Department of Religions

Many world religions use teachings on mortality as an integrated strategy for ethical training and spiritual
growth. The theme of death forms one of the most important foundations of Ghazālī and Rūmī's thought. The concept of
death is presented and interpreted from interesting angles in relation to Islamic spirituality. In the writings of Rūmī, for
instance, the idea of dying before death is a recurring theme. In the works of the two Sufi scholars, death is seen as a way
of attaining high spiritual life. The present paper examines the various metaphors, imagery, and allegories related to
death in the famous works of the two authors. Their ideas speak volumes of their genius, especially when speaking of a
concept without shape and form.

Yoruba festivals are numerous and multifarious. For this reason, some are of the view that the Yorubas are deeply spiritual. In addition to the generally celebrated festivals among the Yorubas, each Yoruba tribe has its own festivals. A series of these festivals called the Ojude Oba festival is celebrated by the Ijebus who are renowned for both their enterprise and affluence. This article examines the cultural and spiritual significance of the Ojude Oba festival. It analyzes the early beginnings of the festival while providing insights into the epoch of the Ijebus. The festival constitutes a major commercial activity that brings about economic integration and development of the Ijebu community. This article argues that the Ojude Oba festival should not be seen simply for its entertainment value, but as a manifestation of Yoruba cultural, socio-economic, and spiritual values.

Nigeria is a big, intricate, and for all intents and purposes complex country, with multifarious ethnic groups and devotees of various religious affiliations. While there have been stints of ethnic and religious violence among different groups in the country, none have posed the kind of threat that Boko Haram currently poses. A considerable amount of literature has been published on the development and sustaining factors, the modus operandi, networks, support base, motivations, goals, rivals, and militancy of Boko Haram. A much debated question, however, is what Nigerian government claims in relation to the situation and whether government provides a communal and just approach in dealing with the group. This study intends to examine the position of government in its confrontations against Boko Haram. It will also examine how moderate and balanced are the steps taking by the Nigerian government. Within the period of 10 years in which this problem began, has the government been able to mitigate activities of Boko Haram? Has the measures proposed by the government worked or not? The conclusion of this study shows that it is crucial for the Nigerian government to toll the path of moderation, justice and balance in dealing with the situation. It also provides the practical steps Nigerian government can take in resolving this impasse.

The aim of this paper is to explore why, how and when a business organisation may choose to go beyond good business practices and standards. In writing this article, the researcher sought to engage with modern secular insights about sustainable business practices for corporate organisations and to be in critical dialogue with those insights. The study addresses the questions of how can corporations develop into responsible moral agents and what effective framework can be used for sustainable business practices within an Islamic setting? It proposes to incorporate Islamic ethical principles such as ikhlāṣ (sincerity), 'ilm (knowledge), ḥikmah (wisdom), hilm (forbearance) and rifq (gentleness), sabr (patience), tawaadu' (humility), qudwah (good example), husnul-Istimaa' (good listening), shajaa'ah (courage), karam (generosity) into corporate business practices. This study is an effort to bring religion into our economic lives, which invariably means bringing religious ethics into what is supposed to be free of such values. "Corporate governance is one of the most important failures behind the present financial crisis." de Larosière Group (2009)

As Boko Haram tries to establish a new caliphate, while imposing Shari'ah law and persecuting and kidnapping young girls, it is timely to enquire into both the workings of the early caliphate and the role an Islamic state should play in the world. The aim of this paper is both to counter Boko Haram's approach to the caliphate and examine the administration of Umar bin Abdul Aziz (715-717CE). The article is qualitative, permitting a descriptive and historical approach. This study examines Umar bin Abdul Aziz as a devoted Muslim who set new standards for what a Muslim ruler should be like. This study suggests that, despite Muslim dreams of a 'return of the caliphate', this concept means different things to different people. While Boko Haram violently struggles for power, Islam encourages sovereignty based on honour and gained through better actions and faith.

This paper draws on the understanding that Islam as a religion can significantly contribute in the area of disaster management. It examines the way disaster is portrayed within the broader scope of Islamic literature, but with the specific aim of contextualizing it within contemporary approach to disaster management. Through exegetical, historical and descriptive approaches, it is demonstrated that psycho-socio-spiritual interventions such as tawakkul (trust in God), shukr (gratitude), sabr (patience) are attributes that can help foster and promote individual and communal resilience in order to mitigate disasters. Therefore, in the face of a disaster, an individual or community can obtain vital spiritual support from their beliefs and can also have access to and rely on important support and
resources that are generated or mobilized by their belief-based framework.

