The Islamic Element of Al-‘Adl in Critical
Thinking: the Perception of Muslim
Engineering Undergraduates in Malaysia
The element of justice or al-‘adl in the context of
Islamic critical thinking deals with the notion of justice in a thinking
process which critically rationalizes the truth in a fair and objective
manner with no irrelevant interference that can jeopardize a sound
judgment. This Islamic axiological element is vital in technological
decision making as it addresses the issues of religious values and
ethics that are primarily set to fulfill the purpose of human life on
earth. The main objective of this study was to examine and analyze
the perception of Muslim engineering students in Malaysian higher
education institutions towards the concept of al-‘adl as an essential
element of Islamic critical thinking. The study employed mixed
methods approach that comprises data collection from the
questionnaire survey and the interview responses. A total of 557
Muslim engineering undergraduates from six Malaysian universities
participated in the study. The study generally indicated that Muslim
engineering undergraduates in the higher institutions have rather
good comprehension and consciousness for al-‘adl with a slight
awareness on the importance of objective thinking. Nonetheless there
were a few items on the concept that have implied a comparatively
low perception on the rational justice in Islam as the means to grasp
the ultimate truth.
[1] Don E. Kash, "Engineers as Revolutionaries", in Social, Ethical, and
Policy Implications of Engineering, Joseph R. Herkert, Ed. New Jersey:
IEEE Press, p. 55, 2000.
[2] Angelene Gisela McDaniel, "The Role of Engineers: Designing
Society", Retrieved December 30, 2008 from:
http://www.engr.utexas.edu/braden/documents/MacDaniel%20Essay2.p
df.
[3] Ibn Manzur, Jamal al-Din Muhammad bin Mukrim, Lisan al-ÔÇÿarab,
Beirut: Dar Sadir, vol. 11, pp. 430 - 436, 1990.
[4] Murtada al-Zubaydi, Muhammad bin Muhammad, Taj al-ÔÇÿArus Min
Jawahir al-Qamus, vol. 8, pp. 9 - 12, n.d.
[5] Ahmad bin Muhammad bin ÔÇÿAli al-Fayyumi, al-Misbah al-Munir,
Beirut: Maktabah Lubnan, pp. 150 - 151, 1987.
[6] Majid Khadduri, The Islamic Conception of Justice, Baltimore and
London: The Johns Hopkins University Press, p. 11, 1984.
[7] See: Murtada al-Zubaydi, op.cit., vol. 8, p. 9 and Ibn Manzur, op.cit.,
vol. 11, p. 430, 1990.
[8] Al-Ghazzali, Abu Hamid, Ihya ÔÇÿUlum al-Din, Beirut: Dar al-Kutub al-
ÔÇÿIlmiyyah, 3rd ed., Vol. 3, p. 55, 2002. Zulm is also etymologically
related to the notion of darkness and gloom that denies one-s basic right.
As such, zulm is often interpreted as oppression although in reality it
encompasses a broader and deeper meaning. See: Mahmoud Ayoub,
"The Islamic Concept of Justice", in Nimat Hafez Barazangi et.all.
(Eds.), Islamic Identity and the Struggle for Justice, Gainesville:
University Press of Florida, p. 22, 1996.
[9] In the Islamic law of inheritance, a woman inherits half of what her male
counterpart inherits. However, this inequality in the distribution is
considered fair because a woman has no financial obligation and the
economical responsibility lies on the shoulders of the man in fulfilling
the needs of his family. See: al-Nis─ü- (4): 176.
[10] Al-Kindi, Ya-qub bin Ishaq, Rasa-il al-Kindi al-Falsafiyyah, ed.
Muhammad ÔÇÿAbd al-Hadi Abu Ridah, Cairo: Matba-ah Hassan, 2nd ed.,
pp. 30 - 36, 1978.
[11] In fact al-Kindi considers justice as the central of all virtues (such as
wisdom, courage, temperance and others) for its function as the
balancing and coordinating instrument whenever the other virtues come
into operation. See: Majid Khadduri, op.cit., p. 82, 1984.
[12] Rob Niewoehner, "Critical Thinking in the Engineering Enterprise", The
Magazine for Professional Engineers, Washington D.C.: the National
Society of Professional Engineers, pp. 16 - 17, November 2008.
[13] Board on Manufacturing and Engineering Design, Theoretical
Foundations for Decision Making in Engineering Design, Washington
D.C.: National Academy Press, pp. 8 - 11, at The National Academies
Press: http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=10566&page=8, 12
October 2011.
[14] S. Waqar Ahmed Husaini, Islamic Environmental Systems Engineering,
London: The Macmillan Press Ltd, pp. 7 and 72, 1980.
[15] See: Ibid., pp. 8 - 9.
[16] Muhammad Fazl Ur Rahman Ansari, The Quranic Foundation and
Structure of Muslim Society, Karachi: The World Federation of Islamic
Missions, Vol.1, p 249 - 241, 2008.
[17] Jamal al-Banna, Nazariyyat al-ÔÇÿAdl Fi al-Fikr al-ÔÇÿUrubiy wa al-Fikr al-
Islamiy, Cairo: Dar al-Fikr al-Islamiy, pp. 95 - 98, n.d..
[1] Don E. Kash, "Engineers as Revolutionaries", in Social, Ethical, and
Policy Implications of Engineering, Joseph R. Herkert, Ed. New Jersey:
IEEE Press, p. 55, 2000.
