Introduction

“SUJRIS (Swat University Journal of Religious & Islamic Studies)” Journal of Islamic studies is peer reviewed, trilingual (English, Urdu, Arabic) research journal, published biannually by the department of Islamic & Arabic Studies University of Swat. The journal provides a platform for the publication of the most advanced research in the field Islamic Studies and Arabic Studies. The journal welcomes original empirical investigations related to Tafseer-e-Quran, Ahadith, Islamic Jurisprudence, Modern Issues, comparative religions, Islamic Finance, Arabic literature, Arabic linguistics and principles of Islamic fields.

The aim of the journal is to provide a platform to the researchers for sharing their thoughts and outcome of their research to encourage research in the field of Islamic Studies,

The purpose of the journal is to add original value to the quantity of contemporary literature and to encourage research to find solutions of different issues arising in modern era in the light of Islamic teachings.

OBJECTIVES

SUJRIS aims to strengthen Islamic order by investigating in the modern world. SUJRIS is the name of finding the Islamic solution of the world’s complex subjects and social issues.

SUJRIS is excited to welcome academic researchers to get their scientific research published on a vast range of Topics of Islamic and Religious Studies i.e: Qurᾱn and the Sciences of Qurᾱn, Ḥadῑth and Sciences of Ḥadῑth, Islamic Theology, the Islamic Jurisprudence, the Islamic Economy, and Islamic Education, the contemporary Muslim world, Islam and the West, Comparative Religions etc.

SUJRIS believes in diversity, tolerance and fruitful scholarly discussions and researches. SUJRIS welcomes faculty members from various universities nationally & internationally, as well as freelancer researchers to publish their manuscripts and research works related to Islamic and Religious studies, without any racial or religious discrimination. SUJRIS publishes manuscripts and articles after double blind peer review process, which is adhered to the magazine, and carried out by leading scientists and specialists in Islamic & Religious Studies in order to enhance the Islamic scientific research which has close linkages with the society.

 SUJRIS (Swat University Journal of Religious & Islamic Studies)

 EDITORIAL BOARD

PATRON –IN-CHIEF Professor Dr. Hasan She Vice Chancellor, University of Swat

Chief Editor Dr. Muhammad Mushtaq Ahmed Department of Islamic & Arabic Studies University of Swat

Editor Dr. Javed Khan Department of Islamic & Arabic Studies University of Swat

Assistant Editors Dr. Zia ud din Department of Islamic & Arabic Studies University of Swat Dr. Muhammad Numan Department of Islamic & Arabic Studies University of Swat

Technical Assistant Mr. Hamdullah Younas Director IT University of Swat

 

ADVISORY BOARD
Dr. Ata-Ur-Rahman Professor/Dean/Pro VC  University of Malakand)	Dr.Abdul Hamid Fazili Professor/ Chairman Department of Islamic Studies Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh India
Dr. Hafiz Hifazatullah Professor Department of Islamic Studies Islamia College University Peshawar	Dr. Akhtarul Wasey Prof. Emeritus  Department of Islamic Studies Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi India
Dr. Muhammad Farooq  Professor Shaykhkh zayed Islamic Centre University of Peshawar	Dr Muhammad Mumtaz Ali Professor Department of Usool ud din International Islamic University Malaysia
Dr. Abzahir Khan Associate Professor Department of Islamic Studies Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan	Dr. Lutfullah Saqib Associate Professor Department of Law and Sharia University of Swat
Dr. Umar Hayat Associate Professor Department of Economics University of Swat	Dr. Farooq ahmed Assistant Professor Centre for Education & Staff training University of Swat

 

 Guidelines for Authors (Submission formatting and referencing)

General Instructions

Literature review encapsulating past research; data/ content collection and analysis; suggestions for future research and conclusion.

The article must not have been published anywhere else.

It should be in accordance with the research principles and should be on a new topic. Moreover, the article should be adorned with the references of basic sources. It is necessary to abide by the rules of writing and spelling.

Manuscript Submission

Submit two copies of the manuscript along with a soft copy via CD/Email to the Editor. Manuscripts should not be submitted via Fax. To facilitate academic review and production, authors must provide their complete name, address, phone number(s), current position/title, and name(s) of universities on the title page. Manuscripts will be considered for publication only if they have not been published previously and are not under consideration for publication elsewhere.

