In Arabic grammar, nouns and verbs are divided into two. The first is indeclinable, mabni, and signifies a word’s keeping the same mode of termination and ending with a quiescent letter or with a particular vowel, not by reason of any governing word, ‘amil. The second is parsable, mu‘arab, and means a word’s changing often with diverse termination because of what occurs to it, by reason of a governing word ‘amil. This theory of the ‘governing word’ in changing of the vowels of parsing, harakat al-‘irab, namely raf‘a (nominative), nasb (accusative), jarr (genitive) and sukun (vowellessness), either by expression or by assumption, according to the meaning intended, customarily prevails in Arabic grammar. The novel idea the author asserts in this book NAHWA NAHWIN after thorough examination of the Arabic language in JADEEDIN both the holy Quran and the language of the Arabs is Daud Al-Lakel that the changing of the vowels in the course of (2003; 225 pp.); (Arabic) parsing is indeed the reason for changing the meaning ISBN 983-9379-34-8; (Hard Cover) and not because of the ‘governing words’, ‘awamil. For the speaker is the one who determines the vowels of parsing, according to the intended meaning, in other words, the meaning is the determining factor of the changing that occurs in the vowels of parsing. Examples abound from the holy Quran and from Arabic poems. The main subject of the author is to give a speaker or writer of Arabic language unrestricted liberty as well as to rid him of being controlled by the ‘governing word’, ‘amil, a determiner of the vowels of parsing. The author also includes in his research the indiclination of the verb binaa al-fi‘al and as an indicator for the parts of speech.
The present work constitutes the first English translation from the original German of the late Professor Walther Hinz's acclaimed reference book Islamische Maße und Gewichte, umgerechnet ins metrische System on measures and weights which have been used throughout the Muslim lands both in the past and in the present times. Hinz's work, originally published by E. J. Brill in Leiden, the Netherlands, more than three decades ago, still constitutes an indispensable tool for research for anyone with an interest in the civilization of the Muslim lands, from the Maghreb, over the countries of the Fertile Crescent and the Iranian world, to the Indian subcontinent. MEASURES AND WEIGHTS IN THE ISLAMIC WORLD: AN ENGLISH TRANSLATION OF WALTHER HINZ'S HANDBOOK ISLAMISCHE MAßE UND GEWICHTE M. Ismail Marcinkowski (2003; 121 pp.) ISBN 983-9379-27-5 (Soft Cover) "Dr Marcinkowski's translation of Hinz's concise but detailed work on Islamic weights and measures will make this useful reference available to the modern scholarly world in general, for which English is becoming the lingua franca." Professor Clifford Edmund Bosworth, F. B. A., Professor Emeritus of Arabic Studies in the University of Manchester, England
MULLA SADRA’S DOCTRINE OF THE PRIMACY OF EXISTENCE (ASALAT AL-WUJUD) Megawati Moris (2003; 127 pp.) ISBN 983-9379-36-4 (Soft Cover) This book analyzes and discusses the important contribution of Mulla Sadra to the debate on the question of ontological primacy. This question has divided Islamic philosophy into two schools—one affirming the primacy of existence (asalat al-wujud) and the other the primacy of quiddity (asalat almahiyyah). The book shows how Mulla Sadra proves the ontological primacy of existence.
PUBLIC INTERESTS (AL-MASALIH AL-MURSALAH) IN ISLAMIC JURISPRUDENCE: AN ANALYSIS OF THE CONCEPT IN THE SHAFI‘I SCHOOL Wan Azhar Wan Ahmad (2003; 176 pp.) ISBN 983-9379-32-1 (Soft Cover) This book deals with the concept of Consideration of Public Interest (al-Masalih al-Mursalah) in Islamic Jurisprudence as expounded in the works of Abu Husayn al-Basri, Imam al-Haramayn al-Juwayni, Abu Hamid alGhazali and Fakhr al-Din al-Razi. Particular attention is given to al-Ghazali since he appears to be the earliest Shafi‘i jurist who discusses al-Masalih al-Mursalah systematically.
Al-GHAZALI ON ADMINISTRATIVE ETHICS (WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO HIS NASIHAT AL-MULUK) Nik Roskiman Abdul Samad (2003; 128 pp.) ISBN 983-9379-35-6 (Soft Cover) Few people realize that al-Ghazali has made significant contributions to administrative and management theories; this study aims to expound systematically the thought of al-Ghazali on the ethical dimension of administration and governance. His Nasihat al-Muluk shows that lack of practical experience in goverment is no obstacle to rendering advice to rulers on the requirements of wisdom and justice.
EARLY MUSLIM SCHOLARSHIP IN RELIGIONSWISSENSCHAFT: THE WORKS AND CONTRIBUTIONS OF ABU–RAYHAN MUHAMMAD IBN AHMAD AL-BIRUNI Kamar Oniah Kamaruzaman (2003; 271 pp.) ISBN 983-9379-33-X (Hard Cover) This book shows that the basic principles of the science of comparative religion (Religionswissenschaft) were laid down by Abu Rayhan Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Biruni (326–443/973–1051). The focus in this thesis is on the relevant works of al-Biruni, with particular attention given to his methodology and its relevance to contemporary Religionswissenschaft.
MIRZA RAFI‘A’S DASTUR AL-MULUK A MANUAL OF LATER SAFAVID ADMINISTRATION: ANNOTATED ENGLISH TRANSLATION, COMMENTS ON THE OFFICES AND SERVICES, AND FACSIMILE OF THE UNIQUE PERSIAN MANUSCRIPT Muhammad Ismail Marcinkowski (2002; 740 pp.) ISBN 983-9379-26-7 (Hard Cover)
The Safavid era (907–1145 A.H./1501–1722 C.E.) constitutes one of the most fascinating periods of Iranian civilization, and Mirza Rafi‘a's Persian handbook Dastur al-Muluk (Regulations of the Kings) provides invaluable information on political and religious administration, biography, economics, as well as culture and geography of that time. The work takes the reader to the world of the imperial palace of Iran's splendid capital of Isfahan, describing the responsibilities of the offices and services, from the Grand Vizier down to the kitchen staff. Dr. Marcinkowski's work features for the first time a complete and annotated English translation, along with a detailed commentary, and a facsimile reproduction of the entire Persian manuscript. Readers will also find very useful the quick-reference to the offices, the glossary of technical terms, appendices on measures, weights and currencies, a chronological table of the Safavid rulers, a select bibliography, as well as several indices. “The selection of the book “Mirza Rafi‘a's Dastur alMuluk”, a manual of later Safavid administration as the “Best Cultural Research of the Year [1379/2000] award, bears testimony to the great value derived from your move to conduct this work and that deserves gratitude.” Sayyid Mohammad Khatemi President of the Islamic Republic of Iran
THE SOURCES OF KNOWLEDGE IN ALGHAZALI’S THOUGHT Mohd. Zaidi bin Ismail (2002; 75 pp.) ISBN 983-9379-21-6 (Soft Cover) This study aims at a systematic formulation of the epistemological aspect of al-Ghazali’s thought. This is conducted from within a psychological framework in which the different levels of human cognition are connected with the ontologico-cosmological status of the objects of knowledge. Such a holistic exposition of these integrative parts of gnosiology represents alGhazali’s epistemological system as seen from the viewpoint of man as the subject of knowledge.
