This study investigated the accuracy and quality across five different translations of the Quran from Arabic into English, focusing on euphemism. It evaluated the degree of faithfulness or deviation in meaning from the original and corroborated whether this is due to the translating approach or inadequate understanding of the meaning of Quranic text. It assessed the main features of euphemistic expressions in the Quran, how euphemistic expressions have been translated, and provided recommendations on how to improve the translation of euphemistic expressions in the Quran. Throughout its long history, translation and translation studies have never been free from conflicting views. Translation is one of the most researched topics and no other issue has preoccupied theorists and practitioners as much as the translation debate which has brought about a split of views, specifically into those who claim that translation is an art and those who believe that translation is a science. Each camp puts forward unrealistic expectations of what translation is and what it can achieve. Despite the boom in translation studies over the last decades which has provided interesting and fresh insights, it remains an area which has little theoretical base and very few research landmarks. Translation has rarely managed to rise above mere comparative analysis of language pairs, examining their cross linguistic and cultural differences. Translation approaches, procedures and techniques are not one size fits all. They may work well for Indo-European languages but may not for Semitic languages, for instance. They are often prescriptive, abstract and lack practical implications. Highly expressive and colourful components of any language are often deliberately substituted by euphemistic expressions. Euphemism is thus a purposeful act of softening existing terms or expressions with neutral, courteous and ‘clean’ words. Euphemism is said to be a form of deception. This study examined the translation of euphemism in the Quran focusing on the English versions of the Quran by Abdel Haleem, Khan and Al-Hilali, Yusuf Ali, Arberry, and Pickthall. It was found that translators often underestimate the complexity of translation, particularly the translation of euphemism in the Quran Based on the nature of the problem and the research questions, the method adopted in this study used a qualitative approach starting with text based analysis of a broad sample of euphemistic expressions from the five selected versions of translations of the Quran. This was supported by semi-structured interviews with professional translators to gauge their views and perceptions regarding the meanings of euphemism in the Quran. The key findings suggest that there is no single method which will address all of the challenges faced by the translators of euphemisms of the Quran. Moreover, many Islamic concepts and cultural bound items are untranslatable, thus loss of some meaning is inevitable. Findings revealed that straightforward and mechanical transfer of euphemisms from the Quran produces meaningless or clumsy utterances because there is no direct correspondence between Arabic and English euphemistic expressions. Therefore, translating euphemism in the Quran goes beyond mere linguistic transfer. This study has several practical implications. Firstly, it will benefit translators of the Quran by providing fresh insights into dealing with some of the challenges of translating euphemism from the Quran. Secondly, it will provide a platform for further research on translating euphemism as it has expanded the existing literature on translating euphemistic expressions from the Quran to benefit future researchers.

This thesis presents a case study of a single mosque, Jamia Masjid. It provides a description of everyday life, with attention to the congregation and the construction of sacred space. Its claim to originality is that it is an “insider” ethnographic perspective of a mosque in Britain, built upon an extended year-long period of fieldwork. It is an “insider” ethnography both in the sense that the researcher has a pre-existing relationship with the mosque, and also, that it focuses on the space and meanings within the mosque. Its timeliness is predicated upon the second decade of the 21st century being a period in which an increasingly British-born and young Muslim population take leadership in mosques established a generation prior. The thesis argues that Jamia Masjid is an interspatial mosque, providing a diverse range of activities to fulfil the needs of its congregation. It achieves this by operating as a subaltern counter-public, or a “coffee shop mosque”, in which congregants take agency for activities and events. The role of the congregation is pronounced in the thesis to address an identified gap in existing research. Furthermore, the thesis provides theorisation on the temporal dimensions of sacred space, drawing upon Henri Lefebvre and Rhythmanalysis (2004). It argues that sacredness is not a static concept, but dynamic and rhythmic. This sacredness is described as baraka. Jamia Masjid is both a site of distributing and receiving baraka, and it is sacredness is constructed dialectically – transcending some existing categorisations of sacred space in the literature. The thesis argues also that conflict is not an inevitable consequence of sacred space but, at times, a meaningful way of marking and constructing it. These original theoretical contributions are presented through a rich ethnography that provides an insight into the everyday activities of a mosque congregation.

This research study aims to explore the concept of motivation from the Islamic perspective, which is explored to a poor extent. It seeks to shed light on Islām and how it motivates its followers to behave appropriately while fulfilling their needs and desires, guided by the Holy Qur’ān and Ḥadīth. A comprehensive literature review is conducted to study and understand the various perspectives presented by other scholars on human psychology and motivation specifically from the perspectives of Islām, Christianity and Jewish cultures. This study adopts a qualitative approach and focuses on gathering secondary data from a broad range of sources. The data collected is then analysed in an interpretative yet subjective manner. To achieve the aims of this research, the emphasis is laid on gathering both comprehensive secondary data from the religious journals and academic books. The evidence was gathered from the holy books of these religions which include Holy Qur’ān, Bible and Torah. From the findings of the research, it was concluded by the researcher that Islām significantly highlighted and differentiated from Christianity and Judaism in endorsing motivation among its followers. It is identified that Allāh created mankind to spread His word and to perform His actions. He motivated humans by offering them certain rewards and making them fearful of the consequences in case they fail to follow His commands. This thesis provides greater insight into the role played by Islām in motivating human beings to live a life in a way that is beneficial here on earth and in the afterlife. This study is expected to contribute further to the collective knowledge and understanding of motivation and human behavior.