The Review Procedure Manuscripts that are submitted to “SUJRIS (Swat University Journal of Religious & Islamic Studies)” Journal of Islamic Studies are subject to evaluation by at least two independent referees, who are expert in the applicable field. The decision to accept or reject a manuscript rests solely with “SUJRIS (Swat University Journal of Religious & Islamic Studies)” Editorial Board. The Editorial Board will, however, base its decision primarily upon the recommendations of the referees who have evaluated the paper.

Draft Format

The authors are required to follow the following instructions for formatting their papers, failing which the paper will not be accepted for publication.

General Requirements: 

Unsolicited Manuscripts must be written in English/Urdu/Arabic. Type the manuscript on white bond paper, 8-1/2×11inches (21.6×27 cm or A4 size paper) with margins of at least 1.5 inches (4cm) on left for English and on right for Urdu/Arabic.

• Article should be composed on one side of A4 size.

• It should not be more than 25 pages.
• Be careful regarding font size.

1. For text, font size: (urdu,Arabic-14,English-12)
2. Text of Urdu should be in Jameel Noori Nastaliq
3. Text of English should be in Times New Roman
4. Text of Arabic should be in Traditional Arabic
5. Footnote: font size (Urdu, Arabic-12, English-10)

Begin each of the following section on separate page and in the following order:

Title page,

Abstract,

Introduction,

Results & Conclusions, References.

Number pages consecutively, beginning with the title page. Type the page number in the upper right-hand comer of each page in English, and in the upper left-hand comer of each page in Urdu and Arabic.

• Line Spacing: single throughout the paper.
• Page Numbering: On the top left corner of the paper with the title on the top right corner.
• Page setup: envelope B5, Portrait
• Paragraph Indention: Indent each paragraph first Line by 0.5 and apply the indention consistently throughout the paper.

Title, Abstract and Keywords

Abstracts: 

Article in any of the three languages should have an Abstract, containing summary of the research. Abstract should be on a separate page of 150 to 250 words followed by the keywords for respective article. It should provide a concise summary of the objectives, the problem being addressed in the study, methodology (including the species studied), key results, and major conclusions of the study. It should be written in complete sentences, without subheadings. It must be written in English language.

Introduction

Introduction about the article must include objective, methodology, distinctive characteristics and short primer of the Research work.

Discussion:

In this part of the article, author would present his views and research in detail. The new and important aspect of the study and conclusions that followed. Link the conclusions with the goals of the study but avoid unqualified statements and conclusions not completely supported by your discussion and references.

Conclusion/Findings/Recommendations

Conclusion should be presented in a logical sequence. Findings of the research should be clearly mentioned on which recommendations are made accordingly.

Key Words:

Include the Key Words relating to the article subject.

Information about the Author

Author(s)’ name should be placed on the title page of the final paper right after title on the left corner and institution’s name along with further details should be placed in the footnote specified with the symbol(*). Please indicate the corresponding author in case the paper has multiple authors as well as one article cannot be written by more than two authors. A separate page containing the full name of Author(s), Email Address, affiliated Institute, Postal address and phone number(s) should also be submitted along with the article.

References:

References should be made according to the following guidelines:

• References should be made as Footnotes.
• While giving references, Chicago Manual Style should be adopted.
• While referring to a book, author’s name, name of the book, publisher’s name & place and year of publication and then Volume No/Page no. should be clearly mentioned.

Following example should be followed:

Ibn Kathir, Ismaeel bin Umar, Tafsir Al-Quran Al-Azim, Dar al-Sadir, Bayrut, 1354 A.H, 2/312

• For similar references at multiple locations, traditional style of abbreviations may be used.
• Quranic verses in the article be presented in Arabic script such as: Sura Al-Nisa: 4/184
• Necessary description(Takhreej & Authenticity) of all Ahadith should be mentioned like:

Al Bukhari, Al-Jamey, Al-Saheh, Kitab al-Ilm, Bab Ifsha al-salam min al-islam, Darussalam, Riyad, 1414A.H, Hadith no: 29, 1/8

• All-known figures mentioned in the article must be briefly introduced and references from books should also be quoted.

All footnotes citing books must contain the complete title, name of the author(s), place of publication, publishing company, and date. All foreign words must be underlined and transliterated.

“SUJRIS (Swat University Journal of Religious & Islamic Studies)” reserves the right to change the transliteration of all historical names, titles, and non-English terminology to bring conformity with its own style.

