2009 marked the bicentennial of Charles Darwin’s birth and the 150th anniversary of "On the Origin of the Species". Much has been written about the creationist views of fundamentalist Christians but relatively little about the creationist views of Muslims. The general aim of this study is to gain some insight into the worldview of British Muslims and the manner in which this informs the creation-evolution debate. Using semi-structured interviews, 25 (of whom 9 were females and 3 imams) candidates were interviewed between March and August, 2011. All interviewees had completed their GCSEs in the UK, and the majority were university graduates (17) based in London. The responses were considered in light of the theory of evolution as taught in Key Stage 4. The responses show a remarkable degree of uniformity despite differences in ethnicity and education. 24 of the 25 respondents rejected the theory of evolution as a scientific theory. 17 individuals wished to see the cessation of the teaching of evolution in schools. Responses reveal some trepidation to the effect that Muslim children are deliberately targeted at a tender age to counter the creationist teachings inculcated at home. One of the main objections to the theory of evolution was their understanding of the word "theory". Their responses indicated that theory meant no more than conjecture. Emboldened by such an understanding, they felt strongly that creationism ought also to be presented as an alternative and competing theory in the science classroom. Furthermore, responses indicated a general dissatisfaction with the quality of teaching on the theory of evolution in schools. The interviewees alleged that the teaching was instrumentally tailored to meeting the syllabus stipulations and passing exams, but failed to grapple with ambivalent or dissident views. To their mind, variation and adaptation are integral to the process of evolution, but did not lead to speciation. The majority of the respondents saw a link between evolution and atheism. Statements made by high-profile scientists such as Dawkins confirm such assumptions, in their view.

Environmental Ethics is considered as a discipline of knowledge rather than just an ethical perspective related to environmental issues. Since it is a relatively new discipline, however, most of its scholars are inclined to focus on the theoretical part, while the practical part only really came to the fore after the Brundtland Report in 1987. Therefore, one of the ways to understand the practical dimension of Environmental Ethics is by exploring the concept of Sustainable Development. In the context of this research, sustainable forestry has been chosen to illustrate in more detail the concept of Sustainable Development, which indirectly will represent the practical dimension of Environmental Ethics. The practice of sustainable forestry presents a good model for the contribution of religions in turning the theory of Environmental Ethics into practice. In this regard, the discourse on Islamic Environmental Ethics also needs to be extended by discussion of the practical dimension. As regards the concept of Sustainable Development, the practice of Harim and Himä has been chosen as a case study because of its great similarity to the practice of sustainable forestry. The analysis of the practice of Harim and Himä discloses two approaches to practising Islamic Environmental Ethics: the assimilation of substantive Shari'ah laws into environmental regulations and the application of Usul al-Fiqh to environmental policy and management. Therefore, the practice of Harim and Himä ratifies the potency of applying Islamic principles to contemporary environmental issues and provides a clear approach to turning the theory of Islamic Environmental Ethics into practice

With the fall of the Islamic khilafah in 1924, many Islamic scholars realised there was an urgent need to reinstall the Islamic Khilafah. Thus political thought in Islam rose to prominence among some scholars. Consequently, many Islamic political and religious movements re-emerged in the Muslim world with the aim of establishing Islamic rule in Muslim countries. These movements presented different methodologies in restoring Islamic rule. However, it is the contention of this thesis that this thinking is seriously discussed by contemporary scholars within two different strands of thought; the modem-oriented and the traditional. This thesis aims to highlight the nature of the modem oriented-thought by contrasting it with the traditional thought. For this purpose this study chooses the three contemporary Muslim scholars: Sayyid Abul Hasan `Ali Nadwi (1914-1999; Rector of Nadwat-ululama, Lucknow, India) who presented the traditional thought of the Tabligh movement and the two scholars who similarly presented the modem- oriented thought, Mawlana `Abul A'la al-Mawdudi (1903-1979; initiator of Jamaat-i Islami) and Sayyid Qutb (1906-1966; main figure of Ikhwan al-Muslimoon). A study of the characteristics of their thought is the main purpose of this thesis with reference to their juxtaposition and contraposition. The modern-oriented thought developed basing on the historical and geographical contexts of the Muslim world. It realised that the practice of Islam is meaningless without the socio-political system. As such, it strived to interpret Islamic concepts accordingly in support of its arguments. In contrast, the traditional-thinking scholars present Islam, primarily, as a divine message and guidance for humanity and emphasised meaningful political reform by imprinting strong faith in the heart of Muslim rulers and ruled alike, without which political endeavours are meaningless. These contrasting approaches of traditional and modern-oriented political thought in Islam are discussed in this thesis by highlighting the evidences from the Qur'an, Hadith and history. In brief, the aim of this thesis is to highlight the modern oriented strand and to analyse the contemporary Islamic thought in contrast with the thought of the traditional scholars.