The paper highlights the contributions of Aisha Lemu to religious education in
Nigeria. It also examines the main quandary she addressed in her works and identifies the
special nature of her works. By opting for a historical and analytic approach the study was
able to see patterns in Aisha Lemu’s approach to religious education particularly Muslim
religious education. Her works in the field of Muslim religious education can be seen as
focusing on Islam as an embodied faith as well as an attempt to grapple with ritualism and
pragmatism in Muslim religious education. In other words, her approach focused on
dealing primarily with the comprehensive nature of Islam and in providing an effective
way of instilling laudable values in Muslim youths. This paper, therefore, concludes that
Aisha Lemu’s outlook on Muslim religious education in Nigeria provides a broader context
for understanding the importance of Islam in shaping Muslim thoughts and in influencing
the society at large.

Mathnawī, Jalāluddīn Rūmī’s magnum opus, is among the most quoted mystico-didactic epic poems in the world. This research provides an assessment of the 13th century scholar’s work as exegetical commentary on the Qur’ān. A theological approach has been adopted to identify the major teachings in the work. In this study, after a brief introduction of Rūmī and his vision of the Qur’ān, the research evaluates the Mathnawī from historical, mystical, exegetical and literary perspectives. It identifies the stories of prophets and their people in his poetic lines and provides a holistic categorisation of issues about them found also in various Qur’ānic verses as a possibility of commentary on the Qur’ān. To establish a meaningful relationship in terms of the form and content in the work, stories of prophets mentioned in the Qur’ān are analysed to facilitate comprehensive assessment. This also serves as a guide to Rūmī’s interpretation of the Qur’ān. It was discovered that Rūmī, in his work, ...

This paper explores the various ways in which Federation of Muslim Women's Associations in Nigeria (FOMWAN) has acted as a socially responsible organisation in Nigeria. Since the 1980s several Muslim women led organisations have emerged in Northern and Southern parts of Nigeria, some of which have formed networks to advocate for Muslim women's rights. Therefore, to identify the contributions of FOMWAN in Nigeria, this article looks at the emergence of Federation of Muslim Women's Associations in Nigeria (FOMWAN) in particular, an organisation which was established more than three decades ago. Drawing empirical evidence from activities of FOMWAN and using historical and descriptive approaches to analyse the data, this study outlines how FOMWAN strategically engage in development projects and thus further their own vision of development. This paper discovers that FOMWAN envisages a world where women are completely enabled to be good role models in making a beneficial impact in the society. FOMWAN supports the religion of Islam in Nigeria through Da'wah (invitation and propagation), the establishment of educational institutions and other outreach activities. It also works towards the improvement of the conditions of the people, especially women, youths and children through training, provision of qualitative education, health, and humanitarian services, micro-enterprise scheme and advocacy as ways of playing its social responsibility role. It is, therefore, anticipated that this paper will add to the body of knowledge on Muslim women, especially as it relates to Nigeria and provides some insights to Muslim women organisations operating in Nigeria.

There is a growing body of literature that recognizes the importance of proper approach to transmission of learning. This is because an effective method teaching always goes a long way in helping to understanding what is being taught. Contemporary discourse on teaching style often stresses either a teacher-centered or student-centered approaches. This paper takes a critical look at the Prophet Muhammad’s methods of teaching Islam to the Companions (Sahaba). This study attempts to understand the intent of these methods used by the Prophet Muhammad and investigates their possible implications. Through historical and descriptive methods examines the primary sources in Islam – the Qur’ān and the life case of the Prophet Muḥammad as presented in his sayings and teachings (Ḥadīth). The study reveals that the prophetic approach, apart from being very effective, is also a very practical method that can be used in our contemporary times and provides a better understanding of the message of I...

The chapter considers the views of Islam, consumer, and consumption researchers on the compatibility and incompatibility of Islam with sustainable consumption. To this end, the author examine the consumers' motivations for consumption and critically evaluate their parallels within Islamic norms. Then, the notions of Islam and consumption are analyzed and evaluated in depth. The study also attempts to show the Muslims' perception of consumption and motivation. The findings suggest that Muslim consumers in Nigeria are motivated to practice sustainable consumption and are driven primarily by their Islamic understandings. This study, therefore, recommends the concept of moderation as a major Islamic motivation to consumption sustainability and if put in place could result in a compatible motivation to sustainable consumption.

This chapter explores the efficacy of spiritual transcendence scales developed by Ralph L. Piedmont in his ASPIRES Manual. This study employs a quantitative approach to assess the spiritual transcendence scales among students in Malaysia. Over 250 questionnaires were distributed and filled online. Data collected from the questionnaires were analyzed to understand the dimension of spirituality. The findings reveal the scale remains reliable and structurally valid across gender, cultures, and religious contexts. The psychometric qualities of the spiritual transcendence scales were examined among Muslim students in Malaysia. The result demonstrated the structural validity and applicability of the scale within the group. It further provided further support for the cross-cultural applicability of the instrument and for the assumption of spirituality as a universal aspect of human experience.