Title should be comprehensive, precise and reflect the original theme of the article.

Citation from the Internet/Webpage

If the author wants to cite an internet link then he/she is required to provide complete URL address failing which the reference will be considered invalid with date of Citation.

Transmission of Required Information

It is obligatory for the authors to describe their research in detail along with the significance of their research. Enough details of the citation should be provided so that others will be able to revisit the research. Incorrect and ambiguous statements will be troublesome and not acceptable.

Simultaneous/Multiple Publication

Author should avoid submission of the article in more than one journal for review and publication at a time as it is unethical. Moreover, multiple publications on the same research are also not acceptable.

If an author wants to publish their work in multiple stages in multiple different articles, then references of the first publication should be represented accurately in the second publication.

Defining Sources

Written permission of the source is compulsory if any information is used and quoted which is derived from a discourse, correspondence or a talk of a third party. Sources must be defined and cited in an accurate manner.

Major Mistakes in Published Work

If any mistake or error is noticed by the authors after submission of the article for review, it is obligatory for the author to inform the focal person of the journal immediately, so that necessary correction in the article may be made well in time and in case of major mistake, article may be withdrawn. Author is also bound to withdraw or make necessary correction well in time as directed by editor or publisher and also provide the evidence confirming the accuracy of the original research wherever required.

Authors of the Work

Any individual with significant contribution in the research work which is being presented in the article can be included as author(s) of the article. However, it is responsibility of the primary author to ensure that all the co-authors have seen the final draft of the article and agreed for submission of the article.

Important Note:

 Authors are required to agree to the Author’s Declaration confirming that the work as submitted has not been published or accepted for publication, nor is being considered for publication elsewhere, either in whole or substantial part; the work is original and all necessary acknowledgements have been made; all authors and relevant institutions have read the submitted version of the manuscript and approve its submission; all persons entitled to authorship have been so included.

Editor’s Guidelines

The Editor’s Responsibilities

The Editor(s) of “SUJRIS (Swat University Journal of Religious & Islamic Studies)” will be responsible for:

∙Establishing and maintaining quality of the journal by publishing quality papers in his/her journal.

∙Promotion of freedom of expression within the cultural, constitutional/legal framework

∙Providing integrity and credibility of the research contributions

∙Meeting the needs of authors and readers

∙Maintaining ethical standards of the journal

∙Providing corrigendum for any correction, clarification and apologies where required.

Good practices for their job includes to:

∙Encourage new ideas and suggestions of authors, peer reviewers, members of editorial board and readers for improving quality of “SUJRIS (Swat University Journal of Religious & Islamic Studies)”.

∙Apply the process of blind peer review in true letter and spirit,

∙Promote innovative findings in respective field and publishing them on priority

∙Promote anti plagiarism policy

∙Educate contributors (authors) about ethical practices in research

∙Implement the journal’s policy without institutional pressure and revise the policy from time to time.

Fair play and Impartiality

The criteria for the selection of research papers for “SUJRIS (Swat University Journal of Religious & Islamic Studies)” is impartial and the Editor will only select academically and scientifically sound articles,

The Editor will:

∙Promptly respond to the author (s) of the papers submitted for publication, and

∙Assign a specific number to an article submitted for processing; and pay impartial consideration to all research papers submitted for publication.

∙To ensure evaluation of the content of research papers impartially,

∙Disregard the discriminating factors, e.g. gender, race, ethnicity, religious belief, cultural sentiments, political affiliation, seniority and/or institutional association of the author(s) while selecting articles for publication,

∙To ensure impartiality of the review process by informing the reviewer (s) that s/he needs to disclose any conflicts of interest regarding the submitted research paper.

Confidentiality

∙The Editor will ensure confidentiality of the author(s) and reviewers during the process of double-blind peer review

∙Information pertaining to a research paper should not be disclosed by the Editor to anyone except the author(s), reviewer(s), and editorial board members

∙Upon reaching a decision about a research paper, only the Editor may disclose or announce title of the study and name of the author(s) that has been accepted for publication. Any other information may only be disclosed with the prior approval of the author(s)

∙Confidentiality of the participants of the research should also be ensured by protecting personal information (e.g. identifiable personal details, images, and/or individual results).

