Kolumne

The Evolution of Shi’ism from Political Activism to a Complex Ideology Assoc. Prof. Dr. Spahic Omer Kulliyyah of Architecture and Environmental Design International Islamic University Malaysia E-mail: spahico@yahoo.com The subject of caliphate was purely a political matter. All the misunderstandings and conflicts that revolved around it were simply political in nature too. There was nothing authentic that suggested spiritual investiture …

Shi’ism in the Eyes of Sunnis It must be emphatically said at the outset of this section that at the beginning, following the demise of the Prophet (pbuh), there was not at all such things as Shi’ism and Shi’i Islam or Sunnism and Sunni Islam. The two concepts were the products of subsequent times and subsequent generations. At that time, …

The Origins of Shi’ism between Politics, Creed and Fanaticism Assoc. Prof. Dr. Spahic Omer Kulliyyah of Architecture and Environmental Design International Islamic University Malaysia E-mail: spahico@yahoo.com Introduction In this paper, the origins of Shi’ism from the perspectives of politics, creed and extremism will be discussed. The study shows that Shi’ism originated as a sheer political faction which however almost immediately …

Al-Wasatiyyah (Moderation) as an Agenda of the Ummah Assoc. Prof. Dr. Spahic Omer Kulliyyah of Architecture and Environmental Design International Islamic University Malaysia The term al-wasatiyyah is derived from an Arabic word “wasat” which means middle, fair, just, moderate, milieu and setting. The word in its different forms is used in several contexts in the Qur’an, all the word forms …

Decoration as an Instrument for Enhancing the Real Qualities of a Thing Assoc. Prof. Dr. Spahic Omer Kulliyyah of Architecture and Environmental Design International Islamic University Malaysia E-mail: spahico@yahoo.com There are two types of decoration: decoration as an instrument of deception, and decoration which enhances the real and original qualities of a thing. About the latter the Qur’an says: {Indeed, …

Decoration as an Instrument of Deception Assoc. Prof. Dr. Spahic Omer Kulliyyah of Architecture and Environmental Design International Islamic University Malaysia E-mail: spahico@yahoo.com There are two types of decoration: decoration as an instrument of deception, and decoration which enhances the real and original qualities of a thing. There are many Qur’anic verses and hadiths of the Prophet (sa) that refer …

The Emergence of the Concept of Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama’ah Assoc. Prof. Dr. Spahic Omer Kulliyyah of Architecture and Environmental Design International Islamic University Malay In the early days of Islam, there was no such thing as the concept of ahl al-sunnah wa al-jama’ah. The Prophet (pbuh) spoke much about the virtues of following the jama’ah (community), the Qur’an and …

Following Religion vs. Inventing Civilization: Implications for Islamic Architecture Assoc. Prof. Dr. Spahic Omer Kulliyyah of Architecture and Environmental Design International Islamic University Malaysia E-mail: spahico@yahoo.com An imaginary initial simple form of Prophet Muhammad’s Mosque. Courtesy of the Hadarah Tayyibah Exhibition held in Madinah in 2010-2012. It was a mentality of duly applying the precept of following the religion of …

The Significance of the Rock (Sakhrah) inside the al-Aqsa Mosque Assoc. Prof. Dr. Spahic Omer Kulliyyah of Architecture and Environmental Design International Islamic University Malaysia The Dome of the Rock (Qubbah al-Sakhrah) in Jerusalem built, as commonly perceived, between 65 H/684 CA and 72 H/691 CA within the precincts of the original al-Aqsa Mosque (al-Haram al-Sharif or Noble Sanctuary) is …