Browsing by Author "Uthman, I. O."

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Al-Jihad al-T'alimi- in search of a united front in Educational Jihad and the experience of Yoruba Muslims
(2007) Uthman, I. O.
This paper focuses on the early Muslim/Christian encounters in Yorubaland in Nigeria and how Yoruba Muslims were united in their intellectual and missionary activities in their quest to stop the conversion of Muslims by early Christian missionaries. The paper traces the origin and development of Islamic organizations in Nigeria to the desires of Muslims to be educated without being converted to Christianity by missionaries who pioneered the modern school system in Nigeria. While the Muslim/Christian encounter has on many occasions, been characterized by antagonistic, bitter and aggressive relationship, it has also witnessed periods of peaceful interfaith coexistence and competition. This paper also examines the attitudes of Yoruba Muslims as exponents of interfaith intellectual friendship and competition towards Christian educational evangelism in Nigeria both in the colonial and post-colonial eras. It argues that this Yoruba disposition is the outcome of their united perception of the concept of Jihad in Islam. Finally, the paper reveals the need for Islamic organizations that have founded Islamic schools to be actively involved in sustaining this ummatic spirit of unity by continuously upholding the Yoruba Muslim interfaith intellectualism.
Application and practice of the principles of Da 'wah in the age of globalization
(2011) Uthman, I. O.
Today despite the scientific and technological strides that have turned the world into a village, the long cherished values of a true traditional village life are rarely found in the prevailing global village. The fact seems to be that while human scientific and technological advancements have made life on earth more convenient and comfortable, it has failed to make it more decent, peaceful and sustainable. While studies abound on how the Islamic socioeconomic, political and ethical teachings can help re-direct the future of globalisation technologies towards a sustainable and peaceful world there are only few works on how the principles of Da‘wah intersect with such issues like multiculturalism, pluralism and inter-religious dialogue to build a more peaceful multicultural, multi-religious and equitable global society. This paper, therefore, examines how Da‘wah can be employed in promoting a global peace culture among the diverse groups in today’s world. The study discusses the involvement of Islamic organisations in inter-religious dialogues and situates it within the contemporary Islamic understanding of the Da‘wah principles and how these principles can help to militate against religious intolerance and the unwholesome effects of the prevailing cultural, religious and other clashes. The paper finally concludes that these Da‘wah principles are useful and desirable for improving upon and sustaining not only Muslim non-Muslim relations but also Muslim Muslim relations.
The application of Al-Uqubat in the contemporary society: a re-examination using the maqasid Al-Shari'ah based schemes
(Serials Publications Frequency, 2011-06) Oloso, K. K.; Uthman, I. O.
This paper focuses on the complexity of the implementation of the Islamic criminal law with particular reference to the feminist view that the Islamic law is “the cornerstone of the system of male privilege set up in Islam” and that the preservation of this system of Islamic law in most Muslim countries signals the existence of anti-human rights practices that uphold not only oppression and domination of women but also of non-Muslims and even ordinary Muslims. Nevertheless, there still appears to be a serious misinterpretation of the Islamic penal code. This misinterpretation is due to the failure of Muslim scholars over the years to question the application of the Islamic penal law system in many Muslim countries, including Nigeria in line with the maqasid al-shari‘ah (the ultimate objectives of the Islamic law). This paper will ground itself upon maqasid al-shari‘ah in order to differentiate between the authentic scope and application of the Islamic criminal law and what is currently operational in the Muslim world.
Book review of Islam and the veil: theoretical and regional contexts
(International Islamic University Malaysia Press, 2013) Uthman, I. O.
Capacity building for gender equality and women empowerment among muslim women organizations in Ondo State
(International Association for gender Equity, Wichita State University, USA, 2015-06) Uthman, I. O.; Adigun, W. F.
This paper attempts to find out some initiatives of Muslim Women Associations of Nigeria and assesses their effects in making life worth living for the downtrodden Muslim women in Ondo State. The study therefore focuses 00 the Federation of Muslim Women Associations of Nigeria (FOMWAN) in Ondo State. The study adopts descriptive survey as it is designed to employ qualitative approaches in data collection. Thus, the survey consists of data collection from six thousand members of FOMWAN by interviewing or contacting a representative sample of one hundred and twenty of them to determine the effects of their initiatives in tackling and reducing poverty among themselves. Findings revealed that, capacity building has succeeded in promoting gender equality and women empowerment by equipping Muslim women with the required knowledge, skills, training and opportunity to access information for their meaningful contributions to effect positive change in their socio-economic status in Ondo State. Based on the findings, the study recommends among others, that if FOMWAN in Ondo is rnore empowered and mobilized by donor and government agencies, her efforts in enhancing capacity building will go a long way in fighting the scourge of poverty among women.
