One of the fundamental tenets of Islam is the belief in life after death, which is shared by all faiths and belief systems accepting the Creator. In Islam, the belief in the hereafter plays a significant role in maintaining communal harmony as well as controlling life. As a result, belief in the afterlife, which serves a function in worldly life, accomplishes the task of instilling a sense of responsibility and moral values in people whose purpose in life is to serve (...) God, pass moral tests, and build a network of relationship based on moral rules on Earth. This can only be achieved by fulfilling the role of believing in the hereafter in this world. Because it deals with the existence of humans, life after death has therefore been a topic of discussion in both religion and philosopy and has occupied the agendas of theologians and philosophers throughout history. Plato was the first significan philosopher in Western thought who methodically addressed the immortality of the soul, and his views on the immortality of the soul influenced the philosophers after him. Belief in the afterlife has been central to Islamic philosophy, and several arguments for its need and plausibility have been established within philosophical frameworks. This study explores the question of whether one of the major Islamic thinkers, Aviccena’s intellectual theory provides support for the belief in an afterlife. The primary justifications Aviccena employed to support his belief in the afterlife are assessed in the study. The essay also emphasizes how Aviccena was influenced from pre-Islamic philosophy and how his legacy influenced philosophers after him. (shrink)

China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is a major strategic project designed to serve international trade, geopolitical influence, and economic development objectives. Its implementation has altered the composition of China’s foreign assets, affecting liquidity and revenue indicators. However, the outcomes of these investments have not been as profitable as anticipated, raising questions about their economic efficiency. The BRI’s direct impact on exports and GDP growth has been limited, although it has contributed to diversifying trade routes and reducing geopolitical distances to (...) some extent. From a geopolitical perspective, the BRI has expanded China’s trade partnerships and sphere of influence, achieving positive outcomes, particularly in the Global South. Nonetheless, tensions with Western countries have escalated, occasionally leading to counterproductive results for the initiative. The military implications of the BRI remain in an early stage of evaluation. This article explores how successful the BRI has been in achieving China’s objectives against the backdrop of economic indicators and geopolitical relations. (shrink)

Modern wars are experiencing a period of serious transformation. The dominance of “hard power” inherent in classical wars has come to an end. This is due to the increased influence of non-military threats on global security. In this case, the increasing role of information, economic, demographic, cultural, political, financial and other factors, along with military power, allows states to use a wider set of tools in solving their problems. As a result, the role of military methods as the main means (...) of solving problems in interstate relations is limited, and states have to use additional resources and war fronts. New forms of struggle are characterized as “hybrid war” and “soft power”. The article widely uses general logical cognitive methods: synthesis, analysis, induction and deduction. (shrink)

The article notes that the sources of legitimacy were different in ancient and medieval times than today. It is emphasized that the concept of legitimacy in China emerged from a complex interplay of philosophical ideas, cultural beliefs, and historical precedents. The Mandate of Heaven, Confucianism, and legalism each provided different sources through which rulers sought to legitimize their authority. In ancient Greece, the concept of legitimacy arose from a combination of civic participation, philosophical thoughts, mythological narratives, and the pursuit of (...) virtue. In ancient India, however, the concept of legitimacy was deeply rooted in the rich tapestry of spiritual, social and philosophical ideals. Dharma served as a spiritual compass that guided rulers to maintain cosmic order and ethical principles. The article also notes that the sources of legitimacy in ancient Rome were multifaceted, based on a combination of mythology, legal foundations, religious symbolism, and the ability to ensure stability and prosperity. In medieval Europe, the concept of legitimacy was shaped by the complex dynamics of feudal relations, religious beliefs, and evolving political structures. In medieval Islam, the concept of legitimacy was deeply rooted in the caliphate, the implementation of the Sharia and the pledge of allegiance. The interaction of political and religious factors determined the sources of legitimacy, emphasizing the importance of rulers to rule according to Islamic principles. The scientific result of the article, the novelty and importance of the work is that it shows how the concept of legitimacy changes over time and space and the impact of these changes on the management structure of societies. The author emphasizes that the sources of legitimacy in ancient and medieval times, unlike in the modern era, originated more from religious, philosophical and cultural contexts. The novelty of the work is the comparative presentation of specific models of legitimacy in ancient China, Greece, India and Rome, as well as in medieval Europe and the Islamic world. The main hypothesis is that the sources of legitimacy were formed according to the social, economic and ideological realities of the time and had a direct impact on the management mechanisms. The importance of the work is that it provides an opportunity to better understand the dynamics of legitimacy in the modern era and build effective governance structures by learning from its historical models. This approach creates a new perspective for both philosophical and political-legal studies. (shrink)

