A Virtual Journey to IIUM 2040

A VIRTUAL JOURNEY TO IIUM 2040
FUTURES SCENARIO BUILDING WORKSHOP

Futures Scenarios Building (FSB) Workshop for IIUM (Virtual)
17 November 2020

17 Nov 2020 Activity Duration
Friday
Recap of the earlier workshop, role of 30 minutes
9 am - 9:30 am Facilitators and Rapporteurs by Dzulkifli 15 minutes
Abdul Razak, Rector of IIUM
9:30 am - 9:45 am
Tea Break

Session 1: Creating alternative futures of
IIUM led by Sohail Inayatullah

9:45 am - 11:15 pm 1. From forecasting to futures literacy 90 minutes
2. Challenging the used future
12:15 - 2 pm 3. Anticipating emerging issues and 105 minutes
2:00 pm - 3:30 pm 90 minutes
3:30 pm - 4:00 pm trends 30 minutes
15 Minutes
Lunch at Zohor Prayers(1pm)

Session 2: Creating alternative futures of
IIUM by Sohail Inayatullah (continued)

Tea Break

Conclusion

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Futures Scenarios Building (FSB) Workshop for IIUM (Virtual)
25 November 2020

3 Dec 2020 Activity Duration/
Thursday Welcome remarks by Zarina Nalla Remarks

9:00am – 9:05am 5 minutes

9:05am – 9:35am Opening speech by Dzulkifli Abdul 25 minutes
Razak, Rector of IIUM

9:35am – 10:20 am • Presentation by the Four scenario 45 minutes
groups. (8-10 minutes each)

• The Preferred Future group
(8-10minutes) & Discussion

• Creation of Action learning groups.

Groups go into zoom rooms and

10:20am – 11:00 am start working on projects e.g., 40 minutes
portability, financial autonomy,

heutagogy, new KPIs (KIP?), how

to lead, etc.

11:00am –11:20 am Break 20 minutes

11:20 am – 11:40 am Presentation by Action Learning Groups 20 minutes
(5 minutes each)

Inner work (personal metaphor) & the

11:40 am – 12:10 pm Future: 30 minutes
the Leadership Challenge by Sohail

Inayatullah

12:10 pm– 12:50pm Keynote: COVID-19 Futures by Sohail 40 minutes
Inayatullah

12:50 pm – 1:00pm Concluding remarks by Dzulkifli Abdul 10 minutes
Razak, Rector IIUM

End

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Questions and Answers session on 13th Nov 2020

Q2: What is an example of a Used Future?

• (Lack of) creativity and problem solvers.
• Ranking system.
• Departmentalisation.
• Courses offered do not reflect the current needs and problems that

need to be resolved.
• Working as a team, not in silos.
• Traditional library.
• Paper oriented.
• Inflexible curriculum structure.
• Bureaucracy and hierarchy in administration.
• Rigid government funding system.
• Traditional teaching delivery (lecturers still using old methods in

teaching, should update using new technology).
• Malaysian unis are not fully autonomous under UUCA21.
• Universities and University Colleges Act 1971 are very affected by the

change of Minister of Education.
• Students’ schedule does not encourage activism outside of the

classroom, especially for recent law students with over 20 credit
hours every semester.
• Rigid in leadership i.e. seniority over talent appreciation.
• Less liberation in making changes.
• Theoretical-based education system (less application and adaption
to provide solution with current situation).
• No autonomy for students to voice out their right.
• Taking class attendance.
• Clocking in and out for staff.
• Rigid course outlines.
• Mentality that the funds that run the University must always come
from the Government.
• It’s the “ME” thinking that dominate.
• Difficulty in breaking the silos.
• Traditional research with static lab.
• (Lack of) Human independence.
• Must get the new generation to learn the art of thinking.

21 Universities and University Colleges Act 1971

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Q2: What is an example of a Used Future?

• New education policy.
• Professor as the (only) source of knowledge.
• Prioritise Malay students’ admission as positive preference policy
• (Lack of) Empowerment.
• Prioritise Muslim students’ policy.
• Impose corporate culture and management system.
• Too much administrative task for academician.
• That IIUM is international.
• Alibaba Transformation - the Chinese company?
• Job orientation.
• Market driven.
• Government policy.
• We should only engage experts who are Muslims if we want to

stay guided.
• Beautiful plans are good enough, no implementation.
• Planned Gradual Transformation.
• Market and industrial oriented.
• Political interference.
• Old policy.

