AL-MAJALLA Journal of Islamic Studies

AL-MAJALLA Journal of Islamic Studies is an international peer-reviewed academic journal published by the Faculty of Islamic Studies at Fatih Sultan Mehmet Vakıf University. The journal aims to offer original scholarly contributions by bringing together the theoretical depth of Islamic sciences with contemporary research methodologies.

AL-MAJALLA Journal of Islamic Studies provides a platform for the publication of high-quality scholarly works in the core disciplines under the umbrella of Islamic sciences, including tafsīr (Qur’anic exegesis), qirāʾāt (Qur’anic readings), ḥadīth, kalām (theology), fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence), uṣūl al-fiqh (principles of jurisprudence), taṣawwuf (Sufism), sīra (Prophetic biography), Islamic history, and Arabic language and literature. In addition, the journal pays special attention to interdisciplinary studies that explore the intersections between these fields and the social sciences.

AL-MAJALLA Journal of Islamic Studies supports intellectual production across a wide spectrum—from the reinterpretation of classical scholarly heritage to the academic analysis of contemporary issues. Prioritizing the broad accessibility of knowledge, the journal features diverse academic works such as research articles, review essays, translations, and critical editions in Turkish, Arabic, and English.

Published twice a year, the journal aims to be a reliable and highly visible academic source in both national and international scholarly circles, adhering strictly to the ethical and technical standards of scientific publishing.

PRELIMINARY REVIEW PROCESS
Every submission uploaded to the journal system is first subjected to a preliminary review by the Editorial Board. This stage is completed within a maximum of two weeks. The evaluation is based on compliance with the journal’s writing guidelines, originality of the study, its potential contribution to the relevant field, and academic quality.
Manuscripts deemed suitable after the preliminary review are forwarded to the double-blind peer-review process. Studies that fail to meet scientific standards or do not align with the journal’s publication policies are rejected by decision of the Editorial Board without proceeding to the next stage.

SUBMISSION AND PUBLICATION PRINCIPLES
Authors who wish to publish their articles in AL-MAJALLA Journal of Islamic Studies must strictly adhere to the following submission and publication principles:
1. Article Submission Dates: Submissions for the March issue are accepted between October 1 – January 31, and for the September issue between April 1 – July 31. However, the submission system may be closed earlier if necessary.
2. Types of Publications: The journal accepts research articles, academic translations, and book reviews in the field of Islamic studies.
3. Originality Requirement: Submissions to AL-MAJALLA Journal of Islamic Studies must not have been previously published elsewhere or be under review in another venue. Articles should provide theoretical or practical contributions to current issues in the field, clarify unknown aspects, and offer critical evaluations of existing approaches.
4. Authorship Condition: In research articles with two or more authors, at least one of the authors must hold a doctoral degree. Authors are also required to obtain and include their ORCID numbers in the submission files.
5. Author Limitations:
o An author may submit only one manuscript per issue cycle.
o The same author’s work cannot be published in two consecutive issues.
o Only one article per author may appear in the same issue.
o In accordance with TR Index criteria and in order to ensure academic diversity, institutional balance, and impartiality, no more than 25% of the articles in any given issue may be affiliated with Fatih Sultan Mehmet Waqf University, even if they successfully pass the peer-review process.
6. Article Length:
o Turkish and Arabic articles: up to 9,000 words at submission, and 10,000 words at publication.
o English articles: up to 12,000 words at submission, and 13,000 words at publication.
7. Abstracts and Keywords: Each article must include an abstract in Turkish, Arabic, and English, consisting of 150–300 words, accurately reflecting the content of the article. Each abstract must be accompanied by a title in the corresponding language, along with up to five keywords in each language.
8. References: In Arabic submissions, the references must be Latinized according to Turkish academic citation conventions and listed under a “References” section at the end of the paper.
9. Formatting Rules:
o Turkish articles must comply with the Turkish Language Association’s orthographic standards.
o Turkish and English manuscripts should be prepared in MS Word, using Times New Roman, 11 pt for the main text and 9 pt for footnotes, fully justified.
o Arabic manuscripts should use Lotus Linotype, 12 pt for the main text and 10 pt for footnotes, fully justified.
o All manuscripts must conform to the Article Template available on the journal’s website.
10. Citation System: AL-MAJALLA Journal of Islamic Studies adopts the ISNAD Citation System, 2nd Edition as its reference style. All Turkish, Arabic, and English submissions must follow the ISNAD 2nd Edition format.
11. Evaluation Process:
The review process begins with a format and template compliance check, followed by a plagiarism screening. Articles with a similarity rate exceeding 20%, excluding footnotes and references, are not accepted for peer review. Authors are expected to revise their manuscripts to reduce the similarity rate; otherwise, the submission is withdrawn.
After passing plagiarism control, the article undergoes double-blind peer review by at least two referees.
o If both referees recommend publication, the article is accepted.
o If both reject, it is declined.
o If one accepts and one rejects, the Editorial Board may send the manuscript to a third referee or reject it outright.
The final decision rests with the Editorial Board.
Approved articles are then subjected to language checks in Turkish, Arabic, and English before publication.
12. Rejection and Revision Policy:
Articles that fail to comply with AL-MAJALLA’s format or citation standards are rejected at the preliminary stage.
For minor revisions, authors are given one opportunity to make corrections. Submissions not resubmitted after this stage are excluded from further processing.
13. Translated Articles:
Translations submitted to AL-MAJALLA Journal of Islamic Studies must be based on academically reputable and recognized sources. The original text must have received at least five scholarly citations or be recognized as a significant academic reference in its field.
If a text has not reached this threshold, the Editorial Board will determine whether it qualifies as a valid academic reference. A short scholarly evaluation written by the translator must accompany the translation.
The translator bears full responsibility for copyright compliance, and proof of permission must be attached to the submission file.
14. Other Provisions:
o The Editorial Board reserves the right to conduct additional evaluations or to reject submissions with justification based on their nature and quality.
o Readers may report any factual errors, ethical concerns, or editorial issues related to published content via the official journal email address.