This article comprehensively explores the application of sustainable development principles to project management in Azerbaijan. The primary objective of the study is to propose strategic approaches and recommendations for sustainable project management in Azerbaijan based on an in-depth analysis of global experiences. Global practices, including initiatives aimed at addressing climate change and environmental issues, have been reviewed and compared with Azerbaijan's current situation. The research highlighted the steps taken by Azerbaijan toward sustainable development. In particular, the Smart Villages project implemented (...) within the framework of the "Azerbaijan 2030" National Priorities and the assessment of renewable energy potential were emphasized as significant factors for ensuring sustainable development. Furthermore, existing ecological issues such as industrial waste and air pollution were analyzed, and general approaches to addressing these challenges were proposed. The article concludes with strategic approaches and recommendations aimed at achieving the country's sustainable development goals. These suggestions are focused on ensuring ecological and economic balance in Azerbaijan and implementing more efficient and sustainable project management practices. (shrink)

Digital art examines the transformation of traditional art forms into new modes of expression through digital technologies. The article analyzes the impact of the digital environment on contemporary art, how creators benefit from this medium, and how art evolves into new forms in conjunction with technology. Unlike traditional art forms, digital art provides artists with the opportunity to create visual expressions through “zeros and ones.” In this environment, they can realize their ideas more conveniently, and the resulting artworks become more (...) accessible to people. The digital environment offers not just a technological tool but a new intellectual and spiritual platform for artists and viewers. Emerging in the 1950s-60s with the development of computer technologies, digital art has expanded over time through its interactive forms, transforming aesthetic perceptions. The digital realm broadens the boundaries of human creativity, establishing new harmonies between art and technology. The article covers the historical development of digital art, its impact on contemporary practices, and its future prospects. This new form of creativity reflects how technology influences aesthetics and supports human intellect. (shrink)

This article examines the positions of the modern digital global world in conditions when most processes are implemented through innovative technologies. Thus, modern reality is positioned as a period in which significant connections, including cultural ones, undergo technical and technological changes under the influence of comprehensive processes of digital transformation. This time is considered as a time of new technical and economic development associated with the transition to a new technological order. Digital transformation and the new phenomenon of digital culture (...) that has emerged in connection with it record all changes as prospects for further social development. Priority is given to such areas as digitalization of the cultural environment, the use of a digital management model based on data and a unified administrative policy, improvement of information systems and resources, redesign and electronization of services, expansion of integration capabilities. (shrink)

The rapid penetration of information technology in our lives, the growing demand for electronic resources in addition to traditional forms of publication in accordance with the demands of the information society directly makes the replenishment of library collections, especially university, electronic resources. necessity. From this point of view, the realization of library policy is relevant. Currently, modern library collections are completed with traditional print resources, as well as electronic resources according to the requirements of the time. The replenishment of library (...) collections is a continuous process carried out in the direction of meeting the ever-growing information needs of users. In general, the process of acquisition of electronic resources provides access to the world information market, providing convenient, easy search and retrieval of information without limitations in time and space. It is during this process that the basic principles of acquisition should be taken into account. In particular, the information needs of university users should be analyzed, the typology of readers should be studied, attention should be paid to the issues of technical support in order to provide access to electronic resources. From this aspect the article deals with the main criteria of selection and evaluation, which are important to take into account in the process of collecting the funds of the university library with electronic resources. At the same time, the importance of the policy of completing electronic resources and the main principles of this policy are widely explained. (shrink)

