As in Judaism and Christianity, the sin of apostasy is strongly condemned as one of the gravest enormities (Ar. ahadu al-kabai'r). In common with them, Islam is clear that the eternal punishment of apostates is sure and certain in the hereafter. But unlike Judaism and Christianity today, Islam is known to go further and condemn them to death in the here and now. Strangely enough, with the exception of Saudia Arabia where Shari'ah is still in force, there is no evidence that apostates are still being executed in other Islamic countries. Yet, any attempt to cancel, abolish or re-interpret the apostasy law has remained virtually impossible. This doctrine is generally held to be an unquestionable axiom of faith as it rests entirely on the prophetic tradition. Our research attempts to demonstrate from a historical/theological standpoint that the faith and message of early Islam as presented in the Qur'an stands in glaring contrast to this doctrine. The political events of the late Umayyad and early Abbasid periods seem to have provided the fertile soil for the invention of those traditions on which later jurists elaborated a complex set of the rules vis-à-vis the legal status of the apostates. These rules have largely remained to this day unchangeably the same. Attention should be drawn to the fact that Qur'anic quotations throughout this research work are from the translations of A. Yusuf Al, M. Marmaduke Pickhtall, N.J. Dawood and A. J. Arberry. In some places we felt that some corrections were necessary, and we have been bold enough to make them. This research study has not been an easy task to undertake. The difficulty of this subject could only be matched by the difficulty of finding material literatures relative to it. However, the fruits of our efforts presented in this research work might at least serve as a starting point towards further researches into the origins and development of the punishment of apostasy in Islam.

This thesis consists of a critical edition of the first volume of Mukhtaṣar Jāmi' al-Uṣūl by Abu Ja’far al-Marwazi al-Astarabadi, made from the only known MS, preserved in the Chester Beatty Library, Dublin. Use has also been made in the edition of the published text of the work abridged by al-Astarabadi, Ibn al-Athir’s Jāmi' al-Uṣūl, and the canonical works of h'adith cited by the two authors. The Arabic text occupies Part two of the thesis. Part one comprises the introduction, dealing with the description of the MS, the character of the two works and al-Astarabadi’s purpose, as recorded by him in his preface, in abridging Ibn al-Athir’s work, and his method of doing so. Brief biographies of the two authors are also given; that of al-Astarabadi is necessarily so, since little information concerning him appears in the standard sources. Notes on the edition are also provided, together with the notes on the contents of the work, comprehensive indices and a full bibliography.

No description available.

The thesis deals with one of the most important challenges of our times: how to forge political unity and societal cohesion in an environment of increasing cultural diversity and ever increasing politicisation of identities. Explicitly, it investigates shifts in Muslim identity and its relationship with the European Union, European nation states and their societies from a comparative perspective. Existing literature and case studies often treat Muslims in Europe as a homogeneous group and fail to connect how policies of state and non-state actors influence Muslim identities. Located within the theories of multiculturalism, the argument introduced in this thesis suggests that Muslims in Europe are a heterogeneous group with diverse cultural, social but also religious traditions. These factors all contribute to developments in Muslim identities and their relationship with host societies. As such, the study evaluates perceptions of Muslim communities in a comparative perspective with three case study countries, the UK, Germany and the Czech Republic, on their inclusion, civic participation and belonging. This critical assessment is complemented by objective analysis of the EU strategies on religion, integration and minority groups. The purpose is to illustrate, within this complex web of relations, the most effective approach from the Muslim perspective. The novelty and unique contribution of this research to knowledge lies in its socio-political and cross-country approach which is supported by the use of structured questionnaires followed by semi-structured interviews. By using a combination of questionnaires and interviews, participants were given space in which they could gradually express their views and feelings. The results show that religious traditions and places of origin are very important. However, national policies play the most significant role in the formation of Muslim identities. Multicultural policies in Britain have been, thus far, most successful in the integration and inclusion of Muslim communities. On the contrary, the largely state-centric policies of Germany which provide social provisions but often exclude political participation, contribute to split identities and segregated communities. In the context of post-communist Europe, the Czech Republic is yet to devise policies and legislation addressing the question of religious minorities. At present, the Czech Republic stretches liberal policies to almost an extreme and fails to accommodate minority cultures. The role of the European Union has been rather minor with most participants being sceptical of the EU’s mechanisms and relevance for Muslims in Europe.

