Browsing by Author "Nurul Jannah Zainan Nazri"

The Qur'an describes all aspects related to human beings, both concisely and extensively. The Qur'an exposes the psychological aspects of human behaviour through many verses. The way a human being behaves enables one to identify his or her personality and identity. The ultimate abode of all humanity in the hereafter will be determined by their behavioural character in this life. That is why we should promote noble behaviour and prevent evil manners to build a noble and virtuous society. The prime objective of this research is to explore and analyse the general behavioural aspects of human beings and behavioural diversity of different faiths and its impacts on behaviour as portrayed in the Qur'an. Descriptive, analytical, interpretive and comparative methods have been applied throughout this study. The descriptive method is employed in Chapter Two to explore the Qur'anic portrayal of the common behavioural aspects of human beings. Interpretive and analytical methods are used for Chapter Three, Four and Five where the behavioural patterns of believers, disbelievers and hypocrites are presented and analysed accordingly. Chapter Six or the final chapter is devoted to comparative analysis among the behavioural attitudes of the different classes of people and the impacts of creed on shaping behavioural patterns. This research concludes that the Qur'an recognises that the psychological aspects of human behaviour are of two types: the instinctive or fitrah based that Allah (SWT) instilled in them, and the acquired, which humans acquire from surroundings and backgrounds, largely impacting physical and metaphysical dimensions of life. This study also reveals that faith is the prime motivating factor for behaviour. It influences human behaviour regardless of their religio-ideological backgrounds. The believers properly believe in the articles of faith. Disbelievers are devoid of faith. Hypocrites are in between belief and disbelief. Ideological diversity divides them into three different behavioural patterns as per the research findings. As a result, believers are proactive, disbelievers are reactive, and hypocrites are disguised in identity crisis. Conclusively, this research suggests that if human civilization wants to achieve peace and wishes to be psychologically balanced, it needs to behave according to the fitrah or innate nature upon which human beings were created; this will help relieve humanity from tension, social chaos and disturbance; and to achieve peace and happiness in this world and in the hereafter.

Islam encourages a type of industrialization that brings about not only economic prosperity and sustainable development, but also one that is in harmony with the environment. This is a different approach to that of Western industrialization which aims at accelerated economic development, while paying less emphasis to the spiritual dimension which leads to various types of social problems and environmental degradation. This study examines industrialization in Malaysia from the perspective of the Qur’an and Sunnah and compares the Islamic perspective to which the ideological underpinnings that have been the driving philosophy behind the process of industrialization in Malaysia. Some of these ideologies are counter to the universal values and teachings of Islam. Selected Qur’anic verses and ahadith are the centre of this research which evaluates the philosophical foundation behind industrialization in Malaysia; compares the notions of industrialization according to Islamic and Western perspectives, and derives the guiding principles and values that can bring about a process of industrialization that suits human needs and is in harmony with the role of Man as a servant and vicegerent of Allah on Earth

Questions on the authenticity of Sunnah have long been of central importance to the study of Islam. Among the crucial points that are fiercely debated in this matter is the issue of textual criticism, which appears to have the effect of discrediting the existing record of Sunnah. This study explains and clarifies the relevance of the classical methodology of hadith text criticism in modern times. By using the case of Progressive Islam as the focal-point, it explores the impact of modernity on contemporary Muslims’ attitudes towards religious authorities especially the hadith of the Prophet r. It traces back the intellectual origin of Progressive Muslims’ approach to hadith texts and investigates its salient features. It also examines the extent to which this so-called new approach is in line with the classical hadith scholars’ methodology. It assesses the interpretational implications of their approach to hadith related to the Islamic belief system (‘aqidah), metaphysical issues (ghaybiyyat) and Muslim social affairs (women and racist issues). In a nutshell, this work provides a major contribution to the understanding of the attitudes of the modernists in particular the Progressive Muslims towards the Prophetic texts in modern times.