This paper attempts to analyze the intellectual and spiritual contributions of Nuruddin ar-Raniri to Islamic education in Indonesia. It gives the genealogy of ar-Raniri and his arrival to Indonesia as well as the vital role he played in the documentation of important literatures in Malay and Islamic education. This paper further argues that Nuruddin ar-Raniri, serving as a Sufi scholar, great writer, theologian, historian has immense contribution. His impact and influence in Indonesia was profound and noteworthy. His contribution to Malay literature and Islamic education is unavoidable. His masterpieces on intellectual writings has exerted considerable effort in the field of Malay letters and historical writings. His writings cover various fields of knowledge which helped in developing the learning culture in the society. This study used a qualitative approach in collecting and analyzing the data. This study concludes that due to this great contribution in the field of Islamic knowl...

Mathnawī, Jalāluddīn Rūmī's magnum opus, is among the most quoted mystico-didactic epic poems in the world. This research provides an assessment of the 13th century scholar's work as exegetical commentary on the Qur'ān. A theological approach has been adopted to identify the major teachings in the work. In this study, after a brief introduction of Rūmī and his vision of the Qur'ān, the research evaluates the Mathnawī from historical, mystical, exegetical and literary perspectives. It identifies the stories of prophets and their people in his poetic lines and provides a holistic categorisation of issues about them found also in various Qur'ānic verses as a possibility of commentary on the Qur'ān. To establish a meaningful relationship in terms of the form and content in the work, stories of prophets mentioned in the Qur'ān are analysed to facilitate comprehensive assessment. This also serves as a guide to Rūmī's interpretation of the Qur'ān. It was discovered that Rūmī, in his work, pays particular attention to the spiritual attributes of each prophet. An overall evaluation of the Mathnawī shows Rūmī not only uses Qur'ānic verses or words but also rational arguments, stories and anecdotes to drive home his commentary on the Qur'ān.

Yoruba festivals are numerous and multifarious. For this reason, some are of the view that the Yorubas are deeply spiritual. In addition to the generally celebrated festivals among the Yorubas, each Yoruba tribe has its own festivals. A series of these festivals called the Ojude Oba festival is celebrated by the Ijebus who are renowned for both their enterprise and affluence. This article examines the cultural and spiritual significance of the Ojude Oba festival. It analyzes the early beginnings of the festival while providing insights into the epoch of the Ijebus. The festival constitutes a major commercial activity that brings about economic integration and development of the Ijebu community. This article argues that the Ojude Oba festival should not be seen simply for its entertainment value, but as a manifestation of Yoruba cultural, socioeconomic , and spiritual values.

Application of Islamic Ethics to issues in the physical sciences is only in its infancy. Human stem cells are nature's self-renewing master cells, capable of generating every one of the numerous biological tissues in the human body. Their use in contemporary medicine for repairing organs and regenerating cellular tissues holds the promise of major treatments and cures. Summary overviews of the scientific context of stem cell research is provided, and of the controversy surrounding it. The contribution of Islamic Law and ethical tradition is then reviewed, focusing on the Higher Aims of the Shari'ah. Islam may assist in defining the ethical boundaries at the heart of this issue, and positively contribute to medical science in this field of enquiry.

This article discusses the Islam and Human Rights while making significant reference to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948 and Cairo Declaration of Human Rights 1990. It argues that the Universal Declaration on Human Rights (UNDR) 1948 and the Cairo Declaration on Human Rights (CDHR) 1990 in Islam have major differences which cannot be reconciled. The UNDR, for instance, cannot be relied upon by Muslims because of its severe discrepancies and opposition to the Islamic law. The thrust of the article is that the purported universal rights meant for specific people especially the western world and not the whole humanity. Any attempts by a section of Muslim to implement these rights collectively means that they will have to abandon the teachings of Islam at the expense of the secular western values.

Share and Tsaragi are twin communities in Kwara State, Nigeria, living harmoniously for centuries before a crisis on border issues erupted between them. This study argues that internal mechanisms that originate from the people's philosophy and culture are potent tools to sustain peaceful coexistence between them. The research designs are quantitative and qualitative and data were gathered from participant observations, questionnaires, and interviews. Findings show that government interventions have not been perfectly enforced, hence recurring conflicts. The study concludes that crises are imminent where population growth is without corresponding economic empowerment and socio-cultural integration among the people. Previous research efforts confirm that African conflicts often occur due to the combination of poverty and weak States and institutions. However, data from this research confirm that collaborations and consensus are potent tools to entrench peace in Share and Tsaragi communities.