Malaysian Journal of Library & Information Science, Vol. 10, no.

1, July 2005: 49-64

POSTGRADUATE RESEARCH IN ISLAMIC THOUGHT AND

CIVILIZATION AT THE INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ISLAMIC
THOUGHT AND CIVILIZATION (ISTAC), MALAYSIA

Mohd. Zain Abd. Rahman

Department of Library and Information Science
Kulliyyah of Information and Communication Technology
International Islamic University Malaysia
Jalan Gombak, 53100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
e-mail: mzar@iiu.edu.my

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study is to examine the research trends based on the master’s
and doctoral dissertations submitted to the International Institute of Islamic Thought
and Civilization (ISTAC) from 1991 to 2004. Besides consulting the listing of the
theses produced by the library, physical inspection for each theses and dissertation
available in ISTAC library had been carried out in order to ascertain the accuracy
of information. In addition, a compilation of thesis abstracts from 1993-2000 which
was published in al-Shajarah, the journal of the institute, was also used as the
source of reference for this study. Since its establishment in 1991 till 2004, ISTAC
had successfully produced 20 doctoral dissertations and 58 master’s theses through
the supervision of 23 distinguished supervisors at the institute.

Keywords: Theses; Dissertations; Research trends; Islamic studies; Islamic thought and
civilization; International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilization; ISTAC.

ISTAC: AN ACADEMIC PROFILE

The International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilization (ISTAC) is founded

by the world-renowned Muslim thinker and scholar, Professor Dr. Syed Muhammad
Naquib al-Attas. It is an institution of postgraduate teaching and research established
in 1987 by the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM). The Prime
Minister of Malaysia officially opened the institute in 1991, as a research and
postgraduate institution offering a specialized program of studies. The institute also
conducts courses, training and supervision leading to Master’s degree and the
doctorate.
Mohd. Zain A.R.

The academic program at ISTAC emphasizes the study of all aspects of Islamic
thought and civilization, the major world religions and the study of the present day
modern, secular world. Its aim is to create a learning institution which reflects the
aspirations of man and the development of all his faculties, and not only that of the
state and its limited functions; and to establish a true university to produce the
perfect man who is accountable to God, and not merely the perfect citizen
answerable only to the state. The teachers and students come from various academic
backgrounds such as law, theology, philosophy, political science, psychology,
medicine, biology, dentistry, architecture, economics, history, education, business
management, literature, engineering and Islamic studies. While the medium of
instruction at ISTAC is English, proficiency in the Arabic language is compulsory
for all-seeking students at ISTAC. In addition, ISTAC is also offering several
language courses like Persian, Greek, Latin and German for doctorate students, in
order to enable them to directly refer to the primary sources in their research areas
once they start embarking in the thesis writing.

As an institute of postgraduate study, ISTAC only offers courses leading to Master’s

and Ph.D. in three main, distinct, yet overlapping, areas of studies, namely, Islamic
Thought, Islamic Civilization, and Islamic Science. There are many courses offered
at the institute in the areas of students’ specialization. However, there are 4 areas
which are compulsory for all postgraduate candidates to register. These courses are
The Religion of Islam, The History and Methodology of the Qur’anic Science, The
History and Methodology of Hadith, and Formal Logic (Program of Graduate
Studies 1996-1999 & 2000-2003). Since its establishment, ISTAC had successfully
produced 20 Ph.D. holders and 58 Master’s graduates, with 2 academic journals, Al-
Shajarah (biannually) and Al-Hikmah (quarterly), and 58 publications of monograph
in several languages inclusive of English, Arabic, Malay, Persian, German, Russian,
and Italian.

SCOPE AND METHODOLOGY

Studies on research trends have attracted many researchers to evaluate students’

theses and dissertations due to its importance as indicators for academic
performance and achievement. However, many of them have concentrated on
research studies in library and information science (Haidar,1978; Anwar, 1982;
Tejomurthy, 1988; Chatterje, 1995; Lahiri, 1996; Khan, 1998; and Abdoulaye, 2002)
as compared to other area of studies like humanities. Research studies in humanities
seem to receive less attention among library and information science researchers.

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 Postgraduate Research In Islamic Thought And Civilization

Two studies are identified to have dealt with the research trends in humanities and
both concentrated on the analysis of postgraduate theses and dissertations submitted
to universities in Malaysia. Goi and Zainab (1997) examined master’s theses and
doctoral dissertations in humanities submitted to the University of Malaya library
between 1984 and 1994. Meanwhile, Abdoulaye (2004) analyzed master’s theses of
the Kulliyyah (Faculty) of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences,
International Islamic University Malaysia from 1991 to 1999.