Q3: Which emerging issue(s) do you anticipate becoming important
over the next 20 years for IIUM?

• Depopulation.
• Self-learning students or self-determined students, no more top-

down approach.
• Young generation and the millennials interested more to

“actionable knowledge” than “theoretical knowledge” they learned
at the university.
• Success means lot of money, being successful means being social
media influencer with money.
• The thought among youngsters in which having education/degree
is no longer unnecessary.

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Q3: Which emerging issue(s) do you anticipate becoming important
over the next 20 years for IIUM?

• Money = success.
• Educating digital natives.
• Political pressure increases population of non-Muslims at IIUM.
• Pressure to secularise the university.
• Customised education based on demand of the students.
• Keeping up with technology.
• Balancing development and ethics.
• Entrepreneurial mindset from students to academic; i.e, start-up
• Research company by researchers to self-sustain for future R&D

and innovation.
• Spiritual crisis.
• Could it be that the technology bubble will burst? Technology is

not the answer for humanity.
• What happens to the food chain, the balance in nature that Allah

SWT has placed in due proportion?
• University @ Home (portable learning).
• Productive challenge towards individual needs.
• Productivity to cover more unproductivity population.
• Specific design health.
• Collapse of (traditional) formal institutions.
• Collapse of universities as ivory tower.
• Provide learning processes for University degree outside university

settings.
• Personalised Learning.
• More polarised world.
• No copyrights.
• Succession plan.
• Lethargic younger generation.
• Aging population market.
• From satisfaction to happiness.
• IR4.0 tech/developer, not just a user.

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Q3A: What are the implications of your emerging issue?

• Clear and focus IIUM niche area, Islamisation.
• The values and practice in all area of human needs (the Muslim

and non-Muslim needs).
• We are open to all. As David Price argue-share-open-free and trust.
• IIUM as a spiritual consulting university.
• Infrastructurally, IIUM become cosmopolitan city, business centre

+ education centre.
• Ala carte curriculum.
• Buffet university.
• Flexible blended learning.
• University innovation eco system.
• Innovation with values.
• Need to find ways to avoid redundant start-ups and promote multi

sector/level collaborations.
• Diversified and dynamic in leadership.
• Anxiety increased among students who can’t adapt to changes.
• IIUM will be more innovative solution provider resources.
• Financially-sustained, less depending to parent financial resources.
• Spiritual crisis: not meeting IIUM’s vision and mission; at the

extreme collapse of the university especially if it is internal
spiritual crisis; if addressed accordingly, then FAST forward and
leading the way.
• Education is still about economics.
• How does the focus on individual person or nation economics help
humanise education for the entire world?
• Start Up as Circular Economy.
• Master of multiple trade.
• New caste in knowledge.
• Collapse of national accreditation standards and policies.
• Academics become businessmen.
• Individual study plans.
• No copyrights.
• Mix mode.
• Creating values to our students.
• Must produce students that decide their multi trade expertise impact
• We end up being a factory to produce employees for conglomerates
to remain relevant.
• Everyone is talking about money.

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Q4: What are the scenarios?
a. No Change in IIUM

• No physical IIUM ...all virtual.
• No IIUM anymore.
• Can we assume that no change representing the worst scenario?
• IIUM becomes irrelevant.
• Outdated curriculum and program - no student interested to come

to IIUM.
• IIUM is dynamic to sustain IRK.
• IIUM is irrelevant.
• IIUM does not change but ecosystem change.
• Will not serve the community.
• IIUM is a Museum of Yesterday.

b. Marginal Changes in IIUM

• Some IIUM Kulliyyah disappearing, no more relevant, some still
function.

• Boring university life.
• Log in log out routine.
• Too much bureaucracy.
• We change, adapt but not enough.
• Functioning but no soul.
• Passive and depressing for the students because things delivered

will be irrelevant/out of touch.
• Garden of knowledge of virtue - with overgrown trees and

deadwoods.
• Status quo just to survive the year.
• Will be like Kodak or Nokia.
• Not a leader.
• Staff as operators.
• IIUM just like a factory that produces workers.
• Among the average.

