DIALOGUE OF CIVILISATION
AN ISLAMIC PERSPECTIVE
Keywords:
CIVILISATION, DIALOGUE, QuranAbstract
To the 1.9 billion Muslims in the world today, the Quran and Hadiths are the most crucial sources of knowledge regarding their religion. In these sources, interfaith/cultural/civilisational dialogue is very much emphasized. It is perhaps unfortunate that despite the importance that Islam places on dialogue, many, beginning with Muslims themselves, do not know the body of teachings and literature concerning it. This subject is now growing very fast in its importance, especially after the unfortunate event of 9/11 as well as Samuel Huntington’s theory of ‘the clash of civilisations.’ As a response to these events, Muslims have initiated and participated in inter-civilisational dialogue at many different levels and in many different forms all over the world in the past 10 years.
References
Osman Bakar, The Quran on Interfaith and Inter-Civilisation Dialogue: Interpreting A Divine Message For Twentieth Century Humanity, Kuala Lumpur: IIITM and ISUGU, 2006, 1.
Azizan Baharuddin, Islam dan Dialog Peradaban: Satu Perspektif (Islam and Civilisational Dialogue: An Islamic Perspective), Kuala Lumpur: CCD, University of Malaya, 2005, 7.
Abdullah Yusuf Ali, The Meaning of the Holy Quran (New Edition with revised translation and commentary), Brentwood: Amena Corporation, 1989, 3.
Quran
Khalid Duran, The Drafting of A Global Ethics: A Muslim Perspective, Global Dialogue Institute, 1998, quoted in Bakar. The Quran on Interfaith and InterCivilisation Dialogue, 5.
Medina Constitution, http://www.constitution.org/cons/medina/con_medina. htm, accessed May 13, 2008.
L. Swidler, Dialogue in Malaysia and the Global Scenario, Kuala Lumpur: Centre for Civilisational Dialogue, University of Malaya, 2003, 1.
The Earth Charter, http://www.earthcharter.org
Syed Muhammad Naquib, “Preliminary Statement on a General Theory the Islamization of the Malay Indonesian Archipelago,”, Persidangan Antarabangsa Mengenai Tamadun Melayu, Kuala Lumpur on 11-13 November 1986.
Hall, D. G. E., A History of South-East Asia, 3rd ed., London: McMillan, 1968, 206.
Ismail Hamid, Masyarakat dan Budaya Melayu, Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, 1988, 60.
Muhammad Yusuff Hashim, Kesultanan Melayu Melaka: Kajian Beberapa Aspek Tentang Melaka pada abad ke-15 dan abad ke-16 dalam Sejarah Malaysia, 219 and also See Ryan, N. J., The Cultural Heritage of Malaya, Malaysia: Longman, 1971, 15.
Ahmad Mohamed Ibrahim and Ahilemah Joned, The Malaysian Legal System, 2nd ed., Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, 1995, 45.
Ahmad Ibrahim, Towards a History of Law in Malaysia and Singapore, Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, 1992, 19.
Gavin W. Jones and Manjit S. Sidhu, “Population Growth in Peninsular Malaysia,” in Manjit S. Sidhu and Gavin W. Jones, eds., Population Dynamics in a Plural Society: Peninsular Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur: UMCB Publications, 1981, 29.
“Interreligious Dialogue on Current Issues-Dialogue of Life,” Kuala Lumpur: Centre for Civilisational Dialogue, University of Malaya, Bulletin No. 8, 2008, July – September, 3, 6.