This thesis sets out to investigate on the specific Hadi-th texts, Bahr al-Madhi al-sharh mukhtasar sahih al- Tirmidhi of Shaykh ldris al-Marbawi and Tazkir al-qaba'il Jawahir al-Bukhari of Tuan Haji Husayn as religious, social and political teachings for Malay Muslims during the twentieth century. These texts are selected for two reasons: firstly, both provide invaluable data for analyses-, secondly, both were openly acknowledged by the Malay community until recently as highly esteemed sources of revelation from the Prophet t The research is therefore undertaken on several premises, as folloys: Al-Marbawl and Husayn's translations and commentaries are held to have been serviced by the great Ijadi-th scholars - al-Tirmidhi and al-Bukhari - and should therefore be esteemed accordingly. In line with this, the present study aims to demonstrate al-Marbawi and Husayn's deep condemnation at that time of the misconduct of Malay Muslims and of the ideology held by the Kawn Tua and Kaum Muda (political polemics) for instance. As a criticism of Malay Muslims, their teaching and condemnation is absolute. This study believed that these Mo great scholars were independent authorities who would respond to key existing problems (including disunity, unjust leadership, and conflicts between religious scholars) as their mission to uphold the truth as guided by the Prophet in Hadith

This thesis deals mainly with the role of Islam in international relations, which is based on the Qur'an (the revealed book) and the Sunnah (prophetic tradition). The study has used the analytical approach and the interdisciplinary approach to examine and investigate Islamic international relations theories in an attempt to demonstrate that they offer a practical alternative to resolve crises in international relations. This thesis highlights the Islamic alternative in dealing with the major issues in the world today, namely peace, security, balance of power, and co-operation among nations. The thesis, therefore, outlines certain concepts and themes which examine and explore the actual and potential relevance of Islamic law (Shariah) in relation to these issues. The main findings of the thesis include that Islam can indeed play a positive role in the field of international relations and that peace is the role and war the exception in most of the theories of Islamic international relations based on the Qur'an and the Sunnah. Also, the Islamic theory of international relations provides a valuable framework of general application for international order. The concept of community (Ummah( is the most important factor which defines the function of the Islamic state.

Voluntary work became one of the symptoms of modem state. It is represented in the spontaneous appearance of voluntary organizations and civic activities, which means that people are trying to participate in managing their life. Keeping in mind that people's in social affairs participation is not new. It is as old as human creation on earth. Whereby human civilization did depend on this kind of voluntary activities to build its greatness through ages. Observer to current situations in many parts of the world, will notice that political, economic, armed conflicts and natural crisis is increasing world wide leaving critical social conditions. In the same time he will notice a governmental deficit in trying to dandle those crisis. I believe it is not government alone that should face those crisis, it is also business and people responsibilities. Depending on those bases, this thesis will studies the field of voluntary work in term of origins, institutional structure and the applications from the social development side, as well as its impacts on the individual's life and society. It will attempt to build a managerial and organizational framework for voluntary organizations in term of planning, organization, decision making and leadership. Also it will studies the relationship between voluntary work and the new concepts emerging from the New World Order. This mission represents joint responsibility which all-social forces and sectors should take part in. It requires to mass all potentials and centres on targets that end in overcoming backwardness and address the challenges of development. All of those issues will be placed within the perspective of Islam.

One of the most interesting ways to follow the development of a religion over time is to look at the way that basic religious terms have been perceived in various times, places and circumstances. The term bid'a in this respect is unique, since it touches the very essence of the development of Islam itself: in particular, what is permitted to be innovated, and who should have the authority to decide what is or is not permitted. This work opens with a short historical survey of the origins of this term, and the ways it was understood in the first centuries of Islam. The research spans the 'modern' period from the end of the eighteenth century up until the late 20th century - an era of great social, geographic and political changes, which in the Middle East also saw the decline and disintegration of the Ottoman Empire that had ruled the region for centuries under the authority of Islam. We will look into modern conceptualisations of bid'a of two main groups - conservatives and revivalists. More specifically we will delve into the writings of two groups: 1. The early 'salafi' revivalists and the Muslim Brotherhood, the latter being in many respects the main group which continued the course of the former. 2. Prominent 'ulama' from the Wahhabi trend, to which we dedicate two chapters, examining both classic and more recent views, and the ways they adopted to return to their notion of 'pure' Islam; We will look at the causes which brought about the decline of Islam according to their thinking, and their thoughts on the relationship between the neccessity for renewal in Islam and deeply rooted religious guidelines - in this case, on the question of innovation. In each chapter we will also try to determine the overall scope of the discussion on bid'a, and its place in light of the discussions on related religious terms, such as tajdīd, ijtihād, shirk and ḍalāla.

