Magister Artium - MA / Our time has been called the age of economics; the social philosopher Edmund Burke first used this term to characterize the eighteenth century, which was his own century and also the century of Adam Smith, but this expression has since become even more appropriate. While in the middle ages the beliefs that divide society and set large blocks of people at war with each other were theological in nature, in our time the great ominous divide between peoples is based on differing philosophies of economics (Lux, 1990:1). Economists are now key advisors to governments, presidents, prime ministers, and even autocrats and dictators, in addition to their obvious and expected place in the world of business, banking, and finance. The celebrated twentieth-century economist John Maynard Keynes gives an apt description of the influence of economics in our time: “The ideas of economists and political philosophers, both when they are right and when they are wrong, are more powerful than is commonly understood.” (Lux, 1990:1). The analysis presented in this study spreads over four chapters followed by a concluding chapter and the bibliography. For the full understanding of the need of this analysis and where it comes from; the methods that are followed; the literature used; the normative framework for evaluating the different systems, a brief survey is presented in the first chapter. The second chapter argues the need for an economic system that functions economically and morally; one that satisfies the criteria set by the widely accepted theory on justice by John Rawls. An analysis of the advantages and disadvantages, but especially the moral and practical shortcomings, of the current dominating global system, Capitalism, based on short-term human vision and planning, and a preliminary critical moral assessment thereof, is given in chapter three. The fourth chapter briefly presents the Islamic economic system as a possible alternative, more reliable, economic system, claiming to depend on divine knowledge. The strengths of this system are pitted over against the shortcomings identified in Capitalism and the possible viability of the Islamic system is tested against the criteria of John Rawls’ theory of justice. The concluding fifth chapter summarises the outcomes of the investigation and presents some recommendations for a viable economic philosophy and system for the future. / South Africa

Abstract   Purpose: The study focuses on the number seven in Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The purpose of this essay was to find out where in the Holy Scriptures and traditions the number seven can be found and also to understand what purpose the number have in these religions.   Method: In order to answer the purpose of the work, various literature studies were used with previous research on the subject. The studies used gave a deeper understanding of the historical background of the number seven. In addition to literature studies, the religious scriptures, the Bible and the Qur'an were used.   Theory: The theory used in the work is intertextuality. Intertextuality is based on the fact that most texts are based on other texts. Given that the religious scriptures were studied in the paper, this theory was very helpful.   Result: The survey of the religious texts revealed that the number seven addresses the moderation of the creation myth which made the characters in the biblical story use the number seven as a symbol of moderation.   The analysis part led to the second result which is based on intertextuality. This theory tells us that religious scriptures are part of an intertextual chain, for example, the Quran incorporates certain elements from previous writings. The same applies to, for example, the Bible. The result of this is that the religious texts are based on each other which means that the number seven may have been mentioned in early texts as a sacred element and texts that came later on incorporated that theory.

<p>This thesis investigates the economic and moral viability of the capitalist economic system, in order to compare it with the Islamic economic system in terms of justice and fairness. Earlier Marxist/Socialist critique of Capitalism focused on issues within Capitalism such as greed, corruption, cheating, bribery, pirating, abuse, and other market problems e.g. practices and regulations which lead to poverty, hunger, economic crises, collapse, inflation, stagnation and steep price increases. Instead of sloganeering from a distance, contemporary research on the problems of the world economy is replete with frank criticism &ldquo / from the inside&rdquo / , i.e. by capitalist economists themselves. In this study, written from a Muslim perspective, the problem within the capitalist system will be assessed in conversation with critique from &ldquo / outside&rdquo / and &ldquo / inside&rdquo / capitalist discourse.</p>

<p>This thesis investigates the economic and moral viability of the capitalist economic system, in order to compare it with the Islamic economic system in terms of justice and fairness. Earlier Marxist/Socialist critique of Capitalism focused on issues within Capitalism such as greed, corruption, cheating, bribery, pirating, abuse, and other market problems e.g. practices and regulations which lead to poverty, hunger, economic crises, collapse, inflation, stagnation and steep price increases. Instead of sloganeering from a distance, contemporary research on the problems of the world economy is replete with frank criticism &ldquo / from the inside&rdquo / , i.e. by capitalist economists themselves. In this study, written from a Muslim perspective, the problem within the capitalist system will be assessed in conversation with critique from &ldquo / outside&rdquo / and &ldquo / inside&rdquo / capitalist discourse.</p>

Doctor Legum - LLD / South African Muslims constitute a religious minority group that is subject to dual legal systems. In the public sphere they are bound by South African law whereas in the private sphere are duty bound in terms of their religion to follow Islamic law. Muslims are required, in terms of their religion, to ensure that their estates devolve in terms of the Islamic law of succession. A son inherits double the share of a daughter in terms of the Islamic law of intestate succession. This unequal distribution of shares has led to a premise that the Islamic law of intestate succession discriminates against females. The South African Constitution strongly promotes the right to equality and non-discrimination. There is therefore a serious need to investigate the fairness of the Islamic law of intestate succession within the context of South African law. This is in the interest of a religious minority group who have been in South Africa since 1654.

