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All Journal Teosofi: Jurnal Tasawuf dan Pemikiran Islam Indonesian Journal of Religion, Spirituality, and Humanity Journal of Islamic and Social Studies (JISS) Socio Religia Journal of Asian Wisdom and Islamic Behavior
Belhaj, Abdessamad
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Religion Humanities Environmental Science Languange, Linguistic, Communication & Media Law, Crime, Criminology & Criminal Justice Social Sciences Other

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Happiness, virtue and wisdom: elements of ancient Greek philosophy in Islamic advice literature Belhaj, Abdessamad
IJORESH Indonesian Journal of Religion Spirituality and Humanity Vol. 3 No. 1 (2024): Indonesian Journal of Religion, Spirituality, and Humanity
Publisher : Postgraduate Program of State Islamic University (UIN) Salatiga Jl. Lingkar Salatiga Km. 02 Salatiga, Indonesia https://pps.uinsalatiga.ac.id/

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.18326/ijoresh.v3i1.53-75

Abstract

This essay examines the profound influence of ancient Greek philosophy on Islamic advice literature, particularly in political ethics and governance. It aims to trace the integration of Greek philosophical ideas into Islamic advice literature, focusing on four key areas: Plato's theory of happiness, Aristotle's virtue ethics, the concept of "the three governances," and the ideal ruler-advisor relationship. Employing a meticulous analysis of a dozen Islamic sources from the tenth to the fifteenth centuries, it uncovers the extent of Greek thought's impact. Findings reveal that Islamic political elites, including philosophers, secretaries, religious scholars, and historians, adopted and adapted Greek philosophical theories to align with Islamic political goals and strategies. Plato's notions of happiness through just rule and the pursuit of knowledge and justice are echoed in the works of Islamic luminaries. Aristotle's virtue ethics, emphasizing prudence, temperance, courage, and justice, are seamlessly woven into Islamic governance literature. The concept of "the three governances" reflects Aristotelian governance principles, while Greek gnomology is used to validate political concepts especially the ideal ruler’s wisdom, showcasing the rhetorical power of invoking Greek authorities. The study concludes that Greek elements were frequently combined with Arabic, Persian, and other influences in Islamic advice literature, suggesting caution in interpreting Islamic political ethics through an exclusive lens. The research underscores the convergence of cross-cultural ideas and the Islamization of Greek philosophy to support political demands within a religious framework.
A Critical Muslim Perspective on Liberal Democracy: Malek Bennabi, Social Justice and Religious Ethics Belhaj, Abdessamad
Journal of Islamic and Social Studies Vol. 3 No. 1 (2025): Journal of Islamic and Social Studies
Publisher : Fakultas Ushuluddin dan Dakwah IAIN Kediri

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.30762/jiss.v3i1.2674

Abstract

Malek Bennabi (1905–1973), a well-known Muslim reformist from Algeria, offered one of the most thoughtful and rational criticisms of liberal democracy within the broad framework of Muslim political theory. At the same time, he supported the political freedom that liberal democracy fostered. Bennabi identified three problems with liberal democracy. First, the theory and the reality of freedom diverge because liberal democracies both offer and deny their citizens the freedom that is guaranteed by constitutions and human rights declarations. Second, large private interest groups benefit from liberal democracies at the expense of the majority of citizens. Third, liberal democracies are vulnerable to class conflict as the divide widens between political and social principles leading to revolutions or coups that bring about socialist governments which reduce political freedoms. This article discusses Bennabi's views on Islam and democracy, including his criticism of liberal democracy for lacking social security and his view of democracy as freedom of choice and from want.
The ethics of ḥayā’ in contemporary Middle Eastern Salafism: meaning, forms and functions of modesty Belhaj, Abdessamad
IJORESH Indonesian Journal of Religion Spirituality and Humanity Vol. 4 No. 1 (2025): Indonesian Journal of Religion, Spirituality, and Humanity
Publisher : Postgraduate Program of State Islamic University (UIN) Salatiga Jl. Lingkar Salatiga Km. 02 Salatiga, Indonesia https://pps.uinsalatiga.ac.id/

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.18326/ijoresh.v4i1.1-24

Abstract

This article examines the concept of ḥayāʼ (modesty) in contemporary Salafi discourse, a topic that is often overlooked in academic studies, reducing it to a narrow understanding of shame. In relation to classical Islamic ethics present ḥayāʼ as a multidimensional virtue encompassing dignity, self-restraint, and moral responsibility, this study fills the gap by analysing how modern Salafi thinkers redefine ḥayāʼ as a preventive ethical framework central to Islamic piety and behaviour. The research aims at identifying the meanings, forms, and functions of ḥayāʼ as exemplified in five major Salafi texts from Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, and Saudi Arabia. It employs a tripartite approach consisting of historical contextualization, close textual analysis, and ethical interpretation to establish contemporary Salafi modesty discourse within the broader Islamic moral tradition. The findings show that Salafi scholars combine classical ḥadith-based definitions with determined Sufi ethical insights to present ḥayāʼ as a comprehensive moral force. They emphasise its role in fostering God-consciousness, discouraging immoral behaviour, and nurturing disciplined conduct, thereby reinforcing both individual virtue and social order. The study demonstrates that Salafi ethics of modesty reflect a hybrid character that remains committed to tradition while adapting to contemporary Muslim contexts. As a result, this research contributes to a more nuanced understanding of Islamic ethics, particularly in clarifying the expanding role of ḥayāʼ in the Salafi discourse. It also encourages further research to assess how other Islamic schools align or differ from Salafism in their ethical views on ḥayāʼ and related virtues.
Islamic Ethics and Self-Development: Communitarian, Individualist and Pietistic Perspectives Belhaj, Abdessamad
Socio Religia Vol. 5 No. 2 (2024): Socio Religia
Publisher : Universitas Islam Negeri Raden Intan Lampung