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What caused these?

• Unable to move forward.
• Too much bureaucracy.
• Living in the past.
• Much like common law - too much emphasis on legacy and

heritage.
• Not adapting to new technologies/challenges of the youth

(recipients of education).
• Resistance to change.
• Too comfortable.
• No much idea and innovation being suppress.
• Resistance to change.
• Lack of courage to change.
• Old dinosaur.
• Culturally dysfunctional.
• Like a jukebox.

c. Adaptive Changes in IIUM

• Garden of Knowledge Become Forest of Knowledge.
• Fully financially independent.
• More student and staff community engagement.
• Conforming to the mainstream.
• KPI comes back.
• Addressing more students needs than what is perceived to be

important to students.
• Aims to produce more generalists than specialists.
• Transformative education hub.
• If we maintain our values, our philosophy, vission and missions we

would remain relevant 20 years or more. Our values should remain
the same although the global view of values may change.

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d. Adaptive Changes in IIUM

• I do not see where is shared prosperity, partnership and peace for
the whole planet?.

• More flexibility and ready to any change.
• Stake holder did not trust the ivory tower.
• KIP (Key Intangible Performance), no KPI.
• IIUM as the role model for Neohumanism.
• Peace Education.
• What criteria are we using to predict change?
• Shopping mall university (offering various products and

programmes. More options).

e. Radical Changes in IIUM

• Education is heutagogy.
• Reducing the number of kulliyahs into 2 or 3 or breaking up the

university into many universities.
• Leading the way.
• KhAIR and FAST.
• New division of knowledge.
• Transdisciplinary.
• Ulul albab-based education (Ulul albab-who possess wisdom,

intelligence and knowledge based on belief and devotion to Allah
(SWT) and this is not an ordinary term).
• AI as professor.
• Empowered students and staff.
• Innovative and adhering to the highest standards and values.
• Radical can also be that IIUM lose its vision, its purpose and its
soul in trying to fit with the global change.
• Transdisciplinary Knowledge.
• ARTS and Science Merge.
• Mercy for All.
• Oasis of Knowledge.
• High level of People capability Maturity Model.
• KhAIR.
• Giving and Sharing.

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What made these possible?

• Bold idea.
• Fully financially independent…finance is important.
• Empowerment through holacracy.
• Because we have clear vision and missions.
• Willingness to listen.
• Sejahtera Academic Framework fully in place :)
• Aware of the emerging issues and how it relates to IIUM.
• Flexibility.
• Willingness of the dynamic idea and execution.
• IIUM understand its raison detre.
• Teamwork.
• (Have more) risk takers.
• Speed of change.

What’s the core metaphor here?

Garden of lotus
Heaven of knowledge
Human multitasking

Which one do you prefer? (Poll)

1. The Museum (No Change University)
2. The Average Factory (Marginal Change University)
3. The Peace, Purpose, Planet, Prosperity (Adaptive Change University)
4. Heaven of Knowledge (Radical Change University)

56% - Radical Change University
44% - Adaptive Change University

Which one do you think will occur? (Poll)
50% - Adaptive
34% - Radical
13% - Marginalised
3% - No change

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Why did you vote your choice and what’s likely to happen?

• Radical, but still with our values.
• Environment will change us so we need to change.
• Adaptive change to me is a used future.
• We prefer radical.
• Adaptive is most likely to occur.
• Voted radical on both.
• Understanding why we exist.
• Lot of potential that needs to be moved and committed to.
• I am being optimistic and voted for radical change.

Q5: What is your preferred future for IIUM 2040?

• Self-directed learning, no more spoon feeding.
• No more exam.
• IIUM producer of Murrabi to the world.
• Humanistic administration.
• A post-disciplinary condition.
• Endogenous perspectives.
• A counter Eurocentric curriculum.
• Universities will shift from being self-focused to being “for

others”.
• All four to be value-based.
• Holacractic administration.
• Learning and teaching are transformational.
• Value based machine.
• Curriculum to be more human centric - focus more on human skills

that enable them to adapt and excel.
• Administration to be more listening rather than focussing on rules

and system.
• Memorisation no longer the key assessment criteria - focus more

on understanding.
• Islamic conscious technology.
• Less meetings or no meetings.
• Something like what Green School Bali is doing.
• Active changemaking / direct problem solving of societal issues

become at the centre of the education.

