Two JAKIM Researchers Study Imam Al-Bukhari's Scholarly Heritage In Uzbekistan

From Hasnah Jusid

SAMARKAND (Uzbekistan), Nov 7 (Bernama) -- Strengthening the understanding of aqidah (Islamic creed) to address deviant teachings, as well as incorporating governance principles in times of crisis, are among the research focuses of two researchers from the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM) who have been attached to the Imam Bukhari International Scientific Research Centre here since Sept 26.

The two researchers, namely JAKIM Research Division senior assistant director Mohd Shahir Hashim and JAKIM Darul Quran assistant director Mohamad Uzair Izham, are attached to the centre for two months, until Nov 30.

When met by Bernama at the centre, located next to the Imam Bukhari Complex here, Mohd Shahir said the attachment was a government initiative in collaboration with JAKIM to strengthen research collaboration and leverage the institution's expertise for Malaysia's benefit.

He said they had been given the opportunity to conduct research alongside experts at the centre, particularly in the fields of manuscript studies, hadith and the scholarly heritage of Imam al-Bukhari, which could potentially contribute to the development of Islamic knowledge in Malaysia.

He said his research, titled ‘Imam al-Bukhari's Methodology in the Chapter of Faith of Sahih al-Bukhari as a Framework for Managing Aqidah Understanding in Malaysia’, aimed to examine the hadith scholar’s approach to strengthening the community’s understanding of aqidah.

He said the findings could potentially be applied in managing the understanding of aqidah in Malaysia, particularly in addressing the increasingly difficult challenge of curbing the spread of deviant teachings through social media.

“We want to examine what can be drawn from Imam al-Bukhari's theological methodology, as these insights are actually found in the chapters of Sahih al-Bukhari, but have yet to be highlighted for the benefit of aqidah management,” he said.

Mohd Shahir said the research also opened up opportunities to explore other fields of knowledge, including astronomy, muamalat (Islamic commercial transactions) and calligraphy, which were among the strengths of Islamic educational institutions in Uzbekistan.

He said the collaboration should not be confined to institutions in Samarkand alone, but could also be extended to educational and research centres in Tashkent and Termez, each of which had its own areas of expertise.

Meanwhile, Mohamad Uzair is conducting research titled ‘Strategic Crisis Governance in Islamic Tradition: Decoding Shura Through Imam al-Bukhari's Fiqh al-Tarjamah’, which examines the concept of shura (consultation) in crisis governance based on Imam al-Bukhari's scholarly heritage.

He said the study aimed to explore how the approach and thinking of the hadith scholar could be applied to strengthen good governance, particularly when dealing with instability, war and health crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

“In the past, we may have looked to the West as our main reference in terms of knowledge and other areas. As Muslims, and Malaysia as an Islamic country, we want to draw from our own sources and foundations,” he said.

He said that during their stay in Uzbekistan, they also had the opportunity to examine ancient manuscripts related to the works of Imam al-Bukhari and Sunan al-Tirmidhi in Bukhara, besides visiting several Islamic historical sites.

These included the mausoleum of Qusam bin Abbas in Samarkand and historical sites associated with the Baha-ud-Din Naqshbandi Sufi order, which reflect the rich scholarly heritage and development of Islam in the Central Asian region.

“Uzbekistan not only preserves manuscripts and ancient texts, but also historical artefacts and remnants that can still be seen today, some of which date back hundreds of years,” he said.

Mohamad Uzair said the research collaboration between Malaysia and Uzbekistan would benefit both countries, particularly through the sharing of expertise and the advancement of Islamic knowledge and education.

He said Uzbekistan could benefit from Malaysia’s experience in Islamic education and banking, while Malaysia had the opportunity to gain deeper insights into the rich scholarly heritage and Islamic historical legacy of the Central Asian country.

“Uzbekistan is not only renowned for Imam al-Bukhari, but has also produced many prominent Islamic scholars, including Imam al-Tirmidhi, Hakim al-Tirmidhi and al-Khwarizmi, whose contributions to knowledge have benefited the world,” he said.

Mohamad Uzair said they also aimed to produce journal articles based on their respective research areas, which were expected to contribute to the advancement of Islamic research and strengthen academic ties between Malaysia and Uzbekistan.

-- BERNAMA