∙Prior to publication, the content of the manuscript would be kept confidential, both the Editor and reviewer(s) will not share or use any part of the work.

 

Editing and Formatting Guidelines

The Editor(s) of “SUJRIS (Swat University Journal of Religious & Islamic Studies)” prepared clear guidelines about preparing and formatting of a paper, which are available under Instructions for authors tab and printed in each issue of the journal. (It can be also downloaded from download section)

The Review Process

All articles are initially scrutinized by Editors, if the articles are coincided with the objectives and guidelines of the “SUJRIS (Swat University Journal of Religious & Islamic Studies)”; they are forwarded for further review process.

∙All scrutinized papers will go through a double-blind peer review process.

∙The Editor of “SUJRIS (Swat University Journal of Religious & Islamic Studies)” ensures that peer-review is masked in both directions and as such the identity of the author is removed from the manuscript prior to its review in order to protect the confidentiality and privacy.

∙The Editor of “SUJRIS” (Swat University Journal of Religious & Islamic Studies)” provides sufficient guidelines to reviewers, including necessary information about the review process and provide them a Reviewer’s Proforma for recording his/her comments. (Reviewer’s Proforma can be downloaded from download section)

∙The Editor of ““SUJRIS” (Swat University Journal of Religious & Islamic Studies)” ensures that peer review process is prompt, non-discriminatory and highly professional.

∙The Editor of “SUJRIS” (Swat University Journal of Religious & Islamic Studies)” developed a system of confidentiality of research papers undergoing the review process.

∙After the completion of review process, The Editor of “SUJRIS (Swat University Journal of Religious & Islamic Studies)” sends reviewers’ comments to author(s) promptly and ensures that the corrections suggested by the reviewers are incorporated by the author(s) in true letter and spirit.

∙The Editor of “SUJRIS” (Swat University Journal of Religious & Islamic Studies)” critically evaluates peer review practices regularly and makes improvements, if required.

∙The Editor of “SUJRIS” (Swat University Journal of Religious & Islamic Studies)” refers troublesome cases (e.g. in case of one acceptance and one rejection or any conflict arisen after review) to Advisory Committee in order to resolve the matter amicably.

Dealing with Misconduct

The Editor of “SUJRIS” (Swat University Journal of Religious & Islamic Studies)” always encourages reviewers to comment on ethical issues and possible research and publication misconduct (e.g. inappropriate research design, incomplete detail on participant’s consent, data manipulation, and presentation).

∙The Editor of “SUJRIS” (Swat University Journal of Religious & Islamic Studies)” encourages reviewers to comment on the validity of submitted research paper and identify “subtle (simply copy-paste)” and/or “blatant (paraphrasing)” type of plagiarism, if, practiced by the author(s).

∙The Editor of “SUJRIS” (Swat University Journal of Religious & Islamic Studies)” confirms plagiarism (carry out objective check through Turnitin) and/or searching for similar titles to the submitted research paper, and

∙The Editor of “SUJRIS” (Swat University Journal of Religious & Islamic Studies)” will publish a corrigendum, remove and retract a plagiarized article if it comes to his/her knowledge subsequent to its publication.

Transparency

The Editor ensures that multiple papers as a principal investigator submitted by an author should not be published in the same issue.

∙Only ONE co-authorship is allowed for those authors who also contribute a research paper as a principal investigator in the same issue, as per HEC guidelines.

∙For the members of the Editorial Board (including the Editor), it will only be limited to ONE paper per issue either to submit research paper as a principal investigator or co-author, and

∙The Editor adopts authorship or co-authorship policy that will strictly discourage any misconduct (e.g. forcible inclusion of a name in the author list). Authorship should only be given to those individuals who have substantially contributed in the said article.

 

Conflict of Interest

The Editor will not edit a submitted paper for those author(s) and/or institution against which s/he has any conflicts of interest (e.g. resulting from competitive, collaborative and/or professional standing).

∙The Editor will also apply this guideline on their reviewers and Editorial Board members.

∙To ensure unbiased review, the Editor declares a clear cut policy for his/her own submission and a research paper submitted by an Editorial Board member, and

∙In case of article (s) submitted by the Editor, the decision pertaining to the editor’s submitted article/s, one of the Associate Editors will take responsibility for the evaluation of the article and information pertaining to reviewers would be kept confidential.

