The Book of Bible has been adamant in interpreting the punishment of homosexsuality which tehatened the doer with death penalty. This is because, the homosexuality is regarded as against the values and teachings of Christianity. Yet, of late the prohibition and the threat have been new interpretations by some Christians tehologians. In return, homosexsuality practice has now been marked as human rights agenda. and its punishment. As such, LGBT is considered as human liberty. Therefore, this paper applied descriptive method to explain various interpretations of the biblical texts. The result shows that, the diynamic interpretation of the Biblical texts which largely influenced by liberalism ideology has changed the traditional understanding of homosexuality within Christianity. Abstrak Kitab Suci Bible secara jelas melarang perlakuan hubungan sejenis (homoseksual) dan mengancam pelakunya dengan hukuman mati. Hal ini kerana, homoseksual dilihat bercanggah dengan nilai-nilai ajaran murni dalam agama Kristian. Namun begitu, dewasa kini larangan dan ancaman tersebut telah diberikan penafsiran baru oleh para teologi agama Kristian. Kesannya, perlakuan LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexxual and Transgender) dilihat sebagai satu bentuk hak asasi manusia. Kertas kerja ini cuba menjelaskan secara deskriptif penafsiran terhadap Bible oleh para Kristian teologi. Hasil kajian menujukkan bahawa kepelbagian (dinamika) interpertasi terhadap teks-teks Bible yang dipengaruhi oleh fahaman ideologi liberalism telah merubah hukum homoseksualiti yang selama ini diharamkan oleh kelompok tradisionalis. Keywords:Homosexuality, Punishment, Bible, Interpretation, Christianity

This article aims to highlight the insights of selected renowned Muslim scholars on the nature of good deeds. The article focuses on analysing spiritual insight of selected Muslim scholars towards the dual dimensions of good deeds, which is inner and outer or physical and spiritual. This article is library research which employs descriptive and analytical study. The article founds that these Muslim scholars affirms the existence of inner dimension of good deeds, and therefore, good deeds comprise of both inner and outer dimension. Both of these dimensions need to be observed accordingly. The balanced observance of these two dimensions of good deeds is critical in order to achieve its real purpose.

It is imperative for the Muslim to observe the consumption according to Islamic teaching based on the Quran and Sunnah and according to the Islamic Fiqh. Education in terms of basic Islamic rules in regards to the Muslim food is very important especially to create awareness in determine the Halalness of the food consumed. Hence this study focusses on education as moderator towards knowledge and awareness of the Muslim consumers over their consumption of Halal food product. Data were collected from 162 respondents on a random sampling basis. Quantitative analysis was conducted using SEM AMOS version 22 in determining education as moderator to knowledge and awareness of Muslim consumers. The finding shows that the level of the education plays a significant role as moderator in strengthening the knowledge of Muslim consumer in utilizing Halal food product. It indicates that knowledge is positively significant related to awareness. However, the relationship of understanding related to awareness is not significant maybe due to the attitude and practices of the Muslim consumer themselves. The study shows that consumers' education moderates the relationship between knowledge and awareness. Hence the emphasis of relevance government sector and other Islamic institution to educate the society at large and Muslim consumers in specific is crucial as for them to get the benefit of education in increasing knowledge and awareness that comply with Shariah in food consumption.

Facebook has been regarded as an important social media tools. Previous studies show that Facebook had globally registered over 750 million active users, with half of them logging on to the side daily (Facebook Statistics, Stats and Facts for 2011).However, there is still limited understanding and study about the level of Facebook usage, especially among the Muslim youthsin Malaysia. This study addresses this gap by exploring the level of Facebook usage and its impact on Muslim youths religion understanding. The data of this study has been collected from Muslim youths in Nilai district, Malaysia through survey and interview. The findings show that the Facebook usage among Muslim youths in Malaysia is at medium level (M = 2.94, S.D = 0.93). The findings from in depth interview also reveal that the Facebook can be use as one of the sources religion understanding. This study provides valuable knowledge and understanding about the usage of Facebook among Muslim youths in Malaysia and its impact on their religion knowledge.