PROLEGOMENA TO THE METAPHYSICS OF ISLAM: AN EXPOSITION OF THE FUNDAMENTAL ELEMENTS OF THE WORLDVIEW OF ISLAM Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas (First impression 1995; second impression 2001; 358 pp.; New Preface) ISBN 983-99002-3-4 (Hard Cover)
This is a very important book. No book of its kind, in profundity as well as magnitude of scope and comprehensive grasp of modern intellectual challenges facing the contemporary Muslim World, appeared in the last century. The book deals with the fundamental question of the nature of ‘worldview’ according to Islam—a question that has never really been raised in our time. The author proposes that the nature of the worldview of Islam is not merely the mind’s view of the physical world and of man’s historical, social, political and cultural involvement in it, as has been misunderstood in the minds of secular, contemporary Muslim scholars generally, and particularly those preoccupied with the social and political sciences, but it should bear upon the Muslims’ ideas about ‘change’, ‘development’, and ‘progress’. The fundamental elements of the worldview of Islam, together with the key terms and concepts that they unfold, are elaborated in detail in this book.
RISALAH UNTUK KAUM MUSLIMIN Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas (2001; 209 pp.) ISBN 983-9379-18-6 (Hard Cover)
Risalah untuk Kaum Muslimin ini adalah catatan kata lisan Profesor Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas pada tahun 1973, ketika beliau bertugas di Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia sebagai Mahaguru Penyandang Kerusi Bahasa dan Kesusasteraan Melayu dan juga sebagai Pengasas serta Pengarah Institut Bahasa, Kesusasteraan dan Kebudayaan Melayu di Universiti itu. Sedang Kaum Muslimin di merata dunia menderitai masalah kekeliruan mengenai Islam yang semakin meruncing, Risalah ini mengemukakan pandangan-pandangan Profesor al-Attas yang cukup berdaya-asli dalam maksud membimbing Kaum Muslimin ke jalan yang benar. Sebab utama terjadinya keadaan buruk Kaum Muslimin dewasa ini, menurut beliau, adalah kejahilan masyarakat Muslim itu sendiri mengenai Islam secara yang menyeluruh. Iaitu, Islam sebagai agama yang sebenarnya yang mampu melahirkan peradaban yang luhur lagi agung, yang mampu menghasilkan ilmuilmu Islamiah yang tiada taranya dalam sejarah manusia. Kejahilan mengenai Islam itulah yang telah melenyapkan kesedaran akan tanggungjawab individu dan kaum Muslimin terhadap amanah ilmu dan akhlak, dan seterusnya memerangkap mereka dalam pelbagai macam kekeliruan ilmu dan penyelewengan amal, hingga mereka terus terbelenggu pada rantai penjajahan pemikiran Kuasa-Kuasa Besar Dunia masakini.
Dalam karya terbarunya ini, Professor Wan Mohd Nor telah memberikan hujah-hujah kukuh dan mendalam tentang pelbagai perkara dasar dan pokok berkaitan ma’na pembangunan sebenar di Malaysia. Beliau mengutarakan banyak perkara-perkara penting dan menarik seperti satu istilah baru yang menayangkan faham dan makna pembangunan sebenar; kelemahan Petunjuk Pembangunan Insan yang diketengahkan oleh BangsarBangsa Bersatu; dasar agama dan akhlak dalam Rancangan Pembangunan Malaysia; ma’na kebahagian dan penyempurnaan diri insan; ma’na sebenar jenayah kolar putih; hujah sejarah dan akhlak mengenai hak-hak Bumiputra khasnya orang-orang Melayu; perpaduan dan kestabilan negara; faham model pembangunan sebenar, PEMBANGUNAN DI MALAYSIA: KE ARAH SATU dan lain-lain lagi. Buku ini amat penting dibaca semua pihak yang KEFAHAMAN BARU YANG terlibat secara langsung atau tidak langsung dengan LEBIH SEMPURNA pembangunan negara secara menyeluruh oleh ahli politik, Wan Mohd Nor Wan Daud pentadbir, akademik, para guru, malah pelajar di (2001; 172 pp.) ISBN 983-9379-19-4 (Hard Cover) insititusi pengajian tinggi.
THE ZUBDAT AL-HAQA’IQ OF ‘AYN AL-QUDAH AL-HAMADANI AN ANNOTATED ENGLISH TRANSLATION FROM THE ARABIC Omar Jah (2001; 221 pp.) ISBN 983-9379-15-1 (Hard Cover) ISBN 983-9379-14-3 (Soft Cover)
The Zubdat Al-Haqa’iq of ‘Ayn Al-Qudah is an adventurous intellectual approach to Sufism. In an attempt to place Sufism on an equal footing with the other branches of knowledge in Islamic thought, it also emphasizes the usefulness of Sufism and its necessity as a reliable source of knowledge through which one can hope to attain to real knowledge of God, His Attributes, Prophecy and the Hereafter, which are the fundamental basis of the Creed (‘Aqidah) of Islam. The Zubdat al-Haqa’iq serves as a means to understanding Islamic sufism in its intellectual form, and therefore the translation and annotations of such a work into English will be of great help to students of Islamic thought in general and to those who are engaged in the study of al-tasawwuf in particular, especially to those who may not possess the adequate facility to read works written in Arabic.
Readings in Classical Arabic Texts Hassan El-Nagar
(2001; 445 pp.) (Arabic) ISBN 983-9379-20-8 (Soft Cover)
Readings in Classical Arabic Texts is a compilation of diversified topics (social, medical, political, legal, cultural, literary, etc.), all of which are authentic texts written with the native Arabic speaker in mind. This is indeed the classical as well as the contemporary approach to language teaching. The book includes 30 texts with different drills and explanations. It is designed for students who are at the High Intermediate and Advanced Arabic levels. These carefully selected texts have been field-tested during the author’s two decades of experience in teaching Arabic as a second language at various institutions in the United States, as well as at the International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilization (ISTAC), Kuala Lumpur, where the author is currently attached. This book fulfills the need for authentic classical Arabic teaching materials. It is a must for students as well as instructors of Advanced Arabic. "...With his new collection of classical readings, El-Nagar, currently Professor of Arabic Language and Literature at ISTAC in Malaysia, has made the transition to reading original sources much easier. More importantly, it is clear that the exercises in this book, which supplement the readings, will provide students with a solid and lasting foundation in classical Arabic grammar and vocabulary." Ingrid Mattson Hartford Seminary
ISLAM UND DIE GEISTIGEN GRUNDLAGEN VON WISSENSCHAFT (2001; 59 pp.); (German) (Soft Cover) ISBN 983-9379-13-15 (Soft Cover) German translation of Islam and The Philosophy of Science by Muhammad Ismail Marcinkowski, (ISTAC).
This monograph was originally a keynote address delivered to the International Seminar on Islamic Philosophy and Science held in Malaysia in 1989. The author gives a concise and penetrating analysis of Western conceptions of knowledge, science, truth, and reality, and then compares and contrasts it with the conception of Islam. In his attempt to provide a reasonable solution, the author deals with the sources and methods of knowledge by giving a brief account of human nature and human faculties, the meaning of Truth-Reality as denoted by the term haqqhaqiqah and its relation to Justice and Wisdom, the concept of the reality of existence (wujud), the laws of nature as God’s customary way of acting, the signs of God in nature to be approached within the framework of muhkamat-mutashabihat and tafsir-ta’wil, the issue of change and permanence, etc. In brief, the ideas contained in this monograph constitute the fundamental basis of the Islamic worldview, and it is within this framework that the Islamic philosophy of science should be formulated. Essential reading for the educated public and students and scholars at tertiary institutions.
IL SIGNIFICATODELLA FELICITA E LA SUA ESPERIENZA IN ISLAM (2001; 34 pp); (Italian) ISBN 983-9379-16-x (Soft Cover) Italian translation of The Meaning and Experience of Happiness in Islam by Liza Angela Milo Abdullah
In this monograph, the author aims to clarify the term sa‘adah, which expresses the Islamic perspective of happiness. In order to realize this purpose, the writer provides an account of the meaning of religion in Islam as well as an overview of human nature. The author explains the relation between happiness and true faith (iman), righteous deeds, remembrance of God (dhikr), stability and calmness of the heart (tuma’ninah), and certainty of truth (yaqin). In such an approach, man’s various faculties and their relation to virtue and vice are clarified. It is in this context that the author presents his original thesis on the concept of tragedy (which he conceives of as being rooted in the religious tradition of the West and goes beyond the concept’s literary ramifications), and its relation to that of happiness in the Western tradition. This the author explains by elucidating the exact opposite of happiness, namely the condition described in the Qur’an as shaqawah which, as he explains, is, in its generic sense, that which is understood in the West as tragedy.
