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This paper provides a brief review of Islamic education in Russia from the tenth century until modern times based on the analysis of primary and secondary sources. The first part of the paper examines the role of Islam in Russian history and suggests that Islam played an important role in building what today is called the Russian civilisation. It also reviews the historical, educational system in the region and indicates that the Volga-Urals region was the centre of Islamic education and civilisation in the Muslim world for at least five centuries until Tsarist Russia colonised the area in the sixteenth century. The second part of the paper briefly elaborates on the educational reforms and provides an overview of Islamic periodicals published at the beginning of the twentieth century in Russia. The final part of the paper focuses on the status of Islamic education in modern Russia and suggests that the decade of absolute religious freedom enabled the mushrooming of Islamic madrasahs and various kinds of religious literature. As this study finds, the restrictions on Islamic literature and activities mainly proliferated after the tragedy of September 11, 2001, and they affected the well-being and security of local Muslims. Thus, this paper recommends a review of the Extremism Law of 2002 in light of basic human rights for faith and education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Islamic insurance, hereafter referred to as takaful, is established on the concept of mutual assistance and mutual assurance between participating members who undertake to mutually guarantee and indemnify one another in case of a particular defined event. This concept has been widely used to structure various takaful products, ranging from general to family takaful, with features that resemble most of the features of conventional insurance. Nevertheless, the fact remains that not all conventional product features can be easily adopted and offered by takaful operators (TOs). This is evident in the absence of a Shari'ah-compliant model for retirement annuity plans with defined benefit features in the Malaysian takaful industry. This is despite its important features of providing security and peace of mind to the participants during their retirement years. The present study proposes the application of a hibah mu'allaqah (conditional gift) contract structured together with a wakalah (agency) contract for a Shari'ah-compliant retirement annuity plan. The study also identifies several potential Shari'ah issues and operational challenges entangling the proposed model. The study concludes with a set of policy recommendations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Earning a living is considered essential for every human being. The nature of life in this world is based on acquisition and effort; nothing can be obtained miraculously, without effort. God created human beings for a purpose, which is explicated by the ShariÒah. This paper aims to delineate the opinions of Imam Muhammad Shaybani on the earning of wealth, including what should be earned, what the ethics of earning are, and what is the tradition of the prophets concerning the acquisition of a livelihood. The paper highlights the importance of earning, how it maintains one's dignity and brings success in this world and in the hereafter. Finally, the paper affirms that social development can be achieved through earning by knowing what should be kept by those who earn and what should be given by them to the needy. This research is based on a critical and analytical approach to the aforementioned issues in Shaybani's work. Its approach differs from Adi, who only translated al-Kasb, with annotations on important issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Statistics as a modern discipline has emerged and developed as part of the development of scientific inquiry. While Islamic civilisation has contributed to many key areas of modern knowledge, statistics is one area that has rarely been explored in this context. This paper examines the concept of statistics in Islamic scriptures, particularly the Qur'an, and how the concept has evolved in the history of Islamic civilisation. Evidence presented in the paper sheds important light on how close the modern concept of statistics is to the term al-ihsa' in the Qur'an. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Building Arabic curricula for non-Arabic learners is problematic due to the specificity of the Arabic language. This problem is exacerbated by the existence of a subclass of Arabic learners who do not truly fit into any of the normative classifications of language learners. Non-Arab learners are unable to cope with curricula designed for Arab-background heritage learners. Consequently, teachers of Muslim children in Islamic schools in English-speaking contexts are designing Arabic curricula without adequate training or support. It has, therefore, become a necessity to develop a curriculum framework that responds to the needs of Muslim learners of Arabic in Western Islamic settings. As Islamic civilisation presented a body of robust educational thought and led to one of the earliest Arabic literacy campaigns, it is imperative that Arabic curriculum writers look to it for guidance. Therefore, this paper considers one of the earliest iterations of an Arabic curriculum presented in Kitab Adab al-MuÑallimin (The Book of Teachers' Ethics) by Ibn Sahnun (817 - 870 CE). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article provides an analysis of enhanced life expectancy during the golden age of Islamic civilisation. Topics discussed include Islamic teachings emphasising good health and hygiene, Prophet's practice and teaching of regularly bathing, Islamic values that are conducive towards longevity such as taking exercise and avoiding excessive food consumption, and lowest life expectancies among Muslim majority countries including Afghanistan and Nigeria.