This paper therefore aims to examine the research trends of postgraduate studies in
Islamic thought and civilization based on the master’s theses and doctoral
dissertations submitted to ISTAC since its establishment in 1991 until 2004. The
bibliographic listing of theses and dissertations in the holding of ISTAC library
revealed that there are all together 20 doctoral dissertations and 58 master’s theses
which had been produced from 1993 to 2004. In order to ascertain the accuracy of
information, physical inspection for each and every theses and dissertation has been
carried out. Except for three doctoral dissertations, all theses and dissertations are
available in the ISTAC library in the close access section in which they are arranged,
yet catalogued, according to the date of the completion of the thesis. In addition to
that, a compilation of thesis abstracts from 1993-2000 which was published in the
journal of the institute, al-Shajarah (2000), was also used as the source of reference
for this study. This compilation consists of 11 doctoral dissertations and 35 master’s
theses produced from 1993 to 2000. Another source of reference is ISTAC list of
thesis published in al-Hikmah,, another journal of the institute, in a special issue to
celebrate a decade of the establishment of ISTAC in 1999.

Hence, this paper looks at the distribution of the periodical growth, countries of
origin of the graduated students, genders, and the number of supervisions for each
lecturer. The paper analyses the distribution of the subject areas of the theses and
dissertation submitted to ISTAC. Thus, it is expected that the analysis of ISTAC
theses and dissertations will be able to highlight the research trends and strengths of
the institute since its establishment in 1991 until 2004. Furthermore, it is also
expected to be able to demonstrate the academic achievement of the institute in
relation to the aims and objectives of ISTAC throughout the past decade.

FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION

Distribution of Growth
Since its establishment, ISTAC has successfully produced 20 doctoral dissertations
and 58 master’s theses. However, ISTAC has to wait for two years after its

51
Mohd. Zain A.R.

establishment in order to witness the emergence of the first master’s thesis in 1993.
In 1997, there emerged the first doctoral dissertation approved by the institute. This
is, in fact, due to the duration of study whereby ISTAC has allocated 3 years of
study for master’s level and 7 maximum years for the doctoral study. Students at
ISTAC have to spend the first two years of study to complete 16 course works
(totaled 48 credit hours) before they are eligible to commence their thesis writing in
the following year. The submission of the thesis at the end of the study is a
compulsory requirement for graduation.

The rapid growth of the submission of doctoral dissertations took place in 2002
whereby 5 dissertations were accepted for approval. Meanwhile, the highest growth
of the master’s theses occurred in 1999 in which 13 theses were approved by
ISTAC. This year too had demonstrated the highest production of theses/dissertation
(17) approved by the institute, followed by 11 theses/dissertations in 2002, and 10
theses/dissertations in 2003.

Distribution of Graduated Students by Country

Table 1 demonstrates the distribution of countries of origin of the graduated students
at ISTAC, which comprised students from various countries and continentals. The
host country students, Malaysia, are the majority with 30 students (6 Ph.D. holders
and 24 masters’). Indonesia, then, emerged the highest among students from foreign
countries with 2 Ph.D. holders and 5 masters’, followed by Turkey (1 Ph.D. and 5
master’s), and Bosnia Herzegovina with 5 masters’. Three students from Uganda
and two from Gambia had graduated with doctorate degree. In fact, there are 5
students who had graduated from ISTAC with both master’s and doctorate degrees;
they are from Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Turkey, and Macedonia.

Distribution of Graduated Student by Gender

As illustrated in Table 2, of the 20 doctoral dissertations analyzed, 16 (80%) were
submitted by male and 4 (20%) by female students. Meanwhile, from the total of 58
master’s theses submitted, 43 (74%) were submitted by male and 15 (26%) by
female students. Even though male students outnumber the females, it was a female
student who emerged as the first Ph.D. holder of the institute.

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Table 1: Distribution of Graduated Students by Country

Country Ph.D. Master’s Total

Algeria - 1 1
Bosnia Herzegovina - 5 5
Croatia - 1 1
England - 1 1
Gambia 2 - 2
Germany 1 - 1
Ghana - 1 1
Guinea - 1 1
India - 2 2
Indonesia 2 5 7
Kosovo - 1 1
Libya - 1 1
Macedonia 1 1 2
Malaysia 6 24 30
Pakistan - 2 2
Philippines 1 1 2
Singapore - 2 2
Sudan 2 2 4
Thailand 1 1 2
Turkey 1 5 6
Uganda 3 - 3
Yemen - 1 1
Total 20 58 78

Table 2: Distribution of Graduated Students by Gender

Ph.D. Master’s
Year Total Male Female Male Female
1993 2 - - 2 -
1994 1 - - 1 -
1995 3 - - 3 -
1996 3 - - 2 1
1997 4 1 1 2 -
1998 9 1 1 5 2
1999 17 3 1 9 4
2000 9 3 - 5 1
2001 4 - - 4 -
2002 11 5 - 2 4
2003 10 1 1 6 2
2004 5 2 - 2 1
Total 78 16 4 43 15

53
 Mohd. Zain A.R.

Distribution of Research Supervisors and Number of Supervisions

Table 3 presents the name of supervisors listed together with their educational
qualifications and countries of origin. The majority of them are professors and
visiting scholars at ISTAC. Even though Malaysia is the host country of the institute,
the majority of research supervisors at ISTAC are non-Malaysians. Many of these
scholars come from Muslim countries all over the world, except for one who come
from Europe.