Insurgency is considered to be the principal form of conflict in the world today. Since the end of WWII, large-scale conventional war between states has been minimal. In Iraq, a band of insurgents are attempting to defy the strongest power in the world. This insurgency in Iraq may be the beginning of a new phenomenon of insurgency conflict. This thesis argues that the Iraqi insurgency has no center of gravity, with no clear apparent leader or leadership. As seen in other examples of insurgency throughout history, no leadership has emerged in response to any of the conditions present in Iraq. There is no attempt to seize and actually hold territory, and no single, defined, or unifying ideology. Most important, through the research of this project, there has been no identifiable insurgent organization. It is true that there are multiple organizations involved, such as Al Qa’ida and Al Ansar, but there is no clear indication of any cohesion in the insurgency. This insurgency involves small groups who communicate, coordinate, and conduct their campaigns without a precise central command. The command and control is a very loose environment where individuals gravitate toward one another to carry out armed attacks, exchange intelligence, trade weapons, and then disperse at times never to operate together again. The immediate goal of the insurgency in Iraq is to disrupt the political process and drive US forces out of Iraq. However, each element of the insurgency is also driven by its own unique motivations. No matter the differences, they fight together for a common cause. Their strategy is to seize power by draining the Coalition financially and winning popular support through coercion and fear. Their resources may be unlimited, and with support coming in from all corners of the earth, they may be unstoppable. The future will determine whether or not the insurgency in Iraq is a new type of insurgency. If the Iraqi example fails to spread to other countries, then it can be said that the insurgency in Iraq was a phenomenon unique only to Iraq and its conditions.

The boundaries of normative Islam are critically explored in this thesis, which presents a translation of the most important aspects of a modern study on bid‘ah (heretical innovation), by the late Egyptian Reformist Scholar, Shaykh Muhammad al-Ghazālī (1917 – 1996). The translator’s introduction contextualizes the life and work of the author and also briefly locates this particular study within the broader framework of classical and contemporary writings on the subject of bid‘ah. Only the book’s introduction, first three chapters (constituting the theoretical spine of the original work), and conclusion are translated. The first chapter is an introductory excursus into Islamic law, necessary to enable the reader to grasp the legal debate on bid‘ah. The second chapter casts a wider net, examining the influence of foreign elements upon Islamic thought, while the third chapter deals specifically with the topic of bid‘ah. The short conclusion reaffirms the importance of normative Islamic practice. / Religious Studies and Arabic / M.A. (Arabic)

This thesis is a translation of a chapter that examines the role of Muslim women in politics during the early Islamic period and their engagement with religious and political discourses. This subject raises a combination of provocative challenges for Islamic discourse as Muslim women have had a complex relationship with their religious tradition dating back to the very inception of Islam. Despite Qur’ānic injunctions and Prophetic affirmations of the egalitarian status of Muslim women, social inequality and injustice directed at women remains a persistent problem in Muslim society. In the translated text Abū Shaqqah goes about re-invoking the normative tradition in order to affirm the role of Muslim women in politics. Furthermore the translation is prefaced by a critical introduction outlining the contours of the 20th century landscape, which attempts to describe the struggle of Muslim women in Abū Shaqqah’s time. / Religious Studies and Arabic / M.A. (Arabic)

The boundaries of normative Islam are critically explored in this thesis, which presents a translation of the most important aspects of a modern study on bid‘ah (heretical innovation), by the late Egyptian Reformist Scholar, Shaykh Muhammad al-Ghazālī (1917 – 1996). The translator’s introduction contextualizes the life and work of the author and also briefly locates this particular study within the broader framework of classical and contemporary writings on the subject of bid‘ah. Only the book’s introduction, first three chapters (constituting the theoretical spine of the original work), and conclusion are translated. The first chapter is an introductory excursus into Islamic law, necessary to enable the reader to grasp the legal debate on bid‘ah. The second chapter casts a wider net, examining the influence of foreign elements upon Islamic thought, while the third chapter deals specifically with the topic of bid‘ah. The short conclusion reaffirms the importance of normative Islamic practice. / Religious Studies and Arabic / M.A. (Arabic)