Editorial Note

Abstract

This issue of the MISS introduces a format of five sections. The initial
section, on Islamization of knowledge, consists of three articles. The first
article was written by the late Lamya’ al-Faruqi, slain wife of al-Shahid Ismail
al-Faruqi, who interprets the Islamization of knowledge through the sound
arts. We hope her provocative analysis will trigger responses from our
knowledgeable readers. The second paper, by the distinguished Pakistani
scholar, Professor Akbar Ahmed, treats us to a lengthy analysis of anthropological
knowledge from the perspective of the scholar interested in its
Islamization. The third article in this section, by Professor Masudul Alam
Choudhury, raises serious issues in the microeconomic foundations of Islamic
economics.
The second section is a symposium on political governance. It consists of
some ’ijtihad by Muhammad Salahuddin on the limits of political obedience
and a shorter account by Farhang Rajaee of the discrepancy between political
ideal and reality in the little-researched Late-Classical period of Muslim history.
Another symposium in the next issue, consisting of articles by Hasan Turabi
and Muna Abdul-Fadl, covers the implications for change in societal institutions
and in the ’Ummah generally.
The middle section of this issue is a position paper by Sayeed al Seini, who
gives us his interpretation of the Islamic concept of news. This area of research
is beginning to occupy the attention of Muslim students of communications,
and we hope more papers will be published in future issues.
The fourth section consists of two research notes. The first one, by Professor
Mushtaqur Rahman, looks at the Afghan conflict and analyses the way
it may affect the future of Central Asian Muslims in the “pivot of Asia” during
the 1980’s and beyond. This issue is of great concern to all Muslims around
the world. The second note, by Hasan A. Yahya, examines the conflict of
secularization and tradition, especially as it affects women, reflected in reading textbooks
in Jordan, Libya, Saudi Arabia, and Syria. Using content analysis,
the author identifies the main factors that in his opinion are responsible for
this development.
The final section, of literature reviews, starts with an article by Muhammad
Benaboud on Orientalist treatment of Revelation and the Prophet’s Sira,
some of which has made some constructive contribution to the study of the
Muslim world. professor Benaboud’s paper may encourage others to scrutinize
closely contemporary Orientalist scholarship, in order to counter disinformation
and to develop Islamic leadership in the study of comparative religion ...