Among the countries, Turkey (7) emerged as the most number of supervisors at
ISTAC, followed by Malaysia (4) as the host country. As for the prolific
supervisors, Alparslan Acikgenc from Turkey has the most number of theses
supervision with 13 theses/dissertations (4 Ph.D.s and 9 masters’), followed by
Ahmad Kazemi Moussavi, Bilal Kuspinar, and Mehmet Ipsirli with 7
theses/dissertations respectively. Omar Jah, Paul Lettinck and Wan Mohd Nor Wan
Daud have had 5 supervisions each. It is noted that there are 4 supervisors who hold
the doctorate degree from ISTAC.

The number of thesis supervision has a close relationship with the length of service
of these scholars at ISTAC. Since many of them are visiting professors from outside
Malaysia, their services at ISTAC are diverse, within the range from one academic
year up to 10 years. This implicates that those who serve at ISTAC longer tend to
supervise many theses. Another factor that determines the number of supervision is
the expertise and the research areas of the supervisors that can accommodate the
research interest among students at ISTAC.

Table 3: Distribution of Supervisors by Country and Number of Supervisions

Supervisors Country Ph.D. Master’s Total

Ahmad Kazemi Moussavi, Ph.D. (McGill) Iran 4 3 7
Ala’Eddin Kharofa, Ph.D. (Al-Azhar) Iraq 1 1 2
Alparslan Acikgenc, Ph.D. (Chicago) Turkey 4 9 13
Baharuddin Ahmad, Ph.D. (Temple) Malaysia - 1 1
Bilal Kuspinar, Ph.D. (McGill) Turkey 2 5 7
Cemil Akdogan, Ph.D. (Madison) Turkey - 2 2
Hassan El-Nagar, Ph.D. (Madison) Sudan - 1 1
Malik B. Badri, Ph.D. (Leicester) Sudan - 3 3
Mehdi Mohagheh, Ph.D. (Tehran) Iran - 1 1
Mehmet Bayrakdar, Ph.D. (Sorbonne) Turkey - 2 2
Mehmet Ipsirli, Ph.D. (Edinburgh) Turkey 1 6 7
Muddathir Abdel Rahim, Ph.D. (Manchester) Sudan 1 3 4

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Muhammad Ismail Marcinkowski, Ph.D. (ISTAC) Germany - 2 2

Muhammad Zainiy Uthman, Ph.D. (ISTAC) Malaysia - 2 2
Murat Cizakca, Ph.D. (Pennsylvania) Turkey 1 1 2
Omar Jah, Ph.D. (McGill) Gambia 1 4 5
Paul Lettinck, Ph.D. (Amsterdam) Holland 1 4 5
Sabri Orman, Ph.D. (Istanbul) Turkey 1 1 2
Sami K. Hamarneh, Ph.D. (Madison) Jordan - 1 1
Ssekamanya Siraje Abdallah, Ph.D. (ISTAC) Uganda - 1 1
Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas, Ph.D. (London) Malaysia 2 - 2
Ugi Suharto, Ph.D. (ISTAC) Indonesia - 1 1
Wan Mohd. Nor Wan Daud, Ph.D. (Chicago) Malaysia 1 4 5
Total 20 58 78

Distribution of Subject Areas

Generally, the major areas of the dissertations submitted to ISTAC concentrated on
religion and philosophy. The highest productive subject areas, which represent
almost all dissertations, dealt with Islamic thought, theory, and concept propounded
by the classical Muslims scholars up to the contemporary thinkers.