A comparative study of academic teaching of Islam in Nigerian universities
(The International Institute of Islamic Thought, 2010-01) Uthman, I. O.
This paper attempts to examine the inner dialectics in the teaching of Islam in some selected Nigerian Universities with a special focus on Crescent University of Abeokuta, Nigeria. A comparison is made between the teaching of Islam there and at other universities involved in the academic study of Islam, especially in south-western Nigeria. One common factor to the teaching of Islam in these universities is the illusion of logic, philosophy and critical thinking in the curriculum, which is a major strong point that has contributed to its relevance and grow in Nigerian academia. But while Al-Hikmah and other Nigerian universities are fully teaching the twin disciplines of Arabic and Islamic Studies especially in the case of Al-Hikmah since the universities rose from a former College of Arabic and Islamic Studies. Crescent University takes after the International Islamic University Malaysia, on the other hand, is engaged currently in teaching Islam both as a general university course and with other subject combinations.
Contribution of Islamic scholars to sustainable human and environmental development: Islam hadhari and future development of muslim countries
(2011) Uthman, I. O.; Abbass, L. O.; Oloso, K. K.
Today, despite the global scientific and technological advancement with developed and even a few developing countries including Muslim countries making significant strides in shaping contemporary civilisation and the state of the world, yet they have failed to achieve true development and progress on how to sustain human and other creatures in a wholesome manner. This is because while these countries are struggling for scientific and technological development in order for humans to live a decent and comfortable life, they have not fully comprehended the underlying indexes that formed the basis of sustainable development. This paper therefore examines the teachings of Islam on the underlying indexes that formed the basis of sustainable development. It used the maqasid approach to show that in Islam development and progress are useful and desirable only when they improve upon and sustain not only human comfort and standards of living but also the essentials to achieving higher and enhanced quality of life for not only humans but also the environment and all the creatures cohabiting in it. It finally reveals how the maqasid approach in Islam sets out to achieve this real development.
Contributions of islamic scholars to sustainable human and environmental development: islam hadhari and future development of muslim countries
(Inderscience Enterprises Limited, 2011) Uthman, I. O.; Abbas, L. O.; Oloso, K. K.
Today, despite the global scientific and technological advancement with developed and even a few developing countries including Muslim countries making significant strides in shaping contemporary civilisation and the state of the world, yet they have failed to achieve true development and progress on how to sustain human and other creatures in a wholesome manner. This is because while these countries are struggling for scientific and technological development in order for humans to live a decent and comfortable life, they have not fully comprehended the underlying indexes that formed the basis of sustainable development. This paper therefore examines the teachings of Islam on the underlying indexes that formed the basis of sustainable development. It used the maqasid approach to show that in Islam development and progress are useful and desirable only when they improve upon and sustain not only human comfort and standards of living but also the essentials to achieving higher and enhanced quality of life for not only humans but also the environment and all the creatures cohabiting in it. It finally reveals how the maqasid approach in Islam sets out to achieve this real development.
Contributions of islamic universities to professional ethics: a case study of International Islamic University, Malaysia and Crescent University, Abeokuta
(lnternational Islamic University Malaysia Press, 2009) Uthman, I. O.
This paper studies about the absence of moral and religious ethics in the formulation of professional ethics that is responsible for the Islamic ethical development. For this reason, this paper as a matter of urgency will in the remaining sections attempt to assess the teachings as it affects professional ethics, the contents and contexts of the syllabi and the curricular that make up the study of Islamic universities and the approaches adopted in teaching in order to demonstrate how Islamic Universities in particular impact on professional and moral ethics in the training of scientists, engineers, financial experts etc The teaching of Islamic ethics is today offered in Islamic universities like International Islamic University Malaysia and Crescent University, Abeokuta in Nigeria. This paper examines the objectives of teaching courses on Islamic ethics within the broader goals and objectives of the University system as well the Teaching Methodology employed in teaching these courses. In addition, it examines the overall academic context in which the courses are taught in these Islamic Universities.
A Critical evaluation of Ghazzalian and Kantian notions of mysticism and intuition: an Islamic Perspective
(Department of Philosophy, Allame Tabataba'i University, Tehran, 2005) Uthman, I. O.