Jamaat, a transnational Islamic reform movement, which originated in India in the 1920s. The movement claims to reinforce faith by preaching among Muslims. Tablighi Jamaat is now operative in 165 countriess with about 80 million followers around the world. This study looks at the Tablighi Jamaat in two very different contexts, Bangladesh and the United Kingdom (UK), where the Tablighi Jamaat has been successful. In Bangladesh, the Tablighi Jamaat is a very large-scale movement where several million people attend the annual congregation (Bishwa Ijtema) of the Tablighi Jamaat every year. The UK has a much smaller following of the Tablighi Jamaat than Bangladesh. There are perhaps 50,000 active Tablighi Jamaat followers in the UK. This ethnographic study shows that the success of the Tablighi Jamaat results from the positive image, which it cultivates, and the systematic preaching activities of Tablighi Jamaat followers. The organisation’s apolitical image, the public profile of the ijtema, the humbleness in personality and behaviour of Tablighi followers, and the attraction of belonging to the global Tablighi community, all assist to create a positive image of the Tablighi Jamaat among ordinary Muslims. In addition, family and peer pressure, and a variety of personal reasons explain why people join the movement. In the thesis, I also argue that the Tablighi Jamaat remains successful because of its ability to hold its followers (both new and long-term) within a Tablighi-guided life. A Tablighi-guided life is perceived as a protection against the Western lifestyle. Followers define many elements of contemporary Western lifestyle as non-Islamic. By clearly defining what is Islamic and non-Islamic within contemporary society, the Tablighi Jamaat provides a way in which Muslims can live in the contemporary world, but remain good Muslims.

This doctoral thesis examines the works of Theodore Abū Qurra (d.c.829), Abū Rā’iṭa (d. c.835), and ‘Ammār al-Baṣrī (d.c.850); three of the earliest known Christian theologians to explain and defend their beliefs in Arabic, under Islamic rule. In particular, it focuses on their respective explanations of the doctrine of the Trinity: assessing each individual author’s writings; investigating the tools and arguments they employ; and considering the extent to which they engaged with Islamic theological thought (kalām), primarily through their borrowing of concepts and structures from an internal Islamic debate concerning the divine attributes of God. This study asks to what extent these Christians were essentially translating their traditional doctrine into Arabic, and to what extent they developed a new expression of the Trinity, conceptually influenced by Islamic thinking. The key conclusion of this thesis is that Christian explanations of the Trinity in Arabic, whilst they show a deep awareness of Islamic thought and make use of contemporary Muslim debates surrounding the nature and unity of God, cannot be said to represent a development in Christian theology. Rather, such works should be viewed as an informed and creative response to the pressures and challenges of their Islamic surroundings.

In the last two decades, following the Rushdie affair and the emergence of Islamic extremism as a security issue in the UK, there has been a surge of interest in British Muslim communities from academics, politicians and popular commentators. Discourses of Muslims as ‘others’ and as potentially risky citizens have been reinforced by government approaches to counter-terrorism, chiefly the Prevent programme aimed at preventing radicalisation of young Muslims. Moreover their loyalty and place in British society has been questioned. Yet there remains a disconnect between the treatment of young Muslim men as ‘tainted citizens’ and the reality of their history and their everyday lives. This thesis seeks to explore the identities of young Muslim men in the city of Birmingham and contrast it with the way their identities have been scrutinised through the lens of risk as part of the counter-terror agenda. In particular it investigates the impacts of the Prevent agenda and the surveillance scheme called ‘Project Champion’, both of which had significant implications for Muslim identity and its governance in the city. The thesis demonstrates how these governance processes have resulted in the securitisation of Muslim identities in the city.

