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This work studies the Sharh `Uqud Rasm al-Mufti (An explication of the Chaplets on the Manual of the Mufti to Give Fatwa) of Ibn Abidin al-Shami (d. 1252/1836) which collects everyday principles a mufti should know to serve the fatwa-giving institution (ifta�). The principles in this treatise dwell around fatwa giving methods of the Hanafi legal school. The researcher edited and presented the Arabic text in the modern style with complete information of the works and scholars Ibn Abdin referred to with short titles and names. The text was translated into English and drew an analysis reflecting on the principles Ibn Abidin presented in the treatise. The work finds that a mufti is bound to give fatwa according to the preferred (rajih) opinion of a legal school or of a mujtahid. This principle gives assurance that the mufti is not giving fatwa according to his lust (hawa) or out of ignorance (jahalah). This principle is only feasible, if the mufti is an expert in knowing the hierarchy of the legal transmissions of the legal school, hierarchy of the scholars (fuqaha), and their works. He should know the different writing styles of the fuqaha and their method of compiling several legal opinions for a single issue. The mufti has to master the rectification codes such as sahih (correct opinion) and mufta bihi (opinion according to which the fatwa is given) and its hierarchy in choosing a legal opinion for his fatwa. Ibn Abidin�s treatise does not discuss principles which only demand the mufti to be a bookworm, but there are principles which require the mufti to know the situation and circumstances of the mustafti. The mufti can only know the maslahah and darurah if he knows the custom (`urf) and habit of his people. The mufti cannot give fatwa according to an opinion which was based on some other people�s custom to his people who follow their own sets of customs and habits. This may cause injustice and hardship to the people. Human need is an important factor and hence if the mufti has to give fatwa according to a weak or not preferred opinion of a legal school or a mujtahid, he can do so. Ibn Abidin�s treatise is not the A-Z of the principles of giving fatwa, but it is a starting point to put the scholars on tract who intend to serve the institution of giving fatwa.

Virtual teams have been used in workplaces in recent years, replacing traditional teams. Therefore, researchers have been interested in how to improve the performance of virtual teams. The main research problem is to re-evaluate the factors influencing the performance of virtual teams in the Malaysian higher education sector to support the creation of effective virtual teams that contribute to the success and survival of institutions. This study aims to investigate the role of the components of social presence (relationship building, trust, cohesion, and communication) and virtual leadership in enhancing the performance of virtual work teams in the higher education sector in Malaysia. Moreover, the study aims to examine the mediating role of knowledge sharing and the moderating role of media richness in previous relationships. The research employed a quantitative research methodology. A survey was conducted using a questionnaire where data was obtained from 373 administrative employees from the Top-Ten Malaysian Universities according to Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) was employed to test the hypotheses using (IBM AMOS). Findings show that the components of social presence (relationships building, trust, cohesion, and communication) and virtual leadership have a statistically significant impact on the performance of virtual teams. In addition, it was found that knowledge sharing plays a mediating role in the relationship between social presence and the performance of virtual teams, while it does not play a mediating role in the relationship between virtual leadership and the performance of virtual teams. Moreover, it is concluded that media richness did not play a moderating role in the relationship between social presence, virtual leadership and the performance of virtual teams. Thus, the study contributed an original contribution to the literature review on the performance of virtual teams. In the theoretical context, this study makes a significant contribution by exploring previously inadequately examined relationships, such as the mediating role of knowledge sharing and the moderating role of media richness. Sectorally, it stands out as a recent research conducted in Malaysia to evaluate the performance of virtual teams within the higher education sector from an administrative perspective. Methodologically, the study is noteworthy for its focus on administrative employees in the higher education sector, thereby addressing the performance of virtual teams from an administrative standpoint. This contrasts with prior research, which predominantly concentrated on students and examined virtual team performance from an educational perspective.