This research is an attempt to study the relationship between the Ghazzalian and Kantian thoughts on mysticism and intuition from an Islamic perspective. This study is intelligible when it is remembered that after Al-Ghazzali, mysticism in Islam was not the same again and even though. Kant was not a Mystic in the real sense of the word but his mystical notions appear similar to that of al-Ghazzali on many points especially on "mystical metaphysics. The study begins by tracing the concept and development of mysticism in Islam. It also enumerates some of the Muslim scholars who brought about reconciliation between mainstream Islam or orthodoxy and philosophical Sufism. One of whom and certainly the most famous and acknowledged in the West is al-lmam al Ghazzali. In addition, the study has traced the historical background of both the Ghazzalian and Kantian philosophical and metaphysical thoughts vis-it-vis mysticism and intuition. It also unravels both the post Kantian and Ghazzalian trends in mysticism and intuition. In doing, it has attempted to explain some metaphysical concepts germane to their thoughts on mysticism as popularly understood in the Ghazzalian and Kantian schools. It finally ends up revealing that today mysticism has become a euphemism for both laxity and licentiousness. Most mystics today hide behind their esoteric teachings to call for total or unwarranted liberalization of religious observances in the name of promoting religious understanding. As a result, there is perennial conflict in the philosophical mystical camps. The study therefore opines that it is the premonition of this problem that accounted for Kantian . skepticism and Ghazzalian demolition of philosophy.
Ethical issues in religion: the Islamic perspective
(Graduke Publishers, 2011) Abdulrahmon, M. O.; Uthman, I. O.
The faces of Muslim/Christian relations: application of the Shari'ah and the rights of muslim women in Nigeria
(Brill Publisher, 2016) Uthman, I. O.
This paper focuses on Muslim/Christian understanding of the position of the Sharī‘ah in modern Nigeria. It also examines Muslim women’s commitments to Islam and how they cope with the surroundings without submitting to a uniform, integral and singular Islamist theory on the application of Sharī‘ah. The paper makes a distinction between Fiqh and the Sharī‘ah. Furthermore, while most writings tend to view the application of the Sharī‘ah in Nigeria, whether in relations to non-Muslims or to Muslim women as being political, this paper questions this view of the application of Sharī‘ah in Nigeria and suggests that the Commonwealth of Religion and Nations political system model can help in re-directing the future relations between Muslims and Christians. These can also result in ending in ending the political pressure for Sharī‘ah courts’ convictions and other abuses of Muslim women’s rights in Nigeria and create a sustainable multicultural, religious and equitable Nigeria.
Feminism in postmodern society: an Islamic perspective
(lnternational lslamic University, Malaysia, 2005-12) Uthman, I. O.
In this research, an attempt is made to focus on the real nature of the challenges of postmodern feminism and its implications on not only Muslim women but also on the family and society at large. The research also examines the typology of this phenomenon known as Islamic feminism to reveal how some Muslim women are now confronting postmodern feminism in today's global village. The goal here is to provide a basis for exploring the main dimensions of postmodern feminism as central to practices in the Muslim world. It is hoped that this can stimulate Islamic organizations to address these dimensions in formulating their policies on women. The research will therefore reply to western feminist writers who unjustly believe that Islam treats women with utter scorn, injustice and humiliation. It will also demonstrate that Islam and what is now known as Islamic feminism are not incompatible if the eradication of women's oppression is the primary aim of feminism. It is not contradictory to Islamic tenets of equity, equality, and justice for all races, groups and sexes. The study concludes that labeling any political and intellectual activisms in support of Muslim women's public roles in society "Islamic feminism" will show the difference between Islam, a religion that preaches moderacy in any human endeavor, and the extremism of secular postmodern feminism.
Feminist insiders-outsiders: muslim women in Nigeria and the contemporary feminist movement
(Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2009) Uthman, I. O.
From social justice to Islamic revivalism: an interrogation of Sayyid Qutb's discourse
(Global Journals Inc., 2012) Uthman, I. O.