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Q5: What is your preferred future for IIUM 2040?

• Open market.
• Value-based education.
• Curriculum - Humanising education.
• Learning & teaching - Integration between human and AI.
• Technology - Virtual World as new platform of university.
• Administration - Talent Development Centric.
• Most of the comments are pretty much as in SAF draft Section 4 & 5.
• AI is rampant vs Human weakness admiration.
• Multi-skilled curriculum.
• Just-in-Time Learning.
• Human governance with a heart and soul.
• I would prefer a dynamic curriculum with suitable teachers who

are effective for students.
• Transdisciplinary curriculum.
• Let the technology/AI do the repetitive/administrative job & staffs

focus on physical/spiritual bonding task.
• IIUM to become the referral centre and leading the Muslim

Ummah in various discipline.
• Ethical Technology.

Q6: What are the steps that got you there? We’re in 2040, what events
happened in the last 20 years?

• 2035 – University of the Community.
• 2034 – IIUM virtual university established.
• 2026 - IIUM fully adopting blockchain technology-starting from

Kulliyyah of medicine. Blockchain and health.
• 2022 - department of futures studies is established.
• 2027 - Fully independent financially.
• New curriculum introduced to suit the new realities. Old courses

phase out.
• 2030 – A new wave in Islamisation.
• 2025 - flexible learning.

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Q6: What are the steps that got you there? We’re in 2040, what
events happened in the last 20 years?

• 2030 - holacracy - everyone is a rector.
• 2025 - Value based governance.
• 2040 - SEJAHTERA UNIVERSITY.
• 2040 - Exemplary university for value-based education.
• 2030 - the recognition of informal learning platforms as provider

of education.
• 2030 - youth as leader.
• 2023 - Penetrate the grassroots of youth with a relentless

social campaign for change of mindsets/behaviour around our
expectations on education.
• 2030 - Outsourcing teaching, administration, and corporate
governance.
• 2025 - Bureaucracy free university.
• 2030 - Dismantling of kulliyyahs.
• 2022 - Central agencies re-designed.
• 2022 - Full Autonomy& Financially Independent.
• Malaysia becomes a 2-political party (like Democrat/Republican),
whichever becomes government of the day has little impact on
Malaysian universities, so we are freer to chart our future.
• 2023 - Ala Carte Curriculum.
• 2025 - Transdisciplinary Kulliyah. 2022 new government Full
autonomy. 2025 - new breed of lecturers based all over the world.
• 2025 - full free carbon Uni.
• 2020 - Sejahtera Academic Framework launched.
• 2020 - The COVID pandemic.
• 2030 - Meeting the UN Education Agenda.
• University for all.
• 2030 - Race-based policies are abolished nationwide and this
changes the educational landscape.
• 2022 - Driving cultural change and mindset via new policy.
• 2030 - the rise of technology developed by IIUM.

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Q7: Old and New Narrative.
What is the metaphor for IIUM today (2020)?

• Small aquarium.
• Bird in a cage.
• Flower in a garden.
• Hang Tuah.
• Maverick university.
• Garden of Knowledge and Virtue.
• The Imam.

What is the metaphor you wish to see in 2040?

• Biodiversity of human values.
• Rainbow.
• IIUM filled vessel, carrying inspired murrabi.
• The rest of the elephant.
• Comprehensive optimised existence, a balanced condition,

consciousness.
• Flying phoenix.
• Sejahtera garden.
• Firdaus.
• Melting pot of knowledge.
• VUCA university (validated, unique, complement, attractive).
• Life bridge, it helps us to relate to others, the community and the

global community.
• Spinning top.
• Sejahtera transformer.
• Heart.
• Supersonic aircraft.
• The Quranic Garden.
• Sustainable university with a soul.
• A Cool Pond on a Hot Summer day, provides a place to rest and

regain strength and nourishes when things get tough.
• Tree of life.
• The khalifa.

