34.4.1 ACADEMIC ASSOCIATIONS

Academic associations are usually established for three purposes: Intellectual exchange, assertion of rights, and setting or maintaining Professional ethics/standards. They achieve these purposes through various activities which are inter alia: seminars, publications, training, certification, and professional discipline. Membership is based on academic qualifications and professional involvement. Grades of membership may reflect respective professional standing. These organizations value their academic independence and self control which they feel are necessary for professional integrity. The word ‘alim is generally used to refer to scholars in the classical Islamic sciences. The term can be extended to all sincere and believing scholars of other disciplines. Ulama organizations must have the following objectives: dawa, protect Islam and its heritage, application of Islam, Islamization, advice, and counseling. Membership qualifications may be informal because many Muslim scholars today were not trained in any formal institutions of higher learning. Some hold academic qualifications from universities or other institutions. In addition to the academic standing, the member must have Islamic character and values. 

34.4.2 MEDICAL ASSOCIATIONS

34.4.2 STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS

Student extracurricular activities should never interfere with studies. Students have to be good students first before they are anything else. Programs for students on the campus: worship, tarbiyat and training, academic support, entertainment, career or study counseling, counseling on social life, protection of Muslim student interests, and dawa. MSA should receive and initiate new students on arrival or if possible even before coming to the University or college. Routine activities of MSA include: lectures, question forums, study groups, competitions, projects, drama, exhibitions, visits to hospitals, charitable visits, Islamic newsletter/magazine, video shows, practical demonstrations. The usra type of training is the best for students. A specific plan must be followed to ensure that there is continuous and balanced tarbiyat all through the course of study at the university.

34.4.3 LABOR AND PROFESSIONAL UNIONS

A labor or professional union is a social institution that should concern itself with larger issues of controlling inflation, stabilizing prices, expansion of the economy to provide full employment. The union should also take positions on issues of local and global economy. It should eschew the European concept of continuous social struggle and conflict between interest groups: employers vs workers, professionals vs clients, government vs unions etc. This contradicts the Islamic model of social development that requires consensus-building at all stages within the context of Islamic teachings. Islam equally rejects the Marxist doctrine of class struggle. The idea of labor being a permanent class of society in continuous struggle with owners should be replaced by a system whereby workers are encouraged to avoid hyper consumerism so that they may save enough money and buy property and shares and thus gradually join the owners' class. If working class is thus temporary why the social struggle? The union should promote cooperation between owners and workers in al birr and taqwah instead of competition and struggle.