https://ajis.com.au/index.php/ajis/issue/feedAustralian Journal of Islamic Studies2023-12-31T00:00:00-08:00Suleyman Sertkayassertkaya@csu.edu.auOpen Journal Systems<p style="text-align: justify;">The <em>Australian Journal of Islamic Studies</em> is an international open access, double-blind peer-reviewed journal dedicated to the scholarly study of Islam and Muslims. Contributions are encouraged from Islam and Muslim related disciplines and sub-disciplines; these may include theology, philosophy, sociology, jurisprudence, contemporary studies, comparative religion, spirituality, Qur’anic and Sunnah studies, history and art.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">AJIS is managed by Professor Mehmet Ozalp (Editor-in-Chief), Associate Professor Zuleyha Keskin (Editor-in-Chief), Dr Suleyman Sertkaya (Managing Editor), and Mirela Cufurovic (Assistant Editor).</p>https://ajis.com.au/index.php/ajis/article/view/637Knowledge of the Milky Way in the Arabic Cultural Region between the 8th and 15th Centuries2023-08-14T03:01:38-07:00Andreas Eckarteckart@ph1.uni-koeln.deMesut Idrizm.idriz@sharjah.ac.ae<p>We use a comparison of texts by several Arabic authors from the 8.-15. century in<br>order to explore the role of Milky Way in the early Islamic civilization until the 15th<br>century. We refer to texts by Ibn al-Haytham, Ibn Rahiq, Ibn Majid, and al-Marzouqi.<br>First we discuss the description of the Milky Way given by al-Marzouqi in the 21.<br>chapter of his Kitab al-Azminah wa al-Amkinah. Al-Marzouqi also points out how the<br>Milky Way can be used to determine the direction of prayer.<br>Second we discuss Ibn al-Haytham's finding that in comparison with the Moon the<br>Milky Way has no measurable parallax, must belong to the realm of the stars.<br>We compare the situation at Ibn al-Haytham's time to that of the Great Debate in 1920.</p> <p>Milky Way: role in early Islamic civilization, astronomical description, Great Debate</p>2023-12-31T00:00:00-08:00Copyright (c) 2024 Andreas Eckart, Mesut Idrizhttps://ajis.com.au/index.php/ajis/article/view/609Prison Life in the Eyes of Bediüzzaman Said Nursi and Aleksander Solzhenitsyn2023-09-05T19:09:41-07:00Ismail Albayrakkaryabla68@hotmail.com<p>Christian and Islamic cultures of old abound with examples of atrocities committed against faithful people. Even in the modern era, many people have been unjustly imprisoned and deliberately subjected to persecution by authoritarian regimes. Said Nursi and Aleksander Solzhenitsyn are prominent examples of such poor treatment, even though each fought for their country and produced outstanding works, as long as breath was in them, for the welfare of their fellow citizens and co-religionists. By acting positively, despite every setback, they both fought against ignorance, sedition and lawlessness within the putative legal framework of their respective nations. One of the most important points this article argues is that these two scholars’ spiritual qualities allowed them to discern a hidden beauty, kindness and goodness even behind all kinds of injustices, however much pain and distress was inflicted on them during their incarceration. Thus, Nursi and Solzhenitsyn turned prison experiences into seeing every phenomenon as a reflection of God’s manifestations, exploration and rediscovering a religious and moral life. For Nursi and Solzhenitsyn, the sharp difference between sadness, distress, sickness and old age, on the one hand, and joy, peace, youth and health, on the other, almost disappears in their thinking after converting the prison into paradise.</p>2023-12-31T00:00:00-08:00Copyright (c) 2024 Ismail Albayrakhttps://ajis.com.au/index.php/ajis/article/view/641Critical Reflections on Current Status of Scholarship in Islamic Psychology – Challenges and Solutions2023-10-24T03:24:34-07:00G. Hussein Rassoolgrassool@csu.edu.au<p>Islamic psychology, aimed at synthetising Islamic values with psychological theories, faces significant challenges despite its promise. This article presents a comprehensive review of the literature, revealing significant challenges that impede the development of an authentic Islamic psychology. The critical analysis, conducted through a qualitative review, is based on primary and secondary sources. The review critically challenges the issues of blind imitation, partialism, apologism, contradiction, epistemological biases and deconstructionism within contemporary Islamic psychology scholarship. The article emphasises their impact on knowledge creation and thought development in Islamic psychology. The key insights and recommendations resulting from the analysis of Islamic psychology scholarship include raising awareness of epistemological biases, critically evaluating assumptions, engaging directly with primary sources, embracing diverse perspectives, promoting collaboration and interdisciplinary approaches, and emphasising empirical validation. Implementing these recommendations can lead to a more authentic, inclusive and evidence-based approach to Islamic psychology. By addressing these challenges, the article suggests pathways toward the development of authentic Islamic psychology, fostering a more robust and integrated understanding that aligns with Islamic values.