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For those who voted in the poll for Sejahtera Garden & Sejahtera
Transformer, explain why.

• Sejahtera Transformer is about transforming the whole world, not
just staying in the Garden.

• Planting new seeds with value-based fertiliser.
• Cross fertilisation.
• We chose Garden because it’s already our metaphor but we are the

transformers in the garden.
• I chose Sejahtera as it is already in the Malaysian society but IIUM

can lead the trajectory of making it a reality.

Q8: Based on your 2040 metaphor, what are some new strategies and
new measurements?

• Khalifa - we become leader to all aspect and murabbi to our
students.

• KPI- alumni from all the world and they become leader in all
sector and give impact to the society of their decision.

• Sejahtera garden - Plan trees with strong roots, cross fertilisation.
Quality fruit to be exported to the world.

• Strategies - valued fertiliser, trees with strong roots, cross fertiliser.
• Sejahtera garden - plant a diversity of plants - so need diversity of

talents.
• Do away with grades.
• KPI - how much you inspire students rather than graduate students.
• Sejahtera Transformer - Change the inside of the machinery

aligned with transforming abilities.
• Balance in all areas to be celebrated, new students join uni with

clear goal of being Sejahtera, not only earning degree which other
unis also offer.
• Would need active and democratic participation of all stakeholders
at IIUM.
• Sejahtera Garden, prioritise soul, change curriculum
interdisciplinary, train trainers.

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Q8: Based on your 2040 metaphor, what are some new strategies
and new measurements?
• Metaphor: Sejahtera Garden.
• Strategy: Cross discipline talent attraction.
• Measurement: Customised target and goals.
• Flying phoenix.
• Strategy: tazkiyyatun nafs with continuous professional

development.
• KIP - impact on community development.
• Life bridge - preservation of faith, life, lineage and wealth

(Maqasid al Shariah) and partnership across borders.
• Sejahtera Transformer - being global leaders offering solutions/

transforming the worlds.
• Create carbon-free university.
• Sejahtera Garden.
• Metaphor: Sejahtera garden.
• Measurement shall be multi-dimensional - health, spirituality,

technology, innovation on knowledge.
• Heart - Beating to the change.
• Revamp the policy to new Sejahtera.
• KPI productivity with impact, stay healthy local and surround.

Ability to dynamics.
• Quranic/Sejahtera Garden.
• Customised spiritually-inspired strategies.
• Measured by Maqasid Shariah & SDGs.
• Focus on inclusiveness - Green shopping mall with soul.
• Metaphor: Garden.
• More transparent and democratic.
• Measurement: wellbeing. Happiness (al Saadah).

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What was the message most important to you (from the future 2040) did
you saw?
• I saw my daughter who is 5 now, and in the future, she is already

in IIUM. She says “thank you for making this future for me”.
• Everybody is happy and working together freely.
• People are walking and mingling around, no cars.
• There is VR in the centre where people are discussing.
• The message I got is “Keep being you” and there’s an artifact

which is a Key.
• There’s trees and water everywhere, and everything is high-tech.
• Everyone is happy working together in the green garden. Everyone

has an iPad with the IIUM logo and everybody is knowledgeable,
transdisciplinary and it’s really Sejahtera.
• A truly open campus, fully integrated with the community who are
co-learners of IIUM.
• There’s no boundaries and borders.
• It’s a sharing environment.
• The message: A heaven on Earth.
• Students/Communities learning by doing everywhere (more labs/
fieldwork than the classroom). Future message from me: “We made it”.

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Futures Studies, Transformative Foresight, has six pillars and
linked methods

They are not sequential; however, one can mix and match and move pillars
around based on the project design and purpose. The pillars are:

0. Mapping the past, present and future. Mapping seeks to identify the
historical factors and patterns that have created the present. The present
is mapped through environmental scans. The future is mapped through
an understanding the images or pulls of the future, the quantitative
pushes of the present and the weights of history. Methods: Shared
history, environmental scanning and the futures triangle.

2. Anticipating the future through identifying emerging issues (or weak
signals and black swans). First and second order implications of issues
are explored. Methods: emerging issues analysis and the futures wheel.

