ALOHA
Islamic philosophy is a branch of Islamic studies. It is the continuous search for Hekma (Wisdom) in the light of Islamic view of life, universe, ethics, society and many others. In this issue, we highlight some great works done in Islamic philosophy.
Mahalo,
Program Coordinators
Muslim Societies in Asia and the Pacific
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Among Great Philosophers
Al-Ghazali: One of the Great Jurists, Theologians and Mystics
Muhammad Hamid al-Ghazali (aka: al-Ghazli, Algazael) remains one of the most celebrated scholars in the history of Islamic thought. In the introduction to his autobiographical work Deliverance from Error (Al-Munqidh min al-Dalal, p.81), al-Ghazali said: "The thirst for grasping the real meaning of things was indeed my habit and want from my early years and in the prime of my life. It was an instinctive, natural disposition placed in my makeup by Allah Most High, not something due to my own choosing and contriving. As a result, the fetters of servile conformism fell away from me, and inherited beliefs lost their hold on me, when I was quite young." Learn more about Al-Ghazali here.
Ibn Khaldun: Sociologist, Historian and Philosopher
 Abd al-Rahman Ibn Mohammad is generally known as Ibn Khaldun after a remote ancestor. Ibn Khaldun's chief contribution lies in philosophyof history and sociology. His contribution to history is marked by the fact that, unlike most earlier writers interpreting history largely in a political context, he emphasized environmental, sociological, psychological and economic factors governing the apparent events. This revolutionized the science of history and also laid the foundation of Umraniyat (Sociology).
Learn more about Ibn Khaldun here Rumi: Poet, Jurist and Sufi mystic  Jalal al-Din Mohammad Ibn Mohammad Ibn Mohammad Ibn Husain al-Rumi was born in 604 A.H. (1207/8 A.D.) in Central Asia.
His major contribution lies in Islamic philosophy and Tasawwuf. This was embodied largely in poetry.
"Come again, please, come again,
Whoever you are.
Religious, infidel, heretic or pagan.
Even if you promised a hundred times
And a hundred times you broke your promise,
This door is not the door
Of hopelessness and frustration.
This door is open for everybody.
Come, come as you are."
Learn more about Rumi here
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Introducing
Dr. Tamara Albertini
Dr. Albertini is UH Manoa's associate professor of Philosophy, who has been given numerous honors and awards for projects Central Asia and on the subject of Medieval and Renaissance studies. The text of her introduction in The Oxford Handbook of World Philosophy is available here.
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Islamic Philosophy Online This web resource is focus on Islamic philosophy. The link is dedicated to study of the philosophical output of the Muslim world. Islamic philosophy is also sometimes referred to as Arabic philosophy or Muslim philosophy. This site contains hundreds of full-length books and articles on Islamic philosophy, ranging from the classical texts in the canon of Islamic philosophy to modern works of Muslim philosophy.
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The Role of Islamic Philosophy of Education in Aspiring Holistic Learning
by Aminuddin Hassana, Asmawati Suhida, Norhasni Zainal Abiddina, Habsah Ismaila, Haziyah Hussinb There is no doubt that looking at the process of learning and also any current scenario in this country is something that should be closely related to what and how someone should know from the view of Islamic philosophy. Discussing the Islamic philosophy of education will focus on what philosophy is as a core of any theoretical and practical element of all aspects of knowledge. The philosophical approach is discussed from the perspective of Islam. Full Article available hereArabic and Islamic Psychology and Philosophy of Mind by A Ivry Muslim philosophers considered the quest for knowledge as a divine command, and knowledge of the soul, and particularly of the intellect, as a critical component of this quest. Mastery of this subject provided a framework within which the mechanics and nature of our sensations and thoughts could be explained and integrated, and offered the epistemological foundation for every other field of inquiry. The ultimate goal of this subject, conjunction of the intellect with universal truth, had a decidedly metaphysical and spiritual aspect. Full article available at here The Philosophy of Islamic Education:
Classical Views and M. Fethullah Gulen's Perspectives by Asma Afsaruddin