Disclosure

The Editor will not use any unpublished information/data from the submitted research paper without the permission of the author(s)

∙Any information received after the peer review process will be kept confidential and will be not used for personal gains.

Publication Decisions

The Editor should shortlist research papers which have relevance to the scope of the journal clearly stated in the Journal, using his /her judgment, but without any personal bias.

∙After completion of the reviewing process, the submission of revised manuscript, and assessing the quality and validity, the Editor has a right to accept or reject a research paper.

∙The Editor’s decisions to accept or reject a paper for publication should be based purely on merit, academic standards and professional demands of the journal.

∙The Editor will justify the reason (s) of rejecting a research paper to author(s). This may include:

1. Failure to fit in the scope of the journal (may be communicated after preliminary review)
2. Insufficient depth of content
3. Major errors related to design, analysis, write up and format
4. Any misconduct or conflicting factors (e.g. plagiarism, copyright infringement, legal issues, fake data, authorship issues)

∙The Editor is required to timely communicate the editorial decision to the author(s),

∙The Editors should not reverse decisions in favour or against author(s) on their own.

Procedure for Appeal

The Editor is responsible for establishing a proper mechanism for appeals launched against:

∙The rejection of a research paper.

∙Objections to publications causing harm to any party.

∙Infringement of Ethical boundaries in any manner.

“These guidelines are retrieved from Higher Education Commission (HEC), Pakistan manual of “Ethical Guidelines for Journals”, which has been prepared by Dr. Rukhsana Kausar, Director Institute of Applied and Clinical Psychology, University of the Punjab, Lahore”

Scope and Mission

“SUJRIS (Swat University Journal of Religious & Islamic Studies)” is an Academic Journal devoted to religious and Islamic research. It is to serve as a forum for scholars to write objectively, analytically, and critically , wherever necessary, on all the fields of religious studies, i.e.,  Qurᾱn and the Sciences of Qurᾱn, Ḥadῑth and Sciences of Ḥadῑth, Islamic Theology, the Islamic Jurisprudence, the Islamic Economy, and Islamic Education, the contemporary Muslim world, Islam and the West, Phycology of religions, philosophy of religions, pluralism, gender studies, sociology of Religion, comparative study of Religions etc., to find answers to the question relating to social, political, economic, and moral problems of the fast and drastically changing world of today and to define the religion in terms of its fundamentals rationally and liberally emphasizing, at the same time, the fundamental religious ideals of universal brotherhood, tolerance, and social justice.One of the primary aims of SUJRIS is to develop a close linkage between intellectuals and ordinary men of society with the help of scholarly research.

Similarly, SUJRIS will also enable the new research scholars of M.Phil and PhD in the field of Islamic and Religious Studies to publish the findings of their thesis and dissertations.

Mission of SUJRIS is to appreciate brilliant scholarly research in Islamic thought. SUJRIS not only encourages authors to be creative, but also attempts to motivate and guide readers to be inquisitive, creative and critical in approach.

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“SUJRIS” Ethical Guidelines for the Author(s)

The following ethical guidelines are obligatory for all author(s) violation of which may result in application of penalties by the editor, including but not limited to the suspension or revocation of publishing privileges.

Reporting Standards

It is the author(s) responsibility to ensure that the research report and data contain adequate detail and references to the sources of information in order to allow others to reproduce the results. Fraudulent or knowingly inaccurate statements constitute unethical behaviour and are unacceptable.

Originality and Plagiarism

It is the author(s)’ responsibility to as certain that s/he has submitted an entirely original work, giving due credit, by virtue of proper citations, to the works and/or words of others where they have been used.

∙Plagiarism in all its forms constitutes unethical publishing behaviour and is not acceptable.

∙Material quoted verbatim from the author(s)’ previously published work or other sources must be placed in quotation marks.

∙As per HEC’s policy in case the manuscript has a similarity index of more than 19%, it will either be rejected or left at the discretion of the Editorial Board for the purposes of a conditional acceptance.

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.

∙Authors may submit a manuscript previously published in abstracted form, for e.g. in the proceedings of an annual meeting, or in a periodical with limited circulation and availability such as reports by the Government agencies or a University.

∙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 in order to claim 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.

Multiple, Redundant and Current Publication

∙Authors should not submit manuscripts describing essentially the same research to more than one journal or publication except if is a re-submission of a rejected or withdrawn manuscript.