MA’NA KEBAHAGIAAN DAN PENGALAMANNYA DALAM ISLAM Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas (2001; 64 pp.); (Malay) ISBN 983-9379-24-0 (Soft Cover) Malay translation of The Meaning and Experience of Happiness in Islam by Muhammad Zainiy Uthman. (Refer to page 12 of this catalogue)
READINGS IN CONTEMPORARY ARABIC TEXTS Hassan El-Nagar (1999; 491 pp.); (Arabic) ISBN 983-9379-12-7 (Soft Cover)
Readings in Contemporary Arabic Texts is a compilation of diversified topics (social, medical, economic, cultural, literary, etc.), all of which are authentic texts written with the Arabic native speaker in mind. This is indeed the classical as well as the contemporary approach to language teaching. The book includes 30 texts with different drills and explanations. It is designed for students who are at the High Intermediate and Advanced Arabic levels. These carefully selected texts have been field-tested during the author’s nearly two decades of experience in teaching Arabic as a second language at various institutions in the United States, as well as at the International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilization (ISTAC), Kuala Lumpur, where the author is currently attached. This book fulfills the need for authentic contemporary Arabic teaching materials. It is a must for students as well as instructors of Advanced Arabic.
THE CONCEPT OF EDUCATION IN ISLAM Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas (ABIM: First Impression 1980); (ISTAC: Second Impression 1991); (Third Impression 1999: 46 pp.) ISBN 983-99628-3-3 (Soft Cover) This book, originally presented as a paper at the Second World Conference on Muslim Education in 1980, for the first time in contemporary Islamic thinking elaborates new and originally conceived ideas and definitions in a clear and coherent manner. Key concepts such as religion (din), man (insan), knowledge (ma‘rifah and ‘ilm), wisdom (hikmah), justice (‘adl), right action (‘amal and adab) are discussed, elaborated and formulated into a framework for an Islamic philosophy of education. The concept of methodology of scientific research and the study of nature along the lines of Qur’anic interpretation (tafsir and ta’wil), the islamization of languages and its relation to the Muslim mind and worldview, and the differences between tarbiyah, ta‘dib and ta‘lim are all discussed. This is a book of definitions relating to the essential elements in the concept of education and the educational process as envisaged in Islam. Essential reading for Muslim educators and all those interested in Islamic philosophy and the islamization of knowledge.
MAFHUM AL-TA‘LIM FI AL-ISLAM: ITAR TASAWWURI LI AL-FALSAFAH ISLAMIYYAH LI AL-TA‘LIM (1998; 75 pp.); (Arabic) ISBN 983-9379-05-4 (Soft Cover) Arabic translation of The Concept of Education in Islam by Hassan El-Nagar, (ISTAC) (Refer to the synopsis above)
ALBERT’S REFUTATION OF THE EXTRAMISSION THEORY OF VISION AND HIS DEFENCE OF THE INTROMISSION THEORY: AN EDITION, ENGLISH TRANSLATION, AND ANALYSIS OF HIS MUSLIM SOURCES. Akdogan, Cemil (1998; 226 pp.); (Latin & English) ISBN 983-9379-06-2 (Hard Cover) ISBN 983-9379-07-0 (Soft Cover) All natural philosophers had struggled to comprehend and explain how we see objects until Johannes Kepler devised his new theory of the retinal image early in the seventeenth century. In antiquity, Empedocles, Plato, Galen, Euclid and Ptolemy defended the extramission theory of vision, according to which the eye issues radiation to feel and perceive opaque objects, whereas Aristotle expounded the intromission theory of vision, according to which radiation is sent to the observer’s eye from without. In Islam, Ibn Sina established the Aristotelian intromission theory as a viable alternative. He effectively argued that light is transmitted from the visual object to the eye, putting forward original and convincing
arguments against the extramission theory. Ibn alHaytham and Ibn Rushd also defended the intromission theory. In the West, Albert the Great followed the arguments of Ibn Sina against the extramission theory closely, especially in his book De sensu et sensato, and thus became Ibn Sina’s principal disciple and expositor in refuting the extramission theory of vision. Albert not only brought the Western optical theory to the same level it had achieved in Islam in the writings of Ibn Sina and Ibn Rushd, but also played a crucial role in the acquisition and assimilation of the optical works of the entire Greek and Muslim authors with the exception of Ibn al-Haytham’s technical work, De aspectibus. The present book, originally the author’s doctoral dissertation entitled “Optics in Albert the Great’s De sensu et sensato—An Edition, English Translation and Analysis”, examines Albert the Great’s treatment of visual theory in his De sensu et sensato, ostensibly a commentary on Aristotle’s treatise of the same title, and analyses his Muslim sources. It contains a new critical edition and translation of the Chapters 3 to 14 of De sensu et sensato, along with variant readings, explanatory notes, and introduction. In those twelve chapters, Albert mentions Ibn Sina (Avicenna) eight times, Ibn Rushd (Averroes) six times, Ibn al-Haytham (Huchaym) four times, al-Farabi (Alfarabius) four times, and al-Kindi (Jacob Alchindi) once. Since Albert borrowed ideas from Muslim philosophers and acknowledged his debt to them by citing their names, this study sheds some light on the interaction between Islamic civilization and Western civilization. "Akdogan’s translation and reviews is most useful to students and scholars who intend to study this important historical refutation, but who are not fluent in the Latin language. It is rare to find a diligent Muslim scholar whose sources on Western philosophers include original texts in Latin." (Review was done originally in Malay) Adi Setia Muhammad Dom Al-Islam
THE EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY AND PRACTICE OF SYED MUHAMMAD NAQUIB AL-ATTAS: AN EXPOSITION ON THE ORIGINAL CONCEPT OF ISLAMIZATION. Wan Mohd Nor Wan Daud (1998; 507 pp.) ISBN 983-9379-10-0 (Hard Cover) ISBN 983-9379-09-7 (Soft Cover)
This book is an exposition of the educational ideas and practices of Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas, one of the speakers at the first and second World Conference on Muslim Education. The author puts forward that al-Attas is the original conceptualizer of the notion of Islamization of present day knowledge and education, and that he has consistently applied it in his lifelong endeavours at Islamic institutions of higher learning, particularly at ISTAC. Possibly the first work of this nature in contemporary Islamic discourse on the subject, the author uses both published and many unpublished documents, personal discussions and observations of the daily practices of al-Attas as an educator, and traces and compares some of al-Attas’ ideas and practices to those of earlier scholars and contemporary Muslim and non-Muslim thinkers. Among the important topics discussed are the metaphysical worldview of Islam; knowledge and knowing; the meaning, content and method of education; the concept of an Islamic university, and the history of and the issues concerning the Islamization of present-day knowledge. Modern Muslim scholars discussed in this book include ‘Abduh, Iqbal, alFaruqi, Fazlur Rahman, and S. H. Nasr, among others. This work is useful for specialists, policy-makers as well as the general reader interested in the Islamization and substantive reform of Muslim education, especially at the higher level.
