Sejahtera Academic Framework (SAF)

44 43 Preservation and Protection of an-nafs (Life) Protection of an-nafs or self-preservation means the infallibility of the human self from its material and moral elements, by establishing its origin, which is the axis on which the architecture of the earth revolves, and the meaning of disagreement is realised in it. The Almighty said: “He created you from the earth and made you responsible in it” ( Qur’ān , 11:61) as it is preserved physically, moral and spiritual, and in its total and partial dimension. Self-preservation manifests itself in two aspects; 1. Preserving it from the aspect of existence; and 2. Preserving oneself from the side of nothingness. An-nafs extends beyond the human self to include other life forms. The above verse and also Qur’ān verse 2:30 are just some of the verses which made explicit this aspect of protection and preservation of life. Preservation and Protection of al-’aql (Intellect) The mind is a bounty from Allah to us, and we have to make use of it to know Him, to distinguish between right and wrong and to bring in benefits to ourselves and our societies. The mind (‘aql) is the condition for the responsibility given by Allah to human beings. Without having a sound mind, Allah will never give Trust ( amanah ) to humans. The child, the Insane or the sleeping person is not accountable while he/she is in this stage or condition. Hence, preserving the mind functioning well becomes a necessity in our life. Qur’ān and Sunnah stressed on the use of the mind for the purpose of thinking and reflecting to achieve benefits for humanity and protecting them from harm. Individual mind is the ownership of humanity, sowe have to preserve it directly to public interest towards Raḥmatan lil- ʿ Ā lamīn . In Islam, the heart and mind are used interchangeably. Hence, to understand the functioning of the mind, we have to take into account both thinking and emotions. Characteristics such as self-confidence, self-esteem, self-control, happiness and positive attitudes, optimism are significant for reasoning and logical thinking. Our minds are in need first to protect them from what affects their functioning negatively and to activate them to be useful. Since our religion looks at the personality as a holistic and integrated entity, our mind also has to be viewed as an entity which is affected by physical, psychological and social factors. Unhealthy bodies, psychological problems and bad environments, whether physical or social, have a high impact on our minds, their development and their productivity. IIUM planned and implemented academic programmes and courses have to adopt an integration approach and lead students to success in this life and the life to come, through delivering quality holistic care for the students, cultivating Islamic commitment to develop students’ Islamic personality and identity. Furthermore, our educational system has to prepare students to become responsible, and self-sufficient in their future life to have impact in their societies upon their graduation and behave ethically in their daily life. Hence, it is important that our programmes and courses become conduits for the preserving, protection and promotion of the intellect, and not just a platform to disseminate knowledge. Preservation and Protection of al-mal (Wealth) Properties, resources and wealth in this life belong to Allah. We are the heirs and custodians of properties given to us by Allah and entrusted to use them for lawful purposes. Islam guides us how to earn wealth and spend it in lawful means. Islam encourages us to be productive, and by doing so, we are getting closer to Him. Islam guides us how to preserve property and wealth to achieve success (falāḥ) in this life and the life to come. Managing the property, resources and wealth of the university is one form of worship by which we seek the blessings from Allah. Islam forbids waste, exploitation, deception and misappropriation of properties, resources and wealth. The primary purpose of wealth is to fulfil our needs as human beings with dignity in this life and the life to come. Thus, the preservation of wealth becomes a necessity for us to take it. In the context of managing IIUM as a jami’ah insāniah and an international centre of educational excellence, IIUMhas to exert its utmost efforts to prevent any financial or wealth misuse and abuse; and optimise its use in fulfilling the vision and missions of the University. IIUM community should be made aware that zakat , sadaqah , and waqf , are essential form of fundamental support for the university as it was also the primary source of funding in Muslim history for educational institutions. Well-established mechanisms, systems and regulations have to be set up to ensure the effective use of wealth in supporting IIUM. Preservation and Protection of an-nasl (Lineage) The preservation and safeguarding of lineage or progeny start in the pre-natal stage of existence and does not wait until human beings are born. Another term that is directly connected to that of nasl is namely the term nasab which has also been used in the Qur’ān and is frequently mentioned by Muslim scholars in conjunction with an-nasl. Nasab embodies the essential natural bond or blood relationship between parents and children, whereby the latter are properly attributed to the former. It thus gives rise to the primary layer or immediate constituents of the family system, which includes the spouses and their descendants, and may also include their ascendants. From it emerged the sense of descent and belonging in the hearts and minds of the children and that of owning and prolongation at the level of the parents.