Insight Islamicus

Shah-i-Hamadan Institute of Islamic Studies

University of Kashmir

ISSN: 0975-6590

Islam does not allow/permit a person to kill himself or herself, as it believes that the life has been given to a person as a gift from God and he/she has no authority to waste it or finish it purposelessly. However it has been seen in the Kashmiri society that the number of suicides has been increasing and the majority of persons committing suicides are Muslims. Thus it is highly intriguing and a complex phenomenon as on the one hand Islam prohibits suicide and on the other hand Muslims constitute the majority of people who commit it. In this context, this paper highlights the perspective of local Islamic scholars (Sunni) about suicides in Islam, nature of suicides among Muslims in Kashmir and also explores the preventive strategies. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were used to collect the information from the participants.

Modern Knowledge of the West which made its inception from the time of Renaissance in Europe and developed in a good deal making a worldwide impact particularly upon the Muslims. This knowledge is mainly secular and relies upon reason and experimentation. What one attains through sensory faculties and experimentation that forms the modern western knowledge or science. No doubt it made a tremendous development at the global level in terms of secular and material progress yet failed to render the internal peace of man and his true welfare. The reason is that it confined itself more within the external or material aspects of man and ignored his spiritual and psychological aspects. To many Muslim scholars of the twentieth century this system of the modern knowledge became inacceptable in terms of its creating havoc in human history and presented their critical responses to it. Among them figures Allāma Iqbal distinctively. The present paper attempts to approach Allāma Iqbal’s response to the modern western knowledge. It focusses on making a brief review of the western theory of knowledge and Iqbal’s critique about it while discussing his views of Islamic theory of knowledge.

Sayyid Abul ‘Ala Mawdudi is credited with being the founder of Islamic Economics, and having developed the idea of an Islamic Economic System. Abul ‘Ala Mawdudi was a great thinker & religious scholar. He has written a voluminous literature on different aspects of Islamic ideology. One dimension of his knowledge is economics of Islam. He has played a deciding role in shaping Islamic economy as a separate branch of knowledge. He has written on different aspects of Islamic economics, he recognized that Islamic economic system means that basic principles and objectives, which Shari’ah has set for our lives in general and particularly for economic aspect. These principles and objectives are those foundation stones on which the building of Islamic economic system can be built at any time and anywhere, according to the needs and requirements of that society and time. The society that wants to adopt these principles and objectives can set up the details of the system, which are universal and independent of time and place. Mawdudi defines his Islamic economic order as a middle ground between capitalism and socialism (as ideal constructs, based on prevailing realities). This paper attempts to highlight his immense contribution towards Islamic economic thought in the modern times. It provides the gist of his economic thought which he has propounded and discussed in his various works.

The purpose of the study was to assess the religiousity and depression among youth of Kashmir. The sample consist of 100 youth as subjects(rural=50 and urban=50). Thereligiousity was measured using The Religious Commitment Inventory (RCI-10) and depression was measured using Becks Depression Inventory. Data was analysed using independent t test. The results indicated that there is significant difference in religiosity among youth of Kashmir in terms of domicile, that rural youth have more religiosity in comparison to urban youth. Also in depression the difference is insignificant.

Bediüzzaman Said Nursi (1877-1960 AD) and Imam Rabbani (1564-1624 AD) are two extraordinary personalities that the Muslim world has produced. Their intellectual and spiritual influence continues to be felt in the contemporary world. The aim of the paper is to compare the views and methods of Said Nursiand Imam Rabbanion the concept of Prophethood and to underline the points of convergence and divergence. The methodology applied is comparative, historical and analytical. The writings–Risale-i Nur and Ithbat-i-Nabuwwah–of Said Nursi and Imam Rabbani respectively serve as the primary source for this paper. The paper arrives at the conclusion that though the two thinkers are separated by time but are linked by the mission and spirituality. They both used combined approach and methods to defend the institution of Prophethood and its relevance and efficacy in the ever-changing times. In doing so they were greatly successful in rejuvenating the faith and importance of Prophethood.

Kashmir has history of conservation of environment1. Nund Rishi or NundReshi, also known as Sheikh Noor-ud-Din Wali, Sheikh Noor-ud-Din Noorani and popularly known as Sheikh ul-Alam in the 14th century talked about conservation of environment in general and forests in particular. According to him forests are sustainers of life. He laid thrust on cultivation and supply of good material for which forests play a great role. Sheikh Noor-ud-Din Wali took no interest in worldly affairs. At the age of 30 he felt a revulsion for material life and retired to live in the lap of nature. Kashmir is highly indebted to Sheikh as far as development of environment friendly attitude in the valley is concerned. His sayings in Kashmiri are full of wisdom. No environmentalist can guide better than Sheikh. The present study is an attempt to highlight his rolein conservation of environment.

Mufti Muhammad Shafi is counted amongst the leading ‘Ulama of Indo-Pak subcontinent who carried the banner of the pure religion in these lands and spent their lives and their strength in elevating it so that the caravan of Islam continues to proceed. Allah enabled him to serve Islam and the Muslims with every limb of his body, until his life became dependent on religion and its people. Mufti Muhammad Shafi has many beneficial works whose number surpasses one hundred, and according to Mufti Muhammad Rafi ‘Uthmani, the exact number of his books is 162, most of them in the Urdu language, on the sciences of Quranic exegesis, Hadith, Jurisprudence, Spirituality, Literature, Theology, social etiquettes and other topics. One of the greatest contributions of Mufti Muhammad Shafi is considered the writing of a very popular Tafsir known as Ma‘arif al-Quran. The present paper is an attempt to highlight the distinctive features of this important Tafsir which makes it different from other Tafasir.