Vol. 3 No. 1 (2018): al-Irsyad: Journal of Islamic and Contemporary Issues

The Editorial Board of al-Irsyad: Journal of Islamic and Contemporary Issues is pleased to announce this Islam-focused volume 3, issue 1 (June 2018). This issue contains five articles on Islamic philosophy, ethics, and politics.

Abd Rahman et al., in their paper titled "The Understanding of Klang Valley Muslim Students on the Concept of Religious Freedom in Malaysia," highlight apostasy as a religious freedom issue in Malaysia. They discovered that Muslim pupils in the Klang Valley of Malaysia have a strong understanding of religious liberty. This finding indicates that Muslim students continue to understand the concept as it was enshrined in the National Constitution and Islamic principles, despite the fact that there are numerous issues concerning religious freedom and various demands from NGOs promoting a new and liberal concept of religious freedom.

In their paper "A Preliminary Study on Love for Knowledge and the Excellent Ummah Personality among Muslim Students," Ismail et al. argued that higher education institutions must be prepared to produce graduates who can face the challenges of the industrial revolution by transforming the curriculum's core and teaching and learning methods. As the industrial revolution maximises technology utilisation while decreasing human capital, it has both positive and negative consequences. Human capital, which can shape the industrial revolution, is therefore crucial. This can be accomplished by cultivating human capital with a passion for learning and an exceptional ummah personality. Therefore, they concluded that knowledge should be united with the personalities of the superb ummah, since individuals with these best personalities and strong faith can encourage others to perform good deeds and prevent wrongdoing. As a result, human capital that is more self-assured, well-balanced, and perceptive is developed to meet the needs of the future society.

Mohd Salleh et al. presented the third paper on Islamic thought in their paper titled "The Liberalism Historiography in Western Society." This study describes the history of liberal thought. It dates back to ancient Rome and evolved through the Renaissance and postmodern eras. This study also discusses the impact of alterations to the Bible, feudal autonomy, and church dominance on the development of liberalism in Western society. The evolution of liberalism in Western culture places humans at the centre of the decision-making process. A way of reasoning that rejects religion and its rules in the decision-making and evaluation of particular actions The Western world recognises liberalism as a principle of progress that must be maintained. Liberalism liberates those who desire to be prosperous and progressive in order to dominate the world from the ties and norms of religion, which it views as the opium of society. The fundamental concept underlying the construction of modern Western civilization is the renunciation of faith in life. In conclusion, they discovered that liberalism, the credo of Western society, has become the preferred ideology of many Muslims in Malaysia. This development is characterised by the emergence of a viewpoint that rejects the role of Shariah rulings in daily life, such as the hijab, males as the imam (leader) for prayers, marital guardianship, and inheritance, among others. The adoption of Western liberalism by Muslim society is inappropriate, given that Islam is the religion that liberates humans from subjugation and places high value on the individual and humanity itself.

Amir Hayat contributed to Islamic principles with his paper titled "Promoting Behaviour-based Safety with Islamic Principles." According to him, occupational safety and health concern the physical, mental, and social health and safety of employees. As a labour-related issue, numerous laws exist in every nation to protect the safety, health, and welfare of workers. Therefore, it is the employer's legal obligation to provide a secure workplace for employees. Without employee participation, state legislation and employer efforts to ensure a safe and healthy workplace are ineffective. Employee conduct is considered a crucial aspect of ensuring workplace safety. Human behaviour consists of an individual's actions based on heredity, social norms, fundamental faith, and attitude. Thus, religion plays an essential role in promoting safe work practises. Islam has a significant impact on the lifestyle and conduct of its followers. This conceptual paper highlights safety and health-related Islamic principles and guidelines. An effort has been made to examine the primary sources of Islam for safety, health, and environmental principles and regulations. From an Islamic perspective, behaviour-based safety entails establishing a work environment based on the Islamic principles of brotherhood, mutuality, cooperation, mercy, compassion, and beneficence. Observers note that the Islamic approach to occupational safety and health extends beyond compliance with organisational safety procedures. Nonetheless, it is a religious duty and a divine vocation.

In addition, the final article in this issue is titled "The Legal Status of the Occupied Palestinian Territory" by Shehab and Marni. The purpose of the study is to define and clarify the legal status of the Palestinian territories as well as their legal and political obligations and consequences during three time periods: before the Oslo Convention, after the establishment of the Palestinian Authority, and after Palestine became an observer state at the United Nations. Consequently, their key findings can be summed up as follows: First, the various legal descriptions of the Palestinian territories have no bearing on the legal status or direct responsibility of Israeli occupation in the occupied territories, which are considered occupied. Second, Israel's refusal to implement the provisions of the Geneva Conventions has no legal force or effect because it is obligated to do so as a member of these conventions. Third, Israel's violation of conventions justifies international accountability. This is apart from the precariousness of Israel's position on the applicability of the Fourth Geneva Convention to the occupied Palestinian territories under international law's governing documents. This is also the view of the international community regarding the United Nations and other international organisations' resolutions.