Al-Milal: Journal of Religion and Thought

آسان ترجمۂ قرآن میں مولانا محمد تقی عثمانی کی تفسیری ترجیحات: منتخب مقامات کی تالیف ومطالعہ

Syed Matin Ahmed Shah — Wed, 31 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This study examines the exegetical preferences of the contemporary Islamic scholar Maulana Muhammad Taqi Usmani as reflected in his Āsān Tarjumah-yi Qur’ān (The Simple Translation of the Qur’an), particularly in its concise interpretive notes. It explores the principles and methodological bases by which he evaluates and selects among divergent exegetical opinions, demonstrating that his approach remains firmly grounded in the classical Sunni exegetical tradition while ensuring linguistic clarity and accessibility for contemporary readers. Drawing on selected examples from his interpretive notes, the study identifies five major grounds of exegetical preference adopted by Usmani: (1) corroboration through parallel Qur’anic passages; (2) support from ḥadīth reports and the statements of the early authorities; (3) linguistic and grammatical considerations; (4) reliance on the consensus or predominant interpretations of recognized exegetes; and (5) interpretive restraint in matters concerning the dignity and status of the Prophets. In certain instances, Usmani presents multiple interpretations without assigning preference to any one of them, thereby acknowledging legitimate diversity in the interpretation of Qur’anic expressions. The study concludes that Usmani’s exegetical methodology represents a balanced synthesis of traditional scholarship and contemporary communicative clarity. It reflects both fidelity to the classical exegetical heritage and sensitivity to the intellectual and linguistic needs of modern readers.

Ibn al-Arabī; Some Biographical Reflections

Siddiq Ali Chishti — Wed, 31 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This research article is an academic endeavour to collect and compile details related to the life and family of Muhammad ibn al-Arabī, the representative par excellence of Islamic spirituality and mysticism. A specific portion of this study is designated for a detailed discussion of Ibn al-Arabī’s early life and education in Andalusia. While discussing his many journeys undertaken for theological education and spiritual training, the researcher seeks to shed light on his early mentors who shaped Ibn al-Arabī’s spiritual thought. As a result of his long journeys, he has mastered numerous sciences and has become able to address both aspects of an issue, namely the physical and the metaphysical. This paper also addresses essential issues concerning Ibn al-Arabī and his family. These minor issues play a vital role in colouring various aspects of Ibn al-Arabī's biographical sketches. These minor concerns centre on his name, his date of birth, and his close family members, i.e., his parents, sisters, uncles, and his wives.

Symbolic Ornamentation in Islamic Art: Concepts, Motifs, and Meanings

Omar Bellout — Wed, 31 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This article examines symbolic ornamentation in Islamic art by linking core concepts of Islamic aesthetics to the visual language of decoration. It argues that ornamentation in Islamic artistic traditions is not merely an element of embellishment, but a structured system of meaning shaped by theology, philosophy, and cultural context. Through an analytical reading of major ornamental forms, geometric patterns, vegetal (arabesque) designs, and calligraphy, the study shows how repetition, balance, abstraction, and rhythm function as visual strategies that point beyond material beauty toward ideas such as unity (tawḥīd), infinity, and spiritual transcendence. The article also highlights the diversity of Islamic artistic expressions across regions and periods while maintaining shared symbolic principles. By situating ornament within broader scholarly debates on Islamic art and symbolism, the study offers a clearer conceptual framework for understanding how decorative forms carry meaning rather than serving as purely aesthetic motifs.

The Architecture of Critical Thinking in Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas's Epistemological Project: From the Deconstruction of Western Modernity to the Restoration of the Tawhidic Vision

P.D. Mekaki Mohamed Mohamed — Wed, 31 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This paper examines the epistemological project of Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas, arguing that his critical thinking operates through three interlocking mechanisms that together constitute a distinctive architecture of philosophical critique: the deployment of the Islamic worldview (ru'yat al-Islam lil-wujud) as a metaphysical criterion against which the claims of Western modernity are evaluated; the systematic deconstruction of Western modernity's conceptual vocabulary through the project of dewesternization of knowledge; and the restoration of the concept of adab as both the normative framework within which genuine knowledge is possible and the critical instrument through which the disorder of contemporary Muslim intellectual life is diagnosed. Drawing on al-Attas's primary texts, principally the Prolegomena to the Metaphysics of Islam and The Concept of Education in Islam, and engaging with the secondary literature of Wan Daud and Stenberg, the paper concludes that al-Attas's critical architecture, while philosophically formidable, faces a persistent challenge in translating its metaphysical achievements into concrete and replicable research methodologies. The paper situates this assessment within the broader contemporary debate on epistemic decolonisation, arguing that al-Attas's project remains an indispensable resource for any serious engagement with the relationship between Islamic epistemology and Western modernity.