∙Authors may re-publish previously conducted research that has been substantially altered or corrected using more meticulous analysis or by adding more data.

∙The authors and editor must agree to the secondary publication, which must cite the primary references and reflect the same data and interpretation of the primary document.

∙Concurrent submission of the same manuscript to more than one journal is unethical publishing behaviour and is unacceptable.

Acknowledgment of Sources

∙A paper must always contain proper acknowledgment of the work of others, including clear indications of the sources of all information quoted or offered, except what is common knowledge.

∙The author(s) must also acknowledge the contributions of people, organizations and institutes who assisted the process of research, including those who provided technical help, writing assistance or financial funding (in the acknowledgement).

∙It is duty of the author(s) to conduct a literature review and properly cite the original publications that describe closely related work

Authorship Credit

∙Authorship of the work may only be credited to those who have made a noteworthy contribution in conceptualization, design, conducting, data analysis and writing up of the manuscript.

∙It is the responsibility of the corresponding author to include the name(s) of only those co-authors who have made significant contributions to the work.

∙The corresponding author should ensure that all co- authors have seen and approved the final version of the paper and have agreed to its submission for publication. Others who have participated in certain substantive aspect of the research should be acknowledged for their contribution in an “Acknowledgement” section, if required.

Privacy of Participants

∙Authors must respect the privacy of the participant of research and must not use any information obtained from them without their informed consent.

∙Authors should ensure that only information that improves understanding of the study is shared.

∙Authors must ensure that in instances where the identity of the participant needs to be revealed in the study, explicit and informed consent of the concerned party is obtained.

∙In the case of the demise of a participant, consent must be obtained from the family of the deceased.

Data Access and Retention

∙If any question arises about the accuracy or validity of the research work during the review process, the author(s) should provide raw data to the Editor.

∙The author(s) should ensure that images included in an account of research performed or in the data collection as part of the research are free from manipulation,

∙The author(s) must provide an accurate description of how the images were generated and produced.

Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest

∙The potential and relevant competing financial, personal, social or other interest of all author(s) that might be affected by publication of the results contained in the manuscript must be conveyed to the editor.

∙The author(s) should disclose any potential conflict of interest at the earliest possible stage, including but not limited to employment, consultancies, honoraria, patent applications/ registrations, grants or other funding.

∙All sources of financial support for the project should be disclosed alongside a brief overview of the role played, if any by the responses during various stages of the research.

Copyright

Authors may have to sign an agreement allowing the journal to reserve the right to circulate the article and all other derivative works such as translations.

Manuscript Acceptance and Rejection

∙The review period can last between 1-2 months or longer and during this period the author(s) reserve the right to contact the Editor to ask about status of the review.

Once the review process has been completed, the author will be informed about the status of the manuscript which could either be an acceptance, rejection or revisions. In the case of rejection, the author(s) reserves the right to publish the article elsewhere

. In case of revisions, the author(s) must provide an exposition of all corrections made in the manuscript and the revised manuscript should, then, go through the process of affirmation of revisions and be accepted or rejected accordingly.

∙In case of dissatisfaction over the decision of rejection, the author can appeal the decision by contacting the Editor.

“These guidelines are retrieved from Higher Education Commission (HEC), Pakistan manual of “Ethical Guidelines for Journals”, which has been prepared by Dr. Rukhsana Kausar, Director Institute of Applied and Clinical Psychology, University of the Punjab, Lahore”

Originality and plagiarism policy.

SUJRIS (Swat University Journal of Religious and Islamic Studies) firmly complies with the ethical guidelines for publications and observes Zero Tolerance for plagiarism. SUJRIS uses Turnitin software for all research papers submitted to detect possible similarities. If the similarity is more than 19%, the article is returned to the author(s) immediately. SUJRIS (Swat University Journal of Religious and Islamic Studies) follows Higher Education Commission, Pakistan (HEC) guidelines to determine whether (or to what extent) plagiarism exists.

If plagiarism or other unethical practices are detected after publishing the paper, the editorial board can retract the article as HEC’s plagiarism policy. All authors are responsible for their content individually and collectively. In case of severe plagiarism issues, the editorial board may decide to consult the authors’ institutions or blacklist them.

Self-plagiarism: verbatim or substantial copying of authors’ own published work (or under consideration for publication at some other outlet) affecting the originality of current submission is also not acceptable in any way.