They are as classical as Muhammad Idris al-Shafi’i (d. 820), Abu Ubayd al-Qasim
ibn Sallam (d. 838), Ibn Qutaybah (d. 889), Hakim al-Tirmidhi (d. 898), Ibn Jarir al-
Tabari (d. 923), Abu Mansur al-Maturidi (d. 944), Abu Nasr al-Farabi (d. 950), Abu
Talib al-Makki (d. 996), Imam al-Haramayn al-Juwayni (d. 1028), Abu Ali Ibn Sina
(d. 1037), Abu Rayhan al-Biruni (d. 1048), al-Mawardi (d. 1058), Abu Hamid al-
Ghazzali (d. 1111), al-Shahrastani (d. 1153), Fakhr al-Din al-Razi (d. 1210),
Muhyiddin Ibn al-‘Arabi (d. 1240), Athir al-Din al-Abhari (d. 1265), Ibn Taymiyyah
(d. 1328), Ibn Khaldun (d. 1406), Abu al-‘Abbas al-Qalqashandi (d. 1418), Taqiy al-
Din al-Maqrizi (1442), Muhammad ibn Yusuf al-Sanusi (d. 1490), ‘Abd al-Wahhab
al-Sha’rani (d. 1565), Mulla Sadra (d. 1641), Nur al-Din al-Raniri (d. 1658), Isma’il
Haqqi al-Bursawi (d. 1724), and Dawud al-Fatani (d. 1847); and among the
contemporary thinkers reigning from Muhammad Abduh (d. 1905), Badi’uzzaman
Sa’id Nursi (d. 1960), Malik Bennabi (d. 1973), Fazlur Rahman, Muhammad
Arkoun, Hasan Hanafi, and Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas.

The subject matters of the theses and dissertations submitted to ISTAC covered
almost all aspects of Islamic studies as reflected through the expertise and research
interest of the supervisors. These subjects encompass, for example, Qur’anic studies,
the science of hadith, comparative religions, Sufism, theology, law, history,
biography, ethics, economic, administration, political science, sociology, logic,

55
Mohd. Zain A.R.

epistemology, literature, philosophy, medicine, allied science, education,

psychology, historiography, and astronomy. Another distinct feature of these theses
and dissertations is the philosophical and cross-disciplinary approaches to the
knowledge and subject matters, which make the discussion rather profound.

CONCLUSION

The aim of this research is to bring forward theses/dissertations in Islamic studies as

the source of study due to the dearth of researches as compared to the field of library
and information science. In fact, such a research supposes to have been produced
since before based on the number of courses in Islamic studies being offered by
universities in the East as well as in the Western world. Many theses and
dissertations must have been produced by students in order to fulfill the requirement
for the graduation, thus justify the study on the research trends and patterns in
various disciplines in Islamic studies. This study is, then, expected to attract other
researchers to carry out such a study in the future.

The analysis of master’s theses and doctoral dissertations submitted to ISTAC

throughout a decade of its establishment attempts to highlight the research pattern
and trends in Islamic thought and civilization. Twenty doctoral dissertations and 58
master’s theses were submitted to ISTAC from 1993 to 2004. The year 1999
demonstrated the highest growth of theses production with 17 theses/dissertations,
followed by 2002 with 11 theses/dissertations, and 2003 with 10 theses/dissertations.

Although the majority of theses/dissertations were submitted by male students

(76%), it is, in fact, the female student who emerged as the first Ph.D. holder of the
institute. Findings also show that ISTAC, as indicated in the name of the institute, is
a truly an international institute of higher learning who is able to attract scholars
from all over the world to cordially contribute their knowledge and expertise at a
small institute in the developing country like Malaysia. Their presence here have not
just attracted students from all over the globe to further their postgraduate study
here, but have also upgraded the status of the institute to be at par with other well
known universities in the world through the quality of the theses and dissertations
supervised by them.

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REFERENCES

Abbreviated abstracts of Master’s theses and doctoral dissertations completed and

approved at ISTAC to date (August 1993-December 2000). 2000. Al-Shajarah,
Vol. 5, no. 2: 337-353.

Abdoulaye, K. 2002. Research trends in library and information science at the

International Islamic University Malaysia. Library Review, Vol. 51, no. 1: 32-
37.

Abdoulaye, K. 2004. Research trends in the humanities: an analysis of master’s

thesis at the International Islamic University Malaysia. Malaysian Journal of
Library & Information Science, Vol. 9, no. 1: 59-68.

Al-Attas, Sharifah Shifa’. 1998. ISTAC illuminated: a pictorial tour of the

International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilization (ISTAC),
architectural and interior design, drawings and calligraphy by Syed Muhammad
Naquib al-Attas. Kuala Lumpur: ISTAC.

Anwar, M.A. 1982. Research in library science at the University of the Punjab,
Lahore (Pakistan). Libri, Vol. 32, no. 4: 284-287.

Chatterjee, A. 1982. Research trends in library and information science in India.

Annals of Library and Documentation, Vol. 42, no. 2: 54-60.

Goi, S.S. and Zainab, A.N. 1997. Postgraduate research in the humanities at the
University of Malaya. Malaysian Journal of Library & Information Science,
Vol. 2, no. 1: 71-80.