 

ETHICAL PRINCIPLES AND PUBLICATION POLICY
AL-MAJALLA Journal of Islamic Studies conducts transparent and reliable publication processes to ensure that scientific knowledge is produced and disseminated in a neutral, reputable, original, universal, and methodologically sound manner. These processes require authors, reviewers, editors, and other stakeholders to act with a sense of responsibility.
1. Ethical Standards and Stakeholder Responsibilities: The journal defines the responsibilities of authors, reviewers, editors, readers, and the publisher in accordance with ethical publication principles. These principles are prepared based on COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) guidelines and internationally accepted ethical standards in Islamic studies.
2. Publication Ethics Principles: Minor scientific or typographical errors in published articles may be corrected through an erratum. Articles containing significant errors affecting results or conclusions may be retracted. In cases of suspected misconduct during research or publication, editors may issue an expression of concern. All actions follow COPE guidelines.
3. Plagiarism and Academic Integrity: AL-MAJALLA Journal of Islamic Studies prioritizes intellectual property rights and originality. Plagiarism or unethical behavior is strictly prohibited. Suspected plagiarism is initially reviewed by the Ethics or Editorial Board, and authors are given two weeks to respond; failure to respond results in notification to affiliated institutions.
Procedures for detected plagiarism include:
a) Removal of the article from the journal website and marking it as “Plagiarized Article,”
b) Suspension of the author account and rejection of future submissions for at least three years,
c) Notification of the author’s affiliated institutions.
Plagiarism checks are conducted using iThenticate or equivalent software. The similarity rate should not exceed 20% before or after acceptance.
4. Research Requiring Ethics/Editorial Board Approval: When required, Ethics/Editorial Board approval must be obtained for all research studies. Approval details must be indicated on the first page of the manuscript and uploaded to the Dergipark system. Information about the approval (board name, approval date, reference number) must be included in the methodology section. Additionally, consent forms for case studies must be indicated after the references.
5. Special Issues and Publication Process: AL-MAJALLA may publish a special issue once per year upon the request of the Editorial Board. Submissions to special issues follow standard publication policies, including preliminary review, plagiarism screening, and double-blind peer review.
6. Authorship and Scientific Responsibility: Authors must prepare their manuscripts in accordance with the ISNAD 2nd Edition Footnote Citation System and AL-MAJALLA Article Template. References must be complete and accurate; Arabic references must also include a Latinized version. Republishing the same research or splitting it into multiple articles is unethical. Fabricated data, misrepresentation, or false information are strictly prohibited. All co-authors must have contributed meaningfully, and authorship order must be fair and transparent. Contributors who did not participate must not be listed as authors.
7. Peer Review and Editorial Responsibilities: Reviewers must evaluate manuscripts impartially, confidentially, and without conflicts of interest. Reviewer identities are kept confidential, and preventive measures against plagiarism and ethical violations are applied. Editors make publication decisions objectively and transfer authority in cases of conflict of interest.
8. Complaints and Appeals: Readers may submit complaints about articles or the publication process via mecelle@fsm.edu.tr. Complaints are evaluated carefully, and transparent information on the process is provided.
9. Publication and Evaluation Fee Policy: Supported by FSMVÜ, AL-MAJALLA does not charge authors any fees for submission, review, or publication. The journal prioritizes academic accessibility and the public good.