The present thesis is a critical examination of the two well-known post-Schachtian scholars of Hadith; James Robson and John Burton. Both scholars are major contributors to modern Hadith studies in the West. It assesses their main arguments and their methodological approaches to Hadith literature. It also provides a historical survey of the key arguments and works of their predecessors since the rise of the modern Western debates over the reliability of Hadith materials. This critical study points to the conclusion that Robson and Burton were heavily influenced by the sceptical attitude of Ignaz Goldziher and Joseph Schacht towards the historicity of Hadith. However, Robson is inclined to accept some aspects of the Muslim traditional view regarding the genesis of Hadith and its isnad system (chain of transmitters). Burton, on the other hand, expresses a sceptical stance towards the historicity of Hadith and argues that the development of Hadith originated from the exegesis of the Qur’an, having no historical basis in the teachings of Prophet Muhammad.

This research examined the influence of Islam and culture on the Malay-Muslim business environment as observed in the Siti Khadijah Market of Kota Bharu, in the Malaysian state of Kelantan. It followed a qualitative research approach involving library research and a field study. The cultural influences on the Malays were reviewed through three historically distinct phases i.e. the traditionally primitive Pagan, Hindu and Islam, all of which have been dominant culture-spiritual feeders. Other influences have also come from the period of British Colonisation in Malaya in the 18th and 20th Century. All of these influences were examined, dissected and discussed in order to provide a describable entity of the Malay culture and its possible origins. The various definitions of the Malays were also given due attention followed by historical evidence of trade. These economic connections dated back to pre-colonial periods to the times of the Portuguese, Dutch and, recently, the British. The presence of Islam in Malaysia was first looked at from the dates and the process of the arrival of Islam into the Malay Archipelago. Indeed, the arrival process and how it became a dominant religion in the Malay Archipelago have been a subject of a long debate and was also given an empirical attention. Despite the strong mixture influence, the state of being Malays i.e. the “Malayness” of this people appeared to have oddly strengthened by only two central pillars: Islam as a religious and universal pillar, and the Malay customary laws or the Adat as the locally embedded moral entity. The research further looked at how traders within the environs of the Malays deal, tolerate and involve themselves within the interplays of Islamic teachings and the culture. Later, the research focused on understanding the issue of how the mixture of different cultures influenced the behaviour of business people in the Siti Khadijah Market where much of the study was carried out. As expected, the behaviour of the businesspeople in the market was dominantly influenced by Islam, both in belief and practices. Other cultural influences, however, never ceased to exist and still remained despite somewhat being slowly eroded. In conclusion, the adherence of Malay-Muslims to their religious values have kept them well guided in their business dealings. Finally the research suggested some areas in which further studies could be carried out, either using similar theoretical framework or otherwise.

This research aims to identify the legal theories developed and employed by the jurists of the Shāfi‘ī school of law for the purpose of issuing fatāwā. It intends to shed light on how these jurists understand the term iftā’, and what are the elements in their view that constitute the legal framework that they utilize for iftā’. This research also attempts to determine the differences between iftā’ and the general process of formulating legal rulings by way of ijtihād, and the factors of consideration that may result in the existence of such a differentiation. This research argues that the existing legal discourse within the Shāfi‘ī madhhab has not rendered due attention to the significance of iftā’, and thus there exist a dearth of literature within the madhhab on the legal theories of iftā’. This research also analyzes examples of fatāwā issued by the Singapore Fatwa Committee with the aim to comprehend how the legal theories of iftā’, lacking they may be within the legal deliberations of the Shāfi‘ī madhhab, have an influence on the iftā’ institution of the state and the fatāwā it issued.