Peer review policy.

The peer review process is one of the publication’s most essential and fundamental components. The credibility and reputation of a journal mainly depend on the integrity of the peer review process and the trust of authors.
SUJRIS (Swat University Journal of Religious and Islamic Studies) follows peer review guidelines of HEC in true letter and spirit to meet annual funding requirements. All papers submitted to the Journal of Islamic and Religious Studies undergo a rigorous internal and external review by experts in the relevant area of interest:

Internal/Desk Review

Each paper goes through an internal / desk review by a relevant editorial board member to determine whether it is appropriately formatted and follows publication ethics. The board member would also consider whether basic research protocols have been observed in research design/analysis and contribution to the literature. Papers not meeting the basic requirements are not sent out for external review.

External Review (National & International)

SUJRIS (Swat University Journal of Religious and Islamic Studies) follows a double-blind review process after a paper is screened through the internal review. Team SUJRIS (Swat University Journal of Religious and Islamic Studies) asks the author not to include their personal information in the text of the article. If authors display personal information, another file is uploaded after the removal of the author’s information and sent to reviewers. Authors/s is further indicated not to post their papers on any website to prevent their identity to the potential reviewers. In contrast, reviewers are also expected to refuse if they come to know about the identification of the author(s) of a paper referred to them for peer review.

Three reviewers, one local and two international are referred to the article through the online portal of SUJRIS (Swat University Journal of Religious and Islamic Studies), ensuring that the epapericle is referred to a reviewer with specialization in the relevant field. A reviewer proforma is also attached with each review request which helps the reviewer in the review process. Each reviewer is given a timeline of 4 – 5 weeks for review. A reminder is sent if the reviewer fails to comply with the timeline.
External reviewers generally comment and suggest originality, quality of presentation, research design, data/results/conclusions, the usefulness of the study, and interest to the researcher’s community. During an external review, if reviewers find that the research paper has significant flaws that cannot be resolved through a major revision, they can recommend declining the paper.

Suggesting Reviewers

Following the HEC guidelines in letter and spirit, authors submitting their research papers to the SUJRIS (Swat University Journal of Religious and Islamic Studies) are not allowed to suggest potential reviewers review their research papers.

Criteria for Selection of Reviewers

Reviewers are selected carefully based on the following criteria:
1. Must hold a Ph.D. degree or advanced professional qualification with extensive professional/academic experience.

2. Recognized expert in the field (having publications in reputable academic or professional research journals)
3. Not affiliated with the institution of author(s)
4. Should have a good understanding of data analysis

Steps in Peer Review Process

The peer review process can be broadly described as follows:

Sr#	Steps of Review Process	Estimated Time
1	Submission of paper	–
2	First internal / desk review *	3-4 weeks
3	External review	4-5 weeks
4	Sharing of review reports to authors for minor/major revision **	1 week
5	Submission of the revised paper	3-4 weeks
6	Second internal review (to assess whether reviewers’ suggestions have been incorporated satisfactorily) ***	2-4 weeks
7	Acceptance of paper (on successful submission of revised paper)	1 week
8	Submission of Publication Charges	1 week
9	Publication of Issue (Online & Print)	Last week of every June & December

* Paper is returned to authors if it does not meet the essential criteria
** Paper is returned to authors if external reviewers find that the research paper has such serious faults that cannot be resolved through a major revision
*** Authors are requested for further modification if editors find that reviewers’ suggestions have not been incorporated satisfactorily

Note: Authors are asked to revise the paper carefully by the reviewers’ recommendations to avoid unnecessary delay in the review process.

Resubmission of paper (after peer review)

Nearly every published paper goes through at least one revision. Authors are directed to carefully revise the paper by the reviewers’ suggestions to avoid unnecessary interruption in the review process. The revised paper and the reply/response to the review report should be submitted within two weeks. Author(s) should be conscientious regarding the accuracy and completeness of the reviewers’ suggested points, to avoid further review and delay (further revision can be recommended if editors find that reviewers’ suggestions have not been incorporated satisfactorily).