One of the many Eastern poets who became famous in the West in the 19th century is the “Sage from Ganja” Mirza Shafi Vazeh. His cheerful and song-like poems were translated into German by his student Friedrich von Bodenstedt. The songs quickly gained popularity in Germany. The co-authors of this great cultural event of the 50s of the 19th century, the poet Mirza Shafi and the translator F.Bodenstedt, managed to harmoniously complement each other. The work of F.Bodenstedt “Songs of Mirza (...) Shafi” appeared as a unique result of the cultural unification of the East and the West. In the 70s of the 19th century, confessions written by F.Bodenstedt in the appendix to the work “From the Accounts of Mirza Shafi” led to the rupture of this poetic unity. The issue of plagiarism, which is usually emphasized in our scientific community, when it comes to the literary relationship between Mirza Shafi and F.Bodenstedt, has gained relevance after these confessions. The plagiarism committed by F.Bodenstedt in relation to Mirza Shafi has largely obscured the true essence of the cultural phenomenon that arose, as a result of the fusion of Eastern poetry and Western thinking. It should be noted that indirect acts of plagiarism by F.Bodenstedt were reflected in his memories about Mirza Shafi. He absorbs the colorful oriental features of Mirza Shafi, which could arouse the interest of a German reader tired of the revolutions of the 40s. The German translator masterfully imitates the vivid and emotional image of the poet. During conversations, he exploits the poet intellectually, involving him in “psychological games”. F.Bodenstedt tried to translate into German the impromptu poems of Mirza Shafi in the Azerbaijani and Persian languages to the extent that he understood the essence of what was said in these passages. He sought to gain popularity in the competitive German scientific community through his translations on Oriental subjects. Despite the fact that, F.Bodenstedt published the songs in his own name his confessions were not successful, because he could not separate the oriental spirit of Mirza Shafi from the songs. The confessions which were supposed to make him the sole author of the “Songs of Mirza Shafi”, caused serious doubts and sharp criticism in the German scientific community. Along with F.Bodenstedt, who gradually lost the trust he had won in the eyes of his readers, the Azerbaijani poet Mirza Shafi also began to be forgotten. As a result of the steady change of poetic tastes in German societies, the process of oblivion is further accelerated. Mirza Shafi, forgotten in the West since the beginning of the 20th century, became famous in Azerbaijan in the same century and has continued his path independently ever since. (shrink)

The human being is a multi-faceted entity, and within the spiritual realm, two primary centers govern: the center of reason (ʿaql) and the center of love (ʿishq). Human beings possess the faculty of thought, which, through reason, discerns truth from falsehood in the domain of theoretical and epistemic inquiry and fulfills practical functions in the domain of action. Love, however, arises from the human inclination toward ultimate perfection. According to ʿAllāmah Ṭabāṭabāʾī, love constitutes an existential connection between the lover and (...) the beloved, manifesting as an attraction between the perfect cause (ʿillat kāmilah) and the perfected effect (maʿlūl mustakmil). Through ḥarakat al-jawhariyyah (substantial motion), humans ascend from the level of potential intellect (ʿaql hayūlānī) to the level of acquired intellect (ʿaql mustafād), thereby attaining the boundless joy of Divine knowledge. Ṣadr al-Dīn Qūnawī identifies two aspects of reason: first, as a faculty of logical reasoning and deduction, and second, as an instrument for apprehending intuitive truths (ḥaqāʾiq shuhūdiyyah). While the former is prone to error in logical structures or deductive reasoning, the latter is neither constrained by limitation nor subject to error. Qūnawī considers the human essence to be the qalb (heart), characterized by its intermediary (barzakhiyyah) and unitive (aḥadiyyah jamʿiyyah) nature, which allows it to apprehend all truths-universal and particular alike. The highest attainment of the intellect is ʿaql mustafād (acquired intellect). Yet, through the heart’s love, the human being transcends the realm of intellect and enters the Divine Presence (ṣuqʿ rabbūbī). When the heart receives truths from higher realms, it transforms ordinary intellect into sacred intellect (ʿaql qudsī). This sacred intellect, being an illuminated intellect (ʿaql munawwar), not only comprehends divine truths but also retains the ability to engage in logical and philosophical reasoning. ʿAllāmah Ṭabāṭabāʾī identifies three paths to the knowledge of God: sensory perception (ḥiss), rational intellect (ʿaql), and the innate or heartfelt path (ṭarīq qalbī wa-fiṭrī). The innate path corresponds to the human heart’s natural inclination toward the Ultimate Source (mabdaʾ al-mabādī). For ʿAllāmah, sharīʿah (divine law), grounded in illuminated and sacred intellect as well as divine revelation, aligns with human nature (fiṭrah) and facilitates human happiness through the harmonious integration of reason, love, and divine guidance. In Qūnawī’s thought, divine love (ʿishq ilāhī) refers to the primordial divine longing resulting from the unity of the divine names (asmāʾ). This love signifies a metaphysical movement and inclination inherent to the divine names themselves, independent of external causation. Qūnawī devoted significant effort to providing a rational framework for unveiling (kashf) and mystical intuition (shuhūd), asserting that the limitations of reason in comparison to intuition do not signify its absolute inefficacy. He critiques reason confined to Aristotelian rationality (ʿaql mashāʾī), emphasizing its dependence on theoretical reasoning, its susceptibility to imagination (wahm), and its limitations when devoid of intuitive insight. Consequently, before reason is elevated to sacred intellect through the heart, it may find itself in conflict with certain stages of love. (shrink)