While Sayyid Qutb is an acclaimed Islamist and leader of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, that he has not been fully understood is confirmed by the persistent view that he laid the foundation for the prevailing ‘Islamic terror and Islamist fundamentalism’ all over the globe. Though there is a panoply of works that have attempted to explain and clarify this misunderstanding of Qutb’s Islamic revivalism and reformism through a study of his writings and works yet the argument that his Islamic revivalism added to his zeal for rejecting modernity, leading to ‘Islamic terror and Islamist fundamentalism’ leaves some questions such as how did he move from a pure social justice crusader to an Islamist, why did he hate America, does his work provide inspiration for Islamic militancy, fundamentalism and terrorism etc and did his childhood upbringing, education, works and Islamic revivalism give insight into the so-called phenomenon of ‘Islamic terrorism still begging for answers. This paper is premised on the argument that Qutb, as a true African, despite his critical analysis and condemnation of the West and in fact all Muslim societies which he terms Jahili Societies was totally opposed to all acts of terrorism as well as irrational and extreme interpretation of Islamic fundamentals as revealed in his revivalist and reformist works, especially Fi Zilal al-Qur’an, which are still inspiring Muslims, especially his views on the rights of Muslim women and their place in modern society.
History and faces of orthodox islam and muslims in Nigeria
(Department of Religions and Peace Studies Lagos State University, Ojo, Lagos, Nigeria, 2013) Uthman, I. O.
This paper provides a historical framework of reconstructing the orthodox faces of Islam in Nigeria from the time of its foothold in Kanem and Bornu kingdoms to the present modern Nigeria and contends that some basic homogeneous beliefs and features serve as a definition of .orthodox Islam in Nigeria. The paper argues further that the commonality of these beliefs and practice of Islam far outweigh the "differences and dichotomies" in the abuses and corruption of Islam. In reclaiming the true orthodox identities of Muslims in Nigeria, the paper eschews both the 'Outside-In' and 'Inside-Out' schemas that construct Islam and Muslims using a unipolar approach by either outsiders-non-Muslims or insiders- Muslims.
Islamic financial culture: alternative economic system for rapid and sustainable economic growth in West African countries
(2011) Adesina-Uthman, G. A.; Uthman, I. O.; Hassan, T.; Ramadili, S. M.
West African countries are wealthy countries with abundance of both human and natural resources. Some of its member countries are leading member of the OPEC countries. Surprisingly poverty in West African countries is at an alarming rate. Most of its countries are categorized as underdeveloped countries with highest rate of corruption in the world. It is characterized by very weak economies and very low growth rates. There is prevalence of abject poverty as a result of poor economic managements. They have unstable national currencies which are ever losing value and the masses of their rich country live below the poverty line according to UN classification. This study therefore attempts to unravel ways to employing Islamic financial system as an alternative economic system for rapid and sustainable economic growths in West African countries. The study highlights how Islamic money culture, Islamic financial engineering and other Islamic mechanisms such as the gold payment system, Sukuk, Waqf and Zakah systems can become tools in solving the poverty-ridden conditions of West African countries and their teeming populations. Empirical evidence from Malaysian Sukuk forward rates and inflations revealed that Sukuk forward profit rates have positive effects on real economic growth and have the likelihood to keep inflation at its low.
Muslim and contemporary postmodern philosophical issues
(Department of Religious Studies, ObafemiAwolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria, 2010) Uthman, I. O.
Muslim and science: contributions of Islamic universities to professional ethics
(Association of Muslim Social Scientists of North America and lnternational lnstitute of Islamic Thought, 2010) Uthman, I. O.
It is sad and paradoxical that Muslims who were once the precursors and torchbearers of the scientific knowledge that culminated in modern civilization, are today wallowing in a state of backwardness, ignorance and domination. Despite their global numerical strength of over one million people, only a few Muslim countries are currently making, any significant strides in shaping contemporary civilization and the state of the world. This paper examines how Islamic concept of khidfah (vice-gereney) can be employed to revive Islamic science so that it can sustain human and other creatures in a wholesome manner. It argues that teaching secular sciences according to Islamic principles, as is being done today at the international Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) and Nigeria’s Crescent University, Abeokuta (CUA) will reverse such negative trends.
Muslim perception of the modern secular state and the foundations of the Islamic State and commonwealth of nations
(2014) Uthman, I. O.
This paper seeks to explore the Muslim perception of the modern secular state by answering such questions as: Why do some Muslims and Muslim societies tend to reject the modern secular state and why do Muslims generally view Islam as "the lodestar" of politics? It examines the foundations of the Muslim perception of both the modern secular state and their rejection of comprehensive secularism. It also examines how this perception reflects a global Muslim commitment to both Islamic teachings and development without submitting to the secular modernist theory. Muslim engagement with secularism in countries such as modern Turkey and Malaysia shows that there is a need for the Islamic Commonwealth of Religions that fuses not Islam but religions in general with politics. This is because the Islamic Commonwealth of Religions does not make the other assimilate other dominant religious norms but only suppresses religious traditions and practices that are harmful and inimical to the other.