It has become almost impossible to engage in any useful discussion on global peace or violence without considering the activities of Islamist groups. Some of these groups use religious radicalization as a tool to promote extremism among Muslims across the world. It has been argued that Muslims will reject violence if they are made aware of peace lessons inherent in the Islamic primary sources and recurrent rituals. In view of the above, the study set out to examine peacebuilding avenues and values in Islam as a religious tradition; and to explore how Islamic recurrent rituals such as Hajj can be used to promote peacebuilding among Muslims, particularly in Ghana. Consequently, the study utilized participant observation, closed-ended survey questionnaire, and semi-structured interview as the main research methodological techniques to collect data. One of the key findings of the study is that Islam is replete with peacebuilding values such as forgiveness, reconciliation, compassion, justice, and tolerance among others. The study recommends among other things that with the existing fragile peace in Ghana, Muslim and non-Muslim religious bodies should engage in collaborative social projects which can create positive interaction amongst them.

The purpose of the present study is to assess the contribution of the renowned Mamluk-period scholar Shams al-Dīn Muhammad b. Abū Bakr, known as Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah (d. 751/1350) in the maghāzī and sīrah genres, by investigating and examining the features of his approach in critiquing and evaluating the authenticity of maghāzī narratives in his sīrah collection, Zād al-Maʿād fī Hadī Khayr al-ʿIbād, and to reveal the main methods that he utilised in critiquing the isnāds and the matns of these narratives. This thesis also provides a comprehensive overview of the maghāzī genre and highlights the main theories that have been put forward in both Western and Muslim scholarship, to explain its nature, emergence, development and position among other Islamic genres. This thesis includes an introduction, five main chapters and a conclusion. The first includes the introduction where the rational, objectives, research questions and the methodology of the present research are discussed; the second outlines Ibn al-Qayyim's life and age; the third explores maghāzī literature and the work of Ibn al-Qayyim within this genre; the fourth provides an analytical survey of the main resources on which Ibn al-Qayyim built his maghāzī work; the fifth investigates first isnād criticism in the work of both Western and Muslim scholars and then analyses Ibn al-Qayyim's approach with respect to the isnād; the sixth chapter outlines the origin of matn criticism and explores the main methods of content criticism used by Ibn al-Qayyim to evaluate maghāzī narratives; finally comes the conclusion of the whole work which provides the main results of the present research and recommendations. The present thesis suggests that Ibn al-Qayyim's approach combines and intertwines between different methods applied by earlier traditionists, jurists and historians, by which he developed an advanced approach in critiquing and evaluating maghāzī narratives.

This thesis questions what was the religious structure of the region of Najrān was during the period between 525 and 661 CE by examining the factors of forming the religious structure, how each religious community practised its religious life and the influence of Islam on this religious structure. It therefore consists of six chapters, Chapter one contains a discussion on primary and secondary sources relevant to the research questions. In Chapter two, the background on Najrān is given, in terms of its geography, demography, economy and political history prior to the period under research. The following three chapters after that investigate the religious aspects of polytheism, Judaism and Christianity in terms of origins, types of worship, rituals of worship and theological beliefs. The discussions also shed light on their religious leaders, places of worship and doctrinal sects. In Chapter six, the study debates how Islam influenced the religious structure of Najrān, by tracing its arrival and the policy of Muslim authorities to spread Islam among the Najrānite people. The thesis discusses the main features of the policy of the Muslim authority towards non-Muslims in terms of religion, security, economy and citizenship. It finally evaluates the impact of this policy on the lives of non-Muslim Najrānites. The thesis concludes that Najrān seems to represent a multi-religious society during the period under research. It points out that geographical, economic and political factors contributed towards making it. The thesis also deduces that each religious community established its identity which developed over the course of time to include places of worship, clergy, types of deity, doctrines, theological beliefs and rituals of worship, and that the domination of Islam clearly made the most important change in this multi-religious society by making Muslims the majority in the region.

This study analyses interpretations of Hadiths among selected feminists and fundamentalists, in which they have different views on the meaning of the texts of Hadiths concerning women. The feminists argue that the Hadith literature contain misogynistic and anti-women reports. This debate has gradually developed in the nineteenth century and the issues continuously disputed until the present day. However, the debate receives different reactions from the fundamentalists who believe that Hadiths contain equal treatment to both men and women. Therefore, the present study seeks firstly to investigate which Hadiths that have caught the attention of both feminists and fundamentalists, and to identify the features of those Hadiths that have been claimed as anti-women. Secondly, to examine and compare various approaches applied by both feminists and fundamentalists in comprehending Hadiths concerning women by examining their strength and weakness. Finally, this study aims to develop a means of utilising the findings to tum the debates between feminists and fundamentalists into something constructive in the interpretation of Hadith. The study is qualitative in nature, by applying textual analysis on literary works written by selected women figures from the feminists and fundamentalists. The study in its findings argues that both feminists and fundamentalist have their own interpretative approach towards the Hadith, but both have similar objective in protecting women's rights. It recommends that future research on the Hadiths concerning women inquire further into said problems and limitations, in order to produce fair and better understanding of the Prophetic texts that can contribute to the contemporary gender discourse.