ISTAC ILLUMINATED: A PICTORIAL TOUR OF THE INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ISLAMIC THOUGHT AND CIVILIZATION (ISTAC), KUALA LUMPUR Written and Compiled by Sharifah Shifa al-Attas (1998; 248 pp.) ISBN 983-9379-11-9 (Hard Cover) ISTAC Illuminated is a portrait and celebration of Kuala Lumpur’s International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilization (ISTAC), beginning with an examination of the philosophy and intentions of Professor Dr. Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas, and an account of the conception and founding of ISTAC. The book displays the beautiful interior and exterior of the buildings. It also displays many of the manuscripts in ISTAC’s library and many historic and beautiful artifacts. ISTAC was officially opened in 1991 by Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamad. A postgraduate, research, and teaching institution, ISTAC offers degree courses at the Master’s and Ph.D. levels in three main streams of knowledge, namely Islamic Thought, Islamic Civilization, and Islamic Science. An important part of the book is devoted to ISTAC’s library, which contains about 110,000 volumes, 6,000 manuscripts on microfilm, and 2,000 in book form. Many are rare works: ISTAC owns the earliest known Persian example of the first major work ever (800 years old), on the mathematical sciences, by the famous 10th century Muslim astronomer al-Biruni. ISTAC also has unique manuscripts on algebra; Qur’ans from the courts of the Ottomans; and a 17th century Malay Qur’an, possibly the oldest Malay Qur’an extant. There are also very old works in Malay documenting the history of Islam in the Malay World; manuscripts on Sufi doctrine bearing the seal of sultans; the famous Abdullah Munshi’s Hikayat Pelayaran Abdullah, and also another contemporary work of the time by a Christian missionary, the Hikayat Binatang, the only work in Malay on natural history; beautiful miniatures depicting famous scenes from well-known allegorical love poems such as Yusuf and Zulayka or Layla and Majnun and much more. ISTAC has also acquired the entire private collections of distinguished scholars including Fazlur Rahman, Max Weisweiler, Bertold Spuler, Robert Brunschvig, Dietrich Brandenburg,
and André and Oleg Grabar, the last collection arguably the most authoritative in the world on Islamic architecture. ISTAC also has a conference hall adjoined to a mosque which can hold over 300. The book illustrates the concept, design, architectural form, furniture, calligraphy, and all other decorative aspects of ISTAC’s buildings, all of which are the work of Professor al-Attas. His drawings and early rough sketches are here reproduced for the first time, together with over 200 photographs of ISTAC’s manuscripts, artifacts, and architectural features both
exterior and interior. This book can take the reader on a kind of guided tour of ISTAC and all that it has to offer.
“ISTAC Illuminated is a book for those with an eye for beauty.” New Straits Times “ISTAC Illuminated is a fascinating tour of things Istacian and may be a welcome addition to your collection, whether you are an artist, scholar or just a book lover.” The STAR “ISTAC Illuminated can be considered the best coffee table book in Malaysia this year.” Utusan Malaysia “ISTAC Illuminated portrays the beauty and uniqueness of ISTAC’s architectural design...” Berita Harian “ISTAC Illuminated is able to bring the reader to reflect upon the glory of Islamic architecture and get an overview of a majestic civilization...” Anjung Seri
THE PROBLEM OF DEFINITION IN ISLAMIC LOGIC Zainal Abidin Baqir (1998; 89 pp.) ISBN 983-9379-04-6 (Soft Cover)
In traditional logic, into which the system of logic developed by alFarabi and Ibn Sina may be grouped, the doctrine of definition is a fundamental part of it due to the nature of the foundationalistic character of its theory of knowledge. In the Islamic world, the criticisms of this doctrine, as well as other doctrines in logic, not only came from those who developed one or
other kinds of philosophical systems such as Fakhr alDin al-Razi (philosophical theology) and Suhrawardi (“dhawqi philosophy” or hikmat, as he calls his system), but also from those who tried to refute logic as a discipline, and philosophy as a whole for that matter because of religious reasons. This thesis studies the latter group’s criticisms of the philosophers’ doctrine of definition as represented by Abu al-Naja al-Farid and Ibn Taimiyyah, from a theoretical point of view. In the case of al-Farid, who was a theologian involved in the wave of rejection of “ancient sciences” in the early centuries of Islam, where the criticisms themselves appear not substantial and the style of argumentation awkward, the book covers a deeper discussion of some aspects of Islamic logic, in particular that controversial area which borders logic and language. The biggest problem here includes the alternatives of name and definitions: this problem has been a part of logic throughout its development up to the present day. Al-Farid’s treatise, Kasr al-Mantiq, is translated here as an appendix. Ibn Taimiyyah’s criticisms are much more substantial because of his sound argument and analysis. Some of his criticisms are raised from the linguistic, epistemological and metaphysical points of view, while others concern the consistency of the logical doctrines themselves. Many of his criticisms are, indeed, well-grounded and shared by others, such as the theologian al-Razi. Theoretically, though he might have not refuted logic, his criticisms forced the philosophers to make more modest claims.
DIE BEDEUTUNG UND DAS ERLEBEN VON GLUCKSELIGKEIT IM ISLAM (1998; 58 pp.); (German) ISBN 983-9379-08-9 (Soft Cover) German translation of The Meaning and Experience of Happiness in Islam by Muhammad Ismail Marcinkowski, (ISTAC)
efer t In this monograph, the author aims to clarify the term sa‘adah, which expresses the Islamic perspective of happiness. In order to realize this purpose, the writer provides an account of the meaning of religion in Islam as well as an overview of human nature. The author explains the relation between happiness and true faith (iman), righteous deeds, remembrance of God (dhikr), stability and calmness of the heart (tuma’ninah), and certainty of truth (yaqin). In such an approach, man’s various faculties and their relation to virtue and vice are clarified. It is in this context that the author presents his original thesis on the concept of tragedy (which he conceives of as being rooted in the religious tradition of the West and goes beyond the concept’s literary ramifications), and its relation to that of happiness in the Western tradition. This the author explains by elucidating the exact opposite of happiness, namely the condition described in the Qur’an as shaqawah which, as he explains, is, in its generic sense, that which is understood in the West as tragedy.o page of this catalogue)
KITAB AL-MANAHIJ FI AL-MANTIQ Dibaji, Ibrahim (ed.) (1997; 79 pp. (Persian Introduction); 120 pp. (Arabic)) ISBN 964-5552-04-4 (Hard Cover) Distinguished by the clarity and accessibility of its presentation and the evident mastery it incorporates, this treatise provides a rigorous introduction to what may be called ‘Islamic logic’. Topics covered include methods of definition, problem of universals, typology and modalities of propositions, and methods of syllogistic proof. Relevant epistemological problems are also discussed, with attention given to primary notions. This book is an ideal companion for anyone interested in traditional Islamic logic.
