Aji S Quest

Aji's Quest is the true story of a young Quoll who wants to become a great master of the game of Go. Enthusiastic, cheeky, a little impatient, but certainly not hindered by any prior knowledge, Aji allows himself to be sent by Master Tenuki on a quest to the top of mountain Moyo. Getting there is not so easy, though. Aji must cross dangerous cliffs, conquer the guardians of the mountain, and face dangers and obstacles at every turn. Beware the wrath of the clams! Aji's Quest is fast-paced, seemingly chaotic, drawn entirely in style with the written story. Basic knowledge of go is recommended to better enjoy the book.

Go Seigen, also known by his Chinese name Wu Qingyuan, is considered by many as the greatest Go player of the 20th century. This book is a brilliant selection of 200 tsumego problems created by Go Seigen over many years. The problems contain amazing tesuji which can be used in actual games. There are three levels of difficulty, and each problem includes a hint, so that even intermediate players can tackle them. The selected problems are of the highest quality and are uniquely creative. The reader will rediscover the subtleties of Go, while exploring the many unexpected sequences found in the problem solutions.

This issue of the American Journal of Islam and Society comprises four main research articles, each shedding light on the diverse ways in which the Islamic legal and theological tradition has shaped and intersected with premodern and modern societies. To start closer to home: Sam Houston’s contribution entitled “The “Metaphysical Monster” and Muslim Theology: William James, Sherman Jackson, and the Problem of Black Suffering” places American Muslim scholar Sherman A. Jackson’s important monograph Islam and the Problem of Black Suffering in conversation with the work of American pragmatist philosopher William James and suggests that Jackson’s account parallels James’s account of religion in that it speaks of the “practical effectiveness” of the “web of beliefs” constituting Islamic doctrines of God. Our next article explores the practical engagement of the official ulama as spokespersons of the Islamic legal and theological tradition in a different field: post-2011 Egypt. In his article entitled, “Ideals and Interests in Intellectuals’ Political Deliberations: The Arab Spring and the Divergent Paths of Egypt’s Shaykh al-Azhar Ahmad al-Tayyib and Grand Mufti Ali Gomaa,” Muhammad Amasha calls into question the commonplace generalizations about the ulama as being either pro-revolution or pro-regime by examining the politics of two prominent members of the pro-establishment ulama class. Syamsuddin Arif in his “Rethinking the Concept of Fiṭra: Natural Disposition, Reason and Conscience,” turns our attention to an understudied dimension of Islamic psychology: the role of innate human nature, or fiṭra, in the motivation behind human action. Drawing on recent Western as well as Islamicate scholarship, it attends to the biological, epistemological, and ethical dimensions of this Qur’anic concept, suggesting that it be treated not only as the natural tendency for humans to act or think in a particular way, but specifically as the religious, ethical, and rational instinct. Finally, Fateh Saeidi’s “The Early Sufi Tradition in Hamadān, Nahāwand, and Abhar: Stories of Devotion, Mystical Experiences, and Sufi Texts” explores the history of the development of early Sufism in Hamadān, Nahāwand, and Abhar through an analysis of three significant but understudied early Sufi texts: Karāmāt Sheikh abī ʻalī al-Qūmsānī by Ibn Zīrak al-Nahāwandī (d. 471/1078), Ādāb al-fuqarāʼ by Bābā Jaʻfar al-Abharī (d. 428/1036), and Rawḍat al-murīdīn by Ibn Yazdānyār

I want to begin by congratulating my colleagues at the helm of the American Journal of Islam and Society (AJIS), as well as readers and contributors, that the journal is now finally SCOPUS-indexed. Consistently in circulation since its establishment in 1984, AJIS is now an open-access, biannual, double-blind peer-reviewed and interdisciplinary journal with global reach. Its newly acquired formal status speaks to its consistently high standards of scholarship and invites an ever-larger group of aspiring and senior scholars to publish their finest work on a variety of areas in Islamic thought and society. The issue of the American Journal of Islam and Society comprises four contributions, each exploring a different way in which Islam and society interact. Wardah AlKatiri proposes an Islamic vision to address the world’s deteriorating environmental prospects; Yousef Wahb addresses the challenge of upholding Islamic communal norms in North America; Sami al-Daghistani aspires to put the field of Islamic economics into conversation with classical Islamic ethics and spirituality; and Tabinda Khan addresses a theoretical lacuna in Western political scientists’ study of Islamism. Ovamir Anjum Editor