</p>2023-12-31T00:00:00-08:00Copyright (c) 2024 G. Hussein Rassoolhttps://ajis.com.au/index.php/ajis/article/view/627(Im)Piety2023-09-19T21:28:38-07:00Wael al-SoukkaryWsoukkary@aucegypt.edu<p>Much has been written about Islamic piety from anthropological and sociological perspectives. However, Islamic impiety has yet to be theorised, which is interesting given how widespread it is in Muslim-majority countries. This article argues that it is essential to examine and theorise impiety because the lives of believers constitute pious <em>and </em>impious experiences. However, the central argument of this paper is <em>not </em>that theorising impiety alongside piety is essential for understanding Muslim communities. Instead, pious and impious experiences are only sometimes easily distinguishable. This is to say, piety and impiety do not exist on separate planes of social experience and behaviour. In other words, it is not necessarily the case that certain practices and behaviours are demonstrably pure forms of impiety, even when they contradict Islamic orthodoxy and mainstream standards of pious behaviour. Instead, the article suggests that pious nuances may exist in the most impious practices and behaviours, which I call (im)piety.</p>2023-12-31T00:00:00-08:00Copyright (c) 2024 Wael al-Soukkaryhttps://ajis.com.au/index.php/ajis/article/view/565Ishak Imamovic, a Qadi and a Book Author in Australia2023-06-11T22:38:04-07:00Dzavid Havericdhaveric@csu.edu.au<p>This is the little-known story about an Australian sheikh, Ishak Imamovic, a <em>qadi </em>(Sharia judge) of Bosnian Muslim ethnic origin (Bosniak), and his forgotten pioneering book, the <em>Outlines of Islamic Doctrine</em>, which was published in Australia. The article comprises three parts: Ishak settling in Australia, his community engagement and a review of his book. It links Ishak’s ethnic background, adjustment to a new homeland and Muslim Australianness through his contributions to the Bosnian ethnic and multi-ethnic Muslim communities in Queensland, and his scholarly book. This article considers Ishak as a first <em>qadi </em>and Muslim book author, especially after the Second World War in Australia. However, his scholarly legacy is still unknown among Australian Muslim and non-Muslim scholars and students. The article is an “Ishak’s call” for better understanding of Islamic ideals and social virtues in the context of his legal considerations. It is primarily based on my discovery of his book, remarks from his descendants, friends and scholars, and the available archival data I read during my field trips to Brisbane in 1997, 2017 and 2023. By doing so, this article recommends reading Ishak’s 1971 <em>magnum opus </em>against scholarly ignorance and oblivion.</p>2023-12-31T00:00:00-08:00Copyright (c) 2024 Dzavid Haverichttps://ajis.com.au/index.php/ajis/article/view/619Weaving Modernity in Salafism2023-09-05T20:38:08-07:00Muhammad Muhammad Nasirmuhammad.nasir@uiii.ac.id<div> <p class="AJISabstract">This study examines the parallels between Muhammadiyah, the oldest and largest modernist Islamic movement in Indonesia, and Jama’atu Izalatil Bid’a Wa Ikamatus Sunnah, also known as Izala, the most significant Islamic reformist movement in West Africa, which originated in northern Nigeria. Concurrently, these groups share a common focus on socio-religious reform and a commitment to puritan Islam. It is undeniable that various Islamic movements/groups have existed and continue to exist outside the Arab world, but relatively few studies have focused on Islamic groups operating in West Africa or Southeast Asia, for example. <span style="font-size: 0.875rem;">This study highlights the importance of examining Islamic movements in regions beyond the Arab world, particularly in West Africa and Southeast Asia. The large Muslim populations in Indonesia and Nigeria offer a rich context for exploring the dynamics of Islamic movements. The research reveals, despite the groups’ Salafi-inspired ideologies, they mediate socio-religious reform, indicating the modernising rather than conservative aspects of Indonesian and Nigerian Islam. Within their respective contexts, these groups represent forms of reconstructed alternative modernity, or distinctly Islamic interpretations of modernity, which they define through executing their reform activities within Islamic frameworks. They navigate the complexities of modernity by balancing adherence to traditional values with adaptation to contemporary developments. Notably, the study is driven by a belief that comparative studies across different Salafi-inspired groups in distinct contexts could provide broader understanding of the evolving relationship between Salafism and modernity.</span></p> </div>2023-12-31T00:00:00-08:00Copyright (c) 2024 Muhammad Muhammad Nasir