Haidar, S.J. 1978. Status of library research in Pakistan. Libri, Vol. 28, no. 4: 326-
337.

International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilization. 1999. Program of

Graduate Studies 1996-1999 of the International Institute of Islamic Thought
and Civilization (ISTAC), Kuala Lumpur.

International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilization. 2003. Program of

Graduate Studies 2000-2003 of the International Institute of Islamic Thought
and Civilization (ISTAC), Kuala Lumpur.

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Mohd. Zain A.R.

ISTAC satu dekad.1999. Al-Hikmah. Bil. 2, Tahun 5.

Khan, M.S. 1998. Library and information science literature in Bangladesh: a

bibliometric study. Malaysian Journal of Library & Information Science, Vol. 3,
no. 2: 11-34.

Lahiri, R. 1996. Research in library science in India (1950-1995): an account of

Ph.D. programme. Annals of Library and Documentation, Vol. 43, no. 2: 59-68.

Mohd. Zain Abd. Rahman. 2005. The Library of International Institute of Islamic
Thought and Civilization (ISTAC): An Evaluation of a Decade of the Collection
Development”. Library Review 54: 1 (2005), 59-67.

Tejomurty, A. 1988. Dissertation of master of library science: a case study. Herald

of Library Science, Vol. 27, no. 3-4: 192-95.

Wan Mohd. Nor Wan Daud. 1989. The concept of knowledge in Islam. London:
Mansell Publishing.

Wan Mohd. Nor Wan Daud. 1991. The beacon on the crest of a hill: a brief history
and philosophy of the International Institute of Islamic Thought and
Civilization. Kuala Lumpur: ISTAC.

Wan Mohd. Nor Wan Daud. 1991. Penjelasan budaya ilmu. Kuala Lumpur: Dewan
Bahasa dan Pustaka.

Wan Mohd. Nor Wan Daud. 1998. The educational philosophy of Syed Muhammad
Naquib al-Attas: an exposition of the original concept of Islamization. Kuala
Lumpur: ISTAC.

Wan Mohd. Nor Wan Daud. 2003. Budaya ilmu: satu penjelasan. Singapura:
Pustaka Nasional.

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APPENDIX
A. Doctoral dissertations
1. Kamar Oniah Kamaruzaman. 1997. Early Muslim scholarship in
Religionswissenschaft: a case study of the works and contributions of Abu
Rayhan Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Biruni. 386pp. Supervisor: Bilal
Kuspinar.
2. Muhammad Zainiy Uthman. 1997. Al-Raniri’s Lata’if al-asrar li ahl Allah
al-atyar: an annotated transliteration together with a translation and
introduction of his exposition on the fundamental aspects of Sufi doctrines. 2
vols. (822pp.) Supervisor: Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas.
3. Fatimah Abdullah. 1998. An analysis of the concept of ‘Islam’ as ‘true
submission’ on the basis of al-Attas’ approach. 220pp. Supervisor:
Alparslan Acikgenc.
4. Muhammad Ismail Marchinkowski. 1998. Mirza Rafi’a’s Dastur al-muluk,
a manual of later Safavid administrations: annotated English translation
and commentary on the offices and services, with a facsimile of the Persian
manuscript. 490pp. Supervisor: Ahmad Kazemi Moussavi.
5. Aboubacar Abdullah Senghore. 1999. Problems concerning the application
of international law of human rights by national courts: a critical study of
the Malaysian, Indian and Anglo-American judicial approaches. 325pp.
Supervisor: Ahmad Kazemi Moussavi.
6. Ali Caksu. 1999. Causality in history: Ibn Khaldun’s and Hegel’s
transformation of Aristotelian causes. 223pp. Supervisor: Alparslan
Acikgenc.
7. Che Amnah Bahari. 1999. Ibn Qutaybah on certain controversial issues
related to kalam: a thorough analysis of his Ta’wil mukhtalif al-hadith.
325pp. Supervisor: Bilal Kuspinar.
8. Omar Jah. 1999. De facto government and the problem of legitimacy: a
comparative juristic approach with special reference to the Buyid and
Saljuq governments. 277pp. Supervisor: Ahmad Kazemi Moussavi.
9. Abdel Rahim Omer Mohieldin. 2000. Religio-social elements in the revolt
of al-Mukhtar al-Thaqafi against Umayyad rule. 272pp. Supervisor: Omar
Jah.
10. Ssekamanya Siraje Abdallah. 2000. Al-Ghazali and Ibn Taymiyyah on the
legitimacy and status of ‘Ilm al-kalam. 260pp. Supervisor: Alparslan
Acikgenc.
11. Ugi Suharto. 2000. Early discourse on Islamic public finance: a study based
on the Kitab al-amwal of Abu ‘ubayd al-Qasim b. Sallam (d. 224/838).
218pp. Supervisor: Sabri Orman

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Mohd. Zain A.R.