Islamic education in Malaysia is continually progressing as informal institution in its initial period of Islamization. Islamic knowledge tradition has been developed gradually from traditional approach to a modern approach. However, the traditional approach to Islamic knowledge tradition is still preserved until today along with the formal educational system and approaches after the Islamic Resurgence in 1970. The emergence of Islamic Resurgence in 1970s has revitalized the Malay Muslims outlooks and awareness on the objective of religion in their life, particularly instilling in the Malays to restudy Islam as the comprehensive way of life. This paper aims to analyze the development of Islamic knowledge tradition amongst the Malay Muslim in Malaysia. This paper also discusses the transformation process in the study of Islam in the urban settings of Kuala Lumpur and Selangor as centers of the Islamic Resurgence. The mixed methods approach was applied to explore and analyze the development of Islamic knowledge tradition which has been practiced in the Malay society. The official records, interviews and literatures were used to study the dynamic development of Islamic educational tradition in Malaysia, particularly in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur from the period of 1970 to 2016. A total of 734 respondents involved in the study which represented the ratio of 2: 4: 4 respectively for the upper-middle, the middle-middle and the low-income classes of the Malay. Questionnaires were distributed using combination of stratified, random and cluster sampling at Kuala Lumpur and nine districts of Selangor. The findings showed the Malay Muslims experiences in inculcating Islamic knowledge tradition and values from informal to formal educational system with a dynamic approach to understand the content of Islamic teaching.

Interfaith engagements or interfaith relations which include dialogue, debate, scriptural reading, spiritual engagement, writings on religious element etc. are notable not in Malaysia but also all over the world. It has become an important element for religious life. One of the examples of interfaith engagements is interreligious dialogue which enables people to listen and to talk to the other partner of religious groups or communities. The aims of this engagement are none than to gain respect, understanding and strengthening one’s owns belief. However, some of the engagements has gone too far and it has deviated from the main aims. Even, every religion has their own distinctive objectives, aims and strategies to work on harmonious relationship with other religions which makes interfaith relations become more challenging. Due to its urgent needs and diversified approaches, it is important to investigate the challenges of interfaith relations. Therefore, the paper sets out to highlight the contemporary background of interfaith relations, to investigate potential challenges of interfaith engagement and to provide some solutions to these challenges in Islamic perspective. It is hoped to help foster positive relations among Malaysians in coping with diversity.

Terdapat segolongan pemimpin Kristian di Malaysia yang memperjuangkan hak untuk terus menggunakan kalimah Allah bagi merujuk kepada konsep ketuhanan dalam agama Kristian dan juga di dalam Bible terjemahan Bahasa Melayu. Mereka mendakwa bahawa mereka berhak untuk menggunakan kalimah tersebut. Namun begitu, terdapat persoalan apakah maksud sebenar kalimah Allah dalam perpektif agama Kristian. Justeru itu, kertas ini menjelaskan apakah makna kalimah Allah dari persepsi pemimpin agama Kristian dan perbezaannya dengan konteks kepercayaan dalam agama Islam. Kajian ini mengunakan metod kajian tekstual dan kaedah temubual secara bersemuka dengan beberapa pemimpin agama Kristian. Data temubual dianalisis untuk mengenal pasti kefahaman dan penggunaan kalimah Allah oleh para pemimpin Kristian. Seterusnya, dapatan data temubual dibandingkan pula dengan penggunaan dan kefahaman kalimah Allah dalam kitab-kitab turath akidah tulisan jawi yang menjadi rujukan umat Islam di Alam Melayu. Hasil kajian mendapati terdapat perbezaan maksud dan penggunaaan kalimah Allah antara penganut agama Kristian dan Islam.

Isu penghinaan agama Islam di Malaysia terutamanya di media sosial masih tidak dapat ditangani dengan sebaiknya melalui sistem perundangan sedia ada. Sehingga ke hari ini masih berlaku perbuatan mencerca, menghina dan merendahkan martabat agama Islam di negara ini. Melihat kepada situasi semasa maka satu langkah pencegahan perlu diambil bagi menangani isu ini. Untuk tujuan tersebut kajian ini telah menjalankan kajian untuk mengenal pasti apakah faktor-faktor yang menyebakkan berlakunya penghinaan agama Islam di Malaysia. Kajian ini telah menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif, di mana data diperolehi melalui analsis teks (textual analysis) dan temu bual mendalam (in-depth interview). Para informan dipilih dari kalangan individu yang mempunyai kepakaran dan pengetahuan untuk menjelaskan isu dan permasalahan kajian ini. Data temu bual telah ditranskip dan dianalisis secara deskriptif. Dapatan kajian mendapati bahawa terdapat pelbagai aspek dan konteks berlakunya penghinaan agama yang secara asasnya saling berkait rapat. Oleh itu, pendekatan pencegahan perlu dimulakan daripada aspek pendidikan dan da’wah.

