Transcripts of Gender, Intimacy, and Islam in Southeast Asia: The “Outrageous” Texts of Raja Ali Haji and Khatijah Terung

It is generally perceived that Malays—who are predominantly Muslims—are comparable with the notion of politeness, aligned with moral axioms, and behave in ways copiously guided by religion. Casual sex and other forms of sexual “deviance” are typically attributed to foreign influences, most popularly, Westernisation. New social trends among this community, such as the emphasis on male dominance, changing prescriptions about the functions and expectations of sex, receptiveness towards the body and emotion, exposure to sex education, and openness to sexual discourse are often attributed to the “immoral” West. Yet, forms of sexual behaviours depicted in the writings of notable Malay religious and literary personages reveal surprising insights into the Malay-Muslim milieu of 19th-century Riau. A variety of sexual practices and relations are expressed through these writings. This article adopts a historical-sociological framework to examine the “artisan tools” of textual materials as in the Kitab Pengetahuan Bahasa (Book of Linguistic Knowledge) by Raja Ali Haji and Perhimpunan Gunawan bagi Laki-Laki dan Perempuan (A Compendium of Charms for Men and Women) by Khatijah Terung. The “outrageous” sexual depictions in these texts are discussed and analysed, in part to debunk the idea of a “sexual revolution” or “sexual licentiousness” as emanating from an external culture.

Paradigmatic foundation and moral axioms of ihsan ethics in Islamic economics and business

Purpose This paper aims to explore the root cause of growing gap in Islamic moral ideals and practices by examining paradigmatic foundation and moral axioms of Islamic business ethics. It compares and contrasts Tawhidi and secular paradigms in terms of their moral axioms and ethical mandates. Design/methodology/approach The paper first presents the paradigmatic foundation of Islamic ethics, namely, ihsan ethics. Second, it compares Tawhidi paradigm of Islam with secular paradigm in respect to their ontological, axiological, anthropological and teleological differences. Third, it links to Islamic moral axioms to the relevant paradigmatic pillars. Fourth, it defines “ihsan ethics” based on Tawhidi paradigm and moral axioms. Finally, it sheds some light on the gap between moral ideals and realities through the theory of ihsan ethics. Findings The paper attempts to provide strong conceptual and theoretical tools to understand ethical problems in the Muslim societies. The paper makes a strong case that Muslim minds shall be de-secularized to perceive the reality, truth and telos within Tawhidi worldview. As Muslims reach the level of ihsan by perceiving transcendental reality, they are likely to practice what they preach. Originality/value The paper proposes “ihsan ethics” based on Tawhidi worldview and Islamic moral axioms.

A Philosophy of Love: Henry More’s Moral Philosophy

Summary This article is the first systematic philosophical analysis of Henry More’s ethics as set out in his Enchiridion Ethicum (1668). It builds on the insights of scholars who have identified love as a key concept in the thought of the Cambridge Platonists. It contends that More’s ethics ought to be read as a philosophy of love, integrating the rational and spiritual, intellect and will, and the divine and human through an appeal to a prayerful logic of love. Special attention is paid to More’s so-called moral axioms – what he calls Moral Noemata – which develop a logic that aims at the purification of the soul; they do not, pace modern scholars, equate moral and mathematical certainty, nor do they pave the way for the emergence of a secular morality. This article addresses the implications of More’s claim that the passions are good and how they are made virtuous. It shows how his idea of free will depends on the virtue of humility and the soul’s participation in divine wisdom. This article also includes important analysis of “Right Reason” and the “Boniform Faculty”, doctrines central to More’s ethics, and how they meet when the soul falls in love with God.