12. Anshari P. Ali. 2002. The legal impediments to the application of Islamic
marriage law in a non-Muslim secular state: the case of the Philippines. 282
pp. Supervisor: Ahmad Kazemi Moussavi.
13. Mesut Idriz. 2002. Manastir in the second half of the 18th century: a history
of a Balkan city with special reference to Ottoman judicial records. 460pp.
Supervisor: Mehmet Ipsirli.
14. Nurdeng Deuraseh. 2002. Preservation of health in Islamic law. 315pp.
Supervisor: Ala’Eddin Kharofa.
15. Ismael Hussein Sengendo. 2002. Al-Ghazali’s usage of weak hadith in his
writing, with special reference to his attempt to revive Islamic sciences.
408pp. Supervisor: Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas.
16. Kasule Umar Mukasa. 2002. Islam and human rights: a critique of
contemporary Muslim approaches. 340pp. Supervisor: Muddathir Abdel-
Rahim
17. Syed Ali Tawfik al-Attas. 2003. Mashsha’i philosophical system: a study,
commentary on and the translation of the Hidayat al-hikmah of Athir al-Din
al-Abhari. 292pp. Supervisor: Alparslan Acikgenc.
18. Magda Ismail Abdel Mohsin. 2003. Integration of waqfs in the process of
socio-economic development (case study: Sudan). 214pp. Supervisor: Murat
Cizakca.
19. Muhammad Azizan Sabjan. 2004. The “people of book” (Ahl al-kitab) and
the “people of dubious book” (Ahl shubhat kitab) in Islamic religious
tradition. 232pp. Supervisor: Wan Mohd. Nor Wan Daud.
20. Syamsuddin Arif. 2004. Ibn Sina’s cosmology: a study of the appropriation
of Greek philosophical ideas in 11th century Islam. 186pp. Supervisor: Paul
Lettinck.

B. Master’s Thesis
1. Ali Caksu. 1993. The concept of authority in al-Mawardi and al-Farabi.
132pp. Supervisor: Mehmet Bayrakdar.
2. Erol Suleyman Gunduz. 1993. Nizam al-Mulk and Islamic political theory.
136pp. Supervisor: Mehmet Bayrakdar.
3. Zainal Abidin Baqir. 1994. The problem of definition in Islamic logic: a
study of Abu Naja al-Farid’s Kasr al-mantiq in comparison with Ibn
Taymiyyah’s Kitab al-Radd ‘ala al-mantiqiyyin. 139pp. Supervisor: Mehdi
Mohaghgheh.
4. Mohd. Zaidi Ismail. 1995. The sources of knowledge in al-Ghazali: a
psychological framework of epistemology. 98pp. Supervisor: Alparslan
Acikgenc.

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5. A. Lutfi Assyaukanie. 1995. Tradition (turath) and modernity (‘asraniyyah)

in contemporary Arab discourse: a critical reading of Hassan Hanafi and
Muhammad Arkoun. 131pp. Supervisor: Alparslan Acikgenc.
6. Ibrahim Kalin. 1995. Mulla Sadra’s theory of substantial movement: an
analytical survey of the relevant sections of his Asfar. 109pp. Supervisor:
Alparslan Acikgenc.
7. Wan Azhar Wan Ahmad. 1996. The concept of consideration of public
interest (al-masalih al-mursalah) in Islamic jurisprudence: an analysis of
the concept in the school of Shafi’i. 131pp. Supervisor: Ahmad Kazemi
Moussavi.
8. Nusba Parveen. 1996. Tragedy in Muslim literature: a critical evaluation.
137pp. Supervisor: Hassan el-Nagar.
9. Senad Nenic. 1996. Al-Ghazali’s natural philosophy. 107pp. Supervisor:
Cemil Akdogan.
10. Amran Muhammad. 1997. Ibn Sina on demonstration: a logico-
epistemological framework of his philosophy of science. 105pp. Supervisor:
Cemil Akdogan.
11. Nurdeng Dueraseh. 1997. Al-Biruni’s Fihrist of al-Razi’s biodata and of his
medico-philosophical and educational contributions. 152pp. Supervisor:
Sami K. Hamarneh.
12. Mohd. Sani b. Badron. 1998. Ibn al-‘Arabi’s conception of religion. 211pp.
Supervisor: Bilal Kuspinar.
13. Suleiman Muhammad Hussein. 1998. The concept of culture in Muslim and
third world countries: an examination of Malek Bennabi’s sociological
thought. 82pp. Supervisor: Alparslan Acikgenc.
14. Samia Ali Musa Nor al-Dien. 1998. Abu Talib al-Makki’s conception of
knowledge: a translation of the relevant chapter of the author’s Qut al-
qulub (Nourishment of hearts). 134pp. Supervisor: Bilal Kuspinar.
15. Ahmad Bazli Shafie. 1998. The educational philosophy of al-Shaykh
Muhammad ‘Abduh. 135pp. Supervisor: Wan Mohd. Nor Wan Daud.
16. Mesut Idriz. 1998. The Ijazah tradition in Muslim educational life: the late
Balkan practices (19th-20th centuries). 110pp. Supervisor: Mehmet Ipsirli.
17. Megawati Moris. 1998. Mulla Sadra’s doctrine of the primacy of existence
(asalat al-wujud). 89pp. Supervisor: Alparslan Acikgenc.
18. Ahmed Abdelbagi Hamad. 1998. Some aspects of Islamic bureaucracy: the
Muslim chancery (Diwan al-insha’) as reflected in the Subh al-a’sha fi
sina’at of Abu al-‘Abbas al-Qalqashandi (756-821/1355-1418). 172pp.
Supervisor: Mehmet Ipsirli.