Objektif utama kajian ini bertujuan untuk mengkaji metodologi atau pendekatan dakwah kepada remaja yang digunakan oleh Jamaah Islah Malaysia (JIM) yang merangkumi pendekatan dakwah, penetapan dalam pemilihan mesej dakwah, medium dakwah, masalah-masalah pelaksanaan dakwah dan penilaian keberkesanan metodologi yang digunakan. Bagi melegkapkan prosedur pengumpulan dan penganalisian data, kajian ini menggunakan kaedah kuantitatif yang diperolehi dengan menggunakan borang soal selidik dan kaedah kualitatif yang diperolehi melalui temubual. Kajian yang dijalankan di Jamaah Islah Malaysia secara an=mnya mendapati bahawa metodologi dakwah terhadap remaja yang diaplikasikan adalah bersifat komprehensif dan sistematik. Bagaimanapun perlaksaan dakwah terhadap remaja yang berada di luar lingkup organisasi JIM terutama yang bermasalah kurang ditekankan.

Pengetahuan dalam aspek keagamaan atau kerohanian (spiritual) merupakan elemen asas yang menentukan kefahaman dan komitmen seseorang terhadap agama. Hubungan antara agama dan kesejahteraan hidup juga telah dibuktikan memberi implikasi yang positif dalam kehidupan manusia berdasarkan beberapa kajian yang lepas. Kertas kerja ini bertujuan menganalisis pengetahuan asas agama Islam dalam kalangan belia Melayu bandar di Lembah Kelang sebagai pusat perkembangan Kebangkitan Semula Islam. Perbincangan turut menganalisis kefahaman agama yang membentuk pemikiran golongan generasi muda ini terhadap agama dan kehidupan kerohanian. Seramai 470 responden belia terlibat dalam kaji selidik ini yang diedarkan secara rawak mudah di sekitar Lembah Kelang meliputi Kuala Lumpur dan enam daerah di Selangor. Belia Melayu dikategorikan mengikut tiga kohot utama, iaitu 15-20 tahun, 21-25 tahun dan 26-40 tahun. Dapatan menunjukkan tahap pengetahuan dan kefahaman golongan belia di kawasan bandar yang berada pada tahap tinggi pada sesetengah dimensi yang melambangkan manifestasi aspek pemikiran agama (religious thought) dan kepercayaan (religious belief) dalam keagamaan Islam (Islamic religiosity) mereka. Kajian juga menunjukkan terdapat hubungan yang positif antara tahap pendidikan dan pemikiran keagamaan Islam. Hal yang demikian menunjukkan bahawa tahap pendidikan dan pendedahan kepada aktiviti agama memberi kesan terhadap pemikiran keagamaan.

Toleransi beragama merupakan satu daripada nilai-nilai murni yang perlu difahami dan dipraktikkan bagi menjamin keharmonian hubungan masyarakat berbilang agama seperti dalam konteks negara Malaysia Namun begitu, sejak akhir-akhir ini banyak isu yang menyentuh sensitiviti orang Islam seperti isu penggunaan kalimah Allah oleh golongan bukan Islam dan isu hak orang Islam untuk murtad dipertikaikan dengan alasan hak kebebasan beragama. Ini menunjukkan bahawa pengertian tentang maksud toleransi beragama dalam konteks Malaysia masih kabur. Justeru, kajian ini cuba menghuraikan persepsi pemimpin agama Kristian berhubung konsep toleransi dan pengamalannya dalam konteks Malaysia. Bagi tujuan tersebut beberapa orang pemimpin gereja telah ditemubual. Data temumubual dianalisis dengan menggunakan kaedah analisa kandungan iaitu dengan mengenal pasti idea utama. Kajian mendapati bahawa para pemimpin Kristian melihat istilah toleransi beragama sebagai negatif. Kajian juga mendapati para informan juga berpandangan bahawa amalan toleransi beragama di Malaysia telah mendiskriminasi golongan bukan Islam.

