An Enhanced Islamic Index of Well-Being (IWI 2.0-2021) for Muslim Countries

This is a revised version of an assessment of the Islamic Well-Being Index (IWI) of Muslim majority countries, first published by this author in 2013 (IWI 1.0). It uses an improved, updated methodology and reflects the essential maqasid al-shari‘ah (Higher Objectives of Islamic Law) developed by Imam Abu Hamid al-Ghazali. The IWI provides practical insights for countries that aspire to move to a higher state. Leading countries in the maqasid fields could serve as role models for lagging counties. More specifically, IWI indicators provide a way to spot problems, set targets, track trends, and identify best practice policies. This 2021 assessment adds four more countries to the 27 ranked previously. The method incorporates insights from leading Islamic scholars who have developed a ‘maqasid index of governance’ for Muslim countries. The top three countries listed in the Index are (first to third): Indonesia, Tunisia and Malaysia. Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim country with a successful democracy, experienced an Islamic resurgence, which is reflected in its citizens’ moderate values and practices. Leading countries within the maqasid fields are (first, second): Religion – Guinea-Bissau, Nigeria; Life – UAE, Brunei; Intellect - Albania, Kyrgyzstan; Family – Morocco, Tunisia; and Wealth – Malaysia, UAE. Countries showing greatest improvement in IWI rankings are Lebanon and Turkey. Those that significantly worsened are Afghanistan, Nigeria, Chad and Iraq. To expand the applicability of this index, governments in Muslim majority countries need to facilitate assessment. In particular, religiosity surveys should be expanded and periodic surveys are required to fill other data gaps. The IWI Index and its highlights should be prepared and published annually.

Factors Influencing Islamic Financial Inclusion in Indonesia: A Structural Equation Modelling Approach

The study examines the determinants of Islamic financial inclusion in Indonesia by applying Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) and Binary Logistic Regression. Through a field survey across Indonesia’s five main islands, the study gathered responses from 291 primary data samples. The study discovered that Islamic financial inclusion in Indonesia is determined by both the demand and supply sides. Two most significant determinants of Islamic financial inclusion in Indonesia from the demand side are financial literacy and social influence while on the supply side is human capital. The study also includes references and policy recommendations to help Indonesia’s financial regulators in formulating effective policies and strategies to foster the country’s Islamic financial inclusion agenda.

Veiling and Muslim Women in African History since the Ottoman Empire

In Africa, the culture of veiling by Muslim women is profound. While Muslim societies vary across Africa, several forms of textile and art feature in the use of veil. It is particularly important to state that veiling is historical as it had been embedded as a Muslim culture since the evolution and spread of Islam in Africa. It is also true that the Islamic integration of African cultures is very much alive and visible. The story of veiling became prominent and was influenced by Ottoman rule and cross-cultural intergroup relations through the Trans Saharan trade routes. This paper focuses on the history of veil as a spiritual, artistic, political and economic factors in the identity making of Muslim women in Africa. The historical method is adopted to interrogate the complexities associated with veiling as a Muslim culture using photographic representations, books and journals. Photographic representations of women’s dress in the Ottoman empire gives way to understand how the dress styles diffuse into African societies.

The Impact of Religion and Culture on the Supremacy of the Constitution in Afghanistan

Afghanistan’s social composition demonstrates it to be a pluralist, multi-cultural, multi-lingual, and multi-ethnic country. The life and behaviour of its citizens are, for example, governed by more than one source of law, namely those of Islam and Afghan culture. In light of this, the current article attempts to, firstly, explain Islam as a source of law in Afghanistan and its supremacy over that country’s constitution and then, secondly, apply the same logic to culture as rooted in Afghan tribal and ethnic traditions. While many cultural traditions exist in Afghanistan, this article focuses solely on the constitutionally recognised Loya Jirga (Great Assembly). Finally, the study suggests applicable solutions for maintaining the authority of the constitution in the presence of Islam and Afghan custom. This, it is hoped, will help Afghanistan escape its ongoing political instability and avoid the relentless downfall of governments.

A Unified Model of Shariah Indices for Human Development and Prosperity

In recent years, several attempts have been made to measure human prosperity using shariah objectives. These, however, have failed to propose a unified model that incorporates the ‘means to achieve these objectives’. This paper attempts to fill this gap by arguing that a large proportion of shariah-led prosperity measures are in line with the United Nations’ Millennium and Sustainable Development (MSD) goals to achieve global development targets and reduce poverty. This paper proposes a global unified model for a human development index that identifies existing development data that can be utilised in accordance with the objectives of shariah. The proposed model attempts to build a bridge between shariah-based Islamic development indices and MSD goals to achieve prosperity via religiosity.

Ibn Sina’s Theory of the Soul: A Taxonomy of Islamic Education

Ibn Sina’s theory of the soul possesses a logical-metaphysical categorisation of that concept, which allows for the designing of a new taxonomy of educational objectives. Its unique alteration of Aristotelian philosophy creates both an understanding of the natural relationship between categories, species, varieties, etc., and powerful inventive philosophical arguments and principles supporting the structural basis of monotheistic belief (tawhid). When speaking of the goals and objectives of the contemporary Islamic educational world, this approach also embraces the demands of the twenty-first century knowledge economy and the holistic development of the human being, enabling people to become critical, creative, innovative, and ethical without leaving religion behind. However, the new scene has created volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity among educators as to how to liaise the new curriculum and apply new assessment methods in their classrooms. This study intends to develop a taxonomy that will enable curriculum designers and Islamic educators to easily identify hierarchal and categorical human faculties and relate them to specific curricular objectives, proper classroom assessments, and suitable teaching methods. The taxonomy is designed using a philosophical-descriptive analysis of Ibn Sina’s theory of the soul and a logic-argumentative description of his human categorisation. The end result is a prototype taxonomy for future validity evaluation.