Author Guidelines

  1. Alhamd Islamika publishes original research papers with the understanding that these papers are not being considered for publishing elsewhere. Submission are accepted throughout the year with an average review time of 3 months. All submissions in Microsoft Word format should be sent electronically via email to: editor.islamika@aiu.edu.pk
  2. All submissions are subject to double blind peer review and should follow the Alhamd Islamika format. All tables and figures should be numbered and inserted in text of the paper in black and white (no colored figures).
  3. Religious preaching or sermon should not be confused with academic writing.
  4. A considerable amount of literature is available about the basics of Islam including prayers, Zakat,and fasting. Similarly, a great deal of existing literature discusses the juristic differences in Islamic jurisprudence or Fiqh. Mere translation and rewriting the existing discussions and juristic dissents do not make a research article.
  5. Articles of controversial nature (highlighting sectarian conflicts, issues related to Blasphemy etc.) will be declined. Academic freedom is essential and should be celebrated but it MUST NOT be used in any way to undermine the basic tenets of Islamic religion and mainstream Islamic religious beliefs and practices.

Format Requirement

PAPER STRUCTURE

  1. Submissions should include abstracts of up-to 200-250 words that explain the gist of the research and arguments the writer has presented. The abstract must not be exaggerated or contain any new information that is not outlined in the main body of the text. It should briefly outline the purpose of the research as well as the methodology used and conclusions drawn by the author. The article must be accompanied by up to 5 keywords or descriptive phrases.
  2. The conclusion should outline the main themes and pointers of the article. It should sum up the whole idea of the article and the author’s findings.
  3. The paper should be written using Times New Roman 12 point font with double spacing. It should comprise of maximum 6000-7500 words including footnotes and bibliography.

Citation Guideline

  1. All footnotes and Bibliographies should be cited in the Chicago Manual of Style. The Alhamd Islamika follows the Chicago Citation Style, Notes and Bibliography Style (17th) for citations. This reference style requires footnotes or endnotes in the text while citing, and a bibliography at the end of the document listing all the works that have been cited and any other works consulted. The bibliography should be arranged alphabetically by the author.

FOOTNOTES

While giving footnotes, please keep in mind the following requirements.

  1. References/footnotes must be in Chicago style, author(s) name(s), journal title/book title, chapter title/article title, year of publication, volume number/book chapter and the pagination must be present. For further details of the Chicago Manual of Style please click.
  2. Note numbers should begin with “1” and follow consecutively throughout a given paper. Be sure to use Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3) rather than Roman (i, ii, iii).
  3. In the text: Put the note number at the end of the sentence and after all punctuation where the reference occurs, even if the cited material is mentioned at the beginning of the sentence. In MS Word this can be achieved by clicking Alt+Ctrl+F for footnotes and ALT+Ctrl+E for endnotes. Moreover, note numbers are superscripted.
  4. Never reuse a number – use a new number for each reference, even if you have used that reference previously.
  5. Never use two note numbers at the end of a sentence.
  6. To cite multiple sources in a single note, separate the two citations with a semicolon (;).
  7. If citing the same work again immediately after you’ve already cited it, use ibid.
  8. Use of DOI is highly encouraged.
  9. All citations must be confirmed. That is, the correct page number of the cited source and details of publication should be given. If they are not, they will be removed wholly from the text by the editors.

Subdivision – Numbered Sections

Divide your article into clearly defined and numbered sections. Subsections should be numbered 1.1 (then 1.1.1, 1.1.2 …), 1.2, etc. (the abstract is not included in the section numbering). Use this numbering for internal cross-referencing as well: do not just refer to ‘the text.’ Any subsection may be given a brief heading. Each heading should appear in its separate style format.

HEADINGS

  1. Consistency and parallel structure must be maintained in headings and subheadings.
  2. Headline styles must be in accordance with chicago manual.
  3. Headings and subheadings must begin on a new line.
  4. The level of hierarchy in the headings and subheadings must be clear and consistent.
  5. Headings and subheadings should not be ended with a period.
  6. Avoid using more than three levels of hierarchy.
  7. There should be more space before the subheadings than after.
  8. There can be two levels of headings without any text between them.
  9. Font should be any font that is readable, preferably Times New Roman 12 points.

HEADING LEVEL FORMAT

Level 1: Centered, Bold or Italic font used, and Headline-style Capitalization

Level 2: Centered, Regular font used, and Headline-style Capitalization

Level 3: Flush with Left margin, Bold or Italic font used, and Headline-style Capitalization

Level 4: Flush with Left margin, Regular font used, and sentence-style capitalization

Level 5: Beginning line of the paragraph (no blank line after heading), Bold or Italic font, sentence-style capitalization, and terminal period used

Quotation

A prose or quotation of five or more lines or more than 45 words should be “blocked.” The block quotation is single-spaced and takes no quotation marks, but an extra line space must be left immediately before and after the quote. Indent the entire quotation 0.5.” However, quotes less than 45 words would be incorporated within the text with inverted commas as running quotes.

Figures and Tables Embedded in Text

Please ensure the figures and the tables included in the single file are placed next to the relevant text in the manuscript, rather than at the bottom or the top of the file. The corresponding caption should be placed directly below the figure or table.

Bibliography

  • The bibliography should start on a new page, and be titled ‘Bibliography’ at the top in 12 pt. Times New Roman font. Do not embolden the title.
  • Use proper formatting for each type of source and always using a hanging indent. The first line of the citation will begin on the margin, subsequent lines are indented (opposite of a footnote/endnote).
  • The bibliography must be ordered alphabetically.
  • Please note that name of the first author in the bibliography is inverted while in the case of more than one author rest of the names are not inverted. For more information regarding the Chicago Bibliography, please click.

Other Instructions

  1. Terms of other languages should be in Italics and explained/ translated.
  2. Academic jargon that is specific to a particular discipline needs to be thoroughly elaborated upon or footnoted.
  3. The Manuscript must be ‘spell-checked’ and ‘grammar ’corrected.
  4. The authors must get the article’s language edited to avoid rejection.
  5. Authors should attach a plagiarism report with a manuscript authorized by library sources.
  6. Articles that are unoriginal and heavily plagiarized shall not be entertained.
  7. Articles not following Reference Guidelines i.e., Chicago Manual of Style for footnotes/Endnotes and Bibliography shall not be entertained.

Declaration

  • Authors are required to provide an undertaking/ declaration stating that the manuscript under consideration contains solely their original work that is not under consideration for publishing in any other journal in any form.
  • A manuscript that is co-authored must be accompanied by an undertaking explicitly stating that each author has contributed substantially towards the preparation of the manuscript to claim the right to authorship.
  • It is the responsibility of the corresponding author that s/he has ensured that all those who have substantially contributed in the manuscripts have been included in the author list and they have agreed to the order of authorship.