(Islamization of knowledge is an official doctrine of the International Islamic University Malaysia)

Abstract

This paper discusses the prospect of Islamizing the housing phenomenon in the context of the Muslim architectural reality. The paper concludes that such a task is an extremely serious, demanding and multifaceted one. It requires major contributions and high-spirited concerted efforts of many parties from across the wide spectrum of society: government, educators, practitioners, professional bodies, NGOs, members of the business community, students and the general public. In this paper, the focus is made on the role of education and educators and, to some extent, practitioners. In the process, the remarkable spiritual dimension of housing in Islam, and the importance of its proper handling, both at the conceptual and practical planes for the success of the project of Islamization, are emphasized. Islam distinguishes between the house, as a physical component, and home, as an aura, environment and ambiance generated by the former. In Islam, the house is an institution. It is a family development centre. Muslim architects, planners, structural engineers and final users alike, should perceive the house phenomenon as a sheer means, an instrument, a carrier of the spiritual, not a goal itself. The paper seeks to enhance people’s awareness as to the significance of correctly conceptualizing Islamic housing and how some of the fundamental aspects of its potential revival could be related to the notion of Islamization of knowledge.

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A traditional courtyard house in Cairo, Egypt.

The following are some practical suggestions which should feature in nearly all Muslim houses. A number of the proposed Muslim housing features can be incorporated into Muslim houses and their renovations at little or minimal cost. Some features, indeed, cost nothing. They are about more effective and more creative use of features and spaces that may already exist and are common in most houses.

The proposed suggestions are as follows:

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(A replica of the Prophet’s mosque and some of his houses. Courtesy of the Hadarah Tayyibah Exhibition held in Madinah, Saudi Arabia, in 2010-2012.)

Introduction: the houses in Madinah

Not all houses in Madinah, during the Prophet’s time, were same. By and large, most houses were characterized by several notable features, the most important one of which perhaps was their moderate spaciousness. As we are absolutely sure that loftiness was not their trademark, we are likewise in no doubt that spaciousness, as much as needed and in line with the standards of the day, was their underlying quality.

Our argument is based first and foremost on the Prophet’s saying to the effect that of man’s happiness are a good wife, a spacious residence, a good neighbour, and a good mount.

Continue reading The Houses of the Prophet (PBUH) →

ABSTRACT

Basic infrastructure and other functional services such as accessibility roads, recreational, welfare and commercial services in the Hausa traditional cities specifically the housing areas seemed largely inadequate. These services were rather concentrated in the planned areas. However, a recent infrastructural development to integrate these services due to popular demand in the Katsina traditional city presented challenges among which necessitates relocating residents to pave way for provision of intercity road network and other social amenities such as pipe born water and electricity. The aim of this research is to identify residential environment preferences which will seek to provide similar environment with their traditional built environment at two levels; the neighborhood and individual houses. Analysis result indicates the residents most preferred architectural elements and neighborhood facilities which directly reflects their socio cultural and utilitarian values. It is hoped that the outcome of this research will provide both theoretical and physical framework for policies which borders on community relocation in future. Through the integration of identified preferences, users will have a sense of belonging, identity and self-expression

Continue reading Housing Correlates Preferances For Development-Induced Relocated Residents In The Katsina Traditional City →

It is paramount that Muslims, while holding fast to the guidance of the holy Qur’an and the Prophet’s sunnah, critically and thoroughly examine both their past and present-day conditions, the findings of which will have to constitute the core of their educational systems, socio-economic and political philosophies, as well as any reformatory and revivalist tendencies and movements. Such an ethos will shape their unique and respectable identity, and the identity of all that is associated with them.

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The global economies of the developed and developing worlds have acknowledged the need for energy conservation and are beginning to put in place strategies for its realization because of circumstances surrounding energy sustainability in the built environment. Many researchers, including M. Hegger et al. and D. Wulfinghoff, have noted that ‘‘no other sector of the economy uses more materials and energy, produces more waste and contributes less to material recycling than the building industry’’ with almost ‘‘50% of the total invested capital in developed nations tied up in the housing sector; and approximately 70% in existing buildings.’’1 However, the energy demand in Nigeria—as in most of the developing world—is on the rise as households increase their appliances and equipment use with improvements in their economic and social status. At the same time, many of these countries have constrained national power supplies that cannot meet demand and suffer from frequent outages. This phenomenon, in addition to the global ‘‘energy scarcity,’’ has led to a greater awareness of the need to make fundamental changes in the patterns of consumption. Furthermore, the question of inefficient housing and the associated human problems that are likely to be responsible for this inefficiency has given rise to the push to study individual houses and the disposition of their occupants. This study therefore focuses on the human dimension of energy use, which can provide a significant boost in the more efficient use of all energy resources if well understood and if behavior patterns can be shaped accordingly, as noted by K. Ehrhardt-Martinez. The role of human social behavior and its potential impact on energy conservation often has been overlooked in energy analysis in spite of the fact that it can significantly amplify or reduce the effects of technology-based efficiency improvements. This viewpoint is buttressed by the statement of L. Schipper, as cited in L. Lutzenhiser, that ‘‘those of us who call ourselves energy analysts have made a mistake. . . we have analyzed energy. We should have analyzed human behavior.’’  This underpins the adoption of the behavioral approach as the economy or technology-based models have offered limited contributions to policy makers and politicians on how to initiate enduring developments toward energy conservation.

Continue reading A SURVEY Of ENERGY-EFFICIENCY PRACTICES IN NIGERIAN HOUSEHOLDS →

During the Prophet’s time, the housing area surrounding his mosque, in the end, emerged nearly in the shape of a circle, though it was anything but evenly formed. Some houses were so close to the mosque proper that the Prophet (pbuh) one day ordered that the direction of the houses facing the mosque be turned away from the mosque lest a menstruating woman or a sexually defiled person should come in or pass through.[1] The doors of some houses even opened into the mosque. The Prophet (pbuh) ordered all the doors to be walled except Ali’s, since the latter had no other exit from his house. The companions replaced the doors with small apertures through which they could still enter the mosque from their houses. Later on, the Prophet (pbuh) ordered these apertures closed except that of Abu Bakr’s.[2] That many houses were near the mosque, yet were adjoining it, could be easily fathomed from the events which accompanied the caliph Umar b. al-Khattab’s decision to enlarge the mosque. The mosque was extended about twenty meters inlength and about ten meters in width. But of the problems that the caliph had to solve first, before the actual job could start, was purchasing the adjoining houses in a manner that would satisfy their owners. One of such houses belonged to al-Abbas b. Abd al-Mutallib, the Prophet’s uncle.

The number of houses encircling the mosque at the peak of the Prophet’s urbanization scheme might have varied between 250 and 350. Our approximate estimation is based on the following reasons:

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