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Evidence has demonstrated that uncertainty about compatibility with religious beliefs and limited health knowledge hinder uptake of family planning (FP), even among women who would like to prevent or delay childbearing. Empowering women and men to choose the number and timing of children is a global goal and enhances both maternal and child health. Building on data demonstrating the effectiveness of religious leaders in Tanzania to provide public health information in communities, the aim of this study was to understand whether and how an educational seminar about FP that was provided to Tanzanian Muslim religious leaders could be an effective means by which education about FP could reach members of their communities. This study employed a mixed-methods approach to pilot-test a one-day educational seminar about social, medical, and theological aspects of FP. The seminar was provided to Muslim religious leaders from two mosques in northwest Tanzania in April 2022. Six weeks after the seminar, the same religious leaders were invited to evaluate the seminar both by a quantitative survey assessing acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility, and in in-depth interviews. Interviews explored participants' knowledge and perceptions of FP, views of its permissibility in Islam, and actions that they had taken since attending the seminar. Demographic and survey data was analyzed using R software. Thematic analysis using de-identified transcripts was performed using NVivo (Version 12). In June 2022, 48 Muslim religious leaders (26 women; 22 men) completed the quantitative survey and in-depth interviews. Participants rated the seminar as highly acceptable, appropriate, and feasible, with mean scores above 4.5 out of 5 for every statement. Participants viewed the seminar as enlightening and expressed that it improved their knowledge about FP and enabled them to consider FP from both medical and Islamic faith-based viewpoints. Others described having taught their communities about FP and described the positive impact the seminar had for enhancing couple communication and enabling FP uptake for those desiring to use it. Almost all participants recommended that the seminars return to their community more frequently and indicated the importance of allowing discussion time for men and women separately during part of the seminar. Muslim religious leaders reported feeling equipped by an educational seminar to teach about FP to their communities. These data highlight the high potential of trusted religious leaders to build knowledge about FP, which could address women's current unsatisfied demand for FP and promote maternal and child health in Muslim communities in Tanzania.

The Islamic environmental theology (IET) that emerged in the 20th century is analyzed and two main strands are pursued: the efforts to protect the environment derived from the thinking of some Muslim scholars and activists in Europe and North America, and the discourse of Muslim theologians in Arab countries such as Egypt and Jordan that developed in the face of environmental destruction and associated problems in the societies concerned. The topic of water, i.e., the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of clean water and access to sanitation, played a particularly important initial role in the discourse in Arab countries. Jordan, for example, is one of the most water-scarce countries in the world and, since 2010, various fatwas have been seen, such as expert opinions from the General Iftaa’ Department, the state authority for Islamic jurisprudence in Jordan, on the use of water. The discourse of Muslim jurists on the Sustainable Development Goals in general has developed from this. At the same time, it is obvious that the normative theology in Arab countries is more reactive than progressive concerning the challenges of climate change. This article comes to the conclusion that Islamic theology, even if it starts from the same resources of tradition, comes to form different discourses depending on the regional context. This study will show how institutions of Islamic law respond to climate change and what flexibility is inherent in Islamic theology to meet these challenges.

Co-written by a pioneer of the sustainability movement, this groundbreaking volume offers a new way of thinking about the economics of sustainable energy, a goal that has eluded scientists and economists for decades. Every year, as soon as reports on global economic inequality remind us about the direction our civilization is heading, there is a hysterical reaction, but hysteria dies down within weeks and we go back to the lifestyle that brought us here today. Often the blame is laid on the Millennial generation for their \"apathy, \" \"lust for comfort, \" and \"bratty\" attitude. Yet, business insider surveys indicate it's the same Millennial generation that overwhelmingly cares for the state of the world and the direction in which our civilization is heading. Nearly 50% of them ranked climate change and destruction of nature as their primary concern. This is followed by concern for war and global conflict, and then global economic inequality. The vast majority of those surveyed are willing and eager to make lifestyle changes. This book breaks open the hypocrisy of our civilization and stops the blame game in its tracks and identifies the root causes of today's world economy, ecology, and global politics. The book demonstrates that changes in lifestyle are necessary but not sufficient. No economic policy or technology development mode has a chance to survive, let alone thrive unless supported by the political establishment. In this process, the government plays a pivotal role. The challenge is to change the attitude of the government from a 'self-serving' controlling mode to a representative philanthropic mode. This new system of economic development and political governance is inspired by a long-forgotten understanding of political economics: medieval Islamic economics. In reviewing the history of economics from trade, currencies, and interest, the strengths and weaknesses of various economic developments over our centuries are evaluated. Based on the historical analysis, a step by step procedure is outlined for this fundamental change in our society today. As a whole, this book is the first in the modern era to offer such a comprehensive analysis, complete with solutions to the entire crisis of today's civilization.

