‘ĀʼIsha Bint Al-Shāṭi's Thoughts on Tarāduf and Their Implications for the Istinbāṭ of Law

As a book containing miracles, in literature, the miracles of the Quran have been proven by ʻĀʼisha Bint al-Shāṭiʼ through her theory i‘jāz lughawī. She showed the importance of the correct method of interpretation of the Qurʼan from aspects of tarāduf (synonym). However, despite following the rule of "there is no word that has the same meaning (tarāduf) in the Quran" as commonly known in the theory of iʻjāz al-qur'ān (the inimitability of the Qurʼān), her thoughts on tarāduf and their implications for the istinbāṭ (inference) of Islamic law are still unclear. Hence, this article discusses the relation and influence of ʻĀʼisha Bint al-Shāṭiʼs thoughts related to verses of laws. By studying the book of al-I'jāz al-Bayānī lil Qur`ān wa Masā'il Ibn al-Azraq and other relevance sources, this article concludes that ʻĀʼisha Bint al-Shāṭiʼs thoughts related to verses of law are still abstract and difficult to be applied, hence it does not give a significant influence on the strengthening of Islamic legal propositions

Water absorption and salt attack resistance of coal ash brick made of different percentage of foam content

Coal ash which constitute of fly ash and bottom ash were proved to be used as main component in brick production. However, published work on the coal ash brick with addition of foam in order to produce lightweight brick is still lacking. This thesis reports the effect of variation in foam content in coal ash brick on the density, water absorption and salt attack resistance. Comparison of those parameters was made between the coal ash bricks and conventional brick. The coal ash brick mixes were formulated using industrial by-product, ground granulated blastfurnace slag (GGBS) which is activated with an alkaline (hydrated lime or Portland cement) combined with coal ash from coal-fired thermal power plant. The blended binder comprising of hydrated lime (HL) – GGBS and Portland cement (PC) –GGBS were used to stabilize the coal ash brick. Foam was used to produce lightweight brick. The percentage of foam added to the brick mixes are 25%, 50% and 75%. A total of sixty (60) brick specimen subjected to ten (10) series of mix proportion were cast and put in air curing condition for at least 28 days before testing. The density measurement in accordance with AS/NZS 4456.8, water absorption test in accordance with BS EN 772-21 and salt attack resistance in accordance with AS/NZS 4456.10 were evaluated on the brick specimens. The results indicated that the density of coal ash brick decreases with the increase in foam content. Also for bricks composed of both blended binder, the water absorption were directly proportional to the amount of foam. Thus, the water absorption of foam brick increases with the reduction in density. Higher foam content leads increase of pores and capillaries in brick structure, therefore the brick become weaker to resist on salt attack. XRD pattern of formed brick with 75% of foam addition on HL-GGBS coal ash brick portrays ettringite formation were attributed to disruption of brick structure. The use of coal ash with HL–GGBS and PC-GGBS combination as binder agent has been observed to be lightweight, low in water absorption, and advantageous in protection to salt attack compare to the conventional brick. The optimum proportion respected to the foam content is 50% in balance condition with approximately 1-2% of mass loss due to salt attack, 12-13% of water absorption and density significantly reduced to 1600kg/m3 . Keywords – fly ash; bottom ash; hydrated lime; Portland cement; ground granulated blastfurnace slag (GGBS); foam; brick; density; water absorption; salt attack resistanc

Equality of opportunity and student support schemes

Equality of opportunity or access to education has always been propagated as a good mechanism to reduce economic imbalances between the rich and the poor. This is due to the fact that there is a historic correlation between educational attainment and occupational opportunities. In meeting this objective, the Malaysian government has invested vast amount of fund through subsidization of education particularly in higher education. In Malaysia, public universities obtain 80-90% of their funds from government grants. Not only the government support the public higher education institutions but it also provides the student support scheme in terms of scholarships and student loans. However with the increasing costs and rapid expansion of higher education, pressure for reform in higher education financing has intensified. Heavy reliance on public funds to finance higher education no longer seems to be an ideal solution. In this regard many countries around the world resort to the concept known as cost recovery. Replacing scholarship by student loans is one of the ways on how cost recovery can be implemented. The introduction of student loans, however, if not properly formulated will discourage or deter less advantaged socio-economic groups from getting access to higher education. In this paper we will discuss some policy options with regard to student support schemes which taking into consideration both efficiency and equity issues

A Review of The Models of Land Development Process: The Structure Models

This is the final part of a three series paper reviewing the models Df land development process. One aspect which is lacking in all the three types of models discussed earlier is the focus on the way the production of the built environment is influenced by wider forces. It is suggested that the structure models seek to overcome this by focusing explaination of the development process within the perspective of the structural dynamics of the modes of production. However, they barely penetrate into the details of the events of the land development process and the network of the agency relationships. Therefore, it is concluded that the land development process is best explained within the critical framework of the institutional analysis as shaped by the structure and agency approac

Analysing Qualitative Data Using Facial Expressions in an Educational Scenario

In communication, both verbal and non-verbal means ensure that a message is conveyed, and facial expressions are acknowledged as one of the most influential factors in non-verbal communication. Facial Analysis Coding System (FACS) is a tool to analyse data other than the spoken language to improve a researcher's reading of an interviewee's emotions, and proposes a methodology to support the annotation process of facial expressions in a piece of communication. This study investigates an applied framework for FACS in an educational scenario. The study combines both the computerised and manual entries in the applied method. The study addresses the challenges, findings and recommendations of this applied method