Riphah Journal of Islamic Thought and Civilization

Tradition, Modernity, and Qur’anic Hermeneutics: Rethinking Tafsir in the Contemporary World

2025-12-09T17:01:28+00:00

The issue of understanding and interpreting the Qur’an has remained one of the central challenges in Islamic thought throughout history. Classical exegesis generally sought to harmonize the Qur’an with the Sunnah and the inherited scholarly tradition, offering a framework that emphasized continuity and doctrinal stability. In contrast, modern approaches, emerging particularly since the nineteenth century, have increasingly employed reason, contextual interpretation, and contemporary scientific insights in their attempt to render the Qur’an more relevant to present-day concerns. The purpose of this article is to explore the dialectic between tradition and modernity in Qur’anic hermeneutics, with a focus on how interpretative trends have responded to shifting intellectual, social, and political conditions. Methodologically, the study adopts a comparative and analytical approach, combining close textual analysis of representative exegetical works with a historical-contextual reading that situates these innovations within broader cultural transformations. The article examines trends such as Quranism, historicism, scientific exegesis, thematic interpretation, semantics, hermeneutics, and demythologization, highlighting their principal representatives and methodological assumptions. By analyzing these trends, the study aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the intellectual claims of modernist tafsīr and to assess their epistemological contributions, limitations, and potential for renewing Islamic thought. In doing so, it seeks to contribute to broader debates on authority, authenticity, and the role of scripture in the contemporary Muslim world.

Effectiveness of VR/AR in Learning and Understanding Islamic History: A Critical Analysis

2025-12-17T04:13:49+00:00

The Virtual and Augmented Reality technologies have played a pivotal role in the education sector over the past few years. These immersive technologies provide a digital environment through smartphones, tablets and AR glasses that completely overtake the real world. This paper analyzed the effectiveness of both Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) technologies in enhancing the learning and understanding of Islamic history among students of different levels. As immersive technologies progress in an academic environment, this study examines their potential impact on engagement, comprehension, and knowledge retention among learners. Using a mixed-methods approach, data were collected through a survey, and a questionnaire was developed targeting students and educators. Initial findings proposed that VR/AR tools greatly improve involvement and conceptual understanding of students, although challenges such as access to technology, exorbitant technical limitations, and cultural sensitivity remain. This research concludes with recommendations for integrating immersive technologies into Islamic history education.

Beggary in Yorubaland: An Islamic Theological Analysis of Syncretic Beliefs

2025-12-09T04:07:00+00:00

This study examines the phenomenon of beggary as an economic activity in Yorubaland, focusing on the Islamic theological implications of the syncretic practices that underpin it. These practices, which conflict with Islamic teachings, are used by beggars to seek protection, spiritual fortification, and to fulfill certain desires of almsgivers. Through a qualitative method, the research draws on Islamic texts, field observations, interviews with Muslim clerics, beggars and community leaders. The findings reveal significant theological contradictions between Islamic principles and the syncretic practices observed, shedding light on their impact on the spiritual and socio-economic well-being of beggars in the region. The study uncovers a complex relationship between traditional Islamic values and local customs, illustrating how beggars navigate their identities within a framework of religious faith and societal expectations. The study calls for the Muslim community to reaffirm core Islamic teachings on charity, reject harmful superstitions and advocate for a more equitable and spiritually sound approach to assisting those in need. By offering a deeper understanding of the socio-religious dynamics surrounding beggary in urban contexts, this study provides valuable insights for policymakers and social workers involved in poverty alleviation and community development efforts.

Negotiating Faith and Reason: Intellectual Discourses and Emotional Expressions on the Celebration of the Prophet’s Birthday-Mawlūd-among Yoruba Muslim Scholars in Nigeria

2025-12-09T03:40:49+00:00

The observance of Prophet Muhammad’s birthday, known as "Mawlūd," has long been a subject of ambivalent interpretation among Muslims, oscillating between intellectual discourse and emotional expression. This research examines how Yoruba Muslim scholars in Nigeria navigate this ambiguity between religion and reason in their discussions on the relevance and justification of observing Mawlūd. Through textual analysis of sermons, scholarly writings, oral traditions, and insights from ethnographic studies of community practices, this study identifies two primary approaches among Yoruba Muslim scholars in Nigeria. One approach involves rational critiques grounded in adherence to the authority of the Qur’ān and Sunnah, aiming to reject innovations. The other adopts a nurturing stance, emphasizing the importance of expressing love for Prophet Muhammad through the communal practice of Mawlūd as a gesture of unity. The findings demonstrate that the relevance and justification of observing Prophet Muhammad’s birthday among Nigerian Muslims cannot be understood solely as a theological debate but must be contextualized within the broader cultural and historical experiences of Yoruba Muslims.

