A study conducted by the National Library (PNM) found that Malaysians now read an average of 14 books a year. This is a delightful news, as about 14 years ago, it was only two and a half pages a year on the average. Let’s evoke a historic battle happened a hundred years after the…
Globalization refers to a historical process which transforms the spatial organizations of social relations and transactions, generating transcontinental or inter-regional networks of interactions and exercise of power (Held et.al.1999). Figuratively, this development denotes the disappearance of boundaries between countries and its impacts can be seen in many aspects of our lives today. Disparity in political…
Islam is an Arabic word which carries several meanings. In the Quran, two distinct meanings are used by Allah. For example, in Surahal–Nisa’ verse 90 and al–Anfal verse 61, ‘Islam’ or ‘salm’ means ‘peace’. In a number of other verses, it carries the meaning of ‘submission’ or ‘surrender’, for example, verse 83 of AliImran and 208 of al–Baqarah. Nevertheless, such connotations are not…
Among the slew of disturbing reports on the Islamic State (IS) of late, two mainly have caught public attention in the country recently. One is the case of local students being recruited for the militant group in the Middle East, now known for their atrocities against others and even fellow Muslims. Another is that of…
As intriguing as the anomaly “corporate mystic” might sound, it is in fact the title of one of the most practical books ever written in the field of corporate leadership. Published in 1997, The Corporate Mystic: A Guidebook for Visionaries with Their Feet on the Ground was authored by Dr. Gay Hendricks and Dr. Kate Ludeman, renowned…
In a Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government research working paper entitled “Estimating the Impact of the Hajj”, one of the findings is that hajj (pilgrimage) increases belief in equality and harmony among ethnic groups and Islamic sects. Contrary to outsiders’ fear, the research finds that such an increased sense of unity with…
Plato used to say that the duty of the State or the government is to produce the highest moral type of human being under the supremacy of law. The government is duty bound to respect the law. The Islamic government under the Prophet was entirely shaped upon the divine sources. The duty of the State…
In our worldview, originally nothing belongs to man. To quote Ibn al-‘Arabi, “man is destitute at root”. It is God who makes him resourceful-by creating all things that are beneficial for mankind, God makes him the possessor of those things. All that man possesses, therefore, is but held in trust from God, as the following…
Peaceful co-existence implies the ability of mankind to live in harmony. As human beings, we need to have a solid understanding that diversity and plurality of cultures, ethnicities and religions are part of God’s creation of the universe and of mankind. These are signs of the greatness in His creations and must be duly appreciated.…
As recorded in the history of Islam that after migrating (hijrah) to Madinah and having successfully established a Muslim state there, the Prophet Muhammad could still hardly forget the place he grew up in. In a hadith narrated by al-Tirmidhi, the Prophet was reported to have pined for Mecca: “How sweet of a land you are and how…