Little is known about how clinicians make sense of Muslim religious beliefs when the client may have psychotic symptoms. Limited literature suggests that psychiatrists draw on a Western empiricist epistemology and implicit cultural norms in utilising the DSM’s diagnostic criteria. Concerns have been raised that practitioners can overlook religious beliefs and pathologise religious beliefs from non-Western cultures. No research has specifically explored psychiatrists’ understanding of religious beliefs. This research aimed to explore how psychiatrists understand Islamic religious beliefs when assessing clients referred with possible psychotic symptoms. It also hoped to explore how they understand the impact of their views on subsequent assessment decisions. Interviews were conducted with five psychiatrists and analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. In contrast to expectations, the participants did not view their understanding of religious beliefs as central to their assessment decisions. Service pressures and psychiatrists’ sense of accountability for clients appeared to inform the emphasis of psychiatric assessments; risk assessments and case management decisions were prioritised above all else. This appeared to limit the participants’ opportunity to engage with clients’ religious beliefs, to fully understand their presentations or to make fluid assessment decisions they felt were often appropriate. Participants also demonstrated a more intricate, nuanced understanding of religious beliefs than previous literature has suggested. In keeping with best practice guidelines participants viewed religious beliefs as a normal manifestation of a person’s culture and existing on a continuum. The participants showed an awareness of the impact of their cultural position on their understanding of religious beliefs. However, their understanding remains embedded within a psychiatric framework informed by the secular, empirical, bio-medical paradigm of the DSM. This provides an important insight into some of the barriers between mental health services and Muslim clients who present with religious beliefs.

This research examines the entrenchment of Islamic cultures in Malaysia’s political system and society. The study contends that the state is involved directly in the composition of cultures through its power structure. The study begins with an initial question of 'how Islamic ideology has been embedded in the socio-political context'. As Islam is not the only practising religion; another question to be explored is 'what interpretation do people give to the construction and practices of Islam'. With the aim to extend the current research treatment of Malaysia’s Islamic revivalism and Islamisation project, this study focuses on the cultural implications and experiences of Islam. Since most research deals with the broader role of Islam in Malaysian politics, the cultural implications and experiences of the religion in society has not been specifically or substantively addressed and has led to the peripheral notion of Islam. This study uses an individual interview approach and focus group discussions on exploring the experiences of the research participants with regard to the phenomenon under investigation. Participants from three categories – government authority, media practitioner, and ordinary people – were approached with the general assumption that they could provide from general to specific information related to the key research questions. An abbreviated version of grounded theory using a constructivist-interpretivist paradigm is adopted to explore the lived experiences of individuals who witness, experience, and involve in the ways in which Islam has been constructed, preserved, contested, or resisted in the society. Based on the framework built from the grounded theory analysis, the research shows Islam as one of the ideological hegemony that strengthens the state's power in governing Malaysian society. In so doing, the state assembles many important institutions and mobilises them as its cultural producers to shape the understanding and practice of Islam at the political level. The study also reveals, when religious consciousness has increased, the Islamisation projects are no longer a mere political rivalry and state’s manipulation of power but more towards fulfilling the community's need for stronger Islam. From Gramscian notion, the state promotes values that are in congruence with the people’s interest to retain its hegemony. This has moulded the culture and lifestyle of the Muslim in Malaysia through the visibility of Islamic practices as compared to other religions. However, it is learned from the data, some Islamic rules and practices have put ethnic relations into complex situations. The identification of Malay and Islam has led to the portrayal of other ethnic groups as the ‘other’. Too much emphasis on Islam (us) has side-lined other religious practices (other). In conclusion, these results negate the view that Islam holds a subservient position as claimed by a few studies. Finally, the research suggests other areas that could be explored using the same framework.

The topic of my research is the Shi'i jurist Muhammad Husayn Fadlallah's (1935-2010) conception of power, its uses and its functions. Fadlallah was a prominent figure of the Lebanese Shi'i movement and of the Islamic revival as a whole. Specifically, I examine his book al-Islam wa-mantiq al-quwwa (Islam and the Logic of Power, 1976), in which he presents power as a coherent and sophisticated system, and definies the principles that legitimise the aspirations to power and the use of force. Fadlallah defined power as essential in constituting and maintaining the social and political structure through which the message of Islam can be put into practice and the continuity of the call to it guaranteed. The various elements and dimensions of power - spiritual, social, political - are interrelated as they secure the reproduction of quwwa, which in turn sustains the social-political order and the spiritual strength of the community. My contention is that, through his concept of power, Fadlallah reconsidered the political role of modern Shi'ism. The dissertation is divided into nine chapters. In the first chapter, I describe the historical and intellectual context in which Fadlallah expounded his theory of power. The second chapter provides an intellectual biography of the author. The third chapter presents quwwa as a system and its different components. The fourth chapter describes his reinterpretation of the Shi'i creed as a creed of force. The fifth chapter analyses his reinterpretation of the spiritual components of power. In the sixth chapter, I examine the social aspects of empowerment, followed by the seventh chapter dedicated to his conception of political power. The eighth chapter studies Fadlallah's ethics of power. The final chapter analyses his rhetorical tools and strategies. I have paid special attention to the ways and means by which Fadlallah re-interprets the Shi'i tradition and through them the Islamic principles regarding force and power. For a better understanding of Shi'i revivalist thought, I suggest to read it through a transformative paradigm which allows us to perceive the radical change in Shi'ism from quietism to activism as a multi-faceted and complex process.