The four articles, two review essays, various book reviews, and obituary contained in this issue all revolve around contestations of Islamic authority. Notably, two of these articles are drawn from the AJIS symposium on Maqāṣid whose first set of essays were featured in the previous issue (38:3-4) dedicated to the topic. In the first article, “Agents of Grace,” Ali Altaf Mian develops a sophisticated and nuanced reading of “intentionality” in the work of the moral theologian al-Ghazali. Mian reads the latter’s work to disclose ethical action as a site of contingency and ambivalence, indeed of the subject’s “non-sovereignty.” He contributes this theorization of intentionality as a constructive critique of accounts of ethical agency in the anthropology of Islam. In the second article, “No Scholars in the West,” Emily Goshey carefully unpacks the ostensible paradox by which Western Salafis who studied in the Muslim world are not seen as “scholars” by the very communities they lead. What then comprises religious authority and scholarship within these models of knowledge transmission? Goshey tracks the dynamics of scholarship and community leadership based on fieldwork with African American Salafi affiliate communities in Philadelphia. In the third article, “Maqāṣidi Models for an ‘Islamic’ Medical Ethics,” Aasim Padela presents a typology of maqāṣid-based approaches to medical ethics. Whether requiring a field-based redefinition, a conceptual extension, or a text-based postulation of the classical maqāṣid theory, however, Padela shows that these frameworks remain woefully underdeveloped to offer appropriate and sufficient guidance for pressing bedside cases. In the fourth article, “Developing an Ethic of Justice,” Thahir Jamal Kiliyamannil offers a creative rereading of new Muslim movements in South India. Rather than relying on old typologies about political Islam or secularized activists, he considers the Solidarity Youth Movement to articulate an Islamic ethic of justice inspired by Abul A’la Maududi. This case study shows not only how the maqāṣid framework may inform discourses well beyond the domains of legal practice, but also how this specific articulation of political justice is based in the praxis of the Indian Muslim minority. These four articles and the remaining elements of the issue foreground contemporary contestations of Islamic authority. Read together, they also offer a set of terms for thinking productively about its contours, limits, affordances, and possibilities.

For forty years, AJIS has been a trusted plat­form for researchers, scholars, and practitioners, serving as a conduit for the exchange of ideas, the dissemination of cutting-edge research, and the cultivation of intellectual dialogue. Many of us found this journal a space for ruminating, discussing, and developing our own narratives on our Islamic heritage and what it means in the contemporary world. Especially compared to anti-Islamic biases in other corners of academia, AJIS is a coming “home.” One constant throughout the past four decades is the journal’s commit­ment to scholarship that documents and explores Islam’s rich religious, intellectual, legal, philosophical, and social heritages. The assumption is that these various perspectives have meaningful things to say about the human condition and our place in the world. Debate, discussion, and disagreement all appear in these pages, but always grounded in an underlying steadfastness that Islam is a faith tradition that is not obso­lete; that Muslims can contribute positively to humanity’s betterment. That said, the journal is not a place of religious homilies. This is an academic journal, with a double-blind peer review process. Articles that are published thus pass muster in the discipline in which they conduct their research. Let us thank the authors who have entrusted us with their groundbreaking research, pushing the boundaries of knowledge and enriching our understanding of critical issues in our disciplines. Let us thank the journal’s editors, editorial boards, diligent reviewers, and committed staff members who have meticulously upheld the journal’s reputation for excellence, contributing to its sustained success.

Within the shadowy corridors of Malaysia's oldest boarding school, a malevolent legend has lingered for over half a century, instilling dread in the hearts of both students and staff. "The Samarehan," a gripping thriller set in the year 1966, follows the journey of a bold group of thirteen-year-olds, led by the charismatic Ajis, as they embark on a treacherous quest to unravel the sinister mysteries veiling their Prep School. As the year unfolds and darkness descends, fear tightens its grip on the school. The courageous adolescents must summon every ounce of courage, curiosity, and determination to confront the legendary being, decipher its chilling patterns, and break the curse that has bound it for generations. The atmosphere is thick with suspense as the characters navigate the perilous terrain of their haunted school, unveiling a web of secrets that threatens to engulf them. "The Samarehan" promises a spine-tingling journey into the heart of darkness, exploring the resilience of the human spirit when faced with unimaginable terror. As the malevolent legend tightens its grip and fear becomes an insidious adversary, the characters find themselves in a race against time to break the curse that has ensnared their school for decades. Wan Ezrin skillfully weaves a narrative that is as compelling as it is heart-stopping, delving into the characters' courage as they confront their deepest fears. The relentless suspense builds with each turn of the page, drawing readers into the labyrinth of mystery. Will the young protagonists' bravery be enough to unravel the malevolent legend and free their school from the clutches of a curse that has spanned generations? "The Samarehan" holds the answers, offering an unforgettable journey into a world where darkness reigns, and only the brave dare to defy its chilling embrace. This thrilling masterpiece guarantees to leave readers breathless and yearning for more, as they become entwined in a narrative that explores the fine line between terror and courage.

You will notice the new name of our journal, American Journal of Islam and Society (AJIS), that has replaced the older American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences (AJISS). Now in its thirty-seventh year, the journal has evolved along with the scholarly landscape and our global community of readers. The new name reflects an expansion of the journal’s scope, which has in fact already reflected in the articles it has featured for years. This change signals that social sciences and humanities are interrelated and that an Islamic engagement with one requires examining the other; we therefore wish to underscore that we welcome all scholarship that pertains to the myriad ways in which Islam and human societies interact. Furthermore, in order to optimize our resources and further improve the quality of the content, the journal will henceforth be published biannually rather than every quarter. Ovamir Anjum Editor