The issue of "divine justice" is one of the important principles of belief that, due to its importance, has found a special place in doctrinal and theological discussions; to the extent that sometimes some Islamic sects have placed it as one of the five principles of religion alongside other principles of belief. The issue of divine justice plays an important role in theology and the knowledge of God and the type of human worldview. In addition, Divine Justice is one of (...) the important foundations for proving resurrection, reward and punishment in the hereafter, and in addition to the ideological and theoretical dimension, it also has educational and practical effects. Therefore, criticizing incorrect interpretations and providing its correct explanation is necessary. The present study and research has examined and criticized Divine justice from the perspective of Hassan Hanafi. The author has collected information using a library method and explored the subject using an analytical-critical method. Among the most important topics discussed are: proving intellectual goodness and ugliness and its perception, the realm of reason and transmission in knowledge and cognition, intellectual obligations, the principle of finality and kindness. Finally, attention is paid to evaluating the Hanafi perspective on these matters. (shrink)

In the research work, the application of electronic government, which is considered a new state administration and marks the beginning of a new stage in administration, is investigated and analyzed in different states. At the same time, egovernment models are mentioned, various approaches and views are shown, and attention is paid to the possible directions of e-government development in Azerbaijan. The development of ICT has necessitated the transition of governments to a new public administration, and the corresponding situation is of (...) particular importance in the direction of optimization and efficiency of government expenditures. In the study, the models put forward by researchers, state institutions and international organizations were shown, and their characteristics and signs were noted. The maturity levels and stages of these models are analyzed and development directions are indicated. Then, in the research work, the models are shown in five directions for service areas according to the direction of development of government structures and information technologies. At the same time, the Western and Eastern models of electronic government were mentioned in the research work, and the countries according to these models were indicated, as well as the development directions of electronic government belonging to those countries were emphasized. Similar and different features, positive and missing aspects of the egovernment implementation process by country are shown. In the Republic of Azerbaijan, which pays special attention to the application and formation of electronic government, attention was paid to the importance of the activity of "ASAN service" centers and the factor of providing services from one center. In the end, the importance of all models was noted, suggestions and recommendations were shown based on the research carried out in a generalized form, the use of international experience and the expectation of security measures were considered appropriate, taking into account the future prospects of egovernment. (shrink)

Haji Zeynalabdin Shirvani, a scholar, poet, and traveler who lived in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, authored his first work, Riyaz AsSiyahat. This work consists of two parts. The first part was published in 1960 in Tehran under the editorship of Asghar Hamid Rabbani. The second part was published in 1974 in Moscow as a three-volume edition by Agamir Guliyev. These three volumes were later translated from Persian into our native language at the end of 2024 and the (...) beginning of 2025 under the scholarly editorship of Professor Zakir Eminov. The translations were carried out by Shahin Yahyayev (Volume I), Aladdin Malikov (Volume II), and jointly by Shahin Yahyayev and Aladdin Malikov (Volume III). The present article focuses on Riyaz As-Siyahat and the Abjad calculation used by the author in this work. The article begins with a brief overview of Haji Zeynalabdin Shirvani's life, followed by a concise discussion of the aforementioned work. It concludes with an explanation of the Abjad calculation and examples of its application in Riyaz As-Siyahat. (shrink)

The stability of every society is closely tied to the proper establishment of its ideological foundations. In this context, religious education is of great importance, especially today, when conflicts are widespread. A lack of religious education and growing ignorance often lead to the rise of religious radicalism and extremism. The ideological, political, economic, and spiritual damage caused by these forms of extremism is profound. Religious ignorance is a key factor contributing to this issue. However, the teachings of our religion, promote (...) peace, mercy, consideration, and moderation. The social organization of religion and establishment of religious institutions make great contributions to promoting religious ideas in a healthy way and allows people to be religiously more educated. Therefore, the Quran, Islamic tradition, and the wisdom of intellectuals emphasize the significance of religious education in numerous instances. The main purpose of writing this article is to partially explore the methods of combating religious ignorance. Although the topic is new, it addresses one of the most important issues of modern times. Based on the conducted research, emphasizing the importance of religious education, organizing secondary and higher religious education, valuing education as a moral virtue, preparing sound religious literature, learning lessons from the harm caused by religious ignorance, and encouraging specialists working in the field of religious education are considered some of the most important and effective methods in the fight against religious ignorance. This article has been studied in a descriptiveanalytical manner and based on content analysis. Additionally, it is considered an interdisciplinary study, as it encompasses the subjects of religious education, history, sociology, and the Quran. (shrink)