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.24042/sr.v5i2.23860

Abstract

Islamic self-help literature is one of the most widely read and widespread literature among Muslims today. However, an in-depth study of Islamic self-help discourse, the producers of this literature, and the context in which it emerged is still very limited. This literature plays an important role in how Islamic ethics is understood and practiced, although its influence has still not been adequately researched. This article seeks to fill this gap by exploring three widely circulated discourses of Islamic self-help, namely the works of al-Hāshimī, Ayad, and al-ʻArīfī. This research aims to: (1) analyze the structure and coherence of these discourses, and (2) understand their role in bridging Islamic ethics with global ethics. The study identifies three main discourses: deontological-communitarian, holistic-individualistic, and global-pietistic, based on the work of three authors who have received international attention, particularly in the West. The results show that Islamic ethics explicitly interact with global ethics, both in theory about the self (autonomy, the search for happiness, harmony of body and mind, pleasure, etc.) and in practice (management, socio-political activities, sports, etc.). These findings underscore the importance of reading Islamic ethics in an ever-evolving modern context. Although based on a limited sample of texts, the study provides relevant preliminary insights to expand the study of Islamic ethics in other areas, such as business and bioethics.
Critical Islam and the Muslim Crisis: Z. Sardar’s Double Critique of Western Modernity and Muslim Orthodoxy Belhaj, Abdessamad
Journal of Asian Wisdom and Islamic Behavior Vol. 3 No. 1 (2025)
Publisher : JAWAB: Journal of Asian World and Islamic Behavior Journal of Asian World and Islamic Behavior

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.59371/jawab.v3i1.92

Abstract

Critical Islam is a Muslim discourse that fundamentally questions contemporary Muslim societies, traditions, and cultures in response to the crisis in Muslim societies, amidst the rise in violence, authoritarianism, and foreign military interventions. This school of thought represents a new development in Islamic thought and an attempt to overcome the problems posed by tradition and modernity. This article examined the British-Pakistani intellectual Ziauddin Sardar’s views of critical Islam. My approach, which is based on intellectual history, places his arguments and theses in the context of the intellectual networks in which they originated as well as the developments that have taken place in the Muslim world over the last two centuries. One of the main findings, underlined here, is that Sardar offers an innovative and dual critique of the West and the Muslim tradition from an ethical and epistemic perspective. Additionally, the goal of his critical Islam is to change, pluralize, and end violence in the Muslim world. However, Sardar’s project is elitist and lacks spiritual appeal for the great majority of Muslims. Therefore, it should be interpreted as an intellectual critical engagement with Islam and the West that emphasizes personal emancipation.
Political Loyalty in Contemporary Islamic Ethics: Sunni and Shii Perspectives Belhaj, Abdessamad
Teosofi: Jurnal Tasawuf dan Pemikiran Islam Vol. 14 No. 1 (2024): June
Publisher : Department of Aqidah and Islamic Philosophy, Faculty of Ushuluddin and Philosophy, Sunan Ampel State Islamic University Surabaya

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.15642/teosofi.2024.14.1.52-72

Abstract

This study aims to provide a thorough examination and analysis of the political loyalty discourses of two prominent figures in Sunnism and Twelver Shiism: the Egyptian-Qatari Sunni scholar Yūsuf al-Qaraḍāwī (1926-2022) and the Iraqi Twelver Shii scholar Muḥammad Mahdī al-Āṣifī (1939-2015). I discuss the origins and effects of these perspectives on political allegiance, demonstrating how Sunnism grounds political allegiance in pragmatic ethics and the context of conflict and peace while encouraging equity when interacting with non-Muslims. The Twelver Shii school of thought supports principlist ethics, promoting the idea that political loyalty to people who represent legitimate religious and political authority is an expression of obedience that must be shown without exception. In terms of methodology, I use a discourse analysis method to determine the major thesis of a statement as well as the arguments presented in support of a particular thesis. I place the arguments in the context of the ongoing discussions in Islamic political ethics. Al-Qaraḍāwī and al-Āṣifī agree on the importance of treating non-aggressive Muslims fairly and remaining devoted to the Muslim community. I conclude that there is more space for a flexible ethics of political allegiance and less exclusion between the two schools of thought.
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