South Asian Journal of Religion and Philosophy (SAJRP)

Soulidarity with Universality: The Call of the Time Spiritual Relationality as the Blueprint for Planetary Evolution

2025-06-30T07:23:48+00:00

This article recounts my experiential engagement with the Call of the Time (COTT) dialogue, a collaborative initiative between the Brahma Kumaris (BK) and Minhaj University Lahore’s Shaykh-ul-Islam Spiritual Studies Centre (SISS), facilitated by the Department of Religion and Philosophy. Framed within Brahma Kumaris’ cyclical cosmology and SISS’s mission to synthesise Islamic spirituality with contemporary challenges, the event exemplified the potential of inter-spiritual dialogue to transcend sectarian boundaries within Pakistan as observed through the varied inter-faith participation. As a fellow of the Inayatiyya Universal Sufi Order a lineage founded by Hazrat Inayat Khan to synthesise Sufi mysticism with universal spirituality I participated in this dialogue to explore resonances between my own tradition’s emphasis on Tawhid (Divine Unity) and the Brahma Kumaris’ (BK) teachings on soul consciousness and cyclical time. Through thematic analysis, this study explores how the convergence of Sufi universalism (as articulated by Pir Zia Inayat-Khan, grandson of Hazrat Inayat Khan) and BK teachings on soul consciousness can foster a transformative space for socio-spiritual renewal to address humanity’s existential crises locally and globally. Additionally, by articulating the concept of “Soulidarity with Universality,” the study argues that inner spiritual transformation manifested through meditative practices and reflective discourse can catalyse collective social renewal when understood as an expression of spiritual relationality. The discussion is contextualised within contemporary challenges of social disconnection and the limitations of conventional interfaith dialogue in Pakistan, suggesting that a socio‐spiritual integration model rooted in relational engagement offers a promising path toward societal transformation.

Key themes include the dissolution of artificial binaries between inner transformation and social action, the amplification of spiritual relationality beyond interfaith paradigms, and the implications of such dialogues for fostering global solidarity.

An Interreligious Learning Program in Indonesia

2025-06-30T07:29:32+00:00

Indonesia is a pluralist society in which mission can be understood by the act of witnessing to another faith. This enables one to practice one's faith in a more authentic way and to contribute to the common good. The inter-religious studies program at the University of Sanatan Dharma, Yogyakarta, Indonesia, does not depend solely on books and lectures but also involves actual experiences such as direct encounters, personal relationships, and direct participation. This approach to inter-religious studies has been inspired by Ignatian pedagogy, which consists of the following five steps: context, experience, reflection, action, and evaluation. The Ignatian approach provides a methodological framework for transmitting knowledge without disregarding the significance of vision, values, diverse ethical frameworks and interpersonal encounters. The Ignatian approach also facilitates a process in which one acquires deeper understanding of another cultural-religious tradition by the readiness to experience the beauty of another cultural-religious tradition and, subsequently, to appreciate one’s own tradition in a new way.

Checks and Balances on Interpretations of Sacred Texts that Justify Violence

2025-06-30T07:38:21+00:00

Religious teachings are understood to be against violence. But could a scholar doing a religious interpretation justify violence? One way to address this issue could be to say that religious principles place limits even on religious scholars. Hence, religious scholars cannot ignore certain generally accepted standards. Some of these standards originate in religious texts themselves. But it is not against any religious teaching, nor it is secularism, to say that standards for interpreting religious texts should be coherent with logic and shared human experience. A religion may use rational ways of thinking to make its message more intelligible to everyone and the interpretation of religious texts should also be based on such rational ways of thinking. In Islam, Imam Fakhr-ud-din Razi advocated the “use of reason all through” as qanun-i-kulli. A contemporary (empirical, rational and universal) exposition of reason is also finding its way into religious literature. For example, Mustafa Akyol (in Re-opening of Muslim minds) and Alija Izetbegović (in Islam between east and west) advocate that moral evaluations presented by religion should be combined with experiential or shared justifications for ethical practices. This combination of reason and religion could help reduce communal biases and promote peacebuilding by promoting the possibility of inter-communal understanding.

Instrumentalization of Judaism in the Zionist Political Discourse

2025-06-30T07:41:50+00:00

Judaism, an ancient faith rooted in monotheism, contrasts sharply with Zionism, a political movement that emerged in late 19^th century. While Zionism began as a response to anti-Semitism, it evolved into a nationalist movement with significant political and socio-economic implications. The creation of the State of Israel in 1948, influenced by the Zionist agenda, provoked regional tensions and disturbed global peace in the form of the Israel-Palestine conflict. The main purpose of this article is to analyse the manipulation of Judaism by Zionism for its own political and social discourse. Data will be interpreted through the critical lens of Rational Choice Theory (RCT), which is a useful methodological approach for understanding the intersection of politics, religion and geopolitical strategy. The results of the investigation show the intricate relationship between religion and politics and demonstrate that religious narratives can be manipulated to serve broader political agendas, thereby impacting regional and global peace. In short, the analysis emphasizes the importance of distinguishing between religious beliefs and political movements in order to understand contemporary conflicts and to reduce anti-religious sentiment.

Divine Objectives and Decentralized Power: Islamic Thought, Postmodernism, and the Future of Global Ethics

2025-06-30T07:56:44+00:00

This article examines the underexplored intersections between postmodernism and Islamic thought, arguing that Maqasid al-Shariah (objectives of Islamic law) offers a robust ethical framework to address postmodernism’s normative gaps in confronting global challenges. While postmodern critiques deconstruct power hierarchies in technology, justice, and sustainability, exposing algorithmic bias, systemic oppression, and ecological exploitation, their relativistic foundations often lack actionable solutions. Conversely, Islamic thought, grounded in divine revelation, provides prescriptive principles such as Adl (justice), Mizan (balance), and Khilafah (stewardship). Through comparative analysis and case studies including Malaysia’s Shariah-compliant AI governance, Islamic Relief’s refugee programs, and Indonesia’s ecological fatwas this study demonstrates how these paradigms synergize postmodern pluralism and revitalize Islamic Ijtihad (independent reasoning), while Maqasid al-Shariah stabilizes postmodern ethics with universal norms. The findings suggest a post-secular interdisciplinary dialogue, proposing policy models that integrate Maqasid principles into global governance frameworks like the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). By bridging critical theory and theological ethics, this work redefines global problem-solving, balancing moral clarity with inclusive pluralism.