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Mohd. Zain A.R.

19. Redha Ameur. 1999. The concept of Ma’rifah in Nursi’s thought: a

translation of selected passages from his Mathnawi. 113pp. Supervisor:
Bilal Kuspinar.
20. Mikail Tasdemir. 1999. The political thought of Badi’uzzaman Sa’id al-
Nursi. 104pp. Supervisor: Bilal Kuspinar.
21. Abdul Latif Abdul Razak. 1999. Al-Hakim al-Tirmidhi’s conception of the
human psyche. 114pp. Supervisor: Malik B. Badri.
22. Ahmet Alibasic. 1999. Political opposition in contemporary Islamic
political thought in the Arab world. 239pp. Supervisor: Muddathir Abdel-
Rahim.
23. Faiza Mubin Alvi. 1999. The emergence of the scientific tradition in early
Islam. 208pp. Supervisor: Alparslan Acikgenc.
24. Syamsuddin Arif. 1999. Ibn Sina’s theory of intuition. 73pp. Supervisor:
Alparslan Acikgenc.
25. Adi Setia Muhammad Dom. 1999. The genesis of Greek philosophy and
science: an outline of the case for the revisionist viewpoint. 197pp.
Supervisor: Paul Lettinck.
26. Aliza bin Elias. 1999. Islamic historiography during the Mamluk period: the
history of Taqi’ al-Din ‘Ali al-Maqrizi, with special reerence to his al-
Khitat. 118pp. Supervisor: Mehmet Ipsirli.
27. Mohd. Farid Mohd. Shahran. 1999. Fakhr al-Din al-Razi’s logic: an edition
of his Mulakhkhas fi al-hikmah wa al-mantiq (section on tasawwurat and al-
hadd) together with an introduction and analysis. 144pp. Supervisor: Bilal
Kuspinar.
28. Gamal Ali Muhammad Gasim. 1999. Political legitimacy: a comparative
study with special reference to the legitimacy crisis of the Umayyads. 112pp.
Supervisor: Ahmad Kazemi Moussavi.
29. Raida Roofi Alvi. 1999. A study of the document of Madinah with regard to
the foundation of political order in Islam. 80pp. Supervisor: Alparslan
Acikgenc.
30. Aldila binti Isahak. 1999. The function of sense perception in al-Maturidi’s
theory of knowledge. 80pp. Supervisor: Alparslan Acikgenc.
31. Norzakiah binti Saparmin. 1999. A translation of treatise VIII (on eclipses)
of al-Biruni al-Qanun al-Mas’udi. 220pp. Supervisor: Paul Lettinck.
32. Che Razi Jusoh. 2000. Al-Sanusi’s Umm al-barahin in its Malay exposition:
with an annotated transliteration and translation of the Malay text. 112pp.
Supervisor: Omar Jah.

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 Postgraduate Research In Islamic Thought And Civilization

