It takes knowledge in order to affirm or deny something of something. The act of affirming or denying something of something is called judging. It assumes that reality exists, and that it can be known objectively. This is the philosophy of common people, or a common-sensical philosophy, and the foundation of all philosophical and scientific…
This is a corollary to my previous article, “Blasphemy can lead to apostasy,” (The Star, 25 May), to re-emphasize certain positions and to provide further clarification on a few. I deem this extension necessary as there are still Muslims who-out of ignorance, misunderstanding, confusion-advocate ideas and translate them into acts that may lead to blasphemy,…
With reference to excellent ethics, there are four principal virtues from which all other virtues flow. This refers to prudence, fortitude, temperance, and justice. Each of the first three chief virtues is a mean between two vicious extremes of excess and of defect. Prudence or wisdom is a mean between deceit and stupidity; fortitude, between…
Every way of life is based upon a certain way of looking at life. The way one looks at life is one’s philosophy, and since there are many ways of looking at life there are many philosophies. So, what is called ‘western philosophy’ is western way of looking at life; why should a muslim follow…
Where a man embraces Islam just before a divorce, where for will the matrimonial property go? This difficult question is only a tip of the iceberg of the current legal limbo in issues relating to conversion. This and various other questions need to be answered because in cases of conversion of one party to the…
Peace and development, as key socio-economic themes, have never ceased to be important and relevant, particularly to the so-called “developing” and “under-developed” countries. Although these two themes, of late, have been viewed with suspicions, especially when they are highly politicized, taken out of their proper context, and blown out of proportion, their significance can be…
Legal dualism in Malaysia is reflected by the application of two sets of laws-syariah and civil. The former has been practiced centuries prior to the invasion of the colonialists while the later was introduced after the coming of the British to this land. Now, there exists two groups of lawyers – syarie and non-syarie legal…
There are numerous Qur’anic verses and Prophetic traditions purporting to commend “good character”. According to interpretation of Muslim psychologists like al-Ghazzali, “good character” refers to the just management of three powers of the soul, viz. the concupiscent, irascible, and rational powers. The Qur’anic basis of al-Ghazzali’s thesis is al-Hujurat (49):15, which reads to the effect…
‘Blasphemy’, derived from a Greek term, means “speaking evil”. It is contemptuous or irreverent words or speech about God or things regarded as sacred. Its synonyms, among others, are abuse, desecration, execration, profanation, repudiation, derogation, denunciation, heresy, insult, impiety, sacrilege, scurrility and reviling. ‘To blaspheme’ is to speak about the Divine or those sacred things…
Why is gender mainstreaming important?First, it is an issue of development effectiveness. As it is a public policy concept of assessing the different implications for women and men of any planned policy action in all areas and levels, women’s voice needs to be heard. Why? It is because a growing body of evidence confirms that the…