3. Timing the future through an understanding of the grand patterns of
history. Methods: macrohistory, an understanding of macro-patterns (the
linear, the cyclical, the spiral, the pendulum and bifurcation) and the
Sarkar game - a role playing process that explores power and leadership.

4. Deepening the future through an analysis of the deeper myths and
worldviews underneath the data of the official future. Questions asked
include: does the underlying personal and collective narrative match
the strategy? Method: causal layered analysis.

5. Creating alternatives futures through an analysis of the critical
uncertainties driving the future as well as the archetypes of personal
and societal change. Method: scenario planning (double variable, multi-
variable, organisational and integrated).

6. Transforming the future by articulating a preferred future and
developing critical pathways and action learning steps to achieve it.
Methods: visioning, back casting and action learning.

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Arabic Terminology Glossary

‘Abd – One who is subordinated as a slave or a servant, and it means also
to worship
Adab – In the context of behavior, refers to prescribed Islamic etiquette:
“refinement, good manners, morals, decorum, decency, humaneness”
Akhlaq – the practice of virtue, morality and manners as highlighted in the
Islamic teaching. It is most commonly translated in English as character of
a person, disposition, temperament or ethics
Al-Dunya – The temporal world and its earthly concerns and possessions,
as opposed to the hereafter (ʾākhirah)
Amal – Practice or Charity
Amanah – Fulfilling or upholding trusts; Trustworthy. In the Qur’an and
the Sunnah  the term amanah is understood as man’s rights and responsibilities
in relation to all the other creations : human, non- human and the environment.
An-Nur – The Light
Bi’ah – Oath/Pledge of allegiance
Deen – Religion
FAST – Refers to prophetic attributes of Fatanah, Amanah, Siddiq, and
Tabligh
Fatanah – Wisdom that includes the intelligence in attitude and knowledge,
disciplined, proactive attitude and the ability to make the best decisions
‘Ilm/ilmu1 – Knowledge
Iman – Faith
Itqan – To arrange and dispose of things in a scientific and artistic way in
order to obtain the most perfect results
KhAIR – An abbreviation of Khalifah, Amanah, Iqra’ and Raḥmatan li’l-
‘Ālamῑn; a term coined to describe the new culture for IIUM to lead the way/
KhAIR : is an acronym to represent Quranic values vicegerency or stewardship,
one which is infused with servitude, trustworthiness, the culture of reading or
seeking knowledge and the principle of being merciful to all of God’s creations.
Khalifah – Vicegerency
Khalifatul Fil Ard – Vicegerent of the Earth
Kulliyyah – Lit. “college”, and in a university setting, it corresponds to
school, department, or faculty

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Mahallah – Lit. “neighborhood or location”, in IIUM context refers to the
dormitories where students live on campus
Maqasid Shariah – Goals or ultimate objectives of the Sharī‘ah (Allah’s
Way and Law) ordained by Him for mankind to gain well-being in this
world and in the Hereafter. Classical Muslim jurists had identified five
(some made it six) basic and essential objectives commensurate with five
minimum basic essentials (Ḍarūriyyāt) for human existence on earth,
namely: Protection, preservation and sustainability of Religion, Life,
Intellect, Progeny, Property. Several contemporary Islamic thinkers and
scholars have proposed extending the inventory of the goals to include
several other essential goals such as Reform and Justice for Women, Justice
and Freedom, Human Dignity and Rights
Murabbi – Dedicated and trusted educators
Qiyam – The act of staying up late at night to pray
Raḥmatan li’l-‘Ālamῑn– Lit. “As a Mercy to all the Worlds”, including the
non-human creations of Allah SWT. In the Quran the phrase occurs in Sūrah al-
Anbiyā’21: 107 where Allah declares that He has not sent Prophet Muhammad
(PBUH) “except as a Mercy to all the Worlds.” This is the most comprehensive
mission of His final Messenger and it becomes the mission that all Muslims
should emulate. But it should be pointed out that the other missions of the final
Messenger (PBUH) include Shāhidan (Witness), Mubashshiran (Bringer of
Good Tidings), Nadhῑran (Warner), Dā‘iyan ila‘Llāh (Calling to Allah) Sirājan
Munῑran (Lamp Spreading Light) (al-Ahzāb 33: 45-46). In our endeavours
to actualise the Divinely-prescribed status and goal of Ummatan Wasaṭan,
our strategies, methods and ways of reaching the preferred goal and future, as
followers of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), have to be formulated, packaged
and presented to the public as forms of Raḥmatan li’l-‘Ālamῑn
Ridhwanullah – Pleasure of God
Shura – Consultation
Siddiq – Lit. “truthful”, is an Islamic term and is given as an honorific title
to certain individuals
Subuh – The first out of the five mandatory prayers of the day for Muslims
which starts at sunrise or dawn
Tabligh – To reach out, to make known or to let people be informed. In
Islam, it is to make Islam’s message known to people