The emergence of Islamist terrorism in the UK has its genesis within an environment socially constructed by the organization of fundamentalist Muslims. Since 1989, Islamic preachers arriving in London from the Middle East have religiously mobilized hundreds of British Muslims drawing them into an extremist milieu termed the “Islamic Fundamentalist Movement” by the author. Followers are encouraged to adopt extreme political narratives and pursue activities designed to re-establish an Islamic Caliphate. Contrary to the prevailing discourse, Islamic fundamentalist Muslims are far from constituting a homogenous set of individuals. Based on age, overseas connections, experience of conflict and religiosity, they each fulfill specific tasks. These include but are not limited to recruitment, preaching, fundraising, facilitating and combative jihad. Through socialisation and participation in this movement, a minority of adherents have crossed the line and developed a mindset in which terrorism has become normalised. For this subgroup of extreme fundamentalists, suicide bombing against fellow citizens is considered a legitimate means in which to defend co-religionists, challenge western interference in Muslim lands and support the recently established Islamic State that now spans Northern Iraq and Syria. This doctoral study draws heavily upon recently obtained court transcripts, interviews with counter terrorism officers, politicians, journalists and counter radicalisation workers in order to provide a unique insight to the environment from which the individuals responsible for major UK terrorism conspiracies witnessed since 2003 have emerged.

Young Muslims in Britain are increasingly required to navigate an unsettled social, religious and cultural landscape. These complex dynamics encompass a range of factors: from sectarianism and the global marketplace of Islamic knowledge, through to the influence of diverse ethnic communities, the ubiquity of popular culture, and late-modern discourses relating to spirituality and religion. Religious practice, identity formation and social/cultural relationships are therefore a continual process of (re)negotiation, with young Muslims often adopting highly reflexive and pragmatic approaches to this uncertainty. Emerging from this turbulent context is a vibrant Muslim music culture. This thesis provides an ethnographic account of this music culture – through engagement with both musicians and fans – whilst furthermore analysing the deeper significance of Muslim cultural production in contemporary Britain. The observations and arguments throughout are based on extensive fieldwork that took place over a period of approximately two years. A number of methodological strategies were employed: these included interviewing, participant observation and various online research methodologies (including an online survey). While the ethnographic account provided in this thesis is an original and timely contribution to the study of Muslims in Britain, there are broader theoretical implications to emerge. In particular, the original concepts of ‘Islamic Music’ and ‘Islamicallyconscious music’ are developed to better understand how Muslim musicians varyingly emphasise both their individual subjectivity and a more collectivist sense of religious belonging. By examining the development of a distinct British Muslim public sphere, it will therefore be claimed that Muslim musicians are using cultural production as a vehicle to simultaneously contest, negotiate and develop ideas of Muslim practice and collectivity in contemporary Britain.

This thesis consists of a critical study and edition of seven chapters from Kitab Jumal al-ghara'ib by Mamud b. 'Al Abu al-Hasan b. al-Husayn al-Naysabur al-Ghaznaw al-Qazwn Abu al-Qasim Najm al-Dn, known as Bayan al-Haqq, an important book on the subject of Gharib al-Hadith. The thesis is divided into two parts, an introduction and critical edition of the text. The introductory part is further divided into three chapters: the first chapter deals with a brief life of the author and his works. The second chapter provides information about the science of Gharib al-Hadith, methods and detailed works on the subject. The third chapter deals with the authenticity, originality, sources of the work, description of the Manuscripts, method of edition and explanatory notes on the Arabic text. Part two is the critical edition of the Arabic text, based on three MSS with their variant readings. Indices and bibliography are also provided.

Kitab al-Wajiz fi Dhikr al-Mujaz: wa al-Mujiz: by Abu Tahir al-Silafi (d.576/ 1181) is an important treatise on ijazah [one of the eight methods of the transmission of hadith], which also includes the biographies of those transmitters [in the 5th-6th centuries H.] of hadith who gave an ijazah to al-Silafi. K. al-Wajiz is the single important source of some biographies for many later bibliographers. This thesis is based on the edition of a unique MS [of K. al-Wajiz] in the Chester Beatty Library. The work is divided into two main sections, the introductory part and the critical edition of the Text. The introductory part is further divided into two chapters. The first chapter consists of a brief account of the author's life and a detailed study of his works. The second chapter contains a general outline of the eight methods of the taking up of hadith [turuk tahammul al- hadith] and a basic account of the subject of ijazah, followed by a discussion of al-Silafi's attitude towards ijazah. Part two consists of the critical edition of the Arabic Text together with an introduction, English translation and the necessary explanatory notes. The method adopted in the edition, annotation and translation is also indicated here. Indices of the Quranic verses and ahadith, names of books, places and persons occurring in the Arabic Text are also provided.