Ahmad ibn Taymiyya (d.1328), is one of the most quoted medieval scholars by contemporary jihadists from the 1980s to the present time. Jihadists from ʿAbd Salām Faraj (d. 1981) to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) cite Ibn Taymiyya frequently in justifying their doctrines. These doctrines include excommunicating contemporary Muslim rulers and their allies and calling for jihad against them, classifying the Muslim countries as a domain of war and obligating emigration from them, suicide attacks in the name of jihad, and others. This thesis studies the relationship between Ibn Taymiyya’s concept of jihad and how it is appropriated by the contemporary jihadists. The thesis is divided into two parts. Part one studies selected works of Ibn Taymiyya on jihad to outline his concept of jihad while part two studies selected works of the contemporary jihadists to outline how Ibn Taymiyya’s concept of jihad is appropriated by them. The thesis argues that while some contemporary jihadi doctrines could be justified from Ibn Taymiyya’s concept of jihad, most of the doctrines cannot be justified from Ibn Taymiyya if his works on jihad are approached holistically. The thesis identifies the jihadi doctrines that can be justified from Ibn Taymiyya and those that cannot be. The thesis also identifies some sources that the jihadists use besides Ibn Taymiyya in justifying their doctrines.

One of my greatest hopes, after I had finished my M.A was to visit the British Library in London, in particular the section on oriental manuscripts. I soon fulfilled this desire and following the examination of the index of the manuscripts, I hoped to find one on the Language of al-Fiqh [Language of Jurisprudence] in particular. I found a manuscript by aI-Imam al-Nawawi which was amongst many others also belonging to him. This manuscript was entitled al-Tah• rlr fi Sharh • al-Ffiz al-Tan blh , which provides detailed explanations of the terms found in • al-Tanblh by aI-Shirazi that required further interpretation, mainly from a linguistic and occasionally from a religious side. Qadi Safad, an eminent • • scholar, stated that " the book of al-Tahrlr is of great benefit and of . - widespread use for every knowledge seeker" (DIQ, p. 91). The status of al- Tahrlr, was due to its focus on the language of al-Fiqh, taking into account the - vanous linguistical aspects too. Occasionally, religious meanings are also provided. Al-Tahrlr explains the uncommon terms that were present in al-Tanblh by al- I ShirazI. Al-Tanblh is considered to be one of the main and most important works ever to be compiled in the Shafi'i Jurisprudence School in the fourth century AH. Therefore, many scholars, including al-Nawawi went on to compile books regarding it, explaining, commenting, criticising and sUlrunanzmg it. AI-Tahrir is amongst one of these. As scholars in the early • centuries compiled books in Gharib al-Lughah, Gharib al-Hadith and Gharib A _'. al-Quran, they also compiled books in Gharib al-Fiqh, one of which is the book that I have edited. Al-Nawawi, an accomplished scholar and author, attained a hig-h status in the oriental libraries and studies. AI-Ta.hr ir was amon-gst m-any of his distinguished works, which were a site of attraction for many researchers. Al-Nawawi in al- Ta~rir referred to many linguistics books, which were wellknown and available at his time, such as Kiti1b al- 'A.y n b-y aI-Khalil,- al- Tahdhib and al-Zi1hir by al-Azhari, al-Muhkam by Ibn Sidah and many others. In the editing of al-Ta~rir. I compared nine different manuscripts, all from different places and made the Berlin manuscript the main one, comparing the remammg eight with it. The Berlin manuscript is symbolized by (I). The differences in the manuscripts are noted at the bottom of each page (foot note). In authenticating and documenting al-Nawawl's explanations, I referred to the notable dictionaries and sources that al-Nawawi himself also referred to. I also made reference to the books of al-Gharib (uncommon words)~ Ghar'ib al- Lughah. Gharfb al-Quri1n. Gharib al-ljadith. Mi1 TaltlGnu Ffhi al- 'Ammah, history, biographies and others. Where necessary, I have commented on these explanations and these can be found following the text, in volume two in the chapter entitled 'al-Takhnjat wa al-Ta'liqat 'ala al-Nas.' Following this is a list of indexes; tenns, names, places, measurements, Quranic and Hadith verses . • I have dedicated a chapter to the language of al-Fiqh, its origin, how it has emerged, its chronological history and books compiled in this field. I also dedicated a chapter to the political and educational situation in al-Nawawi's era followed by a chapter on the life of al-Nawawi, his milieu and his works. I have given the editorial method followed by the description of the nine manuscripts. I have provided a summarized comparison between the works of al-Nawawi in al-Tahrfr and of al-Azhan in al-Zahir. I shed light on the • educational background of both authors, their subject topic, al-Azhan's impact on al-Nawawi, the methodology of the works of both scholars, similarities and differences, conclusion and an evaluation. I have assigned a chapter for the biography of the names mentioned in al-Ta~rfr followed by a bibliography.