[2] Angelene Gisela McDaniel, "The Role of Engineers: Designing
Society", Retrieved December 30, 2008 from:
http://www.engr.utexas.edu/braden/documents/MacDaniel%20Essay2.p
df.
[3] Ibn Manzur, Jamal al-Din Muhammad bin Mukrim, Lisan al-ÔÇÿarab,
Beirut: Dar Sadir, vol. 11, pp. 430 - 436, 1990.
[4] Murtada al-Zubaydi, Muhammad bin Muhammad, Taj al-ÔÇÿArus Min
Jawahir al-Qamus, vol. 8, pp. 9 - 12, n.d.
[5] Ahmad bin Muhammad bin ÔÇÿAli al-Fayyumi, al-Misbah al-Munir,
Beirut: Maktabah Lubnan, pp. 150 - 151, 1987.
[6] Majid Khadduri, The Islamic Conception of Justice, Baltimore and
London: The Johns Hopkins University Press, p. 11, 1984.
[7] See: Murtada al-Zubaydi, op.cit., vol. 8, p. 9 and Ibn Manzur, op.cit.,
vol. 11, p. 430, 1990.
[8] Al-Ghazzali, Abu Hamid, Ihya ÔÇÿUlum al-Din, Beirut: Dar al-Kutub al-
ÔÇÿIlmiyyah, 3rd ed., Vol. 3, p. 55, 2002. Zulm is also etymologically
related to the notion of darkness and gloom that denies one-s basic right.
As such, zulm is often interpreted as oppression although in reality it
encompasses a broader and deeper meaning. See: Mahmoud Ayoub,
"The Islamic Concept of Justice", in Nimat Hafez Barazangi et.all.
(Eds.), Islamic Identity and the Struggle for Justice, Gainesville:
University Press of Florida, p. 22, 1996.
[9] In the Islamic law of inheritance, a woman inherits half of what her male
counterpart inherits. However, this inequality in the distribution is
considered fair because a woman has no financial obligation and the
economical responsibility lies on the shoulders of the man in fulfilling
the needs of his family. See: al-Nis─ü- (4): 176.
[10] Al-Kindi, Ya-qub bin Ishaq, Rasa-il al-Kindi al-Falsafiyyah, ed.
Muhammad ÔÇÿAbd al-Hadi Abu Ridah, Cairo: Matba-ah Hassan, 2nd ed.,
pp. 30 - 36, 1978.
[11] In fact al-Kindi considers justice as the central of all virtues (such as
wisdom, courage, temperance and others) for its function as the
balancing and coordinating instrument whenever the other virtues come
into operation. See: Majid Khadduri, op.cit., p. 82, 1984.
[12] Rob Niewoehner, "Critical Thinking in the Engineering Enterprise", The
Magazine for Professional Engineers, Washington D.C.: the National
Society of Professional Engineers, pp. 16 - 17, November 2008.
[13] Board on Manufacturing and Engineering Design, Theoretical
Foundations for Decision Making in Engineering Design, Washington
D.C.: National Academy Press, pp. 8 - 11, at The National Academies
Press: http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=10566&page=8, 12
October 2011.
[14] S. Waqar Ahmed Husaini, Islamic Environmental Systems Engineering,
London: The Macmillan Press Ltd, pp. 7 and 72, 1980.
[15] See: Ibid., pp. 8 - 9.
[16] Muhammad Fazl Ur Rahman Ansari, The Quranic Foundation and
Structure of Muslim Society, Karachi: The World Federation of Islamic
Missions, Vol.1, p 249 - 241, 2008.
[17] Jamal al-Banna, Nazariyyat al-ÔÇÿAdl Fi al-Fikr al-ÔÇÿUrubiy wa al-Fikr al-
Islamiy, Cairo: Dar al-Fikr al-Islamiy, pp. 95 - 98, n.d..
@article{"International Journal of Business, Human and Social Sciences:53845", author = "Mohd Nuri Al-Amin Endut and Wan Suhaimi Wan Abdullah and Zulqarnain Abu Bakar", title = "The Islamic Element of Al-‘Adl in Critical
Thinking: the Perception of Muslim
Engineering Undergraduates in Malaysia", abstract = "The element of justice or al-‘adl in the context of
Islamic critical thinking deals with the notion of justice in a thinking
process which critically rationalizes the truth in a fair and objective
manner with no irrelevant interference that can jeopardize a sound
judgment. This Islamic axiological element is vital in technological
decision making as it addresses the issues of religious values and
ethics that are primarily set to fulfill the purpose of human life on
earth. The main objective of this study was to examine and analyze
the perception of Muslim engineering students in Malaysian higher
education institutions towards the concept of al-‘adl as an essential
element of Islamic critical thinking. The study employed mixed
methods approach that comprises data collection from the
questionnaire survey and the interview responses. A total of 557
Muslim engineering undergraduates from six Malaysian universities
participated in the study. The study generally indicated that Muslim
engineering undergraduates in the higher institutions have rather
good comprehension and consciousness for al-‘adl with a slight
awareness on the importance of objective thinking. Nonetheless there
were a few items on the concept that have implied a comparatively
low perception on the rational justice in Islam as the means to grasp
the ultimate truth.", keywords = "Engineering education, Islamic critical thinking,
rational justice, perception, tertiary education.", volume = "6", number = "10", pages = "2552-7", }