THE AIDS CRISIS: AN ISLAMIC SOCIO-CULTURAL PERSPECTIVE Malik Badri (1997; 333 pp.) ISBN 983-9379-02-x (Hard Cover) The modern sexual revolution is, according to the author, a progeny of Western modernity, and AIDS is a natural consequence of the rampant promiscuity propagated by this revolution. Even if a cure or vaccine for AIDS is discovered, another outbreak of germs with new gene mutations cannot be avoided if the sexual revolution and modernity’s attitude towards drugs are not radically changed. Western modernity or postmodernity cannot adopt a firm AIDS prevention strategy since this goes against its ideological, psychological, political and technological foundations. Thus Western countries have had to adopt a prevention model which does not interfere in people’s preferred sexual practices and condones promiscuity
and drug intake when performed in a ‘safe’ manner (using condoms and clean syringes respectively). This ‘liberated’ Western prevention model is not working, and will not work, because to expect people who are continuously enticed by a sexually seductive media to comply with ‘safe’ sex instructions and to avoid risk groups in an alcohol-saturated society which tolerates drug addiction is, the author argues, as senseless as throwing a person into a river and telling him not to get wet. He says that countries with a different history, religious and spiritual orientation and divergent cultural heritage should not limit their prevention strategies to the ‘gospel’ of condoms and clean syringes. Uncritical aping of this Western prevention model has resulted, he says, in the explosion of HIV infection in some African and Asian countries. AIDS prevention in fact depends primarily on attitude change, and attitudes will not change unless prevention campaigns emerge from the culture and values of the society in question. Muslim societies should thus adopt an Islamically-oriented prevention campaign. Muslims, in all their long productive history, have not experienced a schism between religion and science, nor have they been terrorized by the moral dictatorship of a church and its inquisitions. On the contrary, it was Islam that civilised its adherents and brought them scientific and technological development. Islam as a religion and way of life is now forcefully being brought back ironically by the young, sexually active youth to whom AIDS prevention is supposed to be directed. It is hoped that the main contribution of this book will be the delineation of the Islamic AIDS prevention strategy—an explanation of its nature, implementation methods, the ethical, social and political problems this may raise, and suggestions on how to cope with them. The author also hopes that choosing the Islamic rather than the Western AIDS prevention model in Muslim societies will pave the way for the use of Islamic problem-solving strategies in other areas as well. "Many people talk about the Islamization of Knowledge. Badri, without even mentioning it, through his competent, holistic, Islam-based
approach does a marvellous job exactly at that, complete with detailed guidance for Muslim AIDS homosexual habits. He is aware that the AIDS controversy between Islam and the West may be part of the very ‘clash of civilizations’ predicted by Bernard Lewis and Samuel Huntington." Murad Wilfred Hofmann Muslim World Book Review "Malik Badri has done it again. In his earlier book, The Dilemma of Muslim Psychologists, published in 1978, he warned Muslim psychologists not to fall into the arms of Western secular psychology. This was at the time when Muslims were uncritically plunging into any body of knowledge that came out of the West. In his latest book, Badri is again ahead of his time in warning us about the futility of adopting secular methods in dealing with the crisis of AIDS. One hopes that more Muslims scholars will follow Badri’s lead and present practical solutions rooted in Islam to solve the problems of the ummah today. The author is refreshingly frank and almost surgically precise about the ills of western modernity." Sabeena M. Watanabe The American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences “Going by the escalating numbers of HIV cases [it is clear that] letting people do what they want does not work. Methods which have failed in the West should not be transported and applied here (in Muslim societies). Western solutions are based on externals. We need to change minds and hearts, and tell people that if something is morally wrong don’t do it." Tan Gim Ean New Straits Times
SHARH KITAB AL-QABASAT: A COMMENTARY ON MIR DAMAD’S KITAB AL-QABASAT (Arabic translation by Mir Sayyed Ahmad ‘Alavi) Hamed Naji Isfahani (ed.) (1997; 133 pp. (English); 747 pp. (Arabic and Persian) ISBN 964-5552-05-2 (Hard Cover) Combining philosophical reflections with penetrating insights on Islamic metaphysics, the author comments upon and elucidates on what the Persian sage Mir Damad (d. 1641) had “learned” (qabasa) from the mystery of existence. This commentary brings clarity to the philosopher’s “ten discoveries” concerning the different modes of origination and coming-into-being, namely, the ‘essential’, ‘temporal’, ‘eternal’, ‘perpetual’, ‘relative’, and ‘nominal’. This work fills an important gap in the secondary literature on post-Averroes Islamic philosophy.
THEOLOGY AND TAFSIR IN THE MAJOR WORKS OF AL-RAZI Yasin Ceylan (1996; 240 pp.) ISBN 983-99002-5-0 (Hard Cover)
Fakhr al-Din al-Razi (b. 544/1149, d606/1209), the celebrated scholar of the 6th century A.H., was famous throughout the Muslim world as a philosopher, theologian and exegetist. Despite this undisputed eminence, his contribution to Islamic thought has not yet been properly evaluated. In this book, the author presents an exposè of alRazi’s ideas by way of a systematic analysis of his thoughts as presented in his major works. Chapter One provides his biographical information; Chapter Two his approach to the Qur’an as presented in his major work, namely his Tafsir; Chapter Three a detailed analysis of five major problems which occupied his mind throughout his scholarly life; Chapter Four a discussion of his treatment of God’s existence and Divine Attributes; Chapter Five on freewill and predestination; Chapter Six on prophethood, and Chapter Seven on al-Razi’s views on resurrection.
ISLAM VA DUNYAVIGARI (Islam and Secularism) Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas (1996; 195 pp.); (Persian) (Hard Cover) This is another book in the Islamic Thought Series supervised by Professor Mohaghegh. It was translated into Persian by Ahmad Aram, and the foreword was written by Professor Mohaghegh. (Refer to page 37 of this catalogue)
KITAB AL- TASRIF LI MAN ‘AJIZA ‘AN AL-TA’LIF (ON SURGERY AND INSTRUMENTS) Al-Zahrawi (1996; 288 pp.); (Persian) (Hard Cover)
This book is part of the Islamic Thought Series published jointly by ISTAC and the Tehran University Institute of Islamic Studies. The series is devoted to translation and critical studies of Islamic texts on subjects dealing with theology, philosophy, and metaphysics. Available in both soft and hard cover, this book is a Persian translation of the book by al-Zahrawi (known in the West as Albucasis) entitled Kitab al-Tasrif li man ‘Ajiza ‘an al-Ta’lif. This book has been translated into Persian by Ahmad Aram, with a short preface in English by Mehdi Mohaghegh. The surgical instruments seen in this edition have been reconstructed from several Kitab al-Tasrif printed by the University of California, the Azerbaijan Academy of Sciences in Moscow, and Frankfurt University (facsimile edition), from the lithograph edition from Lucknow, India, and from the manuscript at the Royal Moroccan Library.
THE DEGREES OF EXISTENCE Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas Persian Translation by J. Mujtabari. (1996; 72 pp. (English); 53 pp.); (Persian) ISBN 964-5552-01-X (Hard Cover) (Refer to page 36 of this catalogue)
RELIGIOUS AUTHORITY IN SHI‘ITE ISLAM: FROM THE OFFICE OF MUFTI TO THE INSTITUTION OF MARJA‘ Ahmad Kazemi Moussavi (1996; 338 pp.) ISBN 983-99002-6-9 (Hard Cover & Soft Cover)
This book studies the development of the institution of the ‘ulama’ in the Muslim world, with special reference to Shi‘ite Islam, in which a semi-formal hierarchy has been in existence since the nineteenth century. The book examines the emergence of Ithna ‘Ashari jurisprudence and its periodic changes, the rise of a Shi‘ite learned body, the institutionalization of the positions of mujtahid and marja‘ al-taqlid, their financial sources of authority, and finally, the political roles of the ‘ulama’. It also surveys the long drawn out struggle for authority amongst the representatives of speculative thought in Shi‘ism. It includes the challenges of the Sufis, Akhbaris, and Shaykhis to the office of ‘ulama’, which was successfully empowered with juristic mandate and with the charismatic authority of the vicegerent of the Imam.
"The author is on better ground in his discussion of the later developments after the rise of the Usuli school with alMufid, al-Murtada, and Shaykh al-Tusi. Here his presentation is highly informative and basically sound." Wilfred Madelung Oriental Institute, Oxford Journal of Islamic Studies "This enthralling and important book, based upon the author’s doctoral thesis is a lucid and meticulously researched study of how Shi‘a thought developed concerning this crucial issue." A. B. D. R Eagle London Dialogue
"The author’s coverage of and reference to Shi‘ism’s political nature, from the period of the Imams’ presence in the community to the present day, is both useful and comprehensive." Andrew J. Newman University of Edinburgh Iranian Studies
ISLAM AND THE CHALLENGE OF MODERNITY: PROCEEDINGS Edited with an introduction by Sharifah Shifa al-Attas (1996; 604 pp.) ISBN 983-99002-7-7 (Hard Cover)
The collection contains 15 of the 17 papers presented on the occasion of the inaugural symposium on Islam and the challenge of modernity organized by and held at ISTAC to commemorate the opening of its mosque and conference hall in 1994. The symposium was attended by an impressive number of scholars from prominent academic institutions from all over the world. This is reflected in the level and quality of their discourse, including the variety of topics they covered—from philosophy, theology, metaphysics, science and technology to psychology, literature, history, architecture, medicine, and language. Such a broad-based analysis was imperative in light of the fact that the focus of the symposium was to examine and explain the worldview of Islam which has been challenged by the ideas and practices of modernity and, more recently, postmodernity, both of which stand as a threat not just to the religion of Islam, but to Christianity and, indeed, all religions. The aim of the conference was thus to encourage dialogue on the nature of worldviews, in particular the Islamic, with a view to clarifying it: If uncorrupted and fullyunderstood, it may serve to counter modernity. This compilation gives an informative and engaging peek into one of the most intellectually stimulating discourses of recent times.
THE FATAWA OF IMAM AL-GHAZZALI (450-505 A.H./1058 1111 C.E.) Critically edited with an introduction and notes by Mustafa Mahmoud Abu-Sway (1996; 178 pp.) ISBN 983-9379-01-1 (Hard Cover)
This book contains 190 fatawa or rulings of Imam alGhazzali on various issues, including purification, prayer, contracts, business transactions, rent, endowment, inheritance, trusts, marriage and divorce, oaths and pledges, the judicial system, and many other topics. Many of these rulings are still applicable today, although several are answers to hypothetical questions and thus cannot be used to pass judgement concerning the Muslim society of al-Ghazzali’s time. These fatawa are important not only in shedding new light upon still relevant juridical problems and furnishing new answers to them, but also in proving that studies on al-Ghazzali’s corpus have not been exhausted. This important Islamic manuscript brings new revelation upon al-Ghazzali’s thought and his standing on many issues, especially concerning jurisprudence, and is therefore particularly useful to scholars. This book reveals further that, although distinguished in the Shafi‘i school of jurisprudence, alGhazzali’s fiqh is not restricted to jurisprudence alone. Indeed, the scholar contends that fiqh can be explained by understanding the Qur’an and Sunnah. According to him, those preoccupied with the minute details of jurisprudence, particularly with the differences between the various schools of jurisprudence, are better off studying a science that can benefit the Muslims rather than wasting their lives in pursuit of knowledge that may never be useful. Thus, al-Ghazzali endorsed a policy of tolerance and openness towards other schools of jurisprudence, giving priority to some of their rulings over those of al-Shafi‘i’s. The present edition is based on the original manuscripts found in the Princeton University Libraries collection and is critically edited. It contains an introduction and notes in English and Arabic by Mustafa Mahmoud Abu-Sway, Senior Research Fellow at ISTAC from 1995 to 1996.
IBN HAZM’S AL-RISALAH AL-BAHIRAH (THE MAGNIFICENT EPISTLE) Translated for the first time with an introduction and notes by Muhammad Saghir Hassan al-Ma‘sumi (1996; 171 pp.) ISBN 983-99002-9-3 (Hard Cover) Abu Muhammad ‘Ali ibn Abu ‘Umar Ahmad ibn Sa‘id ibn Hazm (b. 384/994) attained a very high position in the knowledge of Islamic sciences, and was a great poet, calligrapher, orator, debater, philosopher, writer, historian, philologist, rhetoretician, and man of letters. A Zahirite, he relied on his understanding of the Qur’an and
Sunnah and the examples of the Companions, condemning taqlid and discarding qiyas (reasoning), as an unreliable method for obtaining knowledge. Known as much for his eloquence as for his sharp tongue, especially in his scathing criticisms of contemporary ‘ulama’ and their taqlid, Ibn Hazm nonetheless respected Imams Malik, Abu Hanifah, al-Shafi‘i and Ahmad ibn Hanbal. His unforgiving criticisms of past savants caused al-Ghazzali to describe him as an “evil genius”, and contemporary jurists declared the study of his writings haram. Amounting to as many as four hundred volumes, a good number of his works was devoted to polemics. This unpublished work of Ibn Hazm is important for many reasons. It provides historical data relating to the development of Islamic sciences and their exponents. It is valuable also because Ibn Hazm records certain views either alleged or actually expressed in the past concerning the leading ulama of the first century after the hijrah. He throws light upon the intellectual pursuits and political climate of the early Umayyad period and explains a few concocted hadith which have found place in authentic collections. The translation introduces this so-farunknown work of Ibn Hazm to English speaking readers and those who do not know Arabic. It can help in explaining the still relevant issue of following the mujtahid imams in matters pertaining to legal decision making and the issue of what is the correct method of obtaining knowledge.
ISMA‘IL ANKARAVI ON THE ILLUMINATIVE PHILOSOPHY— HIS IZAHU’L-HIKEM: ITS EDITION AND ANALYSIS IN COMPARISON WITH DAWWANI’S SHAWAKIL AL-HUR, TOGETHER WITH THE TRANSLATION OF SUHRAWARDI’S HAYAKIL AL-NUR Bilal Kuspinar (1996; 468 pp.) ISBN 983-9379-00-3 (Hard Cover)
This work, originally the author’s doctoral dissertation completed at McGill University, brings to light an important Ottoman Turkish work of theosophy entitled Izahu’l-Hikem (Elucidation of Wisdom). It was written by a prominent thinker of the seventeenth century Ottoman State, Isma’il Ankaravi (d. 1631). Ankaravi’s work was written as a commentary on the treatise Hayakil al-Nur (The Temples of Light) by
Shihab al-Din Suhrawardi (d. 1191), the chief champion of Illuminative philosophy. The book is divided into three main parts. The first part introduces Ankaravi to the world of knowledge with the help of a detailed account derived from the primary sources of Ottoman history. The first two chapters of this part provide a substantial amount of information on the life and works of the author, while the last chapter tries to determine his notable place in the context of the Ottoman learned class. The second part, which constitutes the main body of the book made up of about ten chapters, first offers a complete rendition of Hayakil into English, and then examines it chapter by chapter. It concentrates on the fundamental notions of the Ishraqi philosophy as discussed by Ankaravi in his commentary, Izahu’l-Hikem, and compares it to another commentary, Shawakil al-Hur (The Shapes of the Houris), composed by Jalal al-Din Dawwani (d. 1502), who appears to be heavily influenced by the former. In the last part, the entire text of Izahu’l-Hikem, which has been edited through the collation of the four available manuscripts, is annexed. This work is important because it may be the first work in English presenting a comprehensive outline of Suhrawardi’s philosophy of Illumination from an unconventional approach of an Ottoman thinker, Isma’il Ankaravi, the renowned commentator of Rumi’s Mathnawi. Apart from its intrinsic value for students and teachers of Islamic philosophy and mysticism, this book makes two major contributions to the field of history and philosophy: firstly, the work by its very title already proves the actual existence of philosophical activities in the territory of the Ottomans, especially in the seventeenth century, and hence invites scholars to further explore the subject. Secondly, it throws considerable light on the degree of influence of Suhrawardi’s Ishraqi wisdom on certain Ottoman intellectuals of the time in general and on the Mevlevi mystic Ankaravi in particular.
"Kuspinar has an excellent style of exposition, he is both clear and analytical in his approach. He succeeds in bringing to light an Ottoman thinker who until now has largely been unknown among those interested in Islamic philosophy. He also manages to explain precisely why the cultural and political conditions of Ankaravi’s time led him to design a particular response in the language of Ishraqi philosophy. This is in every way an impressive study." Oliver Leaman Liverpool John Moores University Journal of Semitic Studies
ISLAMIC SCIENCE: TOWARDS A DEFINITION Alparslan Acikgenc (1996; 106 pp.) ISBN 983-99002-8-5 (Soft Cover)
Science was conceived as something absolute by the Positivists; they thus failed to see that it is basically a human activity and that no human phenomenon can be absolute. The discussion in this monograph takes its departure from this point and investigates the epistemological foundations of science. It argues that one such foundation is the worldview of the scientist which reflects his physico-social environment. If this is the case, then it becomes clear why there can be a certain scientific activity that can be identified as Islamic. This is the fundamental theoretical ground upon which Islamic Science: Towards a Definition, is based. In order to demonstrate this point, the author attempts to present a historical illustration of how scientific activities gradually emerged in Islam within the first three centuries, i.e., 610–900 A.D. The argument developed follows three frameworks that are said to be the foundation of these activities: 1. the Islamic worldview; 2. the Islamic scientific conceptual scheme; 3. specific terminology of each sciences. These points are all defined and clarified from an epistemological standpoint.
HAQIQAT AL-SA‘ADAH WA MA‘NAHA FI‘L-ISLAM (The Meaning and Experience of Happiness in Islam) Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas (1995; 36 pp.) (Arabic) ISBN 983-99002-0-X (Soft Cover) This book is the Arabic translation of the monograph which carries the same title. It was rendered into Arabic by Hassan El-Nagar, professor of Arabic at ISTAC. (Refer to page 12 of this catalogue)
DARAMADI BAR JAHANSHINASI-YI ISLAMI (Preliminary Discourse on The Metaphysics of Islam: An Introduction to The Worldview of Islam) Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas (1995; 228 pp.); (Persian) (Hard Cover) This book is the Persian translation of six of the chapters of Professor al-Attas’s book Prolegomena to the Metaphysics of Islam. It contains a foreword by Professor Mehdi Mohaghegh who, together with Professor al-Attas, supervised the production of the book, another in the Islamic Thought Series of books published jointly by ISTAC and Tehran University’s Institute of Islamic Studies. (Refer to page 8 of this catalogue)
ROOTS OF SYNTHETIC THEOLOGY IN ISLAM: A STUDY OF THE THEOLOGY OF ABU MANSUR AL-MATURIDI (d. 333/944) Mustafa Ceric (1995; 286 pp.) ISBN 983-99002-2-6 (Hard Cover)
This book, originally the author’s doctoral dissertation under the mentorship of the late Professor Fazlur Rahman, is an analysis of one of the greatest (and largely forgotten) early Muslim theologians, Abu Mansur Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn Mahmud al-Hanafi al-Mutakallim al-Maturidi al-Samarqandi (d. 333/944). It establishes evidence of al-Maturidi’s profound influence upon Islamic theology during his time, and subsequently discusses his method, theory of knowledge and his theological ideas concerning the world, God and man, and the relation of the latter to the former. Emphasizing especially al-Maturidi’s magnum opus the Kitab al-Tawhid, the author explains his view of the historical development of Islamic theology in light of the three elements of ta‘ah (faithful obedience), bayan (elucidation) and the naql-‘aql (Tradition/Reason) dialectic. He concludes that alMaturidi’s influence upon the overall development of Islamic theology is not only profound but original, not only in his development of the Islamic theological theory of knowledge and in his scientific way of research, but also in his being able to resolve the naql‘aql conflict.
AL-AS’ILAH WA’L-AJWIBAH BY AL-BIRUNI AND IBN SINA Edited with English and Persian introductions by Seyyed Hossein Nasr and Mehdi Mohaghegh (1995; 20 pp. (English), 104 pp. (Arabic) 18 pp. (Persian) ISBN 983-99002-1-8 (Hard Cover)
Al-As’ilah wa’l-Ajwibah was first published in 1914. Then a copy edited by Dr. Helmy Zia Ulken appeared in 1953, which was reprinted for the last time in 1973 on the occasion of the Al-Biruni International Congress. The present edition also contains the comments of Abu ‘Abdillah Faqih alMa‘sumi, never before included in past editions of this work. As Professor Seyyed Hossein Nasr mentions in his ‘Prolegomena’ to the text (reproduced here from its original publication for the Al-Biruni International Congress mentioned earlier), this “series of questions and answers exchanged between two of the colossal figures of Islamic thought” aids not only in the understanding of both the thoughts of the two masters, but also that of Aristotle (al-Biruni has ten questions pertaining to the First Doctor’s De caelo) and the Islamic Peripatetic school represented by Ibn Sina and his student al-Ma‘sumi. Thus the book brings into focus the fundamental points and differences within the different schools of natural philosophy, especially that of the Muslim Peripatetics, who al-Biruni identifies with Aristotle himself. This is vitally significant for the study of the history of science, since the main school for most Muslim scientists in Islamic civilization can be traced to the Peripatetic. However, the anti-Aristotelian current, represented by al-Biruni, also existed during that period and must be understood in order to understand the history of Islamic science. This book is therefore both a valuable and engaging source material for the study of not just Islamic philosophy and science, but also the history of science and philosophy.
DIRECTORY OF HISTORIANS OF ISLAMIC MEDICINE AND ALLIED SCIENCES Sami K. Hamarneh (1995; 391 pp.) ISBN 983-99002-4-2 (Hard Cover) This book, as the title suggests, is a directory of outstanding contemporary medical historians and scholars, some of whom are also medical practitioners. It provides bibliographical information on the persons listed, their private and professional contact numbers and addresses, and a bibliography of their significant works. The book, following the author’s 1980 Directory of Historians of Arabic-Islamic Science, shares the
latter’s aims and objectives of documenting the supremacy of the Arabic-Islamic legacy in the health sciences. Listed alphabetically by name, the work is a useful, one-of-a-kind reference tool for those interested in locating a particular scholar known for his research in the allied health sciences. This book can be used to locate outstanding personalities in the field of allied health sciences, and identify important works and ongoing research by scholars in the field of medicine. It verifies authorship and helps to check where, how, and in what form the work can be found. This book is remarkable in its detail, and also in the quantity of information it documents, not to mention its appeal to the casual reader. Perusing its pages, one may catch an interesting anecdote or quaint glimpse into the life of the subjects who hail from all corners of the globe. Indeed, one almost gets a sense of the character itself of the person listed, for the author has painstakingly collected each entrant’s particulars and endeavored to preserve the flavour of the information contained therein while rendering it into English (the responses of the inquiry came not only in English, but also in French, German, Arabic, Urdu, Spanish, Malay, and many other languages of the world). This book represents the author’s effort of more than a decade to capture and recognize the enormous heritage of Arabic-Islamic medicine and the allied health sciences in contemporary times and to reveal its importance for civilizations, both past as well as present.
COMMEMORATIVE VOLUME ON THE CONFERMENT OF THE AL-GHAZALI CHAIR OF ISLAMIC THOUGHT (1994; 33 pp.) ISBN 983-99628-8-4 (Hard Cover) A historical account of the setting up of the Al-Ghazali chair at ISTAC.
THE DEGREES OF EXISTENCE Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas (1994; 72 pp.) ISBN 983-99628-9-2 (Soft Cover) Insightful and fascinating, this book deepens our understanding of the concept, reality, and degrees of existence in Islamic philosophy. Al-Attas examines the issue with penetrating rigour, explaining lucidly the difference between tashakhkhus, ta‘ayyun, tajalli and taqayyud, as modes of individuation, and helps illuminate the typology and gradation of existence. It is a substantial contribution to our current understanding of Islamic metaphysics.
ISLAM AND SECULARISM Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas (First impression 1978; second impression 1993; 197 pp.; New Preface) ISBN 983-99628-6-8 (Hard Cover)
Written more than twenty years ago, this book is one of the most creative and original works of a Muslim thinker in the contemporary Muslim world. The author deals with fundamental problems faced by contemporary Muslims and provides real solutions, beginning with a discussion on ‘The Contemporary Western Christian Background’ in Chapter (I), followed by his analysis of the concepts (which he newly defines) of ‘secular’, ‘secularization’, and ‘secularism’ in Chapter (II). All this is then contrasted in Chapter (IV) of the book entitled ‘Islam: The Concept of Religion and the Foundation of Ethics and Morality’. Based on all the preceding explanation, the author proceeds to analyze the Muslim ‘dilemma’ by declaring that it should be resolved primarily through what he calls the “dewesternization of knowledge” or, conversely, the “islamization of contemporary knowledge”, an original concept conceived and elucidated by the author for the past three decades. Numerous original and profound ideas are contained in this book—arrived at chiefly through critical study of the Muslim tradition—such as the concepts of din,‘adl, hikmah, adab, ma‘na, and ta’dib, and their significance in the development of an Islamic system of education. The rationale for the islamization of contemporary knowledge and the establishment of a truly Islamic university was in fact provided for the first time in contemporary Muslim thought by this author long before the appearance of the present book, which explains these interconnected subjects more concisely. Further, the appendix entitled, ‘On Islamization: The Case of the Malay-Indonesian Archipelago’ is an actual explanation and application of the seminal ideas discussed in the book. This is a must read for all Muslims and those concerned with the problems and effects of secularization in our world today. This book has been translated into most of the major Islamic languages of the world— Turkish, Arabic, Urdu, Indonesian, Bosnian, and Persian.
BEING AND EXISTENCE IN SADRA AND HEIDEGGER: A COMPARATIVE ONTOLOGY Alparslan Acikgenc (1993; 211 pp.) ISBN 983-99628-7-6 (Hard Cover) Ontological concepts occupy a central position in philosophy. This is primarily because human beings are interested in understanding the nature of existence, the question of why there is “something” rather than “nothing”, of inquiring into the meaning of existence, and so forth. Sadr al-Din al-Shirazi (d. 1661), known as Sadra or Mulla Sadra, developed a new philosophical system based totally upon the concept of existence (wujud). The same attempt was made by the German philosopher Martin Heidegger (d. 1976). This book is a comparative case-study of both philosophers and demonstrates how, from the Islamic and the Western traditions, they both base their philosophy on the concept of existence.
THE INTUITION OF EXISTENCE Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas (1990; 46 pp.) ISBN 983-99628-4-1(Soft Cover) In this monograph, the fundamental principles of Islamic metaphysics are brilliantly exposed. Incisive and analytical in its dealing with both the psychological and ontological conditions of existence, this work clarifies existential ‘separation’, ‘passing away’, ‘assembling together’ and ‘unification’, relating them to the epistemological concepts of spiritual ‘unveiling’, ‘witnessing’ and ‘tasting’, which in turn amount to wajd, wijdan, and wujud—that is, the intuition of existence.
ON QUIDDITY AND ESSENCE Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas (1990; 57 pp.) ISBN 983-99628-5-X (Soft Cover) This is a tightly focussed and in-depth treatment of the basic structure of reality in Islamic metaphysics. In lucid prose, the author steers the readers to the subtleties of quiddity, essence, and existence elaborated by Muslim philosophers, rigorously analysing them in relation to the problem of individuation and existentiation. Anyone concerned with Islamic philosophy in its most abstract and profound aspect will find this book stimulating.
THE NATURE OF MAN AND THE PSYCHOLOGY OF THE HUMAN SOUL Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas (1990; 41 pp.) ISBN 983-99628-1-7 (Soft Cover) This monograph is meant to provide a brief outline and a framework for Islamic psychology and epistemology. It starts with the author’s overview of human dual nature and man’s relation to the Divine Covenant (mithaq or ‘ahd) and the religion of Islam. It also contains in one of its notes an explanation on the concept of ‘choice’ and ‘freedom’ as denoted by the Islamic term ikhtiyar. In substance, this book is a concise account and reformulation of the faculty of psychology as understood by past Muslim scholars. One can therefore find explanations on human active, perceptive, cognitive and intellectual faculties. Special treatment is also given to man’s faculty of imagination and how it is related to the World of Images (‘alam almithal). In the last few paragraphs, the author also makes an attempt at resolving the dispute concerning the pre-existence of the soul. This is an important work for students and practitioners of psychology and education.
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MALIK BADRI WAN MOHD. NOR WAN DAUD HASSAN EL-NAGAR IBRAHIM M. ZEIN AMIR ZEKRGOO
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This book is an introduction to the ethical philosophy of al-Raghib al-Isfahani, the eleventh century Islamic thinker from Isfahan, which is modern day Iran, and to the Arabic ethical literature that culminated in his work. To illustrate Isfahani’s thought, Yasien Mohamed provides an annotated translation—the first in English—of Isfahani’s most important philosophical work, Kitab al-Dhari‘ah ila makarim al-shariah (The Book of Means to the Noble Qualities of the Law). The Book of Means is a unique attempt to integrate elements of Greek ethics into a Qur’anic-based ethics. It made an impression on Ghazzali’s thought, and became an important source THE PATH TO VIRTUE: for his ethical work, Mizan al-‘Amal (The Scale of THE ETHICAL PHILOSOPHY Action). OF AL-RAGHIB AL-ISFAHANI In his extensive introduction, Mohamed Yasien Mohamed discusses the ethical traditions leading up to Isfahani’s work, his cosmology and epistemology, key concepts such as love and justice, and the relevance of his ethics for education, economics and psychotherapy. The Path to Virtue is about how to acquire the virtues of the soul, which are essential for happiness in this world and the Hereafter. It situates Isfahani’s ideas in the context of thinkers such as Aristotle, Miskawayh and Ghazzali. The Path to Virtue reveals that Isfahani is the ‘missing link’ in the chain of Islamic moral thinkers from Miskawayh to Ghazzali. It is a welcome contribution to English literature on Islamic ethics, both as a scholarly work and as a translation. It is meant for scholars, students and laypersons interested in ethics.
THE EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY OF ALSHAYKH MUHAMMAD ‘ABDUH Ahmad Bazli Shafie
This book deals with the philosophical framework of Shaykh Muhammad ‘Abduh’s educational thought, which is a reflection of concrete situations of 19th century Egypt. The author focuses on three fundamental elements that constitute education, i.e., the educational terms, the concept of man, and the curriculum, in order to study the formulation of a system of education and its implementation. The study does not only aim at understanding and analyzing ‘Abduh’s thought, or demonstrating the limitations of his arguments, but also at providing an overview of the early phase of the Muslim Modernist movement, its success or failure in confronting the intellectual and cultural challenges from the modern West.
This book charts the course of the dialectical tensions resulting from the clash of ideology and objective reality throughout the history of the Islamic civilization. It consists of two complementary parts: Part I, Classical Islam in the Historian’s Imagination, is largely inspired by Ibn Khaldun’s introduction to world history -The Muqaddimah. As one of the great achievements in late Middle Ages, Ibn Khaldun’s work defines the major cultural archetypes lying at the foundation of the Islamic civilization from the seventh to the early fifteenth centuries. Part II, The Politics of Faith in the Modern World, is a study of the various ideological influences that shaped Muslim perspectives from the sixteenth century to the dawn of the 21st century. THE MYTH Historical determinants in Ibn Khaldun’s cyclical OF THE GOLDEN interpretation of history derive in the most part from a strict OCTAGON RETHINKING understanding of the impacts of the socio-biological THE HISTORY influences on institutional development. This phenomenon OF THE ISLAMIC further explains why Ibn Khaldun’s position on tribal CIVILIZATION solidarity appears highly ambiguous: It can be a force for Hamied N Ansari good as the harbinger of the regime of Law while, on most other occasions, it acts as the primeval enemy of civilization and of both religion and philosophy, in particular. In the concrete terms of historical reference, the convergence of natural group solidarity and traditional authority tends to overwhelm the individualistic ethics taught by the Holy Qur’an for the realization of the spiritual and rational organization of existential reality.