M.A. / By means of a conditional clause al-Tawbah 9:24 implicitly states that love for the Prophet (peace be upon him, hereinafter ‘pbuh’) alongside love for Allah and ‘jihad in His way’ must be greater than affection for family and relatives, and attachment to worldly property and possessions. Various words and concepts, found in the said verse, have become the concern of commentaries (tafsīrs) on the Qur’an. For the purpose of the dissertation, ten consecutive classical tafsīrs are selected. They are those of al-Ṭabarī (d.310/922), al-Thaʿlabī (d.427/1035), al-Wāḥidī (d.468/1075), al-Baghawī (d.516/1122), al-Zamakhsharī (d.538/1143), Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī (d.606/1209), al-Qurṭubī (d.671/1272), al-Baiḍāwī (d.685/1286), Ibn Kathīr (d.774/1372) and Abū al-Suʿūd (d.982/1574). They cover a period spanning approximately seven centuries. For each commentary an English translation is given as well as a general discussion of the content. Authorities referred to are chronologically specified. The commentaries are compared with regard to three foci, namely reason for revelation (sabab al-nuzūl), lexical contributions and the theme ‘Love for the Prophet (pbuh)’.When focusing on sabab al-nuzūl, the reason of revelation as expressed by each of the ten mufassirs receives attention. Common trends among all of them are also indicated such as the hijrah motif, the linking of 9:24 to 9:23 in a logical and chronological way, and the multiple mentioning of discussions with the Prophet and among the people as context within which the revelation took place.

This thesis is an attempt to analyze and compare the methods of exegesis of `Abduh and Rid&dotbelow;a. The analysis focuses on their works of Qur'anic exegesis, especially their joint project Tafsir al-Manar. Their school of exegesis and principles of exegesis are a reflection of the socio-political setting in which they found themselves. They provide an antithesis to the schools and principles of exegesis favoured by traditional exegetes. `Abduh and Rida accused traditional exegetes of deviating from the guidance of the Qur'an by allowing their exegesis to develop into an intellectual exercise in grammar, theology, jurisprudence or even philosophical dispute. In the views of `Abduh and Rid&dotbelow;a, traditional exegetes tended to treat the Qur'an as a justification of their position in debate, a tendency that should be reversed. Both men tried to reformulate the approach of Qur'anic hermeneutics which they regarded as being applicable to social issues. Due to the differences in their respective intellectual backgrounds, experiences and attitudes towards different schools of thought, they applied different methods of interpretation. `Abduh was consistent in his modernist call to go "back to the Qur'an," for which he extracted guidance from the Qur'an through his own perception. As a consequence he limited the use of the intertextual approach to h&dotbelow;adith and philological analysis in his commentaries. Rid&dotbelow;a, on the other hand, extended their use in his interpretation. Rid&dotbelow;a also favoured the use of scientific knowledge in exegesis which `Abduh rejected due to its relativity. Rid&dotbelow;a's interpretation was also characterized by the extensive use of the opinions of earlier exegetes, which `Abduh tended to neglect.

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This dissertation deals with two aspects of the history of the Companions of the Prophet: the pattern of their geographical distribution and their political alignments---taking as its test case the Battle of S&dotbelow;iffin. Based on biographical dictionaries of the Companions written by selected Traditionists (i.e., Ibn Sa`d, Ibn `Abd al-Barr, Ibn al-Athir, al-Dhahabi and Ibn H&dotbelow;ajar), and on the Traditionist definition of what constitutes a Companion, an attempt will be made to identify on the one hand the Companions who settled in Iraq, Syria and Egypt, and on the other those Companions whose loyalties during the Battle of S&dotbelow;iffin are known. Based on an analysis of the background of the Companions appearing in each of these groups and on a comparison between the two, it is argued that religious ideals played a significant role both in the Companions' movements after the death of the Prophet and in their behavior during the Battle of S&dotbelow;iffin.

Development and social change have been the common challenge of both developed and developing nations. Various models are proposed by investigators of development and social change to meet these challenges. However, such models are inevitably associated with particular patterns of culture and values. It must therefore be recognized that development cannot be value-free and measured only in economic terms or based on European standards; rather development must be value-laden and correspond with a nation's history, culture and aspirations. At the same time, few development models have dealt with the dimension of culture and values. / Dissatisfied with Western models of development, Muslim thinkers have attempted to build an Islamic model which expresses Islamic values and aspirations. In this thesis I explore and design a model based on the writings of Ayatullah Sayyid Muh&dotbelow;ammad Baqir al-S&dotbelow;adr, whose thought seems particularly comprehensive and relevant to the modern world. My discussion begins with a synthesis and critique of a variety of Western models, both modern and post-modern, from an Islamic point of view. I then investigate and discuss Sadr's theory of culture and values development, focusing on the challenge of human inner conflict and his typology of human values formation. / Sadr's key concern is to shift the focus of development from a macro-social to the micro-individual level. An Islamic model of development, as Sadr sets out, is first and foremost one for human values development. For Sadr, culture and values development must precede any other kind of development for a Muslim society, where the practice of Islamic values is a way of life and a journey towards God. Values education then should be prophetic education which focuses on teaching people how to develop themselves and accordingly to reach God. Sadr also argues that economic development cannot be obtained without the establishment of social justice. The establishment of the latter should be based on culture and values development, which profoundly relates to the resolution of human inner values conflicts. / The project also evaluates different models in the light of the one proposed by Sadr, and discusses numerous challenges and dilemmas facing Islamic societies in the global environment and in the post-modern questioning of permanent values. Next, I will examine gender and development, an important issue not explicitly addressed by Sadr. In this chapter, I have indicated that sexual values development is of critical importance to the success of any development program, which in turn depends upon a sexuality education that teaches God-centered self-control. / I will close this dissertation with a chapter examining some of the educational challenges posed by culture and values development in Post-Revolutionary Iran.

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The prophet Muḥammad’s marriage to Zaynab bint Jaḥsh has been viewed as one of the more controversial events in the life of Muḥammad. In the West, Christian authors have long used the events surrounding the marriage to attack Muḥammad’s character, suggesting a lack of morals and unquenchable sexual appetite.  This thesis explores whether these negative portrayals of the marriage has been carried over into modern depictions of Muḥammad’s life. A close examination of the historical sources and a discussion of the concept of “Orientalism” precede an analysis of three prominent 20th century English biographies of Muḥammad’s life.  The thesis concludes that there is little in way of “Orientalism” to be found in these works. Instead, the authors examined go to great length to exonerate Muḥammad from any immoral acts, motives or intentions, with regard to his marriage to Zaynab bint Jaḥsh.

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This thesis is an attempt to study the role of Ahmad Surkati in al-Ishrad movement in Java and its implications for the Arab community in Indonesia.