Exploring of Public Perceptions of Islamic Education’s Role in Promoting Peace and Social Cohesion in Post-Conflict Afghanistan

2025-12-15T04:05:53+00:00

This study examines how the public perceives the role of Islamic education in fostering peace and social cohesion in post-conflict Afghanistan. Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews with five carefully chosen participants, comprising educators, community leaders, and civil society representatives, utilizing a qualitative approach. Thematic analysis was conducted on the responses to uncover significant values and issues of Islamic teachings and their relevance in Afghan society. Our results show that Islamic education is fundamentally seen as moral education (that is, education that helps participants suppress violence, choose cooperation, and behave properly), based on Qur'anic principles of sulh (peace), ukhuwwah (brotherhood), and adl (justice). Participants articulated the significance of having religious leaders and educators who will provide direction for their communities. Participants evidenced alarm that religious education piece could be utilized for political exploitation and extremism. The results suggest that Islamic education could serve as an important tool to enhance the notion of peace and national unity, provided it is implemented inclusively and without ideological influences. The results provide useful guidance to educators, policy and decision makers, and religious organizations in their efforts to transform Islamic education to foster a more peaceful Afghan society.

The Non-Political Civilization According to Hamid Rabi in Light of the Islamic Concept of the State: the Model of the Rightly Guided Caliphate and the Umayyad Caliphate الحضارة اللاسياسية عند حامد ربيع في ضوء التصور الإسلامي للدولة: نموذج الخلافة الراشدة والخلافة الأموية

2025-11-25T06:40:28+00:00

The late Egyptian thinker Hamed Rabie categorized Islamic civilization—particularly from the era of the Rashidun Caliphate to the early Abbasid period—within the framework of “non-political civilizations,” distinguishing it from both political and non-political civilizations. Political civilizations, as defined by Rabie, involve a relationship between the ruler and the ruled centered around the rights and accountability of authority. These civilizations ensure political participation for all citizens, where rulers are subjected to oversight and accountability by the people. Non-political civilizations, on the other hand, are characterized by an absolute administrative nature. Here, citizens maintain an attitude of indifference and non-participation toward authority, as these civilizations lack the concept of political dynamics between the ruler and the ruled. Non-political model of civilization, as Rabie uniquely framed, does not reject political participation. Instead, it demands and elevates it to a duty surpassing mere moral commitment. Authority in this model is more complex, transcending daily governance. It intertwines spiritual dimensions with civic life, making the ruler not just a symbol of order but also a vicegerent of God on Earth. This ruler, bound by the same contractual obligations as ordinary citizens, upholds religious and moral values. Meanwhile, citizens are obligated to participate and oversee authority, driven by religious motivations.

Juvenile Criminal Liability in Islamic Criminal Law: An Analytical Study of Ḥudūd and Qiṣāṣ Offences اسلامی فوجداری قانون میں کم عمر افراد کی مسئولیت: حدود و قصاص کے جرائم کا فقہی و تجزیاتی مطالعہ

2025-12-20T02:58:37+00:00

This paper examines the concept of criminal liability of minors within Islamic criminal law, with a particular focus on ḥudūd and qiṣāṣ offences. Islamic jurisprudence establishes responsibility (mas’ūliyyah) on the basis of intellect, maturity, and perception, thereby exempting children, the insane, and those under coercion from the full application of criminal liability. Drawing upon Qur’ānic injunctions, Prophetic traditions, and classical juristic opinions, the study outlines the principles governing the exemption of minors from ḥudūd and qiṣāṣ punishments, while highlighting the imposition of financial liabilities and discretionary punishments (taʿzīr) where appropriate. The discussion covers major offences including homicide, adultery, theft, ḥirābah (banditry), qadhf (false accusation), apostasy, intoxication, and rebellion, analyzing how classical jurists differentiated between acts of minors and adults in assigning culpability. The findings demonstrate that Islamic law does not equate minors with adults in terms of punishment; instead, it provides a balanced framework that combines social protection with opportunities for correction and moral development. This research also underscores the relevance of Islamic legal principles in contemporary debates on juvenile justice, showing that Islamic jurisprudence anticipated many modern concerns regarding the treatment of juvenile offenders.

An Analytical Study of the Meanings, Features, and Usage of the Word Fawākiha and its Derivatives in the Holy Qur’an and Hadith قرآن و حدیث میں لفظ فواکہ اور اس کے مشتقات کے معانی ، خصوصیات اور مدلولات؛ ایک تحقیقی مطالعہ

2025-11-25T06:37:03+00:00

This research paper presents a comprehensive analysis of the meanings, characteristics, and usage of the word "Fawākiha" and its derivatives as mentioned in the Holy Qur’an and the Prophetic Hadith. In the Qur’an, Fawākiha (fruits) are referenced not only as rewards in Paradise, but also as worldly blessings granted by Allah. Similarly, in the noble Hadith, various terms for fruits including specific types such as dates, grapes, and pomegranates highlight their medical, ethical, and spiritual dimensions. Indeed, fruits are among the great bounties of Allah. Humans are blessed with a wide variety of fruits in this world, and the Qur’an and Hadith repeatedly describe the diverse kinds of fruits promised in Paradise, urging mankind to show gratitude and obedience to their Lord. Given the elevated status of fruits as a divine blessing, it is essential to explore how different types of fruits are mentioned in the Qur’an and Hadith and in what contexts.Therefore, this paper aims to investigate not only the linguistic meanings of Fawākiha and its derivatives, but also their contextual usage, nature of application, and distinctive attributes and characteristics. The objective is to help reveal the true value of these divine blessings and deepen our appreciation of the favors bestowed upon us by Allah.