This thesis addresses how interpretations of Islam in an Arab society shape the lives and experiences of young people with visual impairments. The study explores the understanding of disability and of visual impairment in particular, through an analysis of the interface and interplay of gender, culture, religion and disability in an Islamic society and the way in which these influence people's lives. It also analyses the ways in which the teachings of Islam are interpreted in relation to both disability and gender by policy makers and individuals. This topic is approached through a case study of people living with visual impairment in Bahrain. The data was collected through narrative interviews with users, semi-structured interviews with service providers and policy makers, and focus groups _with teachers. Some documentary analysis and observations were also undertaken. Within disability studies, the medical and social models of disability are well established and are being increasingly considered together, in a rational model in order to deal with impairment more judiciously. Diversity, in terms of to what extent these models are applicable or transferable to other cultures and societies, is a neglected area that this thesis addresses. The argument of this thesis is that in Bahrain, Islamic teachings are interpreted to promote a compassionate and charitable approach to people with disabilities which, in some ways, is congruent with the medical model of disability. Segregated specialist educational provision is provided, with limited inclusion in the sixth form, university and in adult life. Owing to Islamic interpretations of gender segregation, visually impaired girls and young women experience the intersection of gender and disability in ways that disadvantage them more than visually impaired boys and young men. Because of their gender and impairment they experience a double jeopardy. It is argued that there is the potential for Islamic teachings to be interpreted to support further social inclusion of disabled people with a focus on a rights-based approach.

Despite enduring differences between the Abrahamic traditions Islam, Christianity and Judaism, women of these faiths have a shared experience of exclusion from institutional theological enterprises, where women are depicted as silent subjects of faith. This thesis considers women as speaking subjects in the Qur'an within a literary reading to explore an Abrahamic interfeminist dialogue. The thesis compares how women's subjectivity has been interpreted historically in traditional Islamic scholarship with modem feminist deconstruction of androcentric language, in order to consider how women are presented as addressees of the text. Female speaking roles are explored through the language of dispute (jadala) as a thematic feature of the Qur'an, with the surah-title al-mujadilah, 'she who disputes', as pivotal character. The thesis draws on recent literary scholarship that has called for a canonical understanding of the text, whereby the Qur'an is viewed as a literary unit wherein formal structure is seen to have religious significance. The Qur'anic terms of gender and debate are read as part of an internal Qur'anic semiology that develops from the earlier to the later Qur'anic chapters through the expression of Qur'anic Sign. The chronological consideration of the Qur' an's terms of debate presented a model that critiques women's exclusion from the theological process as revealed knowledge while affirming their inclusion in the revelatory scheme not only for the Muslim addressee of Scripture, but for her Jewish and Christian counterparts as well. The thesis thus presents a novel approach of reading biblical texts in light of a Qur'anic model as an Abrahamic theology of women who speak.

In this research I argue that although Islam as a faith is inherently emancipatory, Muslim women are doubly marginalised: by patriarchal interpretations of their faith within Muslim communities and by pluralist society that often does not understand the faith-based values and practices of Muslim women. The empowerment of Muslim women is crucial not just for the women themselves but also for socio-political dynamics within the Muslim community and its relationships in pluralist society. It is from this context, and acknowledging the paucity of academic literature written by Muslim women, that I set out to give voice to them, so that their opinions may be heard in discourses that they think are relevant to their lives. By encouraging Muslim women to take voice and by facilitating mechanisms for these voices to be heard, this research presents alternate narratives of Muslim women that challenge dominant media imagery of the oppressed and subjugated Muslim woman. These narratives, which are by and for Muslim women, portray instead the inherent diversity in the category 'Muslim woman' and thus add more facets to the category 'woman'. I used an ethnographic methodology that involved participants as contributors in the creation of new knowledge. Semi-structured interviews with 45 young university-educated Muslim women and 7 group discussions were used as initial data-gathering tools. The penultimate ethnographic stage involved Muslim women creating 3-minute long self-representational digital stories (DSTs), which consist of an autobiographical narrative accompanied by still pictures. This was a process of self-reflection for the women and an opportunity to take voice and to be heard. The subsequent screening of these DSTs to audiences who were not Muslim resulted in discussion and active debate about the reasons for prevalent (mis)understandings of Muslim women and stereotypes were challenged. In its initiation of more balanced representations of Muslim women this research empowers Muslim women, and by contributing to dialogue and cohesion it also empowers pluralist society as a whole. This research clarifies the overlapping priorities and identities of young British Muslim women and initiates new discourses, as narrated by the women, on subjects including religious interpretation and practice, feminism, media representation and social cohesion. In the research findings I propose an evolving British-Muslim identity among Muslim youth (in this case young women) which is distinct from that of their parents; a theological articulation of a 'feminist' struggle for women's rights; and the need to engage with the media and others to create positive representations of Muslim women. Experiences with DSTs indicate the potential of personal narratives and interaction for the purposes of inter-community dialogue.