şey olmadığını ve Mukaddime’de yaptığı teşhislerin günümüzde de geçerli olduğunu göstermektedir. Asabiyet halen Arap toplumlarının temelidir ve siyasi otorite uğruna mücadele hâkim davranış kalıbıdır. Arap toplumları milliyetçiliğe yönelmişlerdir ancak bu alanda başarısız olmaları keskin bir şekilde asabiyeti yeniden diriltmişti. Bu durum, daha evvel İbn Haldun tarafından öne sürülen kavramların ne kadar önemli ve kayda değer olduğunu açıklamaktadır. Şerit, İbn Haldun’un ortaya koyduğu anlayışın bugünkü Arap devletlerinin ihtiyaçlarına cevap verebilir nitelikte olduğuna inanmaktadır. Ayrıca günümüz çatışmaları açısından İbn Haldun’un fikirlerinin hayati bir önem kazandığını düşünmektedir. Bu bağlamda bu çalışmanın amacı, Şerit’e göre İbn Haldun’un bilhassa siyaset düşüncesinin günümüze uygun olduğunun göstergelerinin ve emarelerinin ortaya çıkarılmasıdır. Ayrıca bu çalışma Arap ülkelerindeki güncel sosyo-politik değişimlerin ışığında İbn Haldun’un siyaset düşüncesinin uygulanabilirliğini değerlendirmektedir. Şerit yaptığı çalışmalarla Arap toplumunun bugünkü şartlarının yorumlanmasında ve anlaşılmasında İbn Haldun’nun görüşlerinden yararlanılabileceğini vurgulamaktadır. Bu bağlamda, bu makale günümüz ile ilgili dersler çıkarmayı hedeflemektedir. The thought of Ibn Khaldun’s thought continues to generate highly intellectual debate in the Arab and Western world. His thought on the state and the foundations of government, as well as the factors inherent within their rise and collapse are highly reflective of some of the contemporary and future tracks of Arab society. Ibn Khaldun was greatly intrigued and interested in internal factors as being the most decisive reasons of decline, while nonetheless acknowledging the impact of foreign invasions and externalities on the decline of states. He holds however that foreign invasion is only effective to the degree of disintegration reached by society, or alternatively where it is difficult for the sense of ‘Asabiyyah to unite existing social and political powers, or consequently fails to awaken those forces in the face of external aggression. The critical evaluation of the contemporary socio-politico-cultural context of Arab societies in accordance with Abdallah Sharīṭ’s probes show little change since Ibn Khaldun’s times, and are no different from what is found in his own diagnosis within the Muqaddimah. Arab societies are still based on Asabiyyah, and the struggle for political authority continues to be their governing pattern. Though they made inroads towards nationalism; their failure sharply revived the aforementioned Asabiyyah. explains and highlights the relevance and credibility of concepts raised earlier by Ibn Khaldun. Sharīṭ is of firm belief that the insight offered by Ibn Khaldun can meet the dire needs of present-day Arab states. Within this context, Sharīṭ finds that the ideas of Ibn Khaldun have become critically relevant to the existing conflict.This inquiry seeks to explore the manifestations of and implications of Ibn Khaldun’s relevance to the present-day according to Sharīṭ, especially regarding the pertinence of his political thought. This study also assesses the relevance of Ibn Khaldun’s political thought in light of contemporary socio-political changes taking place in Arab countries. This study intends to derive relevant lessons pertinent to our times; precisely on what Sharīṭ attempted to do in his study of Ibn Khaldun, specifically seeking to emphasize Ibn Khaldun’s relevance to the interpretation and understanding of contemporary Arab conditions.

A number of studies show that, in Malaysia, women continue to make significant contributions to the country’s economic and social development. Moreover, women’s access to health and education has increased rapidly over the years. However, some studies claim that socio-economic discrimination against Muslim women persists. Although several factors contribute to this discrimination, fatwas (a legal opinion of Muslim jurists on Muslim affairs) are accused of discriminating against Muslim women in Malaysia such as prohibiting the appointment of female judges in shariah courts, employment of women for night shifts i.e. in the electronic factories, police force, and hospitals. Women’s socio-economic participation is important as it empowers them and creates gender equality. This paper reviews 16 fatwas on five topics relevant to women’s socio-economic participation in Malaysia issued by 11 state muftis (who issue fatwa) during the period of 1970 to 2012 in order to realize whether they hamper their participation. Using a qualitative content analysis approach, this paper concludes that fatwas had neither affected their socio-economic participation nor shaped their life negatively. This paper is hoped to positively shape the society’s impression of fatwas and help Muslim women in Malaysia abide to Islamic teachings by realizing the good impacts of fatwas issued. Keywords: Fatwa, Muslim, women, socio-economic participation, Malaysia. Cite as: Mohammad Monawer, A. T., Grine, F., Abdullah, M. F., & Mohd Nor, M. R. (2019). Do fatwas hamper Muslim women’s socio-economic participation in Malaysia? Journal of Nusantara Studies, 4(1), 232-245. http://dx.doi.org/10.24200/jonus.vol4iss1pp232-245