For centuries in the East and West, the disciplines and ideas connected to “philosophy” were regarded as the most praiseworthy because without it, any practical activity is devoid of depth of meaning in relation to the human soul, to the environment, and ultimately to the Creator.It was the reason that the term ‘university’ was named as such – that it is a place wherein universal matters were investigated and studied by a community …
According to historians of technology, Donald Routledge Hill and Ahmad Yousef al-Hassan, when Muslims spread to the African and European continents in the first 200 years of Hijrah they introduced “diffusion of new crops” into agricultural lands, displacing the system previously used by the Romans and the Byzantines whose technique involved sowing lands with a…
On the 9th of November 2019 (12th Rabi’ al-awwal), Muslims worldwide will continue the commemoration of the birth of the last Prophet and Messenger of God, Muhammad (May God bless and give him peace), the Seal of the Prophets who lived more than 1,400 years ago. It is alarming however; that from our limited observation,…
In 2005, under the auspices of the Malaysian AIDS Council, the author had the opportunity to attend The 16th International Conference on the Reduction of Drug Related Harm in Belfast, Ireland. At that time, statistics in Malaysia showed that the majority of people with HIV/AIDS were those who had drug injections (PWID). Following this, The…
The Ministry of Education has recently decided to introduce into the curriculum of Malaysian higher education a new subject entitled Philosophy and Current Issues together with another subject, Appreciation for Ethics and Civilization. The decision is seen in line with the national education system‘s direction which is value-centered education. Ironically, the decision comes at the…
In several Quranic verses, Allah the Almighty commands human beings to respect appreciate and honour their parents by doing good. The following verse beautifully describes the way parents should be treated, “And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him and that you be kind to parents, whether one or both of them attain old age in their life, say not to them a word of contempt (uff), nor repel them, but address …
Much have been said and written about the current state of unity in the country. We hear voices of concerns from the top leadership of the country to common civilians on the streets and coffee shops. All are worried with the social temperature of the relationships among the different racial groups. Conversations of the older generations centre upon reminiscing the ‘good old days’ when bonds of friendships and brotherhood (and sisterhood) transcend the colours of the skin or the …
The air pollution crisis in the country as a result of haze brought from neighbouring country, Indonesia for over a decade seems to have no solution. The question of how long this issue will end is quite difficult to determine. This is because the haze phenomenon seems to be routine to the country almost every year. According to chronology the worst haze in Malaysia first took place during September to November 1997. It was caused coincidently with the …
Majority, if not all, of us may concur that by and large the political scenario in Malaysia during the past four decades has never been calm for more than five years. Somewhat unprecedented and shocking however was the recent leak of a scandalous video, with its related confession and political repercussions. Whatever the purpose of…
In his recent local television interview, prominent American Muslim scholar, Shaykh Hamza Yusuf, spoke favourably about the virtues and stability of constitutional monarchy-led governments such as Malaysia, against the backdrop of political turmoil, violent anarchy, and failed states which almost always resulted from the breakup of consensus in the government structure of democratic republics. Since…
