cover
Contact Name
Farid F. Saenong
Contact Email
isr@uiii.ac.id
Phone
-
Journal Mail Official
isr@uiii.ac.id
Editorial Address
Jl. Raya Bogor, Cisalak, Kec. Sukmajaya, Kota Depok, Jawa Barat 16416
Location
Kota depok,
Jawa barat
INDONESIA
Islamic Studies Review
ISSN : 28291816     EISSN : 29637260     DOI : https://doi.org/10.56529/isr
Core Subject : Religion,
Islamic Studies Review is dedicated to disseminate both scholarly research and critical reflection on Muslim texts, history, and societies across the globe.
Articles 53 Documents
Ta’wīl as Quranic Hermeneutics in the Philosophical Thought of Ibn ‘Arabī Halim, Abdul
Islamic Studies Review Vol. 3 No. 2 (2024)
Publisher : Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.56529/isr.v3i2.326

Abstract

Various methods for interpreting and understanding religious texts have long been developed in Islam. The development of this tradition is intricately linked to the need to interpret Islam's holy book, the Qur’an. It is widely understood that the verses of the Qur’an have various dimensions, namely the muhkâm (clear) and mutasyâbih (ambiguous), ‘âmm (general), khash (specific), qath’i (definitive), and dhanniy (presumptive). To address this, ta’wil was developed as method of textual interpretation. Ibn ‘Arabi represents a significant figure in the history of Islamic philosophical Sufism. He believed that for everything that appears literal, external, or exoteric (zhâhir), there is always a connection to something hidden, spiritual, internal, or esoteric (bâthin). For Ibn ‘Arabi, ta’wil is an esoteric spiritual interpretation that understands all material data and facts as symbols to transmute and “return” them to what is being symbolized. Every manifestation, every exoteric meaning (zhâhir), always has an esoteric meaning (bâthin). In other words, ta’wil is a process of interpretation that involves delving into the furthest depths of symbols to uncover the spiritual secrets of the text. The creative imagination of the interpreter plays a significant role in the process of ta’wil, serving as a mediator between the hidden divine essence and the manifestation of the pluralities of nature, akin to the world of ideas, culminating in the concept of symbols. Symbols are reflections of exemplars (mitsâl) of the sensory world depicted within the hierarchy of presence (hadhrâh), namely the presence of essence (hadhrah al-dzât), the Divine presence (hadhrah al-ulûhiyyah), the presence of various Divine actions or deeds (hadhrah al-af’âl, hadhrah rubûbiyyah), the presence of shadows and active imagination (hadhrah al-mitsâl wa al-khayyâl), and the sensory and visible presence (hadhrah al-hiss wa al-musyâhadah). In this context, the creative imagination of the interpreter, generated through the ascent to a higher meaning, is a new creation that recurs (khalq jadîd), a divine manifestation (theophany), with the heart as the Divine Presence within the interpreter. For this reason, ta’wil (as a method of text interpretation) necessitates extensive knowledge, comprehension, a willingness to engage with the text’s substance, adherence to legitimate and authoritative sources, and an interpreter’s inventiveness. Ta’wil, therefore, represents a blend of empirical, rational, and intuitive methods, emphasizing the spiritual perspective of reason to achieve the truth.
A Comparison of Jewish and Islamic Views on The Banishment of Hagar Hafizah, Fithri Dzakiyyah
Islamic Studies Review Vol. 3 No. 2 (2024)
Publisher : Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.56529/isr.v3i2.327

Abstract

Hagar is a fascinating figure in both Jewish and Islamic traditions. Her portrayal varies greatly across these two different faiths. In both Jewish and Islamic traditions, Hagar is sent away into the desert. However, this same story has different interpretations in Judaism and Islam and has diverse cultural impacts on today’s Jewish and Muslim societies. In Islam, Hagar is seen as a respected figure, the mother of Arabs. This contrasts with her negative portrayal in some Jewish interpretations. This paper examines historical sources of Hagar’s story in the Biblical narrative and the Islamic tradition, exploring how each scripture aligns and contrasts with the other through the pivotal event of Hagar’s banishment to the wilderness. Utilizing a qualitative methodology and comparative approach, this study undertakes a textual and content analysis of relevant literature. This paper argues that how Hagar’s banishment is recounted in Jewish and Islamic traditions significantly influences how her story is understood and interpreted today. These interpretations, shaped by their respective cultural and historical contexts, contribute to differing portrayals of Hagar’s role and social position within the family of Abraham in Jewish and Islamic communities.
The Sound of Salvation: Voice, Gender, and the Sufi Mediascape in China (Guangtian Ha) Harahap, Mariati Aprilia
Islamic Studies Review Vol. 3 No. 2 (2024)
Publisher : Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.56529/isr.v3i2.328