Appeal/Complaint Process

The Editorial Board of SUJRIS (Swat University Journal of Religious and Islamic Studies) is committed to providing quality editorial services to its contributors and believes in building and maintaining trust and respect for all contributors, readers, and practitioners. Journal of Islamic and Religious Studies believes in improving its services by responding to appeals and rectifying its mistakes against:
a) Objection to publications causing harm to any party

1. b) Infringing ethical boundaries in any manner and
2. c) Rejection of research paper
   Authors/readers can submit their appeals directly to the Editor at sujris@uswat.edu.pk and editorsujris@gmail.com The appeal must provide detailed justification (harm, ethical issues, or response to editor/reviewer comments). The Editor would look after the matter independently and forward it to some appropriate SUJRIS (Swat University Journal of Religious and Islamic Studies) editorial board member. Finally, after going through the whole complaint/justification, the board member can recommend acceptance of the appeal, further review, or uphold the original decision (if any).

Article processing/publication fee etc.

Article Processing & Publishing Charges (APC) Information
SUJRIS (Swat University Journal of Religious and Islamic Studies), is fully open access and allows the research community and the general public to gain unlimited, accessible, and immediate access to scholarly articles and freely reuse the content, provided that proper attribution is given to the original authors.

To cover the cost of providing our high-quality publishing service and free access to readers, authors pay article processing & publishing charges (APPC) for manuscripts after the successful completion of the peer-review process. There are no submission charges or surcharges based on the length of an article, figures, or supplementary data.

APC details for National Contributors:
Publishing Charges: 20000 PKR (For Selected Articles after successful peer-review)

APC details for International Contributors:
Publishing Charges: USD 200 (For Selected Articles after successful peer review)

SUJRIS (Swat University Journal of Religious and Islamic Studies) also give full or partial waivers to encourage researchers of low income or who don’t have any funds for their research projects to publish the manuscript. For further details, see Waiver Policy.

Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest

∙The potential and relevant competing financial, personal, social or other interest of all author(s) that might be affected by publication of the results contained in the manuscript must be conveyed to the editor.

∙The author(s) should disclose any potential conflict of interest at the earliest possible stage, including but not limited to employment, consultancies, honoraria, patent applications/ registrations, grants or other funding.

∙All sources of financial support for the project should be disclosed alongside a brief overview of the role played, if any by the responses during various stages of the research.

Corrections and retractions of research articles.

Nearly every published paper goes through at least one revision. Authors are directed to carefully revise the paper by the reviewers’ suggestions to avoid unnecessary interruption in the review process. The revised paper and the reply/response to the review report should be submitted within two weeks. Author(s) should be conscientious regarding the accuracy and completeness of the reviewers’ suggested points, to avoid further review and delay (further revision can be recommended if editors find that reviewers’ suggestions have not been incorporated satisfactorily).

The Editorial Board of SUJRIS (Swat University Journal of Religious and Islamic Studies) is committed to providing quality editorial services to its contributors and believes in building and maintaining trust and respect for all contributors, readers, and practitioners. Journal of Islamic and Religious Studies believes in improving its services by responding to appeals and rectifying its mistakes against:
a) Objection to publications causing harm to any party

1. b) Infringing ethical boundaries in any manner and
2. c) Rejection of research paper
   Authors/readers can submit their appeals directly to the Editor at sujris@uswat.edu.pk and editorsujris@gmail.com The appeal must provide detailed justification (harm, ethical issues, or response to editor/reviewer comments). The Editor would look after the matter independently and forward it to some appropriate SUJRIS (Swat University Journal of Religious and Islamic Studies) editorial board member. Finally, after going through the whole complaint/justification, the board member can recommend acceptance of the appeal, further review, or uphold the original decision (if any).

Policy and principles on research data.

The following ethical guidelines are obligatory for all author(s) violations that may result in the application of penalties by the editor, including but not limited to the suspension or revocation of publishing privileges.

• Will ensure that the research report and data contain adequate detail.
• Fraudulent or knowingly inaccurate statements are unethical.

Contribution of each author with details.

• Authorship of the work may only be credited to those who have made a noteworthy contribution in conceptualization, conducting, data analysis, and writing the manuscript.
• The corresponding author should ensure that all co-authors have seen and approved the final version of the paper and have agreed to its submission for publication.

Privacy of Participants

• Authors must respect the privacy of the participant(s) of the research.

Authors must ensure that in instances where the participant’s identity needs to be revealed in the study, explicit and informed consent of the concerned party is obtained.

The Chief Editor

SUJRIS (Swat University Journal of Religious & Islamic Studies)

Biannual Journal of Islamic studies

University of Swat, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan