ISDEV GRADUATE DISCOURSE: 2 MORE RISDEV GET THE NOD!

Farahdina presented her thesis findings

On 24 January 2018, another two RISDEV students finally presented their PhD draft thesis and  PhD proposal. Farahdina Fazial, who is the under the supervision of Associate Prof Dr Zakaria Bahari, presented her PhD draft thesis findings titled "Potensi Institusi Pondok Negeri Kedah dalam Membiayai Pembangunan Wakaf Lestari"

Amir Mohd Nason's turn to present his thesis proposal

The second candidate, Amir Mohd Nason presented his PhD thesis proposal titled "Pendekatan Pengajaran dan Pembelajaran Berasaskan Qalbu: Tumpuan Khusus Terhadap Sirah-sirah 4 Mazhab". Amir is under the supervision of Dr Mohd Shukri Hanapi. 

Among the RISDEV and MISDEV students attended to give moral supports and gain knowledge from the presentations

Both of the PhD thesis draft and proposal were evaluated by Dr Mohd Syakir Mohd Rosdi. Both of them obtained approval to continue their research.

Congratulations to Farahdina and Ustaz Amir!

A NAS A WEEK - 8 RAJAB 1439

Jabir reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Verily, there is certainly an hour of the night in which a Muslim man does not ask for good in the affairs of the world and the Hereafter but that he is given it, and that is for every night.” [Source: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 757; Grade: Sahih (authentic) according to Muslim]

عَنْ جَابِرٍ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِنَّ فِي اللَّيْلِ لَسَاعَةً لَا يُوَافِقُهَا رَجُلٌ مُسْلِمٌ يَسْأَلُ اللَّهَ خَيْرًا مِنْ أَمْرِ الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ إِلَّا أَعْطَاهُ إِيَّاهُ وَذَلِكَ كُلَّ لَيْلَةٍ

 

757 صحيح مسلم كتاب صلاة المسافرين وقصرها باب في الليل ساعة مستجاب فيها الدعاء

Source: https://abuaminaelias.com/dailyhadithonline/2018/02/26/hadith-on-nights-every-night-has-an-hour-for-supplications-to-be-answered/

A NAS A WEEK - 1 RAJAB 1439

In matters of faith, 1  He has ordained for you that which He had enjoined upon Noah - and into which We gave thee [O Muhammad] insight through revelation 2 - as well as that which We had enjoined upon Abraham, and Moses, and Jesus: Steadfastly uphold the [true] faith, and do not break up your unity therein. 3  [And even though] that [unity of faith] to which thou callest them appears oppressive to those who are wont to ascribe to other beings or forces a share in His divinity, God draws unto Himself everyone who is willing, and guides unto Himself everyone who turns unto Him [Translation of Surah al-Shura, 42 Ayah 13].

Notes:

1: See first paragraph of note [249] on 2:256 of Asad Translation. Since, as the sequence shows, the term din cannot apply in this context to "religion" in its widest connotation, including religious laws - which, by their very nature, have been different in each successive dispensation (cf. note [66] on 5:48 of Asad Translation) - it obviously denotes here only the ethical and spiritual contents of religion, i.e., "faith" in its most general sense. With this verse, the discourse returns to the theme sounded at the beginning of this surah, namely, the unchanging sameness of the spiritual and moral principles underlying all revealed religions.

2: Lit., "which We have revealed unto thee", implying that it was only through revelation that the Prophet Muhammad came to know "that which God had enjoined upon Noah".

3: Cf. 3:19 - "the only [true] religion in the sight of God is [man's] self-surrender unto Him"; and 3:85 - "if one goes in search of a religion other than self-surrender unto God, it will never be accepted from him". Parallel with this principle, enunciated by all of God's apostles, is the categorical statement in 21:92 and 23:52 - "Verily, [O you who believe in Me,] this community of yours is one single community, since I am the Sustainer of you all". Most of the great commentators (e.g., Zamakhshari, Razi, Ibn Kathir) understand this as an unequivocal reference to the ecumenical unity of all religions based on belief in the One God, notwithstanding all the differences with regard to "the [specific] statutes and practices enjoined for the benefit of the various communities in accordance with their [time-bound] conditions ('ala hasab ahwaliha)", as expressed by Zamakhshari in his comments on the verse under discussion.

Source: http://www.alim.org/library/quran/ayah/compare/42/13/islam-is-the-same-deen-(way-of-life)-which-was-enjoined-on-nuh,-ibrahim,-musa-(moses)-and-isa-(jesus)-they-were-all-ordered-to-establish-deen-al-islam-and-do-not-create-division-(sects)-in-it

THE 12TH CHAPTER OF INGRAW 2017

ISDEV with the cooperation of the Institute of Postgraduate Studies (IPS), recently co-organised the 12th International Graduate Workshop 2017 (INGRAW 2017). The 12th INGRAW was successfully held from 12th-13th December 2017 at the University's Conference Hall (DPU), Universiti Sains Malaysia with more than 100 participants attending. The two days conference was held with the focussed aim to provide the platform for research students at the Master or PhD levels to present and share their researches to fellow participants.

Among the presenters present their papers in two-days concurrent sessions

Chaired by Dr Murni Yusoff, the new appointed ISDEV lecturer, INGRAW 2017 was organised with two Keynote Addresses delivered at INGRAW 2017. The first Keynote Address was delivered by ISDEV Director, Associate Professor Dr. Zakaria Bahari on “Assessment on Viva Report” who had also officiated the opening of the International Workshop. The second keynote was delivered by Dr. Wan Norhaniza Wan Hasan on "Scholar's Ethics and Integrity".

The keynote speakers sharing their knowledge and experiences 

A total of 80 papers were presented throughout the one and half-day workshop divided into three segments of five concurrent sessions each ranging from topics on Development actor, waqf, Islamic development, Islamic asset management, Islamic economy, management of Islamic institution, Islamic worldview, Islamic political economy, Islamic leadership and Islamic human development management. Each presenter's working paper was evaluated by a panel Resource Persons who are experts in their field based on the subject matter of the research. All papers had undergone strict review by the 15 resource persons appointed for INGRAW 2017. The resource persons consisted of ISDEV lecturers and ISDEV Research Fellows from within USM as well as outside of USM. The presenters gained to benefit from the various feedback, input, comments and ideas given by those Resource Persons on how best they could improve the quality of their research and written thesis, wherever felt needed.

Among the moments captured during INGRAW with presenters, lecturers, and committee members

The curtain has now closed for INGRAW 2017. However, ISDEV is upbeat that the continuation of the 13th series of INGRAW 2018 which is scheduled to be held in August next year will see more presenters and participants congregating and networking for the benefit of Islam, Insya Allah.

A NAS WEEK - 23 JAMADIL AKHIR 1439H

Ibn Abbas reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Know that there is much good in being patient with what you detest, that victory will come with patience, affliction will come with relief, and hardship will come with ease.” [Source: Musnad Aḥmad 2800

Grade: Sahih (fair) according to Ahmad Shakir]

عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَاعْلَمْ أَنَّ فِي الصَّبْرِ عَلَى مَا تَكْرَهُ خَيْرًا كَثِيرًا وَأَنَّ النَّصْرَ مَعَ الصَّبْرِ وَأَنَّ الْفَرَجَ مَعَ الْكَرْبِ وَأَنَّ مَعَ الْعُسْرِ يُسْرًا

2800 مسند أحمد ومن مسند بني هاشم

4/287 المحدث أحمد شاكر خلاصة حكم المحدث إسناده صحيح في مسند أحمد

ISDEV 10TH ANNUAL LECTURE SERIES ON CONTEMPORARY ISLAM IN MALAYSIA FOR AGDER UNIVERSITY, NORWAY

A group photo - ISDEV members with the Norwegian Undergraduate Students from Agder University 

On 30 January, 2018, 25 undergraduate students from Agder University, Norway were at ISDEV to participate in the 10th Annual Lecture Series on Contemporary Islam in Malaysia. They were led by Professor Dr. Levi Geir Eidhamar. It was an annual occasion resulting from the signing of an MoU between ISDEV and the Agder University. ISDEV Director, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Zakaria Bahari with Dr. Shahir Akram Hassan served as Chairman of the programme. The programme took place at Lecture Hall A (DKA), USM. 

Dr. Shaik Abdullah Hassan Mydin and En Noor Muhamed Mohd Yousuf in action for the talk

The session was divided into two parts. The first session started with the topic on "Life After Death" delivered by Dr. Shaik Abdullah Hassan Mydin from the School of Distance Education, USM while the second session was delivered by Encik Noor Muhamed Mohd Yousuf, a member of IPSI (Islamic Propagation Society International) on "The Allah's Name Controversy and Bumiputera Privilege". 

(Left) Prof. Levi presenting his view point during the Q&A session, (Right) Prof Levi received a small 'keris' from En Noor Muhamed

The Q & A session was a truly lively and vibrant. Almost all the undergraduate Norwegian students at DKA were keen to get more details on the points shared by the two speakers. Coming from a well-developed country with a conventional development paradigm, where Muslims are a minority, these students really took the opportunity to clear the air about their views on Islam and the Muslims.

The Arrival of the 25 undergraduate students from Agder University, Norway

Happy faces of friendship bond between ISDEV students and Agder University students

Overall, the programme had indeed provided satisfactory information to their queries and apprehensiveness pertaining to the two issues tackled by both speakers. Prof. Levi expressed his ardent hopes that he is able to return to USM with a new batch of students from Adger University next year!

Ukhuwwah and networking session between ISDEV and Agder University Lectures 

A NAS A WEEK - 16 JAMADIL AKHIR 1439H

And of the people is he whose speech pleases you in worldly life, and he calls Allah to witness as to what is in his heart, yet he is the fiercest of opponents. [Translation of al-Baqarah, 2:204]