Every given civilisation has foundations on which it rises. These foundations form the way of thinking for the people to whom that civilisation belongs, and define the scope within which they operate. The foundations differ from one civilisation to another; they may be a revelation, a divine or civil law, or customs and or norms that prevailed in a given society. Islamic civilisation sprung from the original Islamic sources, namely the Qur'an and the prophetic tradition. However, Arabic literature is seen as one of the additional foundations that have played a pivotal role in the rise of this civilisation, as well as in its development and flourishing. The purpose of this paper is to study critically some characteristic view-points of the relationship between Arabic literature and Islamic civilisation and to demonstrate the role Arabic language has played in the rise of this civilisation through its important periods. The outcome of this study will interpret Arabic literature as reflecting virtues and values, as revealing the ethos of different cultures of the Islamic civilisation, the processes of its rise and certain types of social facts. It will also illustrate the significance of teaching Arabic literature in the present day education, for it allows us to reach the heart of the Islamic civilisation through its literary, philosophical and political texts, along with its historical context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) came into existence at the end of the 20th century during the Cold War, a period that also witnessed concerns among many Western intellectuals about the decline of the West. By the end of the century and the collapse of the former Soviet Union, the "clash of civilizations" thesis had placed Islamic civilisation at the center of international politics, once again raising questions about world peace and coexistence between civilisations. Could Islamic civilisation as represented by the OIC play a role at this juncture of history? Does it possess the capacity and know-how to meet this challenge? Such questions relate also to ideas of worldview: the Renaissance worldview of the West may be seen to have been tainted by Darwinism and Freudianism while the Islamic worldview appears corrupted by extremism. Can the OIC revive the universal Islamic values such as those upheld by Muhammad Iqbal - the 20th century student of Rumi? Can it do so in the context of tumultuous intra-Muslim relations? These questions frame our discussion in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article advances the argument that Islamic law, more than a mere legal system, represents a legal tradition. A legal tradition stands at the heart of civilisations generally, and Islamic civilisation particularly. Constitutional design in Muslim states must have this backdrop in mind because modern constitutionalism is typically carried out within the framework of modern nation-states, instead of civilisations. The danger then is that the constitution may end up as a kind of "fiat constitution". By excavating the historical and philosophical foundations of the modern constitution, the article then shows that the very idea of constitutionalism itself actually accommodates the idea of legal tradition, but unfortunately in practice, it is often ignored when designing the constitution of Muslim states. The article also identifies six core constitutional fault lines of contemporary Islamic civilisation, areas which are most vulnerable to conflicts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses renewal of Islamic civilisation and two principles or axes of faith of Islam which is the Qur'an and the Divine and the Prophet and the human. Topics include prophetic role model, consequences of ignorance of prophetic mission, and experiencing spiritual transformation and Divine revelation within oneself.

The basic theme of this article is that civilisational renewal is an integral part of Islamic thought. The article looks into the meaning, definition and origins of tajdīd, islāh and their relationship with ijtihād, and how these have been manifested in the writings and contributions of the thought leaders of Islam throughout its history. The article develops tajdīd-related formulas and guidelines that should lead the efforts of contemporary Muslims in articulating the objectives of inter-civilisational harmony and their cooperation for the common good. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the origin of ḥaḍārah or civilizations and offers insights by various scholars on Islamic civilization. Topics include ḥaḍārah denoting urbanity in early Islam, description of civilization as economic and technical progress by scholar Malik Bennabi, views of Islamic theologian Yūsuf al-Qaraḍāwī' on ummah and civilization, and historian Ibn Khaldūn's insight on religion and civilization.