A sustainable and serene environment is a prerequisite and a driver of human productivity in space and time. The quality of a human environment, however, is under threat always partly as a result of various human cultural activities such as festivities and religious practices. This work specifically investigated various ways religious activities have impacted the urban environment in two cities in the southwestern part of Nigeria together as a case study. Data for the work were generated through the administration of 250 copies of the structured questionnaire, out of which 232 were completed and retrieved. The data were subjected to data adequacy tests (i.e., Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin (KMO) and Bartlett’s test of sphericity (BTS)). The test showed 67.6% at a significance level of p < 0.001 The results showed that 52.6% were of secondary school level, 52.2 were of Christian faith, and 61.6% were also of the male gender who were mostly in the age category of 46 to 65 years. The factor analysis identified 11 out of 23 variables as significant ones which explained 72.052% of the ways religious activities have negatively impacted the urban environment. Of the 11 variables, the first six alone offered 45.248%, namely, (i) contribution to climate change, (ii) night worships, (iii) noise pollution caused, (iv) use of the public address system, (v) quest for expansion, and (vi) religious uses of natural resources, especially water. In view of this, it is recommended that efforts should be made to check the extracted variables for a sustainable serene environment. However, there is a need to put in place relevant legislation/policies to control the activities of various religious bodies and mechanisms to enlighten religious practitioners on practices that will not jeopardize a serene urban environment. Further studies in other places to affirm or otherwise the findings here are suggested.

This study aims to investigate the integration of Islamic education into environmental programs at State High Schools 2 and 7 Malang (SMAN 2 and 7). Addressing the environmental crisis in Indonesia, it focuses on how religious education can foster environmental consciousness and character development in students, contributing to sustainable education practices. A qualitative phenomenological approach was employed to gain an in-depth understanding of the integration of Islamic education and environmental programs at SMAN 2 and 7. Participants were selected through purposive sampling, including principals, vice principals, teachers, staff, and students. Data were collected via semi-structured interviews, observations of school activities, and analysis of documentation. The data were analyzed systematically through coding, theme identification, and triangulation to ensure rigor and trustworthiness. Both schools' initiatives include spiritual and environmental programs, curricular integration, and community engagement, fostering a culture of environmental consciousness and religious adherence. The findings suggest that integrating Islamic education with environmental programs can significantly enhance students' environmental awareness and character development. This study provides insights for policymakers and educators on promoting sustainable development through religious education. Future research could explore similar integrations in different regions to broaden the understanding of Islamic education's role in environmental sustainability. This study contributes uniquely by highlighting how Islamic education can support environmental programs in schools, demonstrating effective strategies for character building and environmental love. It underscores the potential of religious education in fostering sustainable living, providing a model for other schools and educational policymakers.

Gender construct plays a role in activating or deactivating gender equality in society, which is an essential factor for sustainable development. An education system is a primary source of building and mainstreaming social values, especially gender constructs, and Pakistan’s education system aims to provide equal access and un-discriminatory education to both boys and girls, aligned with religious ideology. The current research evaluates the alignment between the gender construct informed by religion in the education system of Pakistan and the gender construct informed by the local religious perception. To achieve this purpose, this research captures the perceptions of local experts on gender constructs, guided by the education system and underlining religious (Islamic) ideology via semi-structured interviews. The research identifies that the obsolete interpretation of religion, aligned with the local interpretation, guides biased gender constructs through the education system. The current research has identified the leverage points to transform the current education system of Pakistan into a sustainable education system by promoting religiously acceptable gender-inclusive education.

Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria, currently used as a set of standards by socially conscious investors to evaluate a company’s operations before investing, are becoming an important global trend today. In particular, environmental and ecological crises are increasingly being seen as issues that will determine the sustainability of human civilization. Scholars of religion have been paying more attention to the issue as well. In fact, religion and environmentalism have emerged as sub-disciplines in, among others, religious ethics, religious studies, the sociology of religion, and theology. In view of this development, this paper aims to reexamine Minjung theology, literally meaning “the people’s theology”, which arose as a form of liberation theology in South Korea in the 1970s, from an ecological perspective, particularly focusing on the former’s view on the relationship and interrelationship between the individual and the environment. The paper pays special attention to the work of Ahn Byung-Mu, a founding scholar of Minjung theology, shedding light on the connection between his concept of gong, literally meaning “publicness”, and ecology, the characteristics of his ecological thoughts and their relevance to his view of god, and his views on bapsanggongdongche, literally meaning “the table community”.

Purpose The purpose of this study is to develop a new whistleblowing scale considering the conventional and Islamic perspectives in combating corruption. Whistleblowing has received great attention because it helps the corruption prevention process by revealing bad practices, improving transparency and ensuring accountability. However, not many scholars have focused on the concept of whistleblowing in the Islamic context. Design/methodology/approach The study uses a theoretical inquiry design, delving into the literature to thoroughly examine whistleblowing likelihood, Kohlberg’s theory and Maqasid Shariah. Through qualitative content analysis, relevant concepts are scrutinized and synthesized. The integration of Kohlberg’s theory and Maqasid Shariah aims to offer a comprehensive framework for comprehending whistleblowing likelihood, integrating perspectives from both Western and Islamic traditions. Findings This study has conceptualized the integration of the six stages of Kohlberg and Maqasid Shariah to understand whistleblowing likelihood. The study offers a scale to explain whistleblowing likelihood based on the two theories. Research limitations/implications The correlation between Kohlberg and Maqasid Shariah reveals a nuanced relationship between individual moral evolution and Islamic ethical imperatives, in the context of whistleblowing likelihood. As individuals progress through Kohlberg’s stages, aligning with Maqasid Shariah’s emphasis on societal well-being, their inclination to blow the whistle evolves from early considerations of fear and conformity to a commitment to universal ethical principles and justice. Practical implications The new scale integrating Kohlberg and Maqasid Shariah aids ethical climates in organizations by assessing employees’ moral development and promoting ethical leadership through tailored training. Aligned with Islamic values, the scale becomes a tool for fostering ethical behavior and organizational culture, emphasizing justice and commitment to higher ethical objectives. Managers must delicately balance justice and community harmony when implementing whistleblowing initiatives to ensure a positive impact on both ethical principles and organizational cohesion. Social implications By integrating the six stages of moral development proposed by Kohlberg, the new scale plays a role in promoting transparency and accountability for sustainable development. Furthermore, its alignment with Maqasid Shariah contributes to addressing corruption and advocating for social justice, making the scale a catalyst for societal well-being that respects cultural and religious values. Ultimately, the scale supports a socially responsible approach, reinforcing ethical behavior and contributing to the broader global agenda for sustainable and just societies. Originality/value The new scale integrating Kohlberg and Maqasid Shariah offers an innovative and interdisciplinary approach to assessing whistleblowing likelihood. This fusion provides a nuanced understanding of individuals’ ethical reasoning, aligning universal moral principles with Islamic ethics. The scale not only broadens the conceptual framework for evaluating ethical decision-making but also respects cultural diversity, making it inclusive and applicable across diverse global contexts.