33. Mohd. Zain bin Abd. Rahman. 2000. An annotated translation and
transliteration of al-Manhal al-safi fi bayan ramz ahl al-sufi of Shaykh
Dawud al-Fatani. 166pp. Supervisor: Muhammad Zainiy Uthman.
34. Muhammad Azizan Sabjan. 2000. Al-Shahrastani on the people of the book
(ahl al-kitab): a study of al-Milal wa al-nihal. 88pp. Supervisor: Omar Jah.
35. Khalid Ismail. 2000. The problem of origination of the world: a study of the
theology of Imam al-Haramayn al-Juwayni (d. 478/1028). 179pp.
Supervisor: Omar Jah.
36. Nik Roskiman Abdul Samad. 2000. Al-Ghazali on administrative ethics,
with special reference to his Nasihat al-muluk. 100pp. Supervisor: Mehmet
Ipsirli.
37. Asmaa’ Mohd. Arshad. 2000. Ethical dimension of child education of Abu
Hamid al-Ghazali: an early example of Islamization of contemporary of
knowledge. 106pp. Supervisor: Wan Mohd. Nor Wan Daud.
38. Ermin Sinanovic. 2001. The majority principle and its application in
decision-making process: an exploration into Islamic legal and political
thought. 148pp. Supervisor: Muddathir Abdel-Rahim.
39. Alizaman D. Gamon. 2001. Analytical study of the Islamic legal history in
the Philippines with special reference to the development and management
of waqf. 121pp. Supervisor: Ala’Eddin Kharofa.
40. Muhidin Mulalic. 2001. A contemporary study of conception of history
based on the works of Eusebius and al-Tabari. 117pp. Supervisor:
Muhammad Ismail Marcinkowski.
41. Marawan Elkateb. 2001. Diversity within the unity of the Shari’ah: a study
of the approach of Imam al-Sha’rani in his Mizan al-kubra. 123pp.
Supervisor: Omar Jah.
42. Azenita Abdullah. 2002. Book culture in Islamic society: a historical
analysis of the early ‘Abbasid period with special reference to al-Jahiz’s
kitab al-hayawan. 97pp. Supervisor: Muhammad Ismail Marcinkowski.
43. Md. Asham Ahmad. 2002. Abu Hamid al-Ghazali on human action: an
exposition and analysis of its constituents. 89pp. Supervisor: Wan Mohd.
Nor Wan Daud.
44. Selma Begic. 2002. Ideational code in architecture. 94pp. Supervisor:
Baharuddin Ahmad.
45. Bah Mamadou Diouma. 2002. Mazalim tribunals between the executive
power of the Sultan and the legal authority of the Qadi: a quest for judicial
independence in Islamic law. 93pp. Supervisor: Ahmad Kazemi Moussavi.

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Mohd. Zain A.R.

46. Akmaliza Abdullah. 2002. Biographical dictionaries: sources of eminent

women in the Islamic history with special reference to Tarikh Baghdad and
Tarikh Madinat Dimashq. 146pp. Supervisor: Mehmet Ipsirli.
47. Wan Nor Zeiti Wan Abdul Rashid. 2002. Khanqah: a Sufi learning
institution in Mamluk Egypt (1250-1517 C.E.). 132pp. Supervisor: Mehmet
Ipsirli.
48. Mohammad Hannan bin Hassan. 2003. The concept of higher learning in
Mediaeval Islam, and its relation with al-Ijazah. 236pp. Supervisor: Wan
Mohd. Nor Wan Daud.
49. Mohd. Rushdan bin Mohd. Jailani. 2003. An annotated translation and
transliteration of Tibyan fi Ma’rifat al-Adyan of Nur al-Din al-Raniri.
226pp. Supervisor: Muhammad Zainiy Uthman.
50. Khalif Mu’ammar A. Harris. 2003. The concept of al-Hakimiyyah li Allah
(the Sovereignty of God) in contemporary Islamic political thought. 180pp.
Supervisor: Muddathir Abdel-Rahim.
51. Aid Smajic. 2003. Bahavior therapy in the works of selected early Muslim
scholars. 133pp. Supervisor: Malik B. Badri.
52. Zarina binti Muhammad. 2003. The heavenly phenomena; a study of Avu’l
barakat al-Baghdadi’s Kitab al-mu’tabar. 45pp. Supervisor: Paul Lettinck.
53. Adnin Armas. 2003. Fakhr al-Din al-Razi on time. 97pp. Supervisor: Paul
Lettinck.
54. Fawzy Shaban Elgariani. 2003. The concept of tawatur in the Islamic
sciences. 145pp. Supervisor: Ugi Suharto.
55. Manal Mohammad Asif. 2003. Obsessive-compulsive behavior in the works
of selected early Muslim scholars and physicians. 158pp. Supervisor: Malik
B. Badri.
56. Islam Ekrem Hasani. 2004. The development of Islamic banking in
Malaysia. 119pp. Supervisor: Sabri Orman.
57. Ismail Selim Ecirli. 2004. Isma’il Haqqi Bursawi’s commentary on al-salat
al-mashishiyya: a translation with an introduction and notes. 155pp.
Supervisor: Ssekamanya Siraje Abdallah.
58. Khatijah Shaikh Abu Bakar. 2004. Management and mobilization of waqf
resources in Singapore. 158pp. Supervisor: Murat Cizakca.

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