Abstract

The Sound of Salvation: Voice, Gender, and the Sufi Mediascape in China (Guangtian Ha). New York: Columbia University Press, 2022. Guangtian Ha completed 'The Sound of Salvation: Voice, Gender, and the Sufi Mediascape in China’ while undertaking his Ph.D. dissertation for Columbia University. As an anthropologist who conducted ethnographic research, he was mired in uncompleted fieldwork. When writing this book in 2021, he remarked that the COVID-19 global pandemic was in its second year, leading to the deaths of over half a million people in the United States and an unknown number in China, where the total number of deaths has been kept secret by the government. Even before the pandemic, the role of Islamic seminaries in Ningxia had been substantially reduced due to political pressure. But when the pandemic hit the region, most religious locations, such as mosques and Sufi graves, were ordered to close their doors to outside visitors. Even though much of his fieldwork was already completed in 2018, he lamented that much had changed in the intervening years, and so noted that the book had been written with a deep sense of loss.
Islam & Natural Philosophy: Principles of Daqīq Al-Kalām (Basil Altaie) Al Asyari, Hasan; Arrozy, Juris
Islamic Studies Review Vol. 3 No. 2 (2024)
Publisher : Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.56529/isr.v3i2.329

Abstract

Islam & Natural Philosophy: Principles of Daqīq Al-Kalām (Basil Altaie). Oldham: Beacon Books, 2023. The discipline of kalām (Islamic rational theology) can be generally divided into two categories: jalīl al-kalām and daqīq al-kalām. The former mainly deals with theological questions whereas the latter deals with questions related to natural philosophy such as causality, free will, time, space, etc. The book under review deals with the latter: it provides an original attempt to revive and recontextualize daqīq al-kalām. Trained as a theoretical physicist in Mosul, Iraq, and Manchester, the United Kingdom, with some 30 years of exposure to the field of kalām, the Iraqi author offers an interesting interplay between classical Islamic theology and modern scientific discoveries.
Why Islamists Go Green. Politics, Religion and the Environment by Emmanuel Karagiannis Hudriansyah, Hudriansyah
Islamic Studies Review Vol. 3 No. 2 (2024)
Publisher : Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.56529/isr.v3i2.330

Abstract

Why Islamists Go Green. Politics, Religion and the Environment by Emmanuel Karagiannis. Edinburgh University Press, 2023. Islamist groups have been examined from various perspectives, with most studies focused on these groups’ use of violence, which provides a misleading perspective of how Muslim societies evolve and how they interact with the rest of the world. As a result, there is a lack of focus on Islamist movements’ relationship with the environment. Emmanuel Karagiannis’s Why Islamists Go Green is the first well-researched work that reveals important trends in how Islamism interacts with the environment (p. xi). The author focuses on five Islamist groups – the Muslim Brotherhood, Hizb ut-Tahrir, Hizbullah, Hamas, and Salafi-jihadist groups such as al-Qaeda and ISIS – and the religious and political foundations for the formation of their green policies based on Islamic texts, rulings and principles (p. 10). The author’s argument convincingly sheds light on the basic principles and essence of Islamist environmentalism as it includes extensive literature and interviews with representatives of these movements and an analysis of online resources and initiatives from the various parties and groups (pp. 11-13).
Beyond Debt: Islamic Experiments in Global Finance Huang, Wayne
Islamic Studies Review Vol. 4 No. 1 (2025)
Publisher : Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.56529/isr.v4i1.353

Abstract

Daromir Rudnyckyj. Beyond Debt: Islamic Experiments in Global Finance. Chicago and London: The University of Chicago Press, 2019. It is remarkable how few scholars of Southeast Asia have thought to look to Islamic finance, and how few scholars of Islamic finance have paid attention to Southeast Asia, for clues as to how global Islamic networks and global finanscapes converge. In part, this two-way oversight reflects the lack of interest in finance capitalism in conventional Southeast Asian studies and the marginal position Southeast Asia continues to occupy in Islamic studies. On this point alone, anthropologist Daromir Rudnyckyj's Beyond Debt: Islamic Experiments in Global Finance, arguably the first ethnography documenting the ongoing experiment of Islamic finance in Malaysia, is a significant contribution.
Aceh and Mindanao: A Comparative Study of Postcolonial Muslim Experiences in Democratic States Huswatun Miswar, Syarifah
Islamic Studies Review Vol. 4 No. 1 (2025)
Publisher : Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.56529/isr.v4i1.360