The Islamic or Muslim civilisation was once at an incomparable peak in terms of all possible indicators of development. But a destruction of the spirit of inquiry and original research so distinctly associated with civilisational development served to sow the seeds of decay and render it easy prey for colonial exploitation. Confronted with a world dominated by Western science and technology, Muslim scholars have been searching for ways to regain their freedom, control their collective lives and link their past to the future. Some opted for a "secularisation thesis", others advocated liberalisation, still others advocated adoption of science since the Qur'an and science could be seen to complement each other. Seyyed Hossein Nasr asks for the revival of Islamic science. Through a textual analysis of his writings, this study shows that Nasr provides a critique of the Western science and technology, while urging Muslims to study it in depth in order to undertake an authentic critique and to develop a new paradigm to usher in the new golden days of Islam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ibn Khaldūn's theory of the rise and decline of states, and the key concept of social solidarity, 'asạ bīya, provides rich source material for elaborating normative or prescriptive discussions on the nature of a good polity or civilised society. This renders him extremely relevant to the study of modern societies, even those that lack the nomadic-sedentary dynamic that furnished the material for Ibn Khaldūn's original science of human society. Ibn Khaldūn's concepts of authority are of great relevance to the modern Muslim world, not least because of the prevalence today of mulk tabī'ī or unbridled kingship in Muslim realms. In line with his overall science of human society was his interest in the relationship between education and society. The relevance of his outlook on education lies more in the area of the philosophy of education and displays timeless and universal applicability. Ibn Khaldūn covered the proper methods of teaching and learning and discussed learning capacity, memorisation, curriculum, teacher strictness and the breadth and depth of education. The madīna, the form of social organisation which he saw all around him, was not all bad, in his view, but there was an inevitable movement towards degeneration and decay. In the early stages of the up cycle, the madīna displayed numerous political, economic and social dimensions that are worthy of emulation, and Ibn Khaldūn expounds on these in his discussions of the nature of authority, the role of the government in the economy, and the nature of education. Life in the madīna is founded on certain universal values such as the rule of law, justice, accountability, responsibility, and the quest for knowledge and truth. Unfortunately such values do not inform many modern societies of the Muslim world today and should be given more emphasis in our discussions on civilisational renewal. At the heart of the problem is perhaps education. Ibn Khaldūn's reflections on education take into account politics, language, city life and social class. He also dealt with the methods and procedures of education and can be seen to be an innovator in pedagogy. For Ibn Khaldūn, the way to the good madīna is through an holistic education that produces not just competent but moral individuals. This view implies an entire corpus of practical recommendations in the educational realm in Muslim nations today. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main aim of this article is to discuss the meaning and characteristics of Islamic civilisation and its global presence, particularly in the field of knowledge culture. Since both terms have been contested in contemporary scholarship to the point of their critics denying epistemic legitimacy to the concept of Islamic civilisation itself, the article devotes a lengthy discussion to defending its continuing validity and legitimacy. The most serious challenge comes from the concept of world-system developed by a number of Western thinkers, especially Immanuel Wallerstein. The article also explains the meaning of a civilisation's global presence, which it argues exists at three different levels, namely territorial presence, cultural presence, and intellectual-spiritual presence. It argues that in the case of Islamic civilisation, its global presence exists at all the three levels. Since knowledge culture is presented as the very heart of Islamic civilisation given the fact that Islam claims to be the religion of knowledge, the article provides an introductory discussion of some important aspects of knowledge culture originating from Islamic civilisation that have become accepted through the West as integral parts of our common modern civilisation. The article concludes with suggestions for further studies and research on the theme of Islamic civilisation's global presence but from new perspectives in the light of new realities in intercultural and inter-civilisational relations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses various reports within the issue on topics including Islamic civilization, Islamic law in Malaysia, and relation between Arabic literature and scientific advancement.

Information discussed at the First World Congress on Integration and Islamicisation of Acquired Human Knowledge (FWCII 2013) held on August 23-25, 2013 at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia is presented. Topics include alternative paradigm of Tawhid, Islamisation of human knowledge, and reconstruction of Muslim civilisation.

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses various reports within the issue on topics including renewal of Islamic civilisation, Muslims and modernity and Islamicisation of knowledge.

Information discussed at the 10th International Said Nursi symposium held on September 22-24, 2013 in Turkey organized by the Istanbul Foundation for Science and Culture is presented. Topics include the prophetic guidance for civilisational and ethical enhancement from the Turkish reformist Bediuzzaman Said Nursi and his Qur'an Risale-iNur interpretation.