This thesis examines Tibetan perspectives on the causation, management and treatment of mental illness (Tib.: sems nad) within a Tibetan exile community in Darjeeling, northeast India. Based on two six-month periods of ethnographic fieldwork conducted in 2011 and 2012, it examines common cultural understandings of mental illness and healing, and how these are reflected in health-seeking behaviour. To date, research on lay Tibetan perspectives of mental illness and their impact on health-seeking behaviour has been limited, especially in relation to the concept of smyo nad (‘madness’). Following on from work by Jacobson (2000, 2002, 2007) and Millard (2007), the thesis investigates lay Tibetan perceptions of the causation and treatment of various kinds of mental disorders through the use of indepth semi-structured interviews and participant observation, comparing and contrasting Tibetan approaches to those of biomedical psychology and psychiatry and their accompanying classification systems, the American Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) and European International Classification of Disease (ICD). Four case studies of individuals labelled with different Tibetan and biomedical diagnoses related to mental health conditions are described in order to illustrate a number of key concepts in Tibetan approaches to mental illness and its healing. The research found that that a number of informants successfully combined different – sometimes opposing – explanatory frameworks and treatment approaches in response to an episode of mental illness. However, the thesis concludes that the Tibetan and biomedical categories remain difficult to correlate, due in part to their culturally-specific nature, based on significantly different underlying assumptions regarding individuals and their relationship to the environment.

No description available.

The study of Muslims in the United Kingdom 'Between Reality and Ambition' represents one of the most important and challenging subjects in the arena of public concern. Yet if we were to move beyond the geographical boundaries of the subject of this research we would surely find similar concerns, hopes and visions being represented in a large part of the Islamic and western world. A reading of present realities testifies a struggle between ideological success and failure. This struggle has played a decisive role in the condition of the Muslim community in the United Kingdom. Similarly the principles of Da 'wah (propagation) and its priorities, the human environment to which these efforts are directed and the freedom afforded for such activities in the west constitute fundamental points of reference for an understanding of the Islamic project in the west. In addition, the western outlook on life, and its philosophical bases, influences and communicative methods all provide genuine indicators of the challenges confronting Muslims in the west. The presence of various Islamic groups in the United Kingdom reflects, in one way or another, a representation of the Islamic world in all its dimensions, visions, thoughts and culture. Thus it may be truly fitting to advance certain vital proposals specifying the parameters of Islamic activity in the west. They may lead to increased understanding and a closing of the ranks between the various groups. This study will further take into account the vital question of educational training which is in itself a major handicap of Muslims everywhere. While this research lays no claim to finality, it nevertheless has at least opened the doors for further discussion and enquiry that may eventually lead to an improvement in the conditions of Muslims in the west. Similarly, it is the author's hope that this study will have illuminated several important aspects of life of Muslims in the United Kingdom, and that by so doing, it will have inspired and assisted the various Islamic Centres and charitable associations in their efforts towards progress and development.

Recent years have witnessed increasing interest in the topics of religion and spirituality in social work, including a small body of texts focusing on social work with Muslims. Alongside this, statistical evidence such as the 2001 Census has documented the socio-economic disadvantage experienced by many Muslims communities in Britain. However, there is a paucity of empirical research exploring grassroots initiatives developed by these communities to address welfare needs. There is also a dearth of research analysing the perspectives of Muslim service users. It is this lack of inquiry which this thesis addresses. This research centres on a case study of an Islamic organisation providing services including Islamic counselling, advocacy, khul divorces, mediation and chaplaincy. The study explores the construction of the organisation’s Islamic approach to social work, their everyday practices and areas of particular on-going negotiation. It draws on interviews with individuals working at the organisation, Muslim service users who have accessed the services and also external professionals who have referred individuals to the organisation. An exploration of the potential benefits for Muslim service users focuses on the counselling services provided to young women and asylum seekers in particular. The findings of the study highlight the opportunities and challenges experienced in the process of professionalising internal forms of support amongst British Muslim communities. This research has implications for three key areas of academic debate. Firstly, it contributes to the sociological study of religion, specifically to the field of British Muslim studies. Secondly, the thesis informs current discussion within the social work discipline, particularly regarding the role of spirituality when working with minority service users. Thirdly, this study contributes to contemporary debate regarding the role of faith groups providing welfare services. Overall, this research gives an original insight into the development of professional Islamic social work in contemporary Britain.