Umar Hisham

  Week 9 Reflection: Walking the Talk – IIUM as a Living Lab for Sustainability 🌿🏫 Date: 29 April 2025 Course: SCSH 1201 – Sustainable Development: Issues, Principles and Practices (Section 4) It was a refreshing change of pace from theory to practice, lecture to real-life observation. Instead of knowing about sustainability from books and slides, we became one with the living, breathing ecosystem that is IIUM Gombak Campus. Our task? And to see and reflect on how sustainable our own university really is, and to reimagine how a truly green, ethical, and spiritually mindful campus would look. Key Observations and Insights 📝 1. IIUM's Sustainable Infrastructure The range of green initiatives already in place honestly surprised me (in a good way). Solar energy panels that can sustainably power parts of campus. Reduction of landfill dependence through the introduction of food waste composting systems. Lower carbon footprint with e-bike sharing and UNiRide eco-transport. T...

  Week 8 Reflection: Building Peaceful Institutions and Global Partnerships 🌍🕊️ Date: 22 April 2025 Course: SCSH 1201 – Sustainable Development: Issues, Principles and Practices (Section 4) In this week’s lecture, we looked more in-depth at the roles institutions play in the attainment of sustainable development by focusing on the SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions) and the SDG 17 (Partnership for the Goals). In a world shaped by conflict, inequality, and broken trust, the message was clear: Good governance is crucial to sustainability. We need institutions, global and local, that create the conditions for peace, cooperation and real progress. Key Lessons and Takeaways 📝 1. Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions (SDG 16) Sustainable development requires more than economic growth or environmental policy, as stated by Dr Suhaimi. Trustworthy institutions—that are inclusive, transparent, accountable, and just—are what it required. A few key goals of SDG 16 in...

  Week 7 Reflection: Barriers to Sustainable Development 🌍🚧 Date: 15 April 2025 Course: SCSH 1201 – Sustainable Development: Issues, Principles and Practices (Section 4) I came to expect that sometime between now and next week’s lecture, the real-world barriers that stopped sustainable development from being more than a buzzword will get brought into sharp focus. Last week, we spoke about solutions and progress, but this week, we were compelled to confront the incompatible, hardwired challenges that slow it all down. We literally unpacked the truth — that we are facing the barrier of economic inequality, broken institutions, exploitation of the environment, human greed and much more. And yet we also possess the means to change. Key Lessons and Takeaways 📝 1. Inequality: The Root of Unsustainability This was one of the most striking points: The richest 10% are 76% of the global wealth (Oxfam). It is unfair that this concentration of wealth actively blocks sustainability....

  Week 6 Reflection: Universities as Engines of Sustainability 🌱🎓 Date: 8 April 2025 Course: SCSH 1201 – Sustainable Development: Issues, Principles and Practices (Section 4) This week’s lecture tackled an adventurous and inspiring theme of the role of universities in sustainable development. As a student, this hit close to home. In one of the workshops, Dr. Suhaimi often tell us to study hard, aim for good grades, and graduate, but what he reminds us of is that our real mission is much larger, to grow into a person who can build a better, just, and sustainable world. First, we examined Islamic educational philosophy down to modern versions of higher education critiques that reveal universities as not just centres of knowledge, but as powerful change agents. Key Lessons and Takeaways 📝 1. Education with Soul: What Islamic Philosophy Says Returning to the ideas of Royal Prof. Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas, who taught that real education is more than facts and skills. Th...

Week 5 Reflection: Sejahtera —Sustainability With a Soul 🧠❤️🌱 Date: 1 April 2025 Course: SCSH 1201 – Sustainable Development: Issues, Principles and Practices (Section 4) The current lesson session expanded our understanding of Sejahtera as it continues to run throughout our discussions. We delved into Sejahtera this time not only as an additional concept but as the core localised philosophy which formed the essence of sustainable development and integrated both Malaysian cultural norms and spiritual and practical dimensions. 🇲🇾🌍 And honestly? Everything learned until now has become more connected to human experiences. More real. Key Lessons and Takeaways 📝 1. What Is Sejahtera ? Sejahtera extends beyond traditional interpretations of “peace” and “well-being” since it includes holistic aspects of spiritual, intellectual, emotional, physical and social dimensions. Every dimension of self—spiritual, intellectual, emotional, physical, as well as social—is captured when we ...

  Week 4 Reflection: The World, the Earth, and the Idea of Sejahtera 🌍📜 Date: 25 March 2025 Course: SCSH 1201 – Sustainable Development: Issues, Principles and Practices (Section 4) The global community came together over many years to establish the framework of international sustainable development, which we now understand today. The session laid bare the essential connections among world cooperation with political determination and spiritual principles for building a sustainable future for Earth.  We studied the uniquely Malaysian conception of Sejahtera. Sustainable development networks with local values to create a holistic approach that is centred on people and infused with spirituality.  Key Lessons and Takeaways 📝 1. From Stockholm to the SDGs: A Timeline of Global Effort Since 1972 the world has traced international sustainability initiatives through the UN Conference on the Human Environment held in Stockholm. After 1972 the world community has made ...

Week 3 Reflection: Maqasid al-Shariah and the Heart of Sustainable Development 🌿🕌 Date: 18 March 2025 Course: SCSH 1201 – Sustainable Development: Issues, Principles and Practices (Section 4) This week, Dr. Suhaimi decided to merge Week 2 with Week 3 into a single coherent unit that combined Islamic views about sustainability with the study of Maqasid al-Shariah and its harmonious connection to sustainable development principles. The join between both subjects made complete sense because they represent opposing sides of sustainability, so studying them combined resulted in better comprehension. 🌍✨ Key Lessons and Takeaways 📝 1. What is Maqasid al-Shariah? According to Islamic law, the objectives known as Maqasid al-Shariah aim to defend human welfare through maslahah while protecting against any form of mafsadah. The Islamic faith requires the protection of the five fundamental pillars according to its teachings.  Faith (Din) 🕌 Life (Nafs) 🧍‍♂️ Intellect (‘Aql) 🧠 Weal...

Week 2 Reflection: Islam and Sustainable Development 🌿🕌 Date: 11 March 2025 Course: SCSH 1201 – Sustainable Development: Issues, Principles and Practices (Section 4) Sustainable Development exists as a natural element of Islamic teachings from generations past, according to this week's class knowledge presentation. Different sections of the Quran alongside Hadith texts combined with Islamic principles establish a detailed system that promotes sustainability across environmental, economic and social domains. According to Islamic teaching, sustainable living principles exist through interactions between humans and the environment as well as between society and their management of resources. Key Lessons and Takeaways 📝 1. Islam & Environmental Sustainability Anas reported Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) as saying,  “Never does a Muslim plant trees, or cultivate land, and birds or a man or a beast eat out of them but that is a charity on his behalf.” T...

Week 1 Reflection: Planting the Seeds of Sustainability 🌱 Date: 4 March 2025 Course: SCSH 1201 – Sustainable Development: Issues, Principles and Practices (Section 4) Our entrance into SCSH 1201 created the feeling of entering a brand new dimension where all actions, no matter their importance, can affect people across diverse generations. ✨ Our first assignment combined a review of a YouTube video with lecture presentation exploration and classroom teamwork through Padlet for the Ta’aruf (Introduction) session. The basic activities revealed the true meaning of sustainable development (SD). Lessons that Stuck with Me Sustainable development represents a concept which enables present needs to be addressed while protecting both present and future access to resources according to the Brundtland Report (1987). 🌍 Sustainability involves much more than embracing trees since it demands that people balance environmental factors with societal development alongside economic stability. T...