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Revisiting Muhammad’s al-’Isrā’ Wal- Miʿrāj (Night journey to Jerusalem and ascension to heaven)
Luka, Amos Yabo; Chia, Philip Suciadi (Taylor and Francis, 2025-02-09)
Muhammad’s Isra’ and Mi’raj, also known as the Night Journey and Ascension is believed to be a combination of both a physical and spiritual journey, with tradition suggesting that Muhammad’s journey was spiritual. However, as time has passed, the details of the event have been elaborated upon, with references in the Quran suggesting a physical journey with the verse “glory be to him, who carried his servant by night…. that we might show him some of our signs” (17:1) being cited. This article delves into the Islamic narrative of Muhammad’s night journey and ascension by examining both primary and secondary sources. This article aims to explore the complexities of Muhammad’s Night Journey and its theological implications.
A good reputation must be earned, but how? Examining the role of relationship communication and employee skills in retail banking
Roberts-Lombard, Mornay; Petzer, Daniël Johannes (Taylor and Francis, 2025-06-20)
This study examines relationship communication and employee skills as antecedents to corporate image and the latter’s relationship with corporate reputation. It also considers the mediating role of corporate image and moderating roles of customer characteristics, such as duration of support and customer spending. Using purposive and quota sampling, responses were collected from 352 customers of South African banks using a self-administered questionnaire. Mplus version 8.5 tested the direct effects proposed, while the indirect effects were tested with the Hayes Process macro for SPSS. The study assists emerging market banks to understand how corporate image influences corporate reputation perceptions, based upon the inclusion of selected corporate image antecedents. It also emphasizes the importance of duration of support and monthly spending in the relationships between corporate image and its selected antecedents.
Forecasting growth-at-risk of the United States : housing price versus housing sentiment or attention
Cepni, Oguzhan; Gupta, Rangan; Pierdzioch, Christian (Springer, 2025-09-09)
We examine the predictive power of national housing market-related behavioral variables, along with their connectedness at the state level, in forecasting US aggregate economic activity (such as the Chicago Fed National Activity Index (CFNAI) and real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth), as opposed to solely relying on state-level housing price return connectedness. Our results reveal that while standard linear regression models show statistically insignificant differences in forecast accuracy between the connectedness of housing price returns and behavioral variables, quantile regression models, which capture growth-at-risk, demonstrate significant forecasting improvements. Specifically, state-level connectedness of housing sentiment enhances forecast accuracy of the CFNAI at lower quantiles of economic activity, indicative of downturns, whereas connectedness of housing attention is more effective at upper quantiles, corresponding to upturns. The results for GDP growth suggest that, while both sentiment and attention contribute to forecasting performance at lower quantiles, only attention improves forecasting performance at upper quantiles. In terms of statistical significance, the results for GDP growth, however, are less conclusive than those for the CFNAI. Taken together, these findings underscore the importance of incorporating regional heterogeneity and behavioral aspects in economic forecasting.
Men's knowledge, attitudes, practices, cultural beliefs, and perceived risk and susceptibility regarding prostate cancer in the Vhembe district, Limpopo province, South Africa
Patrick, Sean Mark; Shirinde, Joyce; Obida, Muvhulawa; Zikalala, Zazi; Hayes, Vanessa M.; Bornman, Maria S. (Riana) (Springer, 2026)
BACKGROUND : Prostate cancer (PCa) awareness and knowledge among men in Vhembe District, Limpopo Province, South Africa, remain inadequately studied despite the high local burden of the disease. This study investigates the knowledge, attitudes, practices, cultural beliefs, and perceived risk of PCa among men aged 40 and above in selected villages under the Mphaphuli and Niani tribal authorities. METHODS : A quantitative survey was conducted with 431 men, utilizing a questionnaire adapted from the African Women Awareness of Cancer (AWACAN) tool. The questionnaire, translated into Tshivenda, assessed socio-demographic data, awareness, knowledge of risk factors and symptoms, health-seeking behavior, and barriers to seeking medical help. RESULTS : The study revealed that 51.3% of participants had heard of PCa, while 48.7% had not. Awareness varied significantly with age, relationship status, education level, and language. Older men and those with higher education levels were more knowledgeable about PCa. Clinics, hospitals, and media were the primary sources of information. Misconceptions about risk factors were prevalent, with 24.0% of men indicating a preference for traditional healers for PCa symptoms. Barriers to medical help included fear of the disease, procedural fears, and cultural taboos. Multivariate analysis identified significant factors associated with PCa knowledge, including age, language, access to tap water, and cell phone ownership. CONCLUSION : These findings underscore the importance of targeted educational interventions considering sociodemographic and cultural contexts. Future public health initiatives should focus on bridging the gap between traditional and modern medical practices to enhance health outcomes in the Vhembe District and similar settings.
Transforming South Africa’s school nutrition programme for educational success : a review on challenges and prospects
Mazenda, Adrino; Monedi, Aboleleng; Purnama Sari, Ni Putu Wulan; Huni, Chamunorwa (Sage, 2025-11)
INTRODUCTION : South Africa's National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP) was created in 1994 to reduce poverty and unemployment and improve children's learning. It aims to aid disadvantaged children and strengthen poor communities, especially in rural areas. OBJECTIVES : The study examined challenges in implementing Total Quality Management (TQM) in the South African National School Nutrition Programme. METHODS : A qualitative case study design was used based on document analysis extracted through the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) method. The documents were analysed using thematic analysis. RESULTS : Key TQM challenges affecting the implementation of the NSNP include Customer focus-lack of funding from the Department of Basic Education to accommodate increased enrolment; Employee involvement-role ambiguity due to lack of communication, and at times, the roles of the NSNP players are not clearly defined; Process-centric approaches-lack of school-level infrastructure to store and cook for students, Continuous improvement and training-lack of education curriculum on nutrition education and Relationship management-lack of coordination of the stakeholders on funding, political landscape, nutrition policies, community involvement, programme adaptability. CONCLUSION : Effective monitoring systems should be established to guarantee that students receive the necessary quality and quantity of food. These systems should also oversee food supply, storage, preparation, and hygiene. Additionally, the current targeting system, the quintile system, requires evaluation. This should involve assessing the school's location, available resources, and individual students' social context.