Islam is frequently characterized as a "religion of the Book," the Book in question being the Qur'an, the central revealed scripture of Islam. This article provides a brief survey of classical Islamic education and its institutions, formal and informal, as well as identify its underlying principles and rationale. Then the author discusses some of the key features of Gulen's perspectives on what constitutes ideal Islamic education. The strong correspondences between the classical views and Gulen's perspectives will be indicated, establishing thereby a continuity and innovative engagement on the latter's part with the classical heritage. Full article available at here
The Influence of Islamic Philosophy and Ethics on the Development of Medicine in the Islamic Civilisation
by Sharif Kaf Al-Ghazal
Although Islamic philosophy is of great diversity and richness, it is characterized by certain features that are of special significance for both an understanding of it and for an appraisal of its impact on the world at large. One must remember that this philosophy existed at a time in which strict obedience of the Islamic religion was customary. Islamic phisophy was concerned with the besic issue of the harmony between human reasoning and the revelations provided to the Muslims in the holy Qur'an. The impact of Islamic philosophy on the scientific and medical activity in the lands of Islam was enormous. Full article available at here
A perspective of the Arab-Islamic political philosophy of the 18th and 19th centuries
by Sarra Ahmed The scope of the thesis involves tackling the theme of introducing a historical perspective of Islamic political thought and philosophies which are produced through scholarly and intellectual contributions in the 18th and the 19th centuries´ Egypt. Through this theme, the conception of political and religious reforms is illustrated in relation to how it contributed to the realization of al-nahda. The focus goes on to elucidate a sample of significant scholars whose work represents and reflects on the happenings of two centuries; al-Sheikh Hassan al-Attar and al-Sheikh Adulrahman al-Jabarti for the 18th century as well as al-Sheikh Muhammad Abduh and al-Sheikh Jamal al-Din al-Afghani for the 19th century.
Full article available here
A critique of causality in Islamic philosophy
by Yahya Yasrebi
After the problems of epistemology, the most fundamental problem of Islamic philosophy is that of causality. Causality has been studied from various perspectives. This paper endeavors first to analyze the issues of causality in Islamic philosophy and then to critique them. A sketch is provided of the history of the development of theories of causality in Islamic philosophy, with particular attention to how religious considerations came to determine the shape of the philosophical theories that were accepted. It is suggested that outstanding philosophical and theological problems that have plagued the tradition of Islamic philosophy require a new approach to the issue of causality.
Full article available here
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Employment Opportunities
Academic
Assistant, Associate or Full Professor - Art (Islamic Art)
Hunter College
Start review from: 8 February 2011
Assistant Professor, Religions of East Asia
Western Kentucky University
Last day to apply: 21 February 2011
Assistant Professor, South Asian Studies
University of Utah
Last day to apply: 1 March 2011
Two Faculty Positions, Sociology of Religion/ Cultural Sociology and Sociology of Language/ Sociology of Emotions
Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
Last day to apply: 24 March 2011
Assistant Professor, Islamic or Buddhist or Confucian Religious Thought/Philosophy
Syracuse University, New York
Last day to apply: 1 May 2011
Community
Executive Director
Washington Federation of Independent Schools
Dupont, Washington
Last day to apply: 31 January 2011
Corporate Gifts Officer
Islamic Relief USA
Alexandria, Virginia
Last day to apply: 7 March 2011
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Conferences
European Conference for Academic Disciplines
10 to 15 April 2011
Gottenheim near Freiburg, Germany
Abstract Deadline: 1 March 2011
American Canadian Conference for Academic Disciplines
23 to 26 May 2011
Toronto, Canada
Abstract Deadline: 18 March 2011
International Conference on Religion and Spiritual in Society
15-17 February 2011
University Center, Chicago, USA
Center for Islamic Studies National Conference
17 to 19 February 2011
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
11th annual East Asian Studies Graduate Conference
5 March 2011
University of Toronto
Islamic Civilization - Potentials and Challenges
9 to 10 March 2011
Lahore, Pakistan
In the Mix: Asian Popular Music Conference
25 to 26 March 2011
Princeton University
28th Annual Spring Symposium "Media, Culture and Democracy in South Asia"
6 to 8 April 2011
University of Hawaii - Center for South Asian Studies
10th East-West Philosophers' Conference
16 to 24 May 2011
University of Hawaii - East West Center
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31 January 2011