Abstract

This study offers a comparative analysis of the postcolonial experiences of Muslim communities in Aceh (Indonesia) and Mindanao (Philippines), focusing specifically on the impact of colonialism on institutions, legal structures, and religious identity. Both regions, while sharing a Muslim-majority population and a long history of colonial domination, have developed distinct trajectories in their approaches to governance, law, and cultural identity within contemporary democratic frameworks. Aceh, as a province of Indonesia, implements Islamic Sharia through special autonomy, reflecting a negotiated balance between local religious identity and national legal structures. In contrast, Mindanao continues to face challenges in securing Muslim rights through peace agreements, such as the Bangsamoro Organic Law, highlighting ongoing struggles over institutional autonomy and legal recognition. Employing a comparative approach, this study analyses three main aspects: the legacy of colonial institutions and legal systems, postcolonial transformations in governance and identity, and the dynamics of Muslim political participation in democratic states. The findings demonstrate that colonialism has left a profound imprint on the social, legal, and religious structures of both regions, but their responses have diverged due to differences in cultural contexts, national policies, and local agencies. This study contributes to broader discussions on decolonization and Islamic studies in the Global South by highlighting the diversity of post-colonial Muslim experiences in democratic societies.
The Role of CIPSI in Epistemic Decolonization: Integrating Islamic Philosophy and Local Wisdom into Educational Reform in Indonesia Al Akbar, Nuruddin
Islamic Studies Review Vol. 4 No. 1 (2025)
Publisher : Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.56529/isr.v4i1.441

Abstract

This paper explores the role of the Center for Islamic Philosophical Studies and Information (CIPSI) in decolonizing education in Indonesia, focusing on its efforts to challenge colonial influences by integrating Islamic philosophy and local educational systems into the curriculum. CIPSI contributes to a culturally relevant educational model by translating key Islamic texts, conducting research in Islamic philosophy, science, and mysticism, and advocating for the inclusion of local wisdom. This study highlights CIPSI’s role in bridging Islamic and Western knowledge systems, emphasizing the importance of indigenizing curricula. The paper also examines the challenges CIPSI faces and how non-state actors can collaborate with state institutions to reform the education system, contributing to the development of an educational framework that reflects Indonesia’s cultural and intellectual heritage.
Reimagining Tradition: Faisal Kamandobat and the Fusion of Islamic Values, Poetry, and Contemporary Fiandini, Nabilla P.
Islamic Studies Review Vol. 4 No. 1 (2025)
Publisher : Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.56529/isr.v4i1.442

Abstract

Discourses on globalization, contemporary art and tradition often revolve around power dynamics, positioning them in binary terms of domination or emancipation. This paper proposes an alternative framework that moves beyond power relations, emphasizing the role of Bildung—a process of cultural and intellectual formation—in understanding the interaction between these forces. Through a critical analysis of Faisal Kamandobat's artistic practice, the paper argues that globalization, contemporary art and tradition are not opposing forces, but rather interconnected elements that shape cultural and artistic expression. Kamandobat's approach to art, which is deeply rooted in the pesantren tradition, shows how tradition can be reinterpreted through a modern and cosmopolitan sensibility. By exploring Bildung as a conceptual lens, this study reveals how culture functions as a living and evolving entity that bridges the past and the present. Ultimately, Kamandobat's work demonstrates that artistic practices can serve as spaces for creating meaning, resilience, and dialogue, rather than mere contestations of power.
Navigating Belonging and Identity: Representation of Indonesian Muslims in the United Kingdom Rizal, Efri Arsyad
Islamic Studies Review Vol. 4 No. 1 (2025)
Publisher : Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.56529/isr.v4i1.443

Abstract

Indonesian Muslims, despite navigating their adaptations to new life circumstances in the United Kingdom, actively contribute to the country's socio-cultural landscape through academia, festivals, art exhibitions, and culinary events that promote and preserve Indonesia’s cultural heritage. Examining Indonesian Muslim organizations in the UK such as KIBAR, PCINU UK, PCIM Britania & Irlandia, and Indonesia Islamic Centre (IIC) London, this research explores the sense of belonging and unbelonging among Indonesian Muslims in the UK, focusing on individual and collective identities. By employing Christensen's framework on belonging and unbelonging and Mossovici’s framework of social representation, this study discusses how Indonesian Muslims construct and uphold their identity in different circumstances. The results reveal that Indonesian Muslims navigate their identity by preserving their traditions and practically applying their traditions in a diaspora setting through religious agendas. This research also highlights their religious commitment and contribution to socio-cultural problems in their homeland, Indonesia.