ARTICLE EVALUATION POLICY AND PUBLICATION PROCESS
Manuscripts that pass the plagiarism check are evaluated by the editor for originality, methodology, topic significance, and relevance to the journal scope. Editors make unbiased decisions regardless of authors’ race, gender, religion, nationality, or political beliefs. The editor has full authority in reviewer selection and prevents conflicts of interest.
1. Peer Review Process: Eligible manuscripts are sent to at least two independent national or international reviewers using the double-blind peer review system. Reviewers evaluate the manuscript based on scope, originality, methodology, use of references, language quality, and scientific contribution, providing a minimum 150-word justified report. Reviewers maintain confidentiality and report any copyright or plagiarism concerns to the editor. Those unable to complete the review on time may withdraw.
2. Author-Revision and Corrections: Reviewers’ requested corrections are communicated to the author, who must submit revisions highlighted in red within 10 days. The area editor reviews and approves the changes within a maximum of 10 days. Insufficient revisions lead to rejection.
3. Language Editing: Accepted manuscripts are checked by the Turkish, Arabic, or English Language Editor depending on the manuscript language. Abstracts are reviewed by editors of all three languages. Additional language corrections may be requested from authors. Each language review phase should not exceed 10 days.
4. Editorial Board Decision: After completing all technical, academic, and language reviews, manuscripts are evaluated by the Editorial Board, which decides on publication based on reviewers’ reports and editorial recommendations. Objections among members are resolved by majority vote.
5. Typesetting, Layout, and Final Reading: Manuscripts approved for publication undergo typesetting and layout. After layout completion, a final reading is performed, and the manuscripts are ready for publication.
6. Publication and Indexing: The e-version of the published issue is sent to national and international reference libraries within 60 days. Metadata of published articles is submitted to relevant indexes within 15 days.
7. Key Evaluation Criteria for Reviewers:
a) Is the article new, original, and contributing to the field?
b) Does the abstract clearly and accurately describe the study?
c) Are the methodology explanations clear, coherent, and understandable?
d) Are the findings and conclusions consistent and supported?
e) Is the literature and reference usage sufficient?
f) Is the language and writing quality appropriate?

COPYRIGHT NOTICE
All articles published in AL-MAJALLA Journal of Islamic Studies retain copyright with the authors. Authors permit their work to be published under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which allows free sharing and reproduction for non-commercial purposes, provided the work is not modified and proper attribution is given. Authors acknowledge copyright protection and authorize AL-MAJALLA to manage publication rights accordingly.

OPEN ACCESS POLICY
AL-MAJALLA Journal of Islamic Studies adopts the principle that free and unrestricted public access to scientific research enhances global knowledge sharing. The journal provides immediate open access to all published content, promoting dissemination and strengthening scientific communication.