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FUTURES SCENARIO BUILDING WORKSHOP

Tahajjud – Lit. “keeping vigil”, in Islamic practice, the recitation of the
Qurʾan and prayers during the night.
Tawhid – Lit. “making one,” “asserting oneness”, in Islam, the oneness of
God, in the sense that He is one and there is no god but He.
Tazkirah – Lit. “memorandum” or “admonition”, in some context
“reminder”, refers to speeches that sets to reminds the audience to do good
things and refrain from bad things in the name of Islam
Ubudiyyah – Servitude and reliance to God
Ukhuwwah – Lit: “Brotherhood, fraternity”. The inter-relationship of
Muslims in the society
Ummatan Wasatan – Literally it is translated as “Middlemost
Community” but the Quranic meaning and significance as revealed in
Sūrah al-Baqarah 2: 143 emphasise not so much the literal meaning but
the metaphorical and cultural meaning of a Universal Community which
exemplifies qualities of Justice, Excellence, Being the Best, Choicest,
Goodness, Just Balance (inclusive of Divinely-ordained Moderation in
religious devotion, economic consumption and lifestyle) and other positive
qualities. It is by having those exemplary qualities that this ummah is
required by Allah SWT to “be Witnesses unto mankind (shuhadā’ ‘ala al-
nās), just as “the Prophet would be a witness unto you” in this world and
in the Hereafter. It should be reiterated that this status of the ummah as
“Witnesses” is very important to be remembered as no other communities
are ordained by Allah SWT to be Witnesses (of all that is good) for all of
mankind in this world and in the Hereafter. Hence the supreme urgency
of Muslim communities throughout the world to aspire, strive for and
dedicate themselves to the attainment of this noblest and highest of all
societal goals on earth. The Jewish people were chosen by Allah SWT
in ancient times to carry the noble mission but they failed miserably, and
so the mantle was passed on by Allah SWT upon the shoulders of the
followers of his Final Messenger (PBUH).
Umran – Civilisational development.
Waqaf – An Islamic endowment of property to be held in trust and used
for a charitable or religious purpose or a Muslim religious or charitable
foundation created by an endowed trust fund for those in need.

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A VIRTUAL JOURNEY TO IIUM 2040
FUTURES SCENARIO BUILDING WORKSHOP

Definition of Ummah
By Dr.Ayman Al-Akiti, Department of Usul al-Din and Comparative
Religion, KIRKHS22

One of the most famous Arabic lexica published by Academy of Arabic
Language in Cairo; al-Muʻjam al-Wasīṭ, states the meaning of ‘ummah’
as a group of people that comes from one nation; for example, Ummah
Miṣriyyah or Ummah Mālīziyyah. Therefore, Hans Wehr translated
‘ummah’ as nation, people; community. From this Arabic structure, we can
understand that this nation; Malaysia is one ummah or nation, even though
we have differences such as, in religion or race; yet we are Malaysians to be
treated equally and just, that deserve the right to pursue knowledge as well
as to be trained with accepted virtues. This aspect of nation was recorded
in the famous Madina Charter, clause no 30 which states: “The Jews of
Bani Awf will be treated as one community (ummah) with the Believers.
The Jews have their religion. This will also apply to their freedmen. The
exception will be those who act unjustly and sinfully. By doing so they
wrong themselves and their families”. In this charter; Prophet Muḥammad
PBUH made a specific declaration that the Jews of Bani Awf was one of
his ummah to be treated equally even though they are not Muslims.

22 Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences
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