Isu penghinaan terhadap Agama Islam di media sosial merupakan isu yang masih tidak menemui jalan penyelesaian yang tuntas sehinga ke hari ini. Penghinaan yang paling kerap dilakukan adalah menghina Rasul umat Islam iaitu Nabi Muhammad SAW. Rentetan daripada itu, menyebabkan segelintir umat Islam mengambil tindakan menyerang individu yang bukan sahaja menghina agama Islam malahan membuat provokasi kepada umat Islam. Isu ini mendapat perhatian yang serius daripada pihak pemimpin kerana boleh menjejaskan kestabilan dan keharmonian negara. Justeru, kertas kerja ini bertujuan untuk meneliti isu ini berdasarkan persepsi pemimpin di Malaysia. Bagi tujuan tersebut kajian ini mengaplikasikan kaedah kualitatif berdasarkan analisis kandungan. Data-data dikumpul melalui analisis dokumen daripada laporan-laporan akhbar di Malaysia. Enam akhbar atas talian berbahasa Melayu telah dipilih sebagai sampel dalam kajian ini iaitu Berita Harian, Utusan Malaysia, Harian Metro, Mstar, AstroAwani dan Sinar Harian. Data-data diambil daripada laman web rasmi akhbar-akhbar tersebut. Analisis dilakukan dengan memfokuskan kepada dua aspek iaitu punca-punca berlaku penghinaan, dan kaedah membanteras isu ini. Hasil kajian mendapati bahawa punca berlaku penghinaan agama dikaitkan dengan Gerakan yang mendokong fahaman Liberalisme, Pluralisme, ketagihan dadah, gangguan mental, kejahilan, dan ekstremisme. Justeru kaedahyang disarankan untuk mencegah penghinaan agama perlu melalui pendidikan dan penguatkuasaan undang-undang.

In recent years, Malaysia and the rest of the globe have seen the rise of interfaith dialogue and engagements that include religious discourse, religious debate, scriptural reading, spiritual engagement, and literature on religions. It becomes a requirement for living a faithful life. The inter-religious dialogue, which enables people to listen to and converse with the other partner of religious organisations or communities, is an example of an interfaith engagement. The only goals of this involvement are to deepen one's convictions and obtain respect and understanding. Some of these engagements, nevertheless, have gone too far from the original objectives. Even still, each religion has unique goals, objectives, and methods for fostering peaceful coexistence with different faiths, which makes interfaith relations more challenging. Due to the diversified aims and current practices of inter-faith engagement, the paper attempts to investigate the contemporary challenges of interfaith relations. The method used in this article is a descriptive and analytical study. It highlights the background of interfaith relations, explore potential challenges of inter-religious engagements, and provides some solutions to these challenges from an Islamic perspective. The article will also discuss several solutions to these challenges, particularly from Ismail Raj al-Faruqi's point of view on his ethics for interfaith engagement. The findings conclude that interfaith engagement should encourage a practical approach that is fruitful with the result. It promotes a unique interaction of different religious groups to examine their religious background and contribute to humanity.

A scholar affirms that “the pluralistic arrangement” has proven to be a source of socio-political tension rather than a solution. A number of prominent social scientists in the West have yet to suggest that the idea of religious pluralism, is the best way of dealing with diversity, together with its essential values. However, the situation in Malaysia has shown a different scenario. This paper will look into those elements proposed by the Western scholars to be the overriding values of religious pluralism in maintaining a harmonious living among people of different religions. In doing so, this paper will present the ideas of the Malaysian scholars of what they understood as the essence of “majmuk” or living in a plural society as a response to the Western idea of religious pluralism. This will highlight one of the objectives of this paper which is to present selected writings and opinions of Muslims and Christians social scientists in Malaysia on the discourse of religious pluralism. The study has undergone a series of interview to Muslim and Christian scholars. Based on the findings, it is noted that some scholars proved that religious pluralism discourse in Malaysia is contestable. This is due to its link to the Western modern philosophy and secularism. Finally, it also consults meaningful recommendations given by the scholars in facing the challenges of living together as one family in “Muhibah”.

Kes tangkapan individu yang melakukan perbuatan menghina Nabi Muhammad SAW di Media Sosial telah diselar oleh beberapa NGO dan pemimpin non-Muslim di Malaysia sebagai menyekat hak kebebasan bersuara dan diskriminatif. Di alam maya, laporan kes tersebut juga telah mencetuskan pelbagai reaksi dan pandangan daripada warganet. Kertas kerja ringkas ini bertujuan untuk meneliti respon netizen non Muslim terhadap tindakan penguatkuasaan undang-undang ke atas individu yang didakwa melakukan penghinaan terhadap agama Islam di Malaysia. Metod yang digunakan adalah metod kualitatif dengan melihat kepada komen di media sosial Facebook ke atas berita berkaitan tangkapan untuk mengenalpasti adakah netizen non-Muslim turut mempunyai pandangan yang sama. Berdasarkan analisis terhadap komentar, penelitian ini menunjukkan bahawa respon netizen non-Muslim cenderung melihat adanya diskriminasi dalam pelaksanaan undang-undang berkaitan pencegahan penghinaan agama.

A considerable number of scholars claim that the scientific study of religion did not emerge before the end of the 19th century due to Muller’s significance. His approach of studying religion provided the essential basis for the scientific study of religions in the modern period. The emphasis on “objective” and “scientific” methods are dominant in Friedrich Max Muller (1794-1827), which has led modern scholars to apply certain characteristics of interpreting religion. Paden (1992) also agrees that Christian relations with other religions have significantly influenced religious study in the West, especially its affiliation with Asian religions. Scholars have thoroughly discussed the experience of Christianity with non-Christians, which leads to different views on the meaning of religion and religious experience, especially of those outside Christianity. The method used in this article is a descriptive and analytical study. The article will examine some groups of scholars who sought to liberate theology from traditional Christianity, which later prompted the advancement of religious pluralism. Therefore, in doing so, the article will examine the development of scientific study on religion by Western scholars. It will also consult Muslim’s arguments to on how Western study of religion has become a subject of transition and change in the modern understanding of religious diversity.

Tasawwuf is a knowledge that always misunderstood by society. There is a negative meaning and terminology regarding tasawwuf as a knoweledge that absorbed from other religion and deviant teaching. This writing is anrratif and discriptif elobaraltion deducted from Islamic literature. The finding of this writing faind out that tasawuf is s true knowledge based on Al-Qur’an and al Sunnah dan acceptable by scholars from Ahl al-sunnah wa alJama’ah

Penghinaan agama khususnya terhadap agama Islam sejak akhir-akhir ini seolah-olah menjadi satu trend di media sosial. Unit Pemantauan lsu Hina Agama, Jabatan Agama Islam Malaysia (JAKIM) melaporkan bahawa terdapat 431 aduan berkaitan penghinaan terhadap Islam di media sosial sehingga 30 Jun 2020. JAKIM turut mengenal-pasti sebanyak 83 pautan yang menghina agama Islam. Walaupun tindakan undang-undang telah diambil terhadap pesalah yang melakukan penghinaan agama sekitar tahun 2019 namun, isu ini masih sukar dibendung. Justeru, satu pendekatan yang lebih jitu dan efektif perlu dibina. Untuk tujuan itu, sebagai langkah permulaan, kajian ini cuba mengenal pasti tema-tema penghinaan agama Islam yang terdapat dalam media sosial. Metode kajian yang digunakan adalah analisis kandungan terhadap akaun sosial media Facebook dan Twitter yang telah dikenal pasti mengandungi mesej penghinaan agama Islam. Terdapat pelbagai tema yang telah ditemui menerusi kajian analisis kandungan terhadap beberapa akaun sosial media Facebook dan Twitter ini. Penghinaan-penghinaan terhadap agama Islam ini dibuat dengan mengaibkan serta mempersendakan beberapa elemen yang terdapat dalam ajaran Islam. Hasil kajian lanjut kepada tema-tema ini akan menyumbang kepada usaha mengatasi isu penghinaan agama Islam yang semakin berleluasa kesan daripada kelemahan sistem perudangan dan tiadanya modul khusus berkaitan pencegahan penghinaan Islam di Malaysia.

This article analyses the dual dimensions of good deeds (i.e. inner and outer or physical and spiritual) according to several renowned Muslim scholars. The inner or spiritual dimension of good deeds has been forgotten both in literature and practical life of Muslims. Therefore, this article is important because it highlights Muslim scholars who made earnest efforts in their own ways to rediscover the inner dimension of religious observance. This is to bring about a return in Muslim societies to a more profound reflection upon the inner dimension of the spiritual life. This article aims to highlight the insights of selected Muslim scholars on the dual dimensions of good deeds, which is the inner and outer. This article is library research which employs descriptive and analytical study. First, it describes general relevant issues before analysing specific area of the selected or main literature such as Ihya’ ‘Ulum al-Din, Qut al-Qulub and other literature. The focus of the article is rather on examining spiritual insight of selected Muslim scholars towards dual dimensions of good deeds. The article founds that these Muslim scholars affirms the existence of inner dimension of good deeds. They promulgated that only through the balanced observance of outer and inner dimensions can good deeds achieve their goals and be conducive to spiritual growth. It is suggested that further research is carried out on analysing